Catoctin clarion., 1923-06-07
[Continued from page l

Gold" he cried. "Theyve struck
pay dirt at Dynamite! Chunks of syl.
vanite that sweat gold in the fire. As
say thirty thousand dollars II ton.
Whole streaks of it. Veins twelve
foot wide. The whole towns stamped
in by way of White Cliff canyon. I'm
goln Got pick an shovel in the car.
Aunt Mirandy, she was bound we'd
come this way. Mebbe we can pack
you all in. But you got to hurry or
they'll swarm over Dynamite like flies
on chunk O. liver!"
It's true" backed Miss Bailey.
"Folks over to Hereford have gone
crazy. l caught word or two that
PlimSolrS to the bottom Of the rush.
An he'll grab those claims of Molly's
first thing That's one reason | made
Ed come this way. Thought you might
like to come erlong, ony he took the
words out of my mouth"
You goin'?" asked Mormon.
"Sure am" she answered ED Bal
ley Senior, he lows there's no sense
I'm chasn' gold underground. Says he
likes to see his prospects CROWN up
under his own eyes an gain on his
own land. I'm the adventurous one OF
the Bailey family, though you mightn't
guess it to look at me-" she said with
a twitch of her lips. "Plimsoll amt
got much love for me. He figgerS
lost him his license an his brother-in-
law sheriff his badge. He's right. I
did. l figgered you'd not be anxious
to let him have his own way about
Molly's claims an l lowed I'd like to
be along an see the excitement. Me
an Ed here'll stake off suthin' for
ourselves. I'd jest as soon git some
easy money as the rest of en-
Sandy, after swift word of apology,
turned away toward the bunk house.
Mormon, with sweeping salute from
his bald head to his knees, voiced his
opinion.
"Marm," he said, you're a dyedin-
the-wool sport an l admire to trail
with you. But that fivver III sure
bust its cinches with we-all ridin' it.
I'm no jockeyweight, fo' one"
It'll stand up. We've got to make
time"
With orders to Buck, with some pro-
visions, ammunition and few tools,
the hurried start was made. Mormon
clambered to the front seat beside
young Ed Miranda Bailey sat between
Sandy and Sam. Whatever lack of en-
ergy the lank Ed Junior displayed on
his feet, he eliminated as a driver.
The springs creaked, chirpings arose
from various parts of the car as ii
ran, but he coaxed the engine, per-
formed miracles at bad places in the
road, nursed the insufficient radiator
surface and kept the fivver at q SIM
mer.
They made the down-rOad as the
sun rose above the run of the eastern
range, so jagged 1t seemed trying to
claw back the mounting sun. Ever in
view below them lay the intermOuntain
valley in which the camp had been To-
Gated. There were a few tents, some
wagons and picketed horses, and there
were a great many machines parked
at will. Here and there unbroken
glass in the windows flung back the
sun. Suddenly smoke jetted from a
tumbled chimney, other puffs followed
and steady vapors mounted. Ant-like
men emerged from every house, gath
cred in little knots, busted themselves
with the horses, hurried back to break
or Faint dc fn
travellers.
"W'udn't think that place had been
dead as a cemetery TO- yearsT COM
mented Sandy. "Stahted up overnight
like an old engine. That's the hotel,
with the high front. Furniture all in
1t an in the cabins Most Of the fix
lures left in the saloons, an there was
plenty of them Two hotels. five res
tyrOnts, seven gamblin' houses, twenty
two saloons an the rest sleepin' cab
ins. That was Dynamite. When they
git it busted off and started up it'll
run Ortermatic."
"Cuttin' out the Saloons" said Mi
randa.
I'm not so sure Of that" said Nor
mon, turning in his seat. "You-all want
to remember, ma'am, that this Is an
incorporated town an that there's
allus a shortage of law an order for a
whiles wherever there's q strike, gold,
oil or whatever 'tis. Eighty per cent of
the rush Is q hard-shelled lot an erlong
with 'em is a smaller bunch that
thrives best when things Is run haphaz-
ard Therell be Ticker down there, an
it'll sure be auickfire ticker at that. If
you weren't the kind you are" added
Mormon, I'D tell you that down there
amt no place fo' a woman!"
"Meanin'" snapped Miranda Bailey.
But there was a CLEAN In her eye that
shove of a compliment accepted.
"Meanin," said Mormon, that, ef
you'll take 1t 'thout offense, you-all air
plumb up-to-date. When wimmen took
up the ballot l figger they wasn't on'y
ready fo' equal rights, they knew how
TO git 'em. Side from the shootin' end
Of 1t, I'd say you was as we'll equipped
as any man to look out fo' yore own
interests"
Thanks" replied Miranda. ~ sup
pose you mean that as a compliment.
Also know one end of a gun from an
other an / can hit barn II 1t amt
fiyiu'."
They rolled down to the valley and
over the dusty road to the camp. Be
fore they reached the main street car
passed them from behind with rush,
driver and passengers reckless, whoOp-
ing as they role one man waving a