The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-02-20
CHAPTER II-Continued


Jack reused from his lethargy.
''Fault, hell!'' he snorted and spit, the
way he used to. You done your
damnedest, both OF you!" But Kerry
detected again that funny look in Tod's
eyes The man would not meet the
boys gaze.
I'm hittin' for the West" said Tod.
Coin clean TO the Pacific Coast"
But from their window that evening
he saw Tod board an east-bound train.
He did not think so much Of il then.
. He was TO remember II later,
though.
That night old Jack grew worse. The
doctor came and gave him some med
icine, but he was restless. and fright
ened Kerry, the way he would sit up
IN bed and talk wildly, and finally the
boy, trying TO soothe him. crept close
into the arms and that seemed TO bring
peace TO the harried spirit
After Jack was quiet. the boy whis-
pered:
1T amt so, what they're tellin', Jack.
didn't take the wrong one, unlest
he told me wrong"
Eth? What's that?' Jack asked.
He said it again and added: When
he told me, he put his hand right on
It; right on the one on top tn safe
md said your money was in it md TO
come a-runnin' when he yeowled fer
me. Nd I did, nd now tn kids nd
some men say twas me who sent you
belly up!''
Old Jack was very silent.
What else'd he do? After that,
whatd he dog"
And the boy related, in detail. what
Tod West had done how he had
gone down by the creek and come back
through the alders as If wondering If
anyone had seen him. And of how
he hadn't tried TO save the buildings
that were first in line of danger.
Jack Snow swore a slow and terri
bic oath. then.
He could "a" he muttered. HE
could "a done that Nd buried il
nd dug it up since tn fire nd put tn
bee on a little Teller. -
He amt so fur on his way westl'' he
declared but when Kerry tried TO tell
him that Tod had gone east instead Of
west the old man did not listen.
Before morning he was much worse
and that day they took Kerry away
and before the week was out he had no
old Jack looking after him, nor would
he ever have. again. The Poor Com
missioner was his boss, now, and was
boarding him out. -.
He could not hide the hurt of old
Jacks passing, of course. All he could
ar the edge Of town, in the long grass
OF meadows where he could lie on his
face and cry softly.
But that other thing: the hurt which
came when boys. with the cruelty of
their years, tainted him with having
found. he could cover the pain with
laughter. He found both sanctuary
and defense in laughter. -.
But he began. after a time, TO
wonder how right he had been, TO
doubt the reliability of his own i'm
pressions. That had been such a be-
wildering time, when Jacks camp
burned Again, he would be certain
that his memory was fawless. Il.
He was most unhappy.
He tried 10 run away repeatedly,
when he was older. Always they
brought him back and made him stay
and kept him in school when he hated
the place and all the people in it be-
cause they never forgot what Tod
West had told about him and would
not listen when, as a little boy, he
had tried to tell what he and old Jack
had suspected. He did not persist in
trying TO broadcast this suspicion.
Some day. he'd get fOot-loose; then
they could all go TO the devil Until
then he'd hide the things he really felt
behind laughter.