The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-25


 house. When the station agent come out in lyin' on the platform, smilin in his sleep like newborn baby, and he jest nacheral ly figured that Jim had come to the sta tion to get train and had been too drunk to quite make it. He seen how much money they was in Jim's pocket, and it was just enough to take him up the line to Sierra Padre. Believe he kept Jim's gur for souvenir.
 "The agent got him a ticket and took the money and put Jim Martin aboard the first train to the cut. Jim come to on the way, and after while it sort of soaked in on him that he was travelin' toward the moun- tains when he should have been travelin' away from 'em.
 He wanted the train stopped, but the conductor wouldn't do it. Then Jim was goin' to kill the conductor, and lot of the gents on the train draped themselves over Jim to keep him quiet. They wasn't none with him, Jim looked like he'd been fightin' mountain lion, he was that tore up.
 Well, for a couple of days he went stompin around town, cussin' his luck. Then he settled down when he couldn't bum no more drinks often Olaf. He got an- other stake and hiked for the hills again. That's been goin' on ever since. This makes the sixth time he's come down to town. Every time he goes back up the hills and works away in the mines. Then when he has little stake he takes it and nff tnt hx,b la makes some sort of strike and stays with it till he gets out the easy pay.
 "Then he comes down here rampin' and ravin' and cursin' Pete Raleigh and maxim lectures about what women ought to be and what they are. He always starts drink in; he always starts throwin his money away, because they ain't anybody more generous than old Jim Martin. But after the second time he ain't never got as far as buyin' his gum"
 The door opened; Peter Raleigh stood in the entrance. He was very big man by nature, but with the light behind him he looked to his son like some biblical giant. That shaggy beard which was the despair of Mrs. Raleigh now flared out little on either side, clotted with the dust anG sweat of long riding, so that he looked as if strong wind were still blowing against his face.
 His coming made a little pause through the barroom, and when he thudded heavi- ly across the room >all eyes jerked after him, stride by stride; he came to pause be- fore his son.
 "Well, my fine young snapper" he roared, what in hell might be the mean in of this?"
 His voice was made for the open; it ragged and echoed through even the big bar. Ed Raleigh screwed up his courage and tried to match that volume.
 "I'm starting for myself" he answered.
 You are, eh?''
 Il sure am!
 You're going to loot the mountains, maybe, and come back with a million in side year. eh? You young fool" snorted Peter Raleigh, gathering head, q tell you, you're going to hit the trail home with me-"
 As rule, he had his way with his fami- ly, and he would have had it again had they been alone, but it seemed to Ed Raleigh, staring miserably past the shoulder of his father, that he surprised meager inwari smile just twitchin.. at the lips of Olaf, the bartender It maddened him.
 Where you start for ain't my worry," he said quietly. "Yo, go down into the valley or keep on into the hills. I won't stop you. No more will you stop me where want to go.''
 There was a certain acid in the cool tone ill this announcement that shocked Peter Raleigh back to good judgment; his wife had the same quality of voice when she was driven into a corner on some subject