Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1922-05-26

toned all other noises and, prisoned
as she was. the schooner and her foe
were sweeping slowly toward the land
In the grip of current rather than
before the gusty wind.
Lund came up within the hour and
stood blinking at the brilliance.
He seemed well satisfied with the
prospect. Had breakfastT he asked
Rainey, and then: "All right We1l
! git the men aft"
He beloved an order, and soon
every one came trooping, to gather
in two groups either side Of the cabin
skylIght. Their faces were eager with
the proximity of the gold. yet half
sullen as they waited to hear what
Lund had to say. Since the attempt
against him Lund had said nothing
about their shares. They acknowl-
edged him ms master, hut they still re-
belled In spirit.
"There'S the island" said Lund
/ "Well make 1t afore sundown. The
beach Is there. waitin' for us to dig II
up. TN he some job. I don't reckon
| '
we'll bust the crust with dynamite.
But we got to hop to 1t. Therc'll he
another cold spell after this one peters
out an the next is like to he perma-
nent. want the gold washed out
afOre then, an us well down the
strait. It's up to you to hump yore-
selves. an I'll help the humpin'
H. - a. ~
II they's time, well fiume the silt tail
in's for the fine dust. Providin' we
can git fall Of water. Therell be
plenty for all hands to do. An the
shares 60 as first fixed. amt ex-
pectin' you to do the dlggin' an not
git a pinch or two Of the dust"
The mems faces lighted. and they
shuffled about, looking at one another
with grins Of relief.
mo cheers?" asked Lund ironically
"Wall, I hardly expected emmy. Han
son, you'll be one Of the foremen. with
pay accordin'. Deming"
"I can't dig" said the hunter trucu
lently. "Neither can Beale with his
ribs"
you've got sweet nerve" SAID
Lund. ~ reckon you've won enough
to be sure Of yOre shares. II the boyt
pay up. Enough for you to do some
diggin' In yore pockets for Beale. His
ribs 'ud he whole II you hadn't startet
the hoshevik stunt. But I'll fint
something for both of you to do. DOM
let that worry you none.
"Wp'vc got mercury aboard some
where" Lund continued, to Rainey
when the men had dispersed. far more
cheerful than they had gathered
"We'll use that for concentration II
the film rifles. IIansenll have rock
ers made that'll catch the hg stun
If the worst comes TO the worst, wei
load up the old hooker with the pa.
dirt an wash II out on the way home
I'll strip thar beach down to bedrOcl
II I haye to work the toes an finger
off EN-"
BY noon the schooner was glaze
in as firmly as toy model that
mounted In glass sea. The win
blew itself entirely out, but the cul
rent bore them steadily on to th
clamorous shore, where the swell
were creating promontOries, bay
cliffs and chasms in the piled-uP col
: fusion of the foes pounding on tn
rocks, breaking up or sliding atop on
another in noisy confusion.
The marhle-whiteness of the IL
masses was set off by the blues ar
soft violets OF their shadows, and }
pearly sheen wherever the plane
caught the light at a proper s'aut Ia
the play Of priSmS. Beautiful as
was, the sight was fearful to Rain"'
In common with the crew. Only Lun
surveyed II nonchalantly.
"It's Dustin up fast" he said. ~
we need is Il little luck. If we ain
got that there's no use of worry III
We can't blast ourselves ont o IT.
e without riskin' the schooner W
J. ought to be thankful we froZc In gcl
Il Tie. There amt plank started. III
floe'n fcnd US off. There ain't en-
big chunks emmy way near us aft. lu'
to make Il decent landin--is all "
need, an it's my hunch It's comm o.
way"
II His "hunch" was correct. Thoul
l. they did not actually make uc lill
" bay on which the treasure beach Il
j. bOuched. they fetched up near
} against broken hill Of ice that hi
! lodged on the sharp slopes of lii
| promontory, making the connecti'
! without further damage than spl
| ting Of the forward end Of their @
| casing foe, with hardly jar to Il
Karluk.
| Lund sent men ashore over the l.
| climbing to the promOntOry Crags wi
y hawsers by which they tied
q schooner, foe and all, to the land.
N the broken hill suffered further cat;
" trophe, which did not seem likely
y fragments would fall upon the fl'
" In case of emergency Lund order
NJ men told off day and night to stand
q the hawsers to cast loose or cut,
q the extremity needed
"a II was dark before they We