Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-01

| lie laughed upr0ari0usly, then saun-
tered easily over to the table, took an :
other of Peter s cigarettes and sank
into the easy chair again. Peter eyed
guest. but he hadn't yet gratifed Peter 9
curiosity.
We'll, what are you going to do1'
asked Peter.
'MeT" Coast inhaled Peters cign-
rette luSuriously, and smiled. "I'm
goin' West, pronto--to get my facts
straight-all at the expense Of the party
of the first part. I might stop off at
the Grand Canyon first for the view.
need rest, Pete. I amt as young
as I was-or I mightn't of let you put
me out so easy tonight. I'm glad of
that, though, Wouldn't like to Of done
"And then-?' asked Peter stead.
';sThen? Oh. I'll beat IL down to
want to hook up few things I don't
know with the things I do know. I'll
travel light, but comfortable. Five
thousand dollars makes a heap of diff
ference in your point Of view--and other
people g.. I'll be an Eastern millionaire
lookin' for investments. And what I
wont know about Jonathan X. Nc
Guire, alias Mike Mcclure. won't be
worth knowin'." He broke off, and his
glance caught the interested expression
on the face Of his host.
HIM. Curious, amt you, Pete?"
Yes said Peter frankly. II am.
Of course it's none of my business,
but"
"But you'd like to know. just the
same. | get you He flicked off the
n nf hte ,,go
whisky glass. "well-," he went
on, II don't see why shouldn't tell
you-some Of it-that is. 1t won't do
any harm for you to know the kind of
skunk you're workin' for. There's some
OF 1t that nobody on Gods earth will
ever know but me and Mike Mcclure
unless be slips up on one of his pay
ments, and then everybody's goin' to
first Of ALL"
Coast was silent a long moment while
ne drained the whisky and slowly set
the glass down upon the table. The
shadows upon his face were unpleasant,
darkened perceptibly as they marked the
years his thoughts followed. and the lines
at his lips and nostrils became more
deeply etched in bitterness and ugly re-
solve.
, 1T was down in the San Luis valley
/ nrst met up with Mike Mcclure. He
was born in Ireland. of poor but honest
parents, as the books tell US. He
changed his name to Jonathan X
when he made his first stake That
meant he was comm up in the world
seeI Me and Mike worked together up
in Colorado. punchin' cattle. harvestin'.
ranchin' generally. We were 'buddies.
mon gars, like you an me, eatin'
sleepin together as thick as thieves.
He had a family somewhere. same as
me-the wife had little money. but her
old man made him quit-some trouble.
AFTER while we got tired Of workin'
for wngcs. grub staked. and beat 1t for
the mountains. That was back in
nineteen one or two, I reckon. We
found vein up above Wagon Wheel
Cap. 1t looked good and we staked
out claims and worked it. hardly stop
pin, to eat or sleep. Coast stopped
long an short of that. mon vieux. was
year Of hard work with only a thou.
sand or so apiece to show for it. It
was only a pocket Hell! !" He broke
off in disgust and spat into the fire.
place. Don't talk to me about your
gold mines. There amt any such ami
NAL. Well. Mike saved his. I spent
mine. Faro. You know-an' women.
Then l got hurt. I was as good as
dead-but I pulled through. amt
easy to kill. When I came around, I
chored for while, doin' odd jobs where
l could get 'em and got little money
together and went to Pueblo. When
| struck town | got pretty drunk and
busted a faro bank. I never did have
any luck when was sober"
Yes, you've told me about that,
said Peter.
80 did--on the Bermudian. Well,
1t was at Pueblo l met up with Mike |
Arizona, where the copper was. Bis
bee was only a row of wooden shacks, |
but we got some backin', bought an
outfit and went out prospectin along
the Mexican border. And what with
'greasers' and thievin' redskins it was
some job in those days. But we made |
friends all right enough and found out
some of the things We wanted to know. |
Now, Pete, if tell to you all that
went on in that long trail into the
Gila Desert and what happened when
we got what we went for, you'd know |
as much as do. You'd know enough |
to hold up Mike Mcclure yourself if |
you'd n mind to. This is where the |
real story stops. What happened In
between is my secret and Mike Nc
CURES. We found the mine we were
lookin for That's sure
How we got it you'll never know. But
we got it. And here's where the real
in the Gila Desert and if ever there
u hell ~ earth. it's there. Sand, rocks,
rocks and sand and the sun. 1t was
hell with the cover off, and no mis-
take. No water within hundred miles.
"Now, this is where the fine Eye
Italian hand Of Mike Mcclure shows
itself. We were rich. ANY fool with
half an eye could see that. The place
was lousy-farly lousy 1t was ours"
Coasts brow darkened and his eyes
slittered strangely as a darting demon
Of the past got behind them. Yes
ours. Sacre beu! Any man who went
through what we did deserved 1t, by
6! We were rich. There was plenty
enough for two, but Mcclure didn't
hink so. And here's what he does to
ne. In the middle Of the night while
m asleep he sneaks away as neat as
you please, with the horses and the
pack mules and the water, leavin' me
md a devourin' thirst, more than a
hundred miles from nowhere
Murder" muttered Peter.
Coast nodded. You bet you. Muir
lcr. Nothin' less. Oh, he knew what
he was about all right. And l saw il
Iuick. Death That's what it meant.
Slow but sure. Hadn't seen the bones
bleaching all along the trail? He left
ne there to die. He thought l would
lie. Dios That thirst :" Coast
cached for the pitcher and splashed
n fher fhan n0ureh a glass of wafer