The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-08-28

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"ThInk W. Can Stop Here, or Go
Back to, tho Hotel7"
"Good work! Then make yourself
at home and 60 to it. We've most Of
the afternoon before u.s."
Gramont left the house, and headed
down toward the bayou shore.
He took letter from his pocket,
opened it, and glanced over it anew. 1t
was an old letter, one written him
nearly two years previously by Lucie
Ledanois It had been written mere
" in the endeavor to distract tho
thoughts of wounded soldier, to
bring his mind to Louisiana, away
from the stricken fields of France. In
the letter Lucie had described some of
the more interesting features Of Bayou
Terrebonne-the oyster and shrimp
fleets, the Chinese and Filipino VII
lagos along the gulf, the far-spread
cypress swamps the bubbling foun-
tains, natural curiosities, that broke
up through the streams and bayous Of
the whole wide parish-fountains that
were caused by gas seeping up from
the earth's interior, and breaking
through.
GramOnt knew that plans were al
ready afoot to tap this field of natural
gas and pipe it to New Orleans. Oil
%nN O11 ha ST. To
was now oil-mad. Fortunes were be-
ing made daily, and other fortunes
were being lost daily by those who
dealt with oil stocks instead Of with
oil.
"Those gas fountains did the work !"
reflected Gramont. "And according to
this letter there's one of those foun-
tains here In the, bayou, close to her
property. Just opposite the DOCK she
says. The first thing is to find the
dock, then the fountain. After that,
we'll decide If it's true mineral gas.
II it is, then the works done-for I'll
sure take chance on finding oil near
it," f..
Gramont came to the bayou and be-
gan searching his way along the thick
and high fringe of bushes and saplings
that girded the waters edge. Present
" he came upon the ruined evidences
| Of what had once been small boat
shed. Not far from this he found the
dock referred to in the letter; nothing
was left of it except few spiles pro-
truding from the surface of the water
But he had no need to look farther.
Directly before him, he saw that
which he was seeking.
I. A dozen feet out from shore the wa
ter was rising and falling in continu-
Gus dome or fountain Of highly
charged bubbles that rose foot above
the surface. Gramont stared at It,
motionless He watched it for a space
then, abruptly, he started. It was a
violent start, a start Of sheer amaze
ment and incredullty.@
He leaned forward, staring no longer
at the gas dome, but at the water
closer inshore. For a moment he
| thought that his. senses had deceived
him, then he saw that the thing was
there indeed, there beyond any doubt
"a very faint trace Of iridescent light
that played over the surface Of the
| water. ~, v
1T can't be possiblel' he muttered;
bending farther over. "Such a thing
happens too rarely"
His heart pounded violently; ex-
citement sent the blood rushing to his
brain in binding swirls. He was
gripped by the gold fever that comes
| upon q man when he makes the as
founding discovery Of untold wealth
lying at his feet, passed over and dis
regarded by other and less-discerntng
men for days and years! d, .
It was oil, no question about It. An
extremely slight quantity, true; SO
slight q quantity that there was no
film on the water, no. discernible taste
to the water. Gramont brought 1t to
his mouth and rose, qshakinsshis head.
Where did it come frdn9 at had no
t.connection with the ms bgbbiess--.a at
I least, it did not come. from Ht6 dome
| Of. water and gas. How long he stood
!. there sstaring Gramont did not know.
aHtsbrain was afire with the POSSIBLE
ties At length he stirred into action
| and started up the bayou bank. from
time to time hating to search the wa
ter below him, to make sure that he
| could still discern the faint rides
! cence.
He followed it rod by rod, and
| found that it rapidly increased in
| strength. It must come from some very
| tiny surface seepage close at hand.
that was lost in the bayou almost as
rapidly as it came from the earth
depths. Only accidentally would a
man see it-not unless he were search
ing the water close to the bank, and
even then only by the grace OF chance.
Suddenly Gramont saw that he had
lost the sign. He Lalted.
! No. not lost, either! Just ahead OF
t:m.,:Es:ss. !: latch Of reeds, and re-
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