The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-05-13

q
ton of silver and copper. She thought
now that he had the money, she could
go. So she turned away and said:
"Good-by /. must hurry now
=. :" But he called out:
"Wait minuteI l haven't showed
you my trick Silly-Billy's darn
clever trick You think Silly
Billy's clever Teller, don't your
yes, Of course, only I haven't
time :. 4. I must go I'll come
back another day :" But TO her
horror, he caught ner arm and began
pulling her toward the little wood. 1t
was as much as she could do to keep
back a cry OF terror, but instinct told
her that her safest plan was to keep
him in good humor. The thought Of
what his temper might be. If aroused.
was more terrifying than anything
else. She could only think, with ter
ror, that she was here alone, at the
mercy Of this abnormal creature with
the cleaning squint eyes, and the
thick. shapeless, awful mouth
Lucy had plenty Of pluck, but she was
badly frightened now. There was
nothing that she knew how to appeal
to, In that coarse. distorted face; no
argument she could think OF to offer
TO that clouded, deformed intellect
The horror Of those few moments was
something she could never afterward
forget. She could do nothing against
him; she Just had tc allow herself to
be taken wheresOever he cared TO take
her q. O..
To her relief, he did not take her
far. Some six or seven yards within
the green shade Of the trees. he
stopped, released her arm, and grinned
at her.
Now Billy show his clever trick"
he said. with great satisfaction. You
watch me-" and dropping to his knees,
he began pulling apart the bramble
branches, and when he'd cleared a
space, began scraping away the leaves
and twigs. He looked like a great
strange animal, az he scratched a shall
low hollow, put some OF the silver
in it, and scraped the loosened earth
over it again. Then he drew back the
brambles, and scattered the leaves
about. When he rose she summoned
her voice sufficiently to say:
That's a a very clever trick
Thank you for showing it to
me Now I must CO."
But Silly-Billy hadn't finished with
her yet. He held out the few coins
that still remained in his hand, and
said:
mo, no, nc That's only half
Of the trick. You come along o. me
q. I'll show you -
She was beginning to feel desperate
by this time wondering when on earth
she would get free of him, but her in
stinct was still TO keep him in a good
humor, so when he moved away deeper
into the wood. she followed, slowly,
reluctantly, and keeping as great a
distance from him as he would let
her. After a minute or two, he stopped
again, and again the same little scene
was played through, and he buried
few more of the coins. Then he
wanted to go further still for the last
ones, but she said:
"No, let's find a better spot. A
really good one, where no one would
think of looking" And as he eagerly
agreed she led the way through the
trees, toward the main road II she
could once get out Of the wood and
into the road, she thought He
Gle aIn FOR hnr nd a
ing until, with too great eagerness and
hope, she was almost running. Then
he called:
mol MOI Road over there. Too
near. People see Silly-Billy Too
near - So she was forced to
stop. She looked back, saying:
"Oh, yes. I hadn't thought Of that
But look what lovely thick spot it
is. No one could find it here :"
He vigorously nodded his stupid
cunning head, dropped TO his knees, and
began to clear and scrape and dig
with great energy, until the last of
the money was buried. Then he rose
again.
That's Silly Billy's trick" he said,
grinning broadly. 'Silly-Billy made
that trick. Only me and you
know :"
'.You must be very rich man." she
said, admiringly.
But her compliment had a more vio-
lent effect than she had anticipated.
He suddenly thrust his big head
toward her, laid his thick finger across
his lips and said-"Ssh -. ssh -
And glanced alf-frightened. all around
him. Then took a quiet step toward
her, his squirting eyes glinting hor-
ribly.
Don't you ever come lookin' to see
what a rich man Billy is Don't
Don't ever come lookin' :"
mo, of course not 4. 1 wouldn't
~ she stammered There came
into his face then, look which made
her think again that he would be q
hideous thing to deal with if his anger
were aroused. She continued to STUN
BILE away from him, her fear rather
obvious in her wide eyes, hand
pressed over her mouth to keep back
the rending scream that was tearing
at her throat for utterance. His big,
misshapen hand was almost gripping
her shoulder, when the sudden honk-
ing of a motor horn sounded from the
road
At that, Billy stopped dead still;
dropped his hand to his side, stood a
moment with an expression of terror
in his eyes. then turned away. a
queer. low cry breaking from him, and
went off into the thick OF the wood,
going over the roughness with q sort