Evening journal., 1922-01-10

(Continued From Last Issue.)
'.You can claim half Of it" Harold
was whispering eagerly into Vir-
ginia's car. you were with Bill
when he found It."
Il can--but ! won't" she replied.
coldiy.
cold. gold. gold" he whispered
to himself Heaps and heaps OF it
what I've always hunted. And
Bill had TO find It. That devil had
TO walk right into II.
He was sickened by the thought
that except for his own cowardice
he would have accompanied them
into the den. Then he would have
been in a position to claim half the
mine-and yet it, too.
He found match The white
skeleton lay just az his feet.
He drew back, startled, but in
s.antly regained his poise. He
xnelt with unexpncabie intentness.
He, too. saw the ghastly wound and
It's grim connection with the rusted
pick. And he bent, slowly like a
man who is trying to control an un-
wonted eagerness, lifting the pick in
his arms.
on. it was easy to handle and lift
How naturally it swung in his arms
What a deadly blow the cruel point
could infictl
XIV
Bill made plans for an early start
TO his Twenty-three Mile cabin.
'Tn leave before dawn-as soon
as II gets gray" he told Virginia as
he bade her good night. "Pn come
back the next day. with a backload
of supplies. And with the little we
have left, we will have enough to
go on. We can start for Bradley
burg the day after that"
Virginia took no pleasure in bid
ding him goodby.
Her voice sank almost to whis-
per. and her tones were sober and
earnest. "Tn pray for you Here's
my hand, Bill"
He groped for 1t. found it at last;
81 was swallowed in his own palm,
and the heart OF the man raced and
thrilled and burned.
He mushed on. his snowshoes
crunching on the white crust. The
powers Of the wilderness gave him
good speed-almost TO the noon
hour.
Then he was suddenly aware that
the fine edge OF the wilderness 81
lence had been dulled. There was a
faint stir at his ear drums. The stir
grew TO a faint and distant murmur,
.he murmer to long swish like
million rustling garments. A tree
fell with a crash far away. Then the
wind smote him.
II was from the southeast.
No man OF the Northwest prov
inces is unacquainted with this wind.
I, is prayed for in the spring be-
cause its breath melts the drifts
swiftly. but it is. hated TO death by
ire traveller caught far from his
cabin on snowshoes.
II did not occur 10 Bill TO turn
hack. Already he was nearly half
way to his destination. The food
supplies had to be secured. sooner
or later; and when the Chinook !
comes no man knows when II will go
away. He mushed on through the |
soffening snow.
The truth suddenly dawned upon |
him that he was face TO face with |
cne OF the most uncomfortable sit
uations Of all his years in the for
est. He didn't believe he would be
able to make the cabin before the |
FAN OF night.
His woodmman's senses predicted |
bitter night.
Through the black hours he would |
have to fight Off sleep so that he I
could mend the fire and cut fucl
Late afternoon; already the shad-
ows lay strange and heavy in the
distant tree aisles. And all OF once
he paused, thrilled in his tracks.
A little way to the east. on the
bank Of a small creek. his father
and his traiterous partner had once
had a mining claim--a mine they
had tried unsuccessfully to operate
before Bronson had made his big
strike.
They had built a small cabin. and
for nearly thirty years it had stood
moldering and forgotten.
Exultant and thankful Bill turned
In his tracks and mushed over
toward It,
XVI
There was plenty OF heart-break-
ing work TO do when Bill finally
reached the little cabin. He couldn't
force open the door. so he hacked
hole in it, through which he en-
tered.
After looking about he turned to
his toll Of making a fire just out
side the hole.