The St. Charles herald., 1922-09-16


rot !" she added prettily.
"When's it to beT
"A week from tomorrow night. Are
Won going to be here that long!
She realized the slip Of her tongue
and colored slightly. Fairchild. recoV,
cred now, reached into pocket anu
carefully fingered the bills there.
Then, with quick motion, as he
drew them forth, he covered ten
dollar bill with a one-dollar note anu
thrust them forward.
eyes I'll take the ticket"
She handed It to him, thanked him,
and reached for the money. AS IL
passed into her hand. a corner OF the
ten-dollar bill revealed itself, and she
hastily thrust it toward him as
though to return money PAID oy ME.
take. Just as quickly, She realized
his purpose and withdrew her hand.
"Ohw she exclaimed. almost IN
whisper. II understand" She flushed
and stood second hesitant, fustered'
her big eyes almost childish as they
looked up into his. "You--you must
think I'm a cadr Then she whirled
and left the store. and slight sinlie
came to the lips OF Robert Fairchiio
MS he watched her hurrying across the
street. He had won tiny victory, at
least.
With a new enthusiasm, greater
desire than ever to win out In the
fight which had brought him to oman,
he hurried to the courthouse ana the
various technicalities which must be
coped with before he could really call
the Blue Poppy mine his own.
1t was easier than he thought. A
few signatures, and he was free TO
wander through town to where idlers
had pointed out Kentucky gulch ana
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 the
hills huddled close to the little town
and rose in precipitous 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
flattened 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 a glimpse of human
| figure which suddenly darted behind a
clump of scrub pine and skirted faI
to one side, taking advantage of every
covering. A new beat came into
i Fairchild's heart. He took to the road
again, plodding upward, seemingly a
man entirely bereft of suspicion. A
quarter of a mile he went, 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 g
hiding place, watching anxiously from
his concealment for evidences Of dis
covery. There were none. The shad
over came on, displaying more anl
more caution as he approached the
rocks, glancing hurriedly about hin
as he moved swiftly from cover t.
cover. Closer.closer-then Fairchilt
repressed gasp. The man was old
almost white-haired, with hard, knot
ted hands which seemed to stand ou
from his wrists; thin and wiry witt
the resilfency that outdoor, hardenet
muscles often give to age, and witt
face that held Fairchild almost hyp
Noticed. 1t was like q hawks; hook
beaked, colorless. toneless In all ex
pressions save that OF a maliciou
tenacity; the eyes were slanted unit
they resembled those of some fantas
tic Chinese image, while just abov
the curving nose blue-whtte sea
ran straight up the forehead.--Squin
Rodaine! S.
So he was on the trail already
Fairchiid watched him pass, sneal
around the corner Of the rocks, an
stand a moment in apparent bewildel
ment as he surveyed the ground b<
fore him. A mumbling curse and h
went on, his cautious gait discarded
walking briskly along the rutty, bou
der-strewn road toward gaping hol
in the hill, hardly furlong ava,
There he surveyed the ground car,
fully, bent and stared hard at IL,
earth, apparently for trace Of foo
prints, and finding none. turned slowl
and looked ,intently all about hin
Carefully he approached the mouth {
the tunnel and stared within. The
he Strengthened, and with an0tht
glance about him, hurried on up
gulch leading away from the roa,
into the hills. Fairchild lay an
watched him until he was out Of sigh
and he knew instinctively that So
veyor would only cover beaten teri
tory now. Squint Rodaine, he fe
sure, had pointed out to him the BIZ