The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-09-27
wNU Service
CHAPTER X-Continued

quer IL
"Pye been a-thinkin' out a scheme,
said Jim suddenly, "an' I'm a-goin' to
put all of that twenty-five thousand of
mine back into the ground. can't
Quit this mimi business"
WHATS you scheme, Jim?"
its just this: I'm goin' to install
a hydraulic plant on my Ophir creek
claim I'm goin' to begin new era in
klondike minin'"
"What are you going to do?"
well, I've written out for piping
an a monitor, an next spring l hope
I'll have the plant in workin' order.
The stuff's on the way now. Hullo
Come in 7"
The visitors were Mervin and Hew
son on their way to Dawson. These
two men had been successful beyond
their dreams They were extensively
prosperous: they reeked of success.
AS ! went on with my packing
paid but little heed to their talk.
What mattered It to me now, this
babble of dumps and dust, Of claims
and clean-ups? was going to thrust
1t all behind me. blot It clean out of
my memory. begin my life anew.
Then all at once | pricked up my
ears. They were talking of the town.
of the men and women who were max
Ing il famous Tor rather infamOus).
when suddenly they spoke the name
of LOcasto.
Hes gone OFF" Mervin was saying
gone off on big stampede. He got
pretty thick with some of the Peel
River Indians. and found they knew
of ledge of high-grade, free-milling
quartz somewhere out there in the
Land Back of Beyond So he's of
with an Indian and one companion.
that little Irish satellite of his, Pat
DOOgan. They'll be away all winter"
whats become of that girl of his?"
asked HewsOn. the last one he's been
living with? You remember she came
n Oh the boat with US. Poor little
kid! That was a good little girl be-
fore he got after her."
HewSon growIed like a wrathfuI
bear. but Mervin smiled his cynical
smile.
"Oh. you mean the Madonna" he
said; why she's gone on the dance
halls"
They continued to talk of other
things. but l did not hear them any
more was in q trance, and ] only
aroused when they rose TO go.
Better say gOod-by to the kid here"
said the Prodigal; hes going to the
old country tomorrow"
mo, I'm not" 1 answered sullenly;
I'm just going as far as Dawson"
He stared and expostulated. but my
mind was made up. l would fight
fight to the last
Berna on the dance halls-words
cannot convey all that this simple
phrase Meant to me. For two months
] had been living in a dull apathy of
pain. hut this news galvanized me into
immediate action.
For although there were many de
grees of dance-haIl depravity, al the
best il meant a brand of ineffaceable
shame She had lived with Locasto.
had been recognized as his mistress
that was bad enough: but the other
TO he at the mercy of all. to be clasSed
with the harpies that preyed on the
Man with rhe Poke. the vampires OF
the gold camp. Berna- Oh. IL was
unspeakablel The thought maddened
me.
Bidding goOd-by TO the big cabin
with my two partners looking ruefulIy
after me. | struck off down Bonanza
All thought of was Dawson and
Berna.
] would make Berna marry me-
cared nothing for what had happened
to her. might be pariah, an out
cast for the rest of my days: at least
| would save her, shield her. cherish
her. The thought uplifted me, exalted
me- What did IL matter If physically
they had wronged her2 Was not the
pure virgin soul of her beyond their
reaChf
was just in time to see the last
boat go out
AS | strOlled the streets | saw many
q familiar face. | went into the
Partisan restaurant, and there was
Madam. harder looking and more vul
turish. a creature of rapacity and sor
did lust | marched up to her and
asked abruptly:
where's BernaT
She gave violent start. There was
a quality of fear In her bold eyes.
Then she laughed. a hard. Earring
laugh.
In the TivoIi," she said.
Strange againl Now that the worst
mad come to pass, and ] had suffered
all that ii was in my power TO suffer.
a new sense of strength and mastery
had come to me. The greatest evil
had befallen me. Life could do 90
more TO harm me. ! had everything
TO gain and nothing TO lose cared
for no man. I despised them, and. to
back me in my bitterness. had TWEEN.
ty-ive thousand dollars in the bank.
was still weak from my illness and
my long mush had wearied me, so
went into saloon and called for
drinks. | felt the raw whisky burn my
throat | tingled from head TO foot
wiki strange. plea sing warmth.
Where was that bitter feeling now