The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-04-15
CHAPTER III-Continued

ooh, some of the men told me-
fellows who were standing around. }"
"a lot of business it is of theirs.
Now isten-you can ask these girls.
never saw the darn girl before in
my life. I got to talkin' to her.
She told me she'd lost her pack
sack. I had some extra buds. She
bought 'em and paid me for 'em.
Anything wrong with that?"
Nothing at ALL" he said. 81 just
wanted to be sure the girl wasn't
taking chances"
He rose then and stopped through
the entrance. Hammond started
from the stove, hating momentar-
lily at the look in Around the World
Armies eyes. Signaled, he moved
close to her.
Listen, the poor little DANES
down on her luck" she shispered.
81 don't know what about. Get her
through"
Coming, Jack?" called the SER
geant from outside. In answer,
Hammond moved through the
cracking flap and joined the mount
ed policeman. They went on, along
an lev trail.
What's this girls name again."
Hammond asked.
Jeanne Towers-I think it's as
sumed."
"Why?"
Ooh" he gestured with thick
rittens; an unspoken explanation of
police intuition. Then, know her?"
81 think so. Nice-looking girl.
Sort of chestnut hair; hazelbrown
eyes, if 1 remember right"
Trim built-that's the one Too
intelligent looking to be working as
a hasher."
"Oh, yes, you mentioned the Cafe
de Paris"
I'm still not satisfied about her.
Somebody told me she'd begged this
clothing"
mo" lied Hammond, for no rea-
son that he could find. ''She bought
it. I happened to be there; saw
some money change hands"
They walked on through the
OUSh, D1OhSA ny lIlG dSSO1 lS0 LO"4-
ing of a thousand dogs.
Its not that I want to turn any
body back" the sergeant said.
But, dammit, these fool girls get
into some kind of jam and think
they can find way out In gold
rush. It's the end of lot of them"
At last they were in the sergeant's
tent. Lights had appeared now,
cleaning duly through the glazed
abodes and outlining the dogs,
heads up, necks extended, as they
shrieked their greetings to the ear
ly night.
Tomorrow this'n all be gone"
the policeman unused. "And another
town growing up in its place.
That's gold," said Hammond.
"Yeh-gold! I've seen it hun
dred times. Following the rain
- bow"
=, eve done it enough" answered
Hammond seriously. "But this
time"
"Yeh, know" Again he was 81
lent. The camp was living picture
now, shadows moving about in the
tents, busy at the stuffing of pack
sacks, restringing of snowshoes, the
last repairs of dog harness. Look
at email of 'em going to stake
out a million, or make it off of
somebody else who has staked it
out" Suddenly he shifted, and
paving into pocket, pulled out his
pipe. Hammond, I'll be busy to-
night checking off some turnbacks.
About twenty of them-a few tin
horns, weaklings, women VIII o
weren't smart enough to have a
good alibi :"
"All right. What's my job?"
81 can't go to the station to meet
The night train. This girl, Towers,
says she's got supplies coming in.
If not-see what you can do about
talking her out of going up in that
country. She looks like nice kid"
Hammond pulled on his parka.
"I'u check up on it." he said.
But he looked vainly for her, as
the train runbled in, discharging
its crates of dogs, another cargo of
gold seekers, boxes and cartons of
supplies and baskets of bread. At
last Hammond started back to his
tent. -
The night had cleared. Stars were
out. From the east and west, great,
feathered shafts of the multi-colored
Northern lights shot across the sky
in eccentric breaks of illumination.
At last Hammond halted. Once be-
fore, he thought he had heard the
crunch of moccasins on the icy
trail. With an impulse, Hammond
began to back track. Then he
stopped.
why have you been following
me?" he asked.
Jeanne Towers spoke slowly.
81 wasn't exactly following YOU"
'You stopped when / stopped"
"Yes-I did,"
"Why?"
sWell-I wanted tn talk fo Won I