The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-07-13
"a week from tomorrow night. Arr

and cOlOred slightly. Falrch1ld, 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 bill with one-dollar note and
thrust them forward.
Eyes, I'll takesthe ticket"
She handed it to him, thanked him,
aud reached for the money. AS it
passed into her hand, a corner Of the
ten-dollar bill revealed itself, and she
hastily thrust it toward him MS
though to return money paid by mis-
take. Just as quickly, she realized
his purpose and withdrew her hand.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, almost in a
whisper, II understand" She flushed
and stood a second hesitant, flustered,
her big eyes almost childish as they
looked up into his. "You-you must
think I'm cad!" Then she whirled
and left the store, and Slight smile
came, to the lips Of Robert Fairchild
rs he watched her hurrying across the
street. He had won a tiny victory, at
least
With new enthusiasm, a greater
desire than ever to win out in the
fight which had brought him to Ohadi,
he hurried to the courthouse and the
! various technicalities which must be
, COPIED with before he could really call
the Blue Poppy mine his avn.
It 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 tour Of prospecting
that would precede the more legal and
more safe system OF surveyor.
The ascent was almost sheer in
places, for in Kentucky gulch y the
hills huddled close to- the little. town
and rose in precipitoust inclines; 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 it was as he stood
there, watching the big vehicles travel
down the mountain side, that Fair
child caught glimpse Of human
figure which suddenly darted behind a
clump of scrub pine and s1irted 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 mile he went, n half
Once, as the road turned beside n
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 mucl ground as possible
before the return. of the road to vDpen
territory should fping the necessity Of
caution again.
A mile more, tlten. again in the slAel-
ter of rocks, lie sswerved and sought q
hiding place. watching AnxiOusly from
his concealment for evidences Of dis
cOvery. There were none. The sl,ad-
over came on, displaying more and
more caution as he approached the
rocks, glanclng. hurriedly about him
as he moved Swiftly from cover to
cover. Closer closer-thcn( Fairclhld
repressed a gasp The man was old,
almost whlte-hailed, with hard, knot
ted hands which seemed To stand out
from his wrists; thin and wiry with
the reslliency IT, ht outdoor, hardened
muscles often give to age, and with
face that held Fairchild almost hyp-
Noticed. 1t waa like hawks; look
beaked, colorless, toneless in all ex.
pressiOns save, that Of. a malicious
tenacity; the eyes were slanted until
they resembled. those Of some fantas-
tic Chinese image, while just above
the curving nose "a blue-white scar
ran straight iup the forehead.-Squint
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 bewilder-
ment as he, surveyed the ground be-
fore him. u mumbling curse and he
"ShI Viz SdulAOuS SdlS utSS0AuCus
walking brl';kly along the rutty, boul.
ler-strewn road toward a gaping hole
in the hill, hardly al furlong away.
There he surveyed the, ground care
fully, BENT and starSd Shard 1t the
earth, apparently for trace Of foot
prints, and finding none. turned slowly
and looked intently all about him.
Carefully lie, approached the mouth Of
the tunnel and stared within. Then
he Strengthened, and with another
glance about him, hurried Off up
gulch leading away from the road.
into the hills Fairchild lay and
watched him until he was out of sight,
and he knew instinctively that sur
veyor would only cover beaten terri
tory now. Squint Rodaine. he felt
sure, had pointed out to him the Blue
!. Poppy mine. svn@52 ~ s
Hurriedly he descended the rocks
once more TO turn toward town and
toward AEolher HoWards bonlyllng,