The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1925-11-20

do you fcclg'
"fg" The Countess smiled visit.
FULLY "Why-it doesn't matter
how ! feel' The hoy has found
himself and nothing else is OF the
least Importance"
CHAPTER MN
Joe McCaskey was not "a coward.
neither was he a superstitious man.
but he had Imagination. Tho steady
strain % his aud Franks long
flight the certainty Of pursuit close
behind. had frayed his nerves and
rendered him jumpy For man
in his condition TO be awakened out
OF a traneelike sleep by an intruder
at once invisible. dumb; 20 feel the
presence OF that mysterious visitor
and actually TO see him II bulked
dim and fogmlesa among the dart.
ing shadows cast by blazing
match-was u test indeed. II was
too much for Joe
As for Frank, he had actually
seen nothing heard nothing exccp,
hts brothers voice. and then that
sigh. For that very reason his
terror was, II anything. even
greater than his brothers,
A guilty conscience Is a proven
cownrd.maker. 80. too. IN a quick.
imaginative mind.
when finally the elder McCaskcy
heard his own name whispered. tho
last shred OF self.control left to
him was whipped away; wits went
skittering. and for second time
he CROPPED with frantic, twi,ching
fingers for his revolver
BIindly tho elder brother thrust
hts revolver at fun length in front
OF him and pulled the trigger:
Frank shrieked. but again and
again Joe fired. and when the last
cartridge was spent he continued
10 snap the weapon He dcsistcd
only when he heard a voice. faint.
but hoarsc with agony, crying
20 Cod You've shot me. joe
You've shot me-
Then and not until then. did n
sort OF sanity come to the wretch.
Slowly. very slowly. his dementia
left him His eyes we're still dis.
tended. to be sure. but into them
sanity. recognition. began to creep.
He stared dazedly about him. and
at last he managed TO speak Dor.
cts name.
"wh.what you doing hers?" he
breathed.
'Poleon uttered "A Erunt. He
leaned his carbino against tho wall
behind him, and from his pocket
he drew 81 thin cotton sled.rope.
With this in hts hand no advanced
upon tho slayer.
McCaskcy rctroa,cd. Weakly Mt
first he fought off his captor: then.
as fear overwhelmed him. he he.
came possessed OF a phrcnetic en-
crgy and struggled with tho
strength OF two men. He struck.
| he bit. nc clawed, nc kicked. II
was Ike the battle of man with
q beast-ferocious mercIless while
II lasted. They rocked about tho
cabin, needless Of tho wounded
man; the stove came crashing
down and they trampled the pipe
under their feet
But McCaskey collapsed as sud
denly as he had flown 10 action.
When 'Poleon truBed him up he
had neither strength nor spirit
either for resistance or for resent.
ment.
Frank died as tho first ashen
strcaks Of dawn came thru the win.
dow and lit the sickly face OF the
| brother who had slain him. There
was no longer need Of the rope. in
fact, Joe imporcd his captor with
such carnestnesg not 10 leave him
alone that Poleon unticd his hands,
| feeling sure that he was impotent.
Dawson was in Torment, for the
news Of another strike" had come
In and n stampede was under way.
Some wood.cutters on tho hills above
III Dorado had been getting out dry
timber for the drift fires, 30 ran the
report. and in shooting tho tree
trunks down into tho valley they had
discovered n deposit Of wash gravel.
One Of them, possessed OF the pros.
pector's instinct had Eophered n cap.
ful Of the gravel from off tho rim
where the plunging tree-trunks had
dug thru the snow and exposed the
outcropping bedrock, and, to satisfy
his curiosity, had taken II down 10
camp for u test. He had thawod
and panned II; to his amazemcnt, he
had discovered that II carried an
astonishing value in gold.
Yes. tho story was true, more than
trucl The half had not been told az
yet. Cold lay under tho grass roots
where anybody could sec II; It was
moro plentiful than in the crooks
this was the richest thing ever
known "Frcnchmnn'B Nm" the dis.
coycry had been named, but All tho
ground for miles round about had
been nlrendy staked and now men
were going even further aficld. II
was well 10 hurry.
4 fTo 30 Continued