Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-04

He wouldn't reach camp until the next morn
ing Twelve hours of solitude In which to
wreStle with the problem That was enough
Tor any man. He decided to wait until
nighttall before pushing on. He flung himself
back into the shelter Of the rocky ledge. He
wondered whether the buzzards would come
wlnging back again. But they didn't and
he fell asleep, chuckling .t,-t
He rose with MINDLESS moon, heading south
by west, munching thin strips Of jerked Veni-
son as he walked He was a spare eater on the
trail and he drank from his canteen scantily.
barely moistening his lips. The land lay in a
cool truce OF incredible silver, invoking dreams
and fancies and extravagances. Twenty years
before his imagination would have evoked end
r. less mule teams Ginning through the blistering
heat to railroad siding now he supposed motor
trucks would accomplish the task swiftly and
adequately. Hank Wheelock, the new Borax
King! He ruf1led with childish pride at the
mere thought. {. But at that he might sell
out at once and let somebody else bask In the
warmth Of the title. This last speculation
brought him sharply against the question of
Jim Bedsoe again. Would he be JUSTIFIED In
dissolving his partnership at this point?
1t wasn't as If the idea had never before
occurred. For upward of 40 years he had made
periodic gestures toward cutting loose from Jim
Bledsoe, to find him always in the end taking
the path OF least resistance. After all, 1t
wasn't easy to ditch a partner who had the
genial vice Of optimism. who could rise from
the most crushing defeat upon the wings of an
irrational hope, whose rainbow fell always just
days journey beyond. But looking back,
Hank Wheelock had to admit that this had
been Jim's sole contribution to their common
cause.
OF course, no matter what his decision he'd
never let old BledSoe want; he'd be gen.
erous. And with keen delight he pictured
himself in the role of patron distributing
largeSs. Giving anybody a direct share
well, that was different. People never thanked
and the term partnership" would smother any
impulse toward gratitude in Jim Bledsoe. To
his dying day Jim would argue:
We'll, who knows-if Hank hadn't struck It
rich mebbe would have!"
And the worst of 1t all was that old Jim
Bledsoe would believe 1t. Forty luckleSS years
hadn't taught him anything. Wasn't he at
this very moment out on another Of his foolish
quests? How foolish, Hank Wheelock could
only speculate, since Jim had enveloped his
movements In childish mystery He'd said
casually one night over their beans and coffee:
i had notion I'd run up toward Heron
Falls for spell. You amt got any use
for that pack animal. have you? Leastways,
not before next week?"
E1duA WHctlOCk ndO u1cQ 10 veil MS ScOfn
under show of indifference. Pack animal?
:. should say mott amt figuring
on taking more'n a ton of ore outer that pocket
back Of Antelope"
His sarcasm had winged past jim "Wel,"
Bledsoe had replied, Eyer never can tell I
alus figured there might be likely lead in
there. Still, kinder lean to q country
that amt so ALTERED ornery. Prospects, say,
is a good deal like women folks; it may be q
mite harder to find EN- both rich and pretty,
but it can be done!"
Well. there hadn't been a likely lead back Of
Antelope there hadn't been a dribble Of
ore large enough to so much as fill the obsolete
watch pocket In Hank Wheelock's sun-beached
coat. On the surface, of course. 1t hadn't
opened its J. nd to a man poking about for
trifles. d. i. Hank Wheelock might have known
that, he might have guessed that its frugality
had an element of concealment In 1t, like some
crusty old phianthropist making gestures
toward poverty to test the object of his favor.
He Speculated with a derisive grunt what
sort Of geological philandering Jim Bledsoe was
up to around Heron Falls. soft country,
truly-buried in a carpet Of pine needles, full
OF the mufied whirr Of quail coveys. splitting
water in lacey cascades down its greenly
wreathed sides. A place for loafing, spot to
rob you OF everything but content, a sure
despoiler of ambition. d. Jim had gone there
fishing. that was it, And one day he'd blow
back into camp with mess of trout and an
air Of carrying the plumber of an empire In
his strav-packed fishing basket
~. FIX W:lorlocE. would be bringing back