Evening star., 1923-09-07

this snow. \ regular desert in the
summer time.
Some one seems to have gone just
ahead Of Us. though see the tracks
in the snow"
Yes Hawkins replied. probably
some of Jenkins crew at the pass
! hat where | always have trouble.
You see the salmon River cold Com
panE grabbed that pass where the
iulch creek empties into the Salmon
river. and they could pretty near do
as they pleased about letting people
through before they took over the
claims themselves I'm about the
only one that has an interest up the
Sulch outside of themselves now"
For nearly half an hour the two
walked on in silence. Pete finding the
tramp through the snow exceedingly
| uresone. and especially So because
| of the weight Of the pack he carried
| on his back. As his own fatigue in
"rcased he .rnarVelcd al the strength
| and endurance Of his companion. who
! never once appeared TO be Interested
, in resting.
"Whew" Pete finally protested.
let rest; I'm soft, lots softer than
| thought ! was"
laughed. I've been waiting for YOU
TO say that but ii YOU had held out
much longer | would have holIered
first. All right" he continued as he
threw his pack on the snow. lets
sit on our packs here awhile while !
tell how this hole-in- the ground OF
| mine got it's name
! With sign of relief. Pete followed
( the miners example and lowered his
| pack TO the snow
You mean the Dead Horse?' u.
queried. after the first few minutes
! rest. I've been WONDERING about
! that"
Well, Hawkins chuckled. most of
EN- about here have forgotten il.
You see. | came into these hills
twenty odd years ago, as I've told
YOU was a dandy remittance
man then and wanted to find a gold
mine so | could get back to Australia
| on my own. as we used to say
hlred couple Of guides. good fellows
night enough, but they had no end
of fun with me. Whenever they
! wanted to rest and lay around camn.
| they'd send me out over a lot Of
barren ground. picking up rock and
| digging FOR gold. One day. we'd lust.
gone up the guich yonder. and wet
were all tagged out II seems they
had been there before. and had lost
a pack animal. broke its leg or some
| thing. and they had hurried it right
where 1t fell. Thinking they had a
| good joke. they fixed it up between
J horses grave. Well. missed the
grave. and dug into what | thought
was An indication of ore. Well, to
make long story short. | named her
| the Dead Horse Mine. right then and
! there. | quit being a remittance man
! long ago. but off and on. I've earned
| enough money To keep after that ore
! i'm the old mine for more than twenty
! years. This winter | think Ill get
! ore. I've been thinking this way for
the last few years, though-cant be
certain. of course"
For nearly half an hour Hawkins
| told Pete of the Dead Horse Mine. be-
| coming so interested in his subject
that Pete was actually suffering from
the cold
AS Hawkins brought his story to an
end. Pete made to start, when Haw-
kinS' restrained him.
we never can make camp out.
here" he said, indicating the white
| waste about HIM. I'm getting pow
! erful hungry. Think we had better
take a chance. and go by way Of tho
old cabins No one uses the trail any
more. but it's much quicker"
SO saying, they turned off to the
| left. and continued in silence.
Hello" Hawkins suddenly ejacu-
| lated, seems that our friend ahead
| decided to cut over and take this
| again.
, Seeing nothing unusual in the mat
| ter. Pete made no comment. but
| trudged silently on.
referred to loomed into sight
"Old company houses" Hawkins
explained. Grew that cut Salmon
Tooth Fass road lived in EN- Empty
! now Wen stop and make camp
| there"
Pete was becoming painfully aware
the absence of anything to eat
since breakfast. Encouraged now by
the promise of food and rest he re-
doubled his efforts to keep. pace with
the sturdy miner.
They had come within fifty yards
of the nearest hut when Hawkins
hesitated and lowered his pack Pete,
still under headway of his new effort
10 keep up. bumped full into him be-
| fore he could stop.
Don't look. somebody's coverin' us
with a gun from that house" Haw-
kins whispered hoarsely as he feign-
ed adjustment of straps. "Saw the
door open a little. Quick get your
pack down In front of you,' Pete
was quick. but his purpose was too
evident; as he fattened out in the
snow the door of the house burst
wide open. and three shots rang out
| together. Hawkins slumped heavily
hot blood squirting from his left
breast into the soft snow. Pete was
stunned With the suddenness of the
| thing. and fairly crushed with horror
at what he saw as he prostrated him
self beside his fallen comrade
! :. lCoptinued in Tom0rroWA-StayA :.