The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-11-16
SYNOPSIS

PRoLO0UH.-seekinE gold in the des-
forms . premiership With an unknown
rem. father Of a girl whom Cameron
wronged but later married. back IN Illi-
snS &: two
Taxing refuge from sandstorm in =
cave. Cameron discovers gold. but too
evidence, in the cave. Of their discovery
Of gold. and personal documents
"'S-s-ssh. You needn't yelI," inter-
rupted the other. as he met Gales
outstretched hand. There was close.
hard, straining grip. II must not be
recognized here. There are reasons
I'll explain In minute. Say, but It's
fine to see you'll Five years, Dick, five
years since saw you run down Uni
versity field and spread-eagle the
whole Wisconsin football team"
Don't recollect that,s replied Dick.
laughing. George. I'll bet you I'm
gladder to see you than you are to
see me- 1t seems SO long. You went
into the army, didn't your"
II did. I'm here now with the
Ninth cavalry. But-never mind me.
What're you doing way down here7"
L
know any more why I'm here than
than you know"
"Well, that beats mel" calculated
Thorne, sitting back in his chair,
amaze and concern in his expression.
"What the devils wrong7 Your old
mans got too much money for you
ever to be up against 1t. Dick. you
couldn't have gone to the badY
A tide of emotion surged over Gale.
How good 1t was to meet a friend
someone to whom to talkl He had
never appreciated his loneliness until
that moment.
George, how I ever drifted down
here l don't know. l didn't exactly
quarrel with the governor. But
d-n 1t. Dad hurt -shamed me,
and dug out for the West. 1t was
this way. After leaving college tried
to please him by tackling one thing
after another that he set me to do.
On the square, 1 had no head for
business. I made a mess Of every
thing. The governor got sore. When
Quit-when told him straight out
that I was going west tv fare for my
self, why. 1t wouldn't have been SO
tough II he hadn't laughed at me. He
said couldn't earn a dollar-that I'd
starve out west. and couldn't get back
home unless sent to him for money.
He said he didn't believe I could
6ght-could really make fight for
anything under the sun Oh-he-he
shot 1t into me all right"
Dick dropped his head upon his
hands, somewhat ashamed Of the
smarting dimness In his eyes.
"Fightr' cried Thorne, hotly.
"what's ailing him7 Didn't they call
you Biff Gale in college7 Dick, you
were one of the best men Stagg ever
developed"
1.-THE governor didn't count foot
ball." said Dick. "He didn't mean that
kind Of fight. When left home l
don't think had an Idea what was
wrong Of me. But. George. 1 think
know now. I was a rich mans SON
spoiled, dependent, absolutely igno-
rant Of the value of money. haven't
yet discovered any earning capacity in
me. I seem to be unable to do any
thing with my hands. That's the
trouble. But I'm at the end of my
tether now. And I'm going to punch
cattle or be miner. or do some real
stunt-like Joining the rebels"
"Ahal l thought you'd spring that
last one on me-" declared Thorne,
wagging his head. "Well, you just
forget 1t. Say, old boy, there's some
thing doing in Mexico. The United
States In general doesn't realize 1t.
But across that line there are crazy
revolutionists, ill-paid soldiers. guer-
rilla leaders. raiders, robbers. outlaws.
bandits galore. starving poems by the
thousand. girls and women In terror.
Mexico Is like some Of her volcanoes
ready to erupt fire and HE'LL Don't
make the awful mistake Of joining the
rebel forces. If you didn't starve or
get shot In ambush, or die Of thirst.
some Greaser would knife you in the
back for your belt buckle or boots.
There are good many Americans
with the rebels eastward toward Aqua
Prieta and Juarez. Orozco is operat-
Ing in Chihuahua, and guess he has
some Idea of warfare. But this ia So
nora, a mountainous desert, the home
Of the slave and the Yaqui. There's
unorganlzed revolt everywhere. We're
patrolling the boundary line. We're
making a grand bluff. could tell you
Of dozen instances where cavalry
should have pursued raiders on the
other side of the line. But we won't
do It. The officers are grouchy lot
these days. You see, of course, what
significance would attach to United
States cavalry going Into Mexican ter
ritory. There would simply be hell.
Ny own colonel is the sorest man on
the job. We're all sore. It's like sit
thing on powder magazine. We can't