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Show AUGUST 29, 1929. BEAR RIVER VALLEY LEADER, THURSDAY, TTDilE "IT ID DIF A A DDL 93 Northland Romance by ROBERT W. SERVICE nioatratkma by Irwin Myen WW 8rrio Throw away your blariketa, boys, said the Prodigal "Joat keep a little grab. We most connect with that kbtjnch if we brehk our necka." It waa hours after when we over- took them, about a dozen men, all tn the maddest hurry, and casting behind them glances of furtive apprehension. The leader was going like one possessed. We blundered on behind in g ,the same mad, hurry, mile after mile, hour after hour, content to follow the man of iron who was guiding us to the virgin treasure. We had been pounding along all night, up hill and down dale. The sun rose, it was morning. Still we kept up our fierce gait Would our leader never come to his destination? p heart-breakin- tlon to, and put In your stakes. Maybe youH stake a million-dolla- r claim, maybe a blank. Mining's all a gamble. But go ahead, boys. I wish yon luck." So we strung out, and, coming In rotation, Jim and 1 staked seven and eight below discovery. Then I threw myself down on a bit of moss, and, covering my head with my coat to ward off the mosquitoes; In a few minutes 1 was dead to the world. I was awakened by the Prodigal. Rouse up," be was saying; "you've slept right round the clock. We've got to get back to town and record those claims. Jim's gone three hours ago." I was sleep-stupisore, stiff In every joint Racking pains made me groan at every movement, and the chill night air bad brought on twinges of rheumatism, but we started off. It was about nine In the morning ;when we got to the gold office. There was quite a number ahead of me, and I knew I was in for a long wait I will never forget For three daya. with the exception of two brief sleep-spellI had been in a fierce helter-skeltof excitement, and I had eaten no very satisfying food. As I stood In that sullen crowd I swayed with weariness, and my legs were doubling under me. I staggered forward and straightened up suddenly. I was near the wicket Only two were ahead of me. A clerk was recording their claims. One had thirty-fou- r above, the other fifty-tw- o below. The clerk looked flustered, fatigued. It was my turn. "I want to record eight below on Ophir," I said. "What name?" he asked. I gave it He turned up his book. "Eight below, you say. Why, that's already recorded." "Can't be," I retorted. "I Just got down from there yesterday after planting my stakes." "Can't help it. It's recorded by some one else, recorded early yesterday." "Look here," I. exclaimed; "what kind of a game are you putting up on me? I tell you I was the first on the ground. I alone staked the claim." "That's strange," he said. "There must be some mistake. Anyway, you'll have to move on and let the others get' up to the wicket You're blocking the way. All I can do Is to look into the matter for you, and I've got no time now. Come back tomorrow. Next, please." The next man pushed me aside, and there I stood, gaping and gasping. A man in the waiting line looked at me pityingly. "It's no use, young fellow; you'd better make up your mind to lose that claim. They'll flim-flayou out of It somehow. They've sent some one out now to stake over you. If you kick, they'll say you didn't stake proper. officials Is the Them government crookedest bunch that ever made fuel for hell-fir- it s. er m e. I was stunned with disappointment "What you want," he continued, '"is to get a pull with some of the officials. Get a stand-in- , young fellow." By what roundabout route was he "Well," I said, "I'm not going to be guiding us? We panted as we pelted cheated out of my claim. If I've got on, parched and weary, faint and footto move heaven and earth " sore. But still our leader kept on. "You'll do nothing of the kind. If Suddenly the Prodigal said to me: get sassy there's the police to put you on "Say, you boys will have to go lid on you. You can talk tlJ the without me. I'm all In." you're purple round the gills. It won't He dropped in a limp heap on the no cut figure. They've got us ail ground and instantly fell asleep. Sevcinched. We've just got to take our eral of the others had dropped out, medicine. It's no u goin' round too. They fell asleep where they gave better You'd go away bellyaching. up, utterly exhausted. We had now and sit down." been going sixteen hours, and still our And I did. leader kept on. It was about four in the afternoon I had to see Berna at once. Already when we reached the creek. Up it our leader plunged, till he came to a place I had paid a visit to the Paragon where a rude shaft had been dug. We restaurant that new and glitteringplace of resort run by the Winklegathered around him. "Here it is, boys," he said. "Here's steins, but she was not on duty. In the evening I returned. I took my discovery stake. Now you fellows a seat in one of the curtained boxes. go up or down, anywhere you've a no The place was brilliantly lit up, manymirrored and flashily ornate in gilt and white. In the box before me a Think You When lawyer was entertaining a lady of easy virtue; in the box beHARDWARE hind, a larrikin quartette from the Pavilion theater was holding high revelry. There was no mistaking the Build to Anything" "Everything of the place. In the heart character Phone 11. of the city's tenderloin it was a haunt a palace of gilt of human and guilt And it was in this "place Berna She waited on these wan worked. Money tons; she served those swine. She heard their loose talk, their careless oaths. She knew everything. Oh, it was pitiful; it sickened me to the souL I sat down and buried my face We Had Now Been Going Sixteen Hours, and Still Our Leader Kept i On. - white-haire- d THINK WILSON riff-raf- f, Unlimited to LOAN on Irrigated Land. Vi V cent. No commissions. JOHN J. SHUMWAY Phones: B. R. V. 69.a-2- ; Bell, 129 Federal Farm Loans Interest Rate 5 Also all kinds of Fire and Automobile Insurance Apply JAMES BROUGH Secretary and Treasurer Garland National Farm Loan Association GARLAND - UTAH in my hands. "Order, please." I knew that sweet voice. It thrilled me, and I looked up suddenly. There was Berna standing before me. She gave a quick start, then recov ered herself. A look of delight came into her eyes, eager, vivid delight Oh, I am so glad to see you again." "Berna," I said, "what are you doing with that paint on your face?" "Ob, I'm sorry." She was rubbing distressfully at a dab of rouge on her cheek. "I knew you would be cross, but I had to; they made me. It's Just a little pink all the women do it It makes me look happier, and It doesnt hurt me any." "Berna," boomed the rough, contumacious voice of Madam, "attend to the customers." "All right," I said; "get me anything. I Just wanted to see you." She hurried away. Presently she came hurrying round, bringing me some food. "When can I see you, girl?" I asked. "Tonight See me home. I'm off at midnight" right I'll be waiting." I wandered up and down the sow e keen edge of familiar street been blunted. ' 1 had my Impression "All but-th- no longer took the same Interest In ltw sights. More populoom It was, noisier, livelier than ever. Success was In the air. Men were drunk with It ; carried off their feet, delirious. Money 1 It had lost Ita value. Every one you mt was "lousy" with It; threw It away with both hands, and fast as they emptied one pocket it filled np the others. At midnight, at the door of the Paragon, I was waiting In a fever of Impatience when Berna came out She showed a vast Joy at seeing me. "Tell me what you've been doing, dear everything. Have you made a stake? So many have. I have prayed you would, too. Then we'll go away 3omewbere and forget all this. Wont we, honey?" She nestled up to me. She seemed to have lost much of her shyness. I don't know why, but I preferred my timid, shrinking Berna. "It will take a whole lot to make me forget this," I said grimly. "Yes, I know. Isn't it frightful? Somehow I don't seem to mind so much now. I'm getting used to it I suppose. It's wonderful how we get accustomed to things, isn't it?" "Yes." I answered bitterly. "You know, Pve had several offers of marriage, too, really, really good ones from wealthy "Yes," sail more bitterly. "Yes, young man; so you want to make a strike and take me away. Oh, how I plan and plan for us two. 1 don't care, my dearest 1' you haven't got a cent In the world, I'm yours, always yours." "That's all right Berna," I said. "I'm going to make good. I've Just lost a dollar claim, but there's more coming up. By the first of June next I'll come to you with a bank account of six figures. You'll see, my little girl. I'm going to make this thing stick." "You foolish boy," she said; "It doesn't matter If you come to me a beggar in rags. Come to me anyway. Come, and do not fail." She was extraordinarily affectionate, full of unexpected little ways of endearment, and clung to me when we parted, making me promise to return very soon. Every look, every word, every act of her expressed a bright, fine, radiant love. I was satisfied, yet unsatisfied, and once again I entreated her. "Berna, are you sure, quite sure, you're all right In that place among all that folly and drunkenness and vice? Let me take you away, dear." "Oh, no," she said very tenderly; "I'm all right I would tell you at once, my boy, if I had any fear. I was at a loaa bow to comfort him, and it was while I was waiting there that suddenly we saw the halfbreed coming up the trail "Better come In, Jim," I said, "and Lear what he's got to say." We made McCrimmon comfortable. Jim regained his calm, and was quietly watchful. The Prodigal seemed to have bis ears cocked to listen. There was a feeling amongst us as If we had reached a crisis In our fortunes. The halfbreed lost no time In coming to the point "I've got next to a good thing I don't know how good yet but I'll swear to you It's a tidy bit It's a gambling proposition, and I want pardnerB, pardners that'll work like blazes and keep their faces shut Are you on?" "That's got us kodaked." said the Prodigal. "We're that sort, and if the proposition looks good to us we're with you. Anyway, we're clams at keeping our food-trap- s tight" All right ; listen. You know the Arctic Transportation company have claima on upper Bonanza well, a month back I waa working for them. Well, one morning I went down and cleaned away the ash of my fire. The first stroke of my pick on the thawed face made me jump, stare, stand stockstUL thinking hard. For there, right In the hole I had made, was the richest pocket I ever seen. Boys, as I'm alive there was nuggets In Jt as thick aa " raisins In a Christmas "Good Lord I What did you do?" "What did 1 dol I Just stepped back and picked wherever the dirt seemed loose all the way down the drift Great heaps of dirt caved in oa me. I was stunned, nearly burled, but I did the trick. There were tons of dirt between me and my find." We gasped with amazement. "The rest was easy. I went up the shaft groaning and cursing. I pre tended to faint I told them the roof of the drift had fallen in on me. It was rotten 6tuff, anyway, and they knew It The manager was disgusted. he went down and took a look at things; declared he would throw up the work at that place; the ground was no good. He made that report to the company." The halfbreed looked round triumphantly. "Now, here's the point We can get a lay on that ground. One of you boys must apply for It They mustn't know I'm In with you, or they would suspect right away. We'll make a big clean-uTil take you by spring. right to the gold. There's thousands and thousands lying snug In the ground just waiting for us. It's right in our mit Oh, It's a cinch, a cinch If you boys are willing we'll Just draw up Good-by- , darling." papers and sign an agreement right "Good-by- , beloved." away. Is it a go?" I went away treading on sunshine, We nodded, so he got Ink and paper and drew up a form of partnership, trembling with joy, thrilled with love for her, blessing her anew. "Now," said be, his eyes dancing, Yet still the rouge stuck In my crop "now, to secure that lay before any as if it were the symbol of some in- one else cuts in on us. Geel but it's sidious decadence. getting dark and cold outdoors these days. Snow falling; well I must mush to Dawson tonight" CHAPTER IX claim-owners- tering, gleaming gold, fine gold, coarse gold, nuggety gold. "Now, boya, you can whoop It up. said Jim quietly; "for there's many and many a pan like it down there in the drift" Solemnly we shook hands all round. It was the night of the discovery "Quarters" returned the boy. "Good, and then again?" "Eighths" "Correct Again?" "Sixteenths" "Exactly, and what then?" "Thirty-second- s' when the Prodigal made na an address. "Look here, boys; do you know what this means? It means victory ; it means freedom, happiness, the things we want the life we love. We're go ing to get every cent of it boya There's a little over three months to do it in, leaving about a month to make sluice-boxe- s and clean up the dirt We've got to work like men at "And once more?' ."Hamburger," cried the boy Garland Milling Company Manufacturers of the Famous "PRIDE OP UTAH FLOUR Also all Kinds of Mill Stuff. The Best Mill in the Bear River Valley. Highest Cash Price Paid tn GOOD WHEAT Near the Depot Garland Utah ." plum-duff.- Reliable Watches at d It was about two months later when I returned from a flying visit to Dawson. "Lots of mail for you two," I cried, exultantly bursting into the cabin. Jim and the Prodigal, who were lying on their bunks, leapt up eagerly. For two whole months we had not heard from the outside, I threw myself on my bunk volupmy lettuously, and began ters. There were some from Garry and some from mother. While stilt unreconciled to the life I was leading, they were greatly Interested In my wildly cheerful accounts of the country. For my part I was only too glad mother was well enough to write, even if she did scold me sometimes. But I was still aglow with memories of the last few hours. Once more I had seen Berna, spent moments with her of perfect bliss, left her with my mind full of exaltation and bewildered gratitude. I saw the love mists gather In her eyes, I felt her sweet lips mold themselves to mine, I thrilled with the sheathing ardor of her arms. Never In my fondest imaginings had I conceived that such a wealth of affection would ever be for me. Then I remembered something. "Oh, say, boys, I forgot to tell you. I met McCrimmon down the creek. You remember him on the trail, the He said he wanted to see halfbreed. us on important business. He has a proposal to make, he says, that would be greatly to our advantage. He's coming along this evening What's the matter, Jim?" Jim was staring blankly at one of the letters he had received. His face was a picture of distress, misery, despair. "Had bad news, old man?" "I've had a letter that's upset me. I'm In a terrible position. If ever I wanted strength and guidance, I want it now." "Heard about that man?" "Yes, It's him, all right ; it's Mosher. I suspicioned it all along. Here's a letter from my brother. He says there's no doubt that Mosher is Moseley." His eyes were stormy, his face tragic In Its bitterness. "Oh, you don't know how I worshiped that woman, trusted her, would have banked my life on her; and when I was away making money for her she ups and goes away with that slimy reptile. What am I to do? What am I to do? The Good Book says forgive your enemies, but how can I forgive a wrong like that? And my poor girl he deserted her, drove her to the streets. Oh, my girl, my girl I" Tears overran his cheeks, ne sat down on a log, burying his face In his bands. p SPECIAL PRICES "There's Many and Many a Pan Like It Down There." Come In and See Them a burning barn. For my part, I'm willing to do stunts that will make my previous record look like a plugged dime. I guess you boys all feel the same way." "You bet we do." "Nuf sed; let's get busv." (To Be Continued) WAS HE A BUTCHER'S BOY? "If I cut a beefsteak in two" asked the teacher, "then cut the halves in two, what do I get?" Tremonton - Utah 1 It was late next night when he returned, tired, wet dirty, but lrre- presslbly jubilant "Hurrah, boys!" he cried. Tve cinched it I saw Mister Manager of the bigfcompany. He was very busy, very Important, very patronizing. We sparred round a bit like two fake fighters. Finally he agreed to let me have it on a 50 per cent basis. Don't faint boys. Fifty per cent, I Bald. I'm sorry. It was the best I could do, and you know I'm not slow. That means they get half of all we take out 'We signed the lay agreement and everything's in shape. We've got the ground cinched, so get action on yourselves. Here's where we make our firsi real stab at fortune, Here's where we even upon the hard Jabs she's handed us in the past; here's where we score or I miss my guess. We're a bull's-eye- , going to work for all we're worth and then some. Are you there, boys, are you there?" "We are," we shouted with one accord. There was no time to lose. Every hour for us meant so much more of that lay under that precious the frozen surface. We ran up a little cabin and banked It nearly to the low eaves with snow. By and by more fell on the roof to the depth of three feet, so that the place seemed like a huge white hummock. In this little box of a home we were to put in many weary pay-di- rt months. Not that the time seemed long to us; we were too busy for that Indeed, often we wished it were twice as long. We didn't talk much in those We Just worked, worked, days. worked, and when we did talk It was of our work, our ceaseless work. Neither cold nor fatigue could keep us away from the shaft and the drift and We had gone down to were tunneling in to meet the hole had covered up. So the half-breefar we had found nothing. We were working two men to a bed-roc- ' ZenaDare selected these brightJMCORSLT colors The cupboard, decorated with Poudre Blue Decoret Quick Drying with Enamel, has door panels painted with Black Decoret, trimmed with trimmed Decoret Blue Poudre and Table chairs, Orange. Black. Orange; seats of the chairs, Zena Dare, the Fuller expert on home decoration, has written a folder (illustrated in color) fully describing this colorful breakfast room. Write us for it it's free. And tune in on Zena Dare's talks on color and home decoration every Wednesday morning at 11:10, Woman's Magazine of the Air," NBC network; and KSL and KGIR. These talks are interesting and entirely practical they give you workable plans, tell what to use and how to use it The nearest store listed below will gladly give you complete information about Decoret, the Fuller household enamel that dries in four hours. d nnuuut O shaft burning our ground overnight Our meals were hurriedly cooked and bolted. We grudged every moment of ouf respite from toIL Surely we would strike It soon. Then, one afternoon, the Something happened. It was Jim who was the chosen one. About three o'clock he signaled to be hoisted up, and when he appeared he was carrying a pan of dirt "Call the others," he said. All together in the little cabin w stood round, while Jim waRhed out the pan in snow water melted over our stove. We could see gleams of yellow In the muddy water. We bad got the thing, the big thing, at last "Hurry. Jim," I said, "or 111 die of suspense." Tatlently he went on. There it waa at last in the bottom of the pan, glit W 404 P-FULL- Gr ER CO. W. Fourth South Street, Salt Lake City. 91 IRANCHES M 38 WBSTBXM CRIBI FULLER PRODUCTS ABB SOLD DYl TREMONTON Wilson Lumber Co. Overland Lumber Co. OA1LAND ' ' |