The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-05-16
By ROBERT STEAD
Author of "T6e Coev Panc6sr'-" The
Homssfsadsr5''-'.Ns isbborJ." arc.
Copyright By ROBERT STEAD

! Copyright By ROBERT STEAD
versation with YD. that there was no
| opportunity of another meeting with
! the rancher's wife or daughter. They
were slipping quietly out of the house
TO take breakfast with the men when
Y.D. intercepted them.
breakfast is waitin', boys" he said,
! and led them back into the room where
they had had supper the previous eve
| ming. Y.D. ate with them, but the
! meal was served by the Chinese boy.
In the yard all was jingling excite
ment. The men of the Y.D. were fra
ternally assisting Transley's gang in
hitching up and getting away, and
there was much bustling activity to an
accompaniment of friendly profanity
1t was not yet six o'clock, but the sun
was well up over the eastern ridges
that fringed the valley, and to the
west the snow-capped SUBMITS of the
mountains shOne like polished ivory.
The exhilaration in the air was al
most intoxicating.
Under quickly converted the ap-
parent chaos of horses, wagons and
implements into order; Transley had
a last word with Y.D., and the ranch
er, shouting Good luck, boys! Make
ii thousand tons or MORE" waved
them away.
Under glanced back at the house.
The bright sunshine had not awakened
ii; it lay dreaming in its grove of cool,
green trees.
The trail lay, not up the valley, but
across the wedge of foothills which di-
vided the South YD. from the parent
stream. The ascent was therefore
much more rapid than the trails which
followed the general course of the
stream. Huge hills, shouldering to-
gether, left at times only wagon-track
room between; at other places they
skirted dangerous cutbanks worn by
spring freshets, and again trekked for
long distances over gently curving up
lands. In an hour the horses were
| showing the strain of it, and Under
halted them for a momentary rest.
1t was at that moment that Drazk
rode up, his face study in obvious
annoyance.
DANCED if I amt left that Pete
horses blanket down 81 the Y.D.," he
exclaimed.
'Oh, well, you can easily ride back
for it and catch up on us this after
noon," said Under, who was not in the
least deceived.
Thanks, Lin" said Drazk. I'll
beat it down an catch up on you this
the trail as fast as that Pete-horse"
could carry him.
At the Y.D. George conducted the
search for his horse blanket in the
strangest places. 1t took him mainly
about the yard of the house, and even
to the kitchen door, where he inter-
viewed the Chinese boy.
You catchee horse blanket around
here?" he inquired, with appropriate
gesticulations.
You losee boss blanket"
yep"
what kind boss blanket?"
Jus brown blanket for that Pete
horse"
Whose hoss?"
Mime" proudly.
where you catchee?"
Raised him."
Good hoss?"
You betcha."
"Huh !"
Pause.
you no catchee horse blanket, hey?"
moi" said the Chinaman, whose
manner instantly changed. In this
brief conversation he had classified
Drazk, and classified him correctly.
"You catchee him, though-some hi,
too-yOu stickee lound here. Beat it,"
and DraZk found the kitchen door
closed in his face.
DraZk wandered slowly around the
side of the house, and was not above
surreptitious glance through the
windows. They revealed nothing. He
followed a path out by little gate.
His ruse had proven a blind trail, and
there was nothing to do but go down
TO the stables, take the horse blanket
from the peg where he had hung it,
and set out again for the South YD.
AS he turned a corner of the fence
the sight of a young woman burst
upon him. She was hatless and fac
ing the sun. DraZk, for all his ad-
miration of the sex, had little eye for
detail. "a sort of chestnut, about
sixteen hands high, and with the look
of thoroughbred" he afterwards de-
scribed her to Under.
She turned at the sound of his foot
steps, and Drazk instantly summoned
smirk which set his homely face
beaming with good humer.
Pardon me, ma am" he said, with
an elaborate bow. II am Mr.. Drazk-
Mr.. George Drazk-Mr. Transley's as
sistant. No doubt he spoke of me-"
She was inside the Enclosure formed
by the fence, and he outside She
turned on him eyes which set DraZk's