The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1936-09-10

sign! mo smoking. Bounce nlIu, Adu.
The pilot thrust "a hand inside his
leather jacket. 'Try it. I'll drill both
of you"
GLOW frightful,' said Garth. "You
must imagine this is a Wild West
show. Please don't shoot until the
lady can get outside. Shots are even
more apt than matches to explode
all this gasoline"
The portly man snapped shut his
cigar case.
''That's so! You have no cause to
be ruffled, Vivian. The fellow seems
to have acted on well-intentioned
impulse"
The pilots hand came out empty
from inside the jacket. why couldn't
the fool have spoken warning?"
Garth had sized up the man. He
expected neither an apology for the
abuse nor thanks for saving the Wis
itors from possible humiliation. With
an Indifferent smile, he shifted the
gaze of his gray eyes to examine the
woman member of the party.
A first glance had led him to think
her older than the pilot. Under her
rouge and powder her face was thin
and drawn. It's lines might have be-
longed to a woman in the mid-thir-
ties. Her blue eyes looked more than
bored and cynical. Their tiredneSs
matched the lined face. Her body
was thin almost to boninesS.
Yet, upon examination, Garth saw
she could not be eevn in the mid
twenties. Traces of girlish freshness
still fingered in her painted face, UNI
der the blemishes of dissipation and
establishment.
AS she faced away from his, the
pilot spoke to Tobin:
Get busy. Truck down sixty gal
Ions of gas and five of oil-and be
quick about it. While your helper is
refueling the plane, you'll cook us
the best meal you can throw to-
gether."
Down came Tobin's shaggy eye
brows. who d'you think you're
bossin'? Shove along to tradin'
post for yer grub an gas. This here
cache is the comp'ny's emergency
deepo"
The portly visitor took billfold
from his coat and drew out paper.
''Take look at this order, my man.
1t authorizes me to requisition any
Of the Anyways stations for whatever
supplies I wish"
Tobin read the order, and thrust it
back, with no lessening of his dour-
ness. $50 you're Burton Hamill, are
you? Looks like a straight order. All
the same, you'll sign the book be-
fore you'll get drop"
He turned about t. open an oily
account book on one of the stacks of
gasoline cases. Mr.. Ramil drew
fountain pen from his vest pocket
with plump white fingers, and limp
ed forward to write.
There's your receipt" said the
pilot. 'Now have this dumb helper
of yours rush out our gas, and get
your pans on the fire. We want SER
vice."
"Yuh? Well, you're welcome to
want it till doomsday. That comp'ny
order calls for supplies. Don't say
nothin' about cookin' nor service"
Mr.. Ramil interposed: Cali right,
man. see you're stiff from rehuma-
tism. I will pay this young fellow to
refuel the plane"
Garth turned his cool gaze upon
the pilot. 'Why not give this bird of
yours the chance to earn little
more pay?" ~
Because Mr.. Hubby has flown my
plane all the way from Chicago, with
only short stop-overs. Also, he is my
partner, not a mechanic" Il
well, he's not the only party
present who's not kiwi." Garth
pulled a small poke from inside his
buckskin shirt, hefted it as if con-
sidering, and put it back. ''Nor do /
need your pay"
Huxby's supercilious eyes glisten-
ed with sudden keen interest. What
is that? You're from the new gold
fields?"
mo"
''But your gold sack?"
''Gold?" Garth muttered.
He drew out his poke again and
opened it to shake few small no
dulles of metal into his palm. Both
Huxby and Mr.. Ranill stepped close
to peer at the grayish silvery bits.
The older man looked puzzled. The
younger took nodule into his own
palm, eyed it moment, and handed
it back in an Indifferent manner.
'Galena. I'm a mining engineer.
You're out of luck, not making a.
gold strike. Never before in history
has silver been so low"
Garth looked disappointed. "Too
bad, isn't it?"
He picked out a nodule that had
been rubbed to rather bright poli-
ish. The girl was leaning with her
left hand on one of the lower piles
of gasoline cases. A ring with large
blue diamond banded the engage
ment" finger. Gath thrust the nodMe
up close beside the ring.
'EYes," he said, II always did think
gold looked prettier than galena-
even white gold"
The girl drew her hand away as if |
he had smirched it. my ring is not
gold. You pretend to be prospector,
yet do you know platinum from
goldl"
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