The Mena weekly star., 1921-06-02
6be Blue Moon A Tdle Of the F70tDOOdS
Continued From Previous Issue)
sf DAVID AEDEasOH
 Copyright by Bobbs-Merril Col

sport, the two fishermen, with the pick ef all they had fioated over in the bottom of the boat, rowed up the stream. The glare of the campfire was beginning to slither upon the drip ping oar blades and the rippies they rsised when the Boss laid the boat nearer the south shore with the re- mark:
 Here's where we're expectin' t hist tn sinners tomorrow-all along here. Jist look at tn tracks. Make a right smart track. don't they, fer beast without no feet?"
 The Pearlhunter made no answer. Crouched down by the jack light well toward the bow of the boat. he had been for some time watching the un- usually thick tangle of winding marks upon the slimy bottom, plowed there by the mussels or clans while feed fhg,. dozens and hundreds of the creep Ing Jivalves. half buried in the ooze, 3T at that very moment dotting the river Z bed.
 The Boss was in the very act of turning the boat across the river to the camp when he was startled by an < excited exclamation from his compan. ion, who had suddenly leant low and dangerously far out over the water. He was up on the instant and had flashed the jack light around the boat. # Yn his dripping hand there was an i'm. mense river mussel.
 f Vrfo ofS Dc. 1.I the bluish-purple glitter shedding from tlle hinge knobs of the giant bivalve than he uttered shout that walked Y the echoes up and down the river shore, and brought the five men at the camp running down to the waters edge. r.----'.-----~-.
 "A Blue Mooni" he yelled. By the gods, Blue Mooni"
 He snatched 1t from the hand of his companion and held 1t under the full glare of the jack light Next moment he had handed it back and was driv. f ing the boat to shore, where the first glance at the peculiar markings of the mussel instantly threw the whole camp into the widest excitement.
 They spread down by the light of the fire the whitest cloth the camp af. forded. and the Boss cut the mussel E open. One pearl, large, lustrous, dropped out upon the cloth and lay twinkling up Into their faces like a fallen star. It passed from hand to hand. the pearl fishers struggling with each other for the privilege of holding A
 T never seed a one b'fore," cried the oldest "clammer" present, but I # knowed hit were Blue Moon tn min ute lamped tn she'll" The pearl. passing from hand to hand. had come round to the Boss again, who. stooping close to the fire nght, examined 1t through a small hand lens such as most pearl fishers carry. "Pearlhunter." he said. turning # b the young man, you shorely air # fuckyi You've found y'ur pearl-an' < fortune 1t werel"
 "Then it's you that's lucky" was the slow answer. "Its not mine."
 Had the others not been too excited, they might have noticed that his lips were drawn; his voice strained.
 The grizzled old river Boss gripped A his ealleused hand shut upon the T pearl; his seamy old face hardened, and there sprang up in his deep-set eyes an expression not unlike the ex- q pression Tn the eyes of hawk when # title to the prey in his claws is dis puted. But the expression passed. He B thrust the pearl back into the young mans hand as though half afraid of Fl ft
 Say" he growled. "what do you think I am7"
 Tt was taken from your boat in waters you expected to fish tomorrow. You'd have found 1t anyway"
 The hawlxish glover left the blue eyes of the older man, leaving him the frank-faced old Boss again. He studied his young friend curiously.
 "Weil, I'll be damn'dw he chuckled good-naturedly to himself, still study ing the other from under the edges of his eyes. "Say." he continued, look ing up frankly, T hain't got a derD bit more claim to it than got to the Bank of IngIand. If you fancy have got claims. hereby gives an conveys 'en t you-an' if that hain't good low. it's square deaiIn h,twixt man an man; anr that's better'n law any 2 day"
 You mean itT
 The younger man fingered the pearl as if 1t had suddenly assumed a new value.
 If you wan t insult me. jist let on like y'u think don't"
 & Hero-worshipers all. after the man. ner of their kind, the other pearl fish CTS, as if by common impulse. turned q their attention from the pearl to the man that found it. He had become an < object of wonder and curious admira- ton. No other achievement in the * world could possibly have so distin- guished him in their eyes. Suddenly one of their number snatched off his battered hat and yelled: z "Hooray fer tn Pearlhunteri" The bluffs caught up tho cheer that followed and flung 1t back in mulu- piled echoes, clear and far up ana down the night-bound shore. The Boss, still hungry for the feel of the # Jewel, reached forth a grfmy finger and medItatively stirred the pearl 4 vrrk~