The Dolores star., 1922-10-06

1
forty years ago. Don't you want 10
buy a ticket? It's the last one I've
got =" she added prettily.
"When's 1t to be7"
"a week from tomorrow night Are
YOU going 10 be here that longr
She realized the slip OF her tongue
and colored slightly. Fairchild. recov-
cred now. reached into pocket and
carefully fingered the bills there.
Then, with quick motion. as he
drew them forth, he covered ten
dollar bin with a one-dollar note and
thrust them forward.
"Yes, I'll take the ticket"
She handed II to him, thanked him,
and reached for the money. As 1t
passed into her hand, corner of the
ten-dollar bill revealed Itself. and she
hastily thrust 1t toward him as
though TO return money paid by mis-
take. Just as quickly. abe realized
his purpose and withdrew her hand.
"Oh! she exclaimed almost In
whisper, 81 understand" She flushed
and stood a second hesitant. fiustered,
her big eyes almost childish as they
looked up into his. "You-you must
think I'm a cadv' Then she whlrled
and left the store, and a slight smile
came to the lips of Robert Falrchild
as he watched her hurryinR across the
street. He had won tiny victory. at
| least.
With new enthusiasm, 4 greater
desire than ever to win out in the
| fight which had brought him to Ohadi,
| he hurried to the courthouse and the
various technlcalities which must be
cOped with before he could really call
the Blue Poppy mine his own.
II was easier than he thought A
| few signatures. and he was free to
wander through town to where idlers
had pointed out Kentucky gulch and
to begin the steep ascent up the mar
row road on n tour of prospecting
that would precede the more legal and
more safe system of n surveyor.
The ascent was almost sheer in
places, for In Kentucky gulch the
hills huddled close to the little town
and rose in preclpitous inclnes al
most before the city limits had been
reached. He stepped aside to allow
the passage of ore-laden automobile
trucks. loaded until the springs had
fiattened and until the engines howled
with their compression as they sought
to hold back their burdens on the
steep grade. And 1t was as he stood
there, watching the big vehicles travel
| down the mountain side. that Fair
| child caught glimpse Of a human
figure which suddenly darted behind a
clump Of scrub pine and skIrted far
to one side, taking advantage OF every
covering. A new beat came into
/ Fairchlld's heart. He took to the road
again, plodding upward, seemingly a
man entirely bereft of suspicion. A
quarter of a mile he went, n half.
Once, as the road turned beside a
great rock, he sought its shelter and
looked back. The figure still was fol-
lowing, running carefully now along
the bank Of the stream In an effort
to gain as much ground as possible
before the return of the road to open
territory should bring the necessity of
caution again.
A mile more, then, again In the shell
ter of rocks, he swerved and sought n
hiding place, watching anxiously from
MS concealment for evidences Of dis.
covery. There were none. The shad.
over came on, displaying more and
more caution as he approached the
rocks, glancing hurriedly about him
as he moved swiftly from cover to
cover. Closer-closer-then Fairchild
repressed a gasp. The man was old.
almost white-haired, with hard, knot.
ted hands which seemed to stand out
from his wrists; thin and wiry with
the resiliency that outdoor, hardened
muscles often give to age. and with
a face that held Fairchild almost byn-
notized. 1t was like hawks; hook
beaked, colorless, toneless in all ~.
pressions save that Of a maIicious
tenacity; the eyes were santed until
they resembled those Of some fantas-
tic chinese image, while Just above
the curving nose blue-white sca,
ran straight up the forehead.--Sou,nt
Rodaine!
so he was on the trail already,
fairchild watched him pass, sneak
around the corner of the rocks. and
stand a moment in apparent bewilser.
ment as he surveyed the ground be-
lore MIN. A mumbling curse and hs
went on, his cautious gait Discarded
walking briskly along the rutty. bouI.
der-strewn road toward a gaping hole
IN the hill, hardly a furlong away
Ihere he surveyed the ground core.
1ully, bent and stared hard at IN.
earth, apparently for a trace of foot
prints and finding none turned slowly
ana looked intently all about him
carefully he approached the mouth n,
the tunnel and stared within. Tben
he straightened, and with another
glance about him, hurried off un a
eulch leading away from the ro.d
INTO the hills. Fairchild Law and
"atched him until he was out of sight
hn Vrw