The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1924-01-24

him. Then he turned into the shack
reckoning mysteriously to Winton t.
follow.
whats the gamer" he asked bitter
ly. you amt lying for fun?'
Read that" said Winton, pulling
Archie's letter of Introduction to De
Witt out of his pocket. He had de
cided impulsively, but, as he was con-
vinced, rightly, to trust Ned Burns.
Parenthetically, he had been recon
ciled to Archie before he left New
York. 1t was impossible to bear Ill
feeling against Archie, and after all,
Archie had done his best. He was
simply incapable.
But was he incapable, or had his
luck held true?
Ned Burns took a pair of heavy, sill
ver-rimmed spectacles from a little
table in the shack, drew the letter out
Of the envelope with shaking fingers,
and read it. He handed it back with
out a word, searching Winton's eyes,
though, keenly, with his own. Then,
opening a drawer in the table, he took
out an ancient and much worn Bible.
Lay your hand here" he said, open
ing the book at random. "Now swear
you've told the truth"
That's going a little further than ]
have a mind to, Mr.. Burns" said Win
ten.
"Aye, aye !" muttered the old man.
maybe you're right there. But We'll
| soon put your words to the proof of the
Book that never lies"
He took up the Bible and began read
ing from the page at which he had
opened it:
"And after him Abdon the son of
Hillel judged Israel. And he had forty
sons and thirty sons sons, that rode on
threescore and ten ass colts; and he
judged Israel eight years" He snapped
the Bible shut. Man, you've told me
the truth !" he cried.
81 believe So" answered Winton.
'But how do you get that sense from
the passage you have been reading?"
MAN, it's easy. All things are easy
to them that know how to search the
Scriptures. Abdon's Mr.. Davis. Mr..
Davis is the judge, amt he? And
Israel's Malopo. And the forty sons
and thirty sons sons are the men who
work for the Diamond Fields Syndi-
cate. And the threescore and ten ass
colts are the same poor fools them
selves, that work for those swindlers,
and are asses without knowing it.
And the eight years is me, who've
worked for Judge Davis and Mr.. De
Witt these eight years past, here and
n Kimberley, and am discharged at
the end of the month because Mr.. De
Witt has promised the job to some
body else"
"Steady, Mr.. Burns said Winton.
There isn't going to be any discharg-
ing until I've had my say"
Ned Burns grunted incredulously,
and Winton suddenly felt his heart
full Of flaming anger.
"And what the devil has Mr.. De
Witt got to do with the Big Malopo,
anyway" he asked.
Ned Burns laid a hand on his Shout
der. "Mr. Garrett, my lad" he an
swered, sit amt insulting a man to
tell him to his face he's green"
"Not if he is green
you're green, boy. Listen to me!
I don't love those thieves in the syndi-
cate, and when Mr.. De Witt discharged
me at the end of the month he knew,
didn't he, that there amt no job Cor
men of my age in Malopo, and that no.
body would hire a man who'd grown
TOO old to hold his own against the
niggers, when they break loose in the
compounds? That's me, Ned Burns,
who've given Mr.. De Witt eight years,
and as strong as ever, except my arms
stiff from rheumatics. And me, set
here like an old hen over that dia-
mond patch, with millions to be picked
Nd. and Mr.. De Witt knows he can
trust me not to take a smell of the
ground. Not but he knows any man'd
he a fool to steal when it's seven years.
hard labor even to buy diamonds in
this country"
Ned Burns seemed possessed by his
~rlGVance TO the eACluSlUu VI dl cloC.
And Winton had a knack, somehow, of
striking a mans moods at the right
moment. 1t was a quick Impulse, a
swift decision, and the exact action.
He took the old fellows hands in his.
"Mr. Burns, / guess we need each
other" he said. "Tm green. You're
discharged. Post me on h situation
and you can rely or me that you're not
discharged. l only landed a week
ago. he added ~ingenuously, and l
haven't begun to understand the hrst
thing about this country. / thought all
| would have to do would be to prove
my identity and step into the bust
ness"
"Oh, Lord!" said Ned Burns. sit
down here, Mr.. Garrett. Yes, you're
green, sir, but the same good fortune
that brought you to mt will see you
through your difficulties. Sit down"
He pushed a packing case toward