The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-09-14

] lDfLg years 40. Lon you want "
/ bay a tickstl It's the last one I've
got o. she added prettily.
-When's It 70 bel"
a week from tomorrow night. Ara
/ you going % be here that l0ngT
She realized the sILD Of her tongue
and cOlored slightly. Falrchild. recov-
cred now. reached into a pocket and
| carefully fingered the bills there.
Then. with a quick motion. as he
\ drew them forth. he covered ten
dollar bill with a One-dOllar note and
| thrust them forward
-Yes. I'll take the ticket
She handed IL 10 him thanked him,
and reached for the mohey. As Il
| passed into her hand. a corner OF the
| ten-dollar LVI revealed itself. and she
hastily thrust IL toward him as
| trough to return money paid by mis-
| take. Just as quickly. she realized
his purpose and withdrew her hand.
"Ch," she exclaimed. almost In
I whisper. Il understand" She fCshed
and stood a second hesitont. fustered.
| her big eyes almost childish as they
looked % into his. "You-yOu must
| think I'm a cadr7 Then she whlrled
and lef, the store. and a slight smile
[ came 10 the lips Of Robert Falrchili
I as be watched her hurryIng across the
street. He had won a tiny victory, at
I least.
With a new enthusiasm, a greater
I desire than ever 10 win out In the
fight which had brought him TO Ohadi.
ne hurried 10 the courthouse and the
various technIcaIities which must be
cOped with before he could really call
the Blue Poppy mine his own
II was easier than he thought. A
Z few signatures. and he was free 10
wander through town 10 where ldlers
had pointed out Kentucky eulch and
to begin the steep ascent Up the mar.
row road on a 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 eulch the
hills huddled close 70 the little town
ard rose in PERCEPTIONS lHcilnns al
most before the city limits h4-' been
reached. He stepped aside T. allow
the passage OF Ore-iaden automobile
trucks. loaded until the springs had
fiattened and until the engines howled
with their compression as they sought
TO hold back their burdens IN the
steep grade. And II was as he stood
there, watching the big vehicles travel
down the mountain side. that Fair
child caught a glimpse Of a human
figure which suddenly darted behind a
ciump Of scrub pine and skirted far
to one side. taking advantage OF every
covering. \ new beat came into
I 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, a half.
Once. as the road turned beside a
great rock, he sought its shelter and
looked back. The figure stlIl 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 sweryed and sought a
hiding place. watching aHxiously from
his concealment for evidences Of dis
covery. There were hone. The shad-
over came on, displaying more and
more caution as he approached the
rocks, glancing hurriedly about him
rs he moved swiftly from cover 10
cover. Closer-clcser-then Fairchlld
repressed a gasp. The man was old.
almost whlte-halred with hard. knot.
ted hands which seemed 10 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 Fairchlld almost hyp-
Noticed. II was like a hawks: hook.
bcaked. cOlOrless. toreless 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 curvlng nose a blue-white scar
ran straight up the forehead-Squint
| Rodainel
SO he was on the trail already
FaIrchild watched him pass. sneak
I around the corner Of the rocks. and
stand a moment in apparent bewilder.
ment as he surveyed the ground be,
fore him. A mumbling curse and he
went on, his cautious gait discarded
walking briskly along the rutty. boul
der-strewn road toward a gaping hole
in the hill. hardly a furlong away
There he surveyed the ground care,
fully, bent and stared hard at the
earth, apparently for a trace OF foot
Prints, and finding none, turned slowly
ard looked intently all about him
Carefully he approached the mouth OF
the tunnel and stared within. Their
he straightened, and with another
gleRce about him, hurried of up a
gulch leading away from the road
into the hills. Falrchild lay and
watched him until he was out OF sight