The diamond drill., 1921-11-19

AZ the Back Of Beyond.

place as Placerville In the Red desert
region. which was then, as now. trav-
ersed only by one railroad. The sim
gle "Placerville" they had listed was
a station not far from Telluride. In
quite another part OF the state. Nor
could the Mining exchange gentleman
help me. However, he suggested that
II ] could find some old resident ("old-
timer" was the word he used) whose
memory reached back ways. there
might be something doing.
"Steer me-" begged; 'rm half
orphan and total stranger In Dem
YER"
He laughed. and then thought for
minute. and said:
"rhe Du Pont Powder people have
been doing business here for a good
many years. and they know the pow
der buyers all over the state. It's just
possible that they could tell you. Sup
pose you ask at their Office"
went. forthwith; and the gentle
man to whom I presented my card at
the cashiers window had the dope.
The Red Desert Placerville, he told
me, was strictly a has been" The
placers had long ago been exhausted.
and the place had afterward figured as
shipping point for some mine or
mines on the desert slope OF the East
ern Timanyonis. He was not quite cer-
tain. but he thought the name placer
Vile" had been changed to something
else.
AS TO the manner of reaching the
"has been." this. as he pointed out,
was simple enough. There were
through sleepers by way of the p. S-W.
and Copah oil the way to the Pacific
coast.
Armed with this information.
quickly shook the dust OF Denver (no
slam here intended, at the Queen City
of the Plain) from my feet. taking
through ticket TO Angels: and the fol-
lowing morning, when I ran my win
dow shade up previous to turning out
for breakfast, the train was rollicking
along over endless reaches OF the
dryest. drcariest, most barren-looking
tVUhNAy NnHl tht sun CfCi EhOhC uHNh
red sand, II appeared 10 be, with with
cred bits Of grass here and there and
scattering lunches OF what after
ward learned was called "greasewood."
Ii was while luncheon was getting it-
self served that the train stopped to
water the engine at the most desolate
place that ever lay out OF doors, I do
think. The place was utterly deserted
there wasn't human being In sight,
either on the platform or In the street
upon which the station faced not even
the bunch Of loafers which usually ma
terializes out OF nowhere 10 see a
train came and go. was looking out
of the window and wondering how any
body. even a hermit telegraph opera
tor, could stand IL TO live I'm such
graveyard OF a place when I got my
shock.
II was dog that connected up the
high-voltage wires for me; a shaggy
mongrel with his ears cooked and a
red ribbon OF tongue hanging out as
he jumped up on the high station plat
form as II TO say Hello. strangeri" To
me. For, right down the center of that
dogs face and dividing II as accurate
ly as IL II had been drawn by some
mathematical craftsman. was line
marking on black half from a white
half
was just taking swallow OF hot
chocolate when the dog appeared, and
o ~. nIxs nj x2II n s<x&e
the swallow down before / saw the
horse--a grasshopper-headed COW
pony. saddlcd and bridled and standing
hitched to n gnawcd wooden rail In
front of one OF the tumblc-down
shacks. "Piebald" Ia sort OF an elas-
tic word, as the dictionaries define II.
md IL might apply 20 almost any
beast-markings out OF the ordinary.
But the horse was gaping AT fell ems
lily within any or all OF the definitions:
II was true Calico white and light
sorrel In grotesque patchings: unmis-
taknbly ''pIebald.' II purlst In the
use OF the mothertongue-like Cousin
Percy. for example wished to call IT
so.
Before could rush back to the
stewards sentry-box In the vestibule Of
the car our train was chasing along
asaln.
"Heyi" I shouted; whats the name
OF that place where we stopped to wa,
ter the engineer
"Atropla."
"Death-slecp." translated with
grin. 'It fits, all the way down 10 the
ground. What are the Industries Of
Atropia"
Il don't get you"
Excuse me: I'll try to put n In
simpler form. Why Is Atroplaf"
lie appeared 10 have reached the
conclusion that was an escaped luna
tic, safe enough. most probably
harmless one. He looked first nj the lit
tie colored slip sticking in my hat.band