The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1936-11-26

| WIldL Ills I1SOIOUS LIdul11lS IldU OOIlS
for the once-soft millionaie. Though
still heavy-set, the portly gentleman
had become something of an athlete
in appearance. His flabby muscles
had been hardened; his loose jowls
were now firm. His paunch had dis
appeared. He was lean about the
waist and hips, and full-chested.
my word, sir" Garth sang out,
"you look fit for the football squad.
That should be worth more to you
than a dozen platinum claims. At
least, you might toss me my buck
skins"
Mellowed by the bath and swim to
a temporary return of friendliness,
the millionaire chuckled and came
down the beach to fling the sodden
garments out to their owner. His
lettering afterwards may have been
for Hubby. Yet he went back to the
dead fires with Garth, when the en-
gineer muttered something about
having dropped his penknife.
AS the two disappeared over the
top of the ice-gouged bank, Huxby
sprang to open the wolfskin KNAPP
sack. From it he snatched out piece
of rancid bear-cub fat, clip of piS-
toll cartridges, and his ''lost" auto
matte.
With swift, purposeful movements,
he rubbed the fat on the rusty pistol
and began working the mechanism.
It jammed repeatedly. But as the
sun-melted fat soaked the rust, the
action became normal.
Still quick yet unhurried, he load
ed the clip into the hollow butt and
slid back the outer barrel to throw
cartridge into the breech.
AS was of course to be expected
Lilith Ramill had not returned from
her own dip and wood-ashes laun-
dering Garth sat down beside the
tin cup and little aluminium pot to
mend rip in the left leg of his
buckskin trousers.
Still in a friendly mood, but with
shrewd calculation in his eyes, Mr..
Ramill stretched out on his back in
the long grass beside Garth.
well, young man, it appears that
the game is played out. The joke on
us is that you had the cards stacked.
A cold deck, and no stakes up"
Garth differed: ''Why not put it
according to the facts, sir? I offered
square deal-a straight business
proposition. The placer was in on
that. Had I not sent out my papers
for record, would have had no leg
al claim to offer in my bargaining"
"Why-er- But when I refused
your terms, and you refused mine,
you said you preferred to play out
the game"
"My game" Garth qualified; mot
yours It was you and Huxby who
thought you had the cards stacked to
win. You fancied it a sure-thing
gamble"
"But-your game? You had the
placer clinched. Why not have said
so at once, or at least there at the
lake when you turned the tables on
us? might have accepted your
terms. At least we could have flown
out together, instead of going thru
all these weeks of privation and
hardship"
The last words won an amused
glance from Garth.
neutrality-suspicious.? You must
know several fellow millionaires
who call it prime sport to spend
month in the BUSH"
"Sport?"
ooh, well, if you can't see that side
of it, just recall yourself as you were
when I had to hoist you out of the
monoplane cabin"
That held the millionaire for a
long moment. Then
Admitting how much I've ben
fitted from your health cure, Doctor
Garth, your methods have done my
future son-inlaw no good. AS for my
daughter, to drag delicately nur-
tured lady into the dirt and priva-
tons and dangers of your raw
wilds-"
"Delicate!" Garth cut in. 'sDo you
know of anyone more hard? The
point in her case is that. she was only
a brittle, harsh alloy. Now she's at
least partly tempered into true steel.
I had hopes of still better results
from the both of you. But hate and
treachery blacken the blood"
At the bitter statement, the mil
ionaire flushed with anger. He
started to turn over on his side to
frown at Garth The movement drew
Garth's glance. Above a clump of
wild currants, less than ten PAGES
distant, he glimpsed the top Huxby's
hat and the outhrust muzzle of the
automatic.
AS Garth ducked forward, the pis-
toll blared. Garth pitched down on
his face. At the same instant, startl-
ed by the shot, Mr.. Ramill jerked
up on his elbow. The long grass had
hidden him. Hubby could not have
known that this his partner was ly-
ing so close beside Garth.
In the excitement of the moment,
he must have thought he had missed