Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1937-10-29
CIT AP'cER IL

AT last JACK reacneO 1OT HIS A01
and left the cabin. 1t had occurred
to him that he should tell Jeanne
about all this. She was not at the
store; her substitute told Hammond
that she had gone on an errand far
up the valley.
The man turned from the little log
structure with feeling of disappoint-
ment For a time he stood watching
the activities down at the lake; volun-
teers in these short autumn days were
donating a part of their work time to
the completion of giant, log life-rafts,
with heavy boxes for food and blank
cts, the grim insurance of every out
post settlement when the sun blazes for
a long stretch, when the moss grows
crinkly underfoot and the dead spruce
needles, raining down with every STIR
ring of the wind, are like so much
finder.
A remote camp cannot take chances
when forest fire turks in the offing;
these days at Sapphire lake were ones
of apprehension. That there would be
a fire, providing snow or rain did not
soon fall, was almost a certainty; pros
pectors were wandering the hills,
seeking the mother lode source of the
nuggets which had brought humanity
into this far land. After a time, in
terest in the sight ceased for Ham
mond. He still wanted to see Jeanne
Towers and receive her congratula-
tions Finally he began to walk in
the direction she had taken.
They met, some four hundred yards
from camp, where Jeanne followed a
winding trail through the high heat
yellowed marsh grass.
give been looking everywhere for
you! We've found it! All the gold in
the world"
The girl cried out happily, you've
really found the old bedrock?"
"You should have seen the pan I
washed the stuff out in" Jack an
swered disjointedly. "The whole bot
tom covered, either with nuggets or
flake gold. Like it had been gilded.
You'll see rush all right when this
news gets out. It's another Klondike."
He whirled then, looking down to-
ward the lake, as if he could visualize
the speeding of motor boats, the plod-
ding progress of scows, the surge of
airplanes, as they struck the water and
TAXED for shore. Then he realized
that Jeanne's hands were on his arm.
mckenzie Joe knew what he was
doing, after all, didn't hep" she ask
ed. The man looked down in amaze
ment.
knew what he was doing?" he
queried. WED have been chasing
ralnbows yet if we'd kept on where
ne was working"
1t was her turn to be surprised.
"Then you didn't make the strike in
his test shaft?"
"Of course not. We put down one
away over on the west side of the val
ley, near that claim you sold Kenning.'
"Oh. Over there?" Jeanne cooked
her head, frowning thoughtfully. At
last she said, "That's funny"
whats so funny about it?"
"But what about Joe's test pitt"
"Oh, that's been logged over since
the day Joe left. We haven't even
been near it."
That's funny" Jeanne said again,
in worried tone. you're sure YOU
haven't worked it at all?"
"Sure?. Of course Pm sure"
But somebody's worked it," Jeanne
insisted. 81 just came past there"
"Oh, you're wrong, Jeanne"
"But Pm not. Somebody's been
working it,
"What for? There isn't chance
to get dime out of it. The thing
was only test development"
Gust the same"
"It wasn't even anywhere near the
gravel level when Joe pulled out"
81 can't help it," the girl insisted.
"Somebody's been working there.
saw fresh dirt on the dump. The logs
have been moved and somebody's been
down the ladder"
Impossible"
"The dirt on the dump isn't "a hours
old"
mind going back there?" asked
Hammond abruptly. They talked but
little on the trail; there was nothing
to say, save Jeanne's reiterations of
what she had seen. At last, deep in
the bush they sighted the mound of
earth which Mckenzie Joe had raised
in is efforts to find the lost river bed.