| Show I S The Eagles Eagle's Wing Copyright 1921 1924 by Little Brown n Co i By By B. B M. M BOWER I Continued ContInue from yesterday Hawley looked at her the truth on the tip Up of his tongue But he closed his lips a bit more firmly smiled down at her and shook his head Peter peler and I understand each I other he told her enigmatically and went away He Ho q quite agreed with Nevada Even Evenin in times of peace life could I almost be called devastating CHAPTER The Truth About Riches Tomorrow said Johnny Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo falo with a transparent air of tri triumph triumph tri tri- we will go to the cleft inthe inthe Inthe in the rocks by the path which no noman man and you shall godown go 10 godown down into the deep pit arid find the gold that Rawley looked up from crowding tobacco in his pipe after a a a. most satisfying supper You found it did you 1 My Mv e led me to the place Johnny Buffalo stated gravely ravel There was a mistake The rhe great and high mountain w which holds the gold was not that greatest great great- est cst mountain which we can sec see I There were cedar trees scattered I over oer the face of the mountain when my sergeant found the gold That I was ri many years ago Now there I are no cedar trees or trees of any I kind That is why we could we-could could not notI find the place One year ago my I sergeant came and led me to the spot I Is the gold there Rawley leaned forward studying the old Indian through half shut eyes es i did not go down Into the pit My Iy sergeant would not permit meto me meto meto to go He says fays that you ou will wUl go and that you will vill there learn the truth about riches lIe He- told me that I must n not t go down and look for It would not be foe good that I should see what will be revealed to you Johnn Johnny Buffalo spoke spokes ps pa s sIf If he were reciting a lesson His face was turned toward the empty wheel chair drawn before the open window Rawley frowned over the lighting light light- ing of his pipe The mystical message message message mes mes- sage made ittle Impression on his mind but he did worry over the Indians Indian's implicit belief in it His promise to Nevada bound him t U tf silence on the subject of hallucinations hallucinations hallucinations nations however even though he had in mind several se things which he would like to say Johnn Johnny Buffalo sitting straight backed with his hands spread palm down on his knees related all the incidents of his life during the past two 1 years had been acc accused accused ac ac- ac- ac c sed of other murders and after a particularly heinous One at the mine had disappeared altogether Once Buffalo had bad seen him and had taken taken a ashot ashot ashot shot at him but again the gun had kicked or perhaps perhaps' his aini a Was not tOO tot nod TT IrA To h hart hais r 1 I j Once Once his cabin cabi h had d db b been robbed bb c cof of fo food fod d and he suspected the outlaw outlaw out out- law of committing the depredation Of the tribe of Cramer he would say little Not ot onte one in the two years had he been In their camp he said pet Peter r and Nevada evada came often to see him They were good to him His sergeant had come and he had seen him His sergeant some sometimes spoke to him Perhaps j Rawley would see him Rawley did not think so but he I refrained front from his doubt As tactfully as possible he avoided the subject and told some of hIsOn his own Owl adventures to which Johnny Buffalo listened with polite attention atten atten- I tion It was plain to Rawley that his mind was vas given up to another matter and that he was merely waiting with his Indian patience until he he- could guide his adopted son to the secret cleft on the side of the mountain No Xo man has been before us he declared emphatically when Rawley Rawley Raw- Raw ley les' questioned him I Bushes have grown in the cleft until I could not have ave found It or suspected that a cleft was there if my sergeant had i I not shown me the spot The cleft j I is there I have seen it The b bushes bashes are ver Very ery old and there is much dead wood There is the great heap I of stones and there has been a dead tree But it is gone many years and only the root i Is Is' left to show that it once stood joined to the tho great gleat heap of stones When hen the I sun comes I will ivill show you ou He lie was punctiliously true to hi hit pr prOmise mise for the sun was not ten above the peak across the river when Rawley stood beside th the tha Great heap of stones joined to a L dry tree or what even he ha could see had once been a dry tree It Ii had been an uni unmerciful trail ran and he could could easily easBy believe that It waa wa was wasa a path which the eye aye ye of man hall hail 1 not seen Indeed it was not a a. path at all bu but t a L line of oC least oh 4 oh-i oh through an upheaval hf of what Rawley's Hawleys trained eyes rec recognized as iron stained qu quartz and anti porphyry The place place- was almost mac inac and froth from a L short short- distance it resembled a blowout of of granite so much that no prospector would trouble to investigate Besides Be Be- sides Johnny Buffalo explained that this had been a popular l a bl- bl tat of snakes and that he had spent a great deal of his hl time since th the location of the spot in hunting ratI rattlesnakes rat rat- He proudly added that I he had earned many dollars in ex cx- cx trading the oil and in selling the skins lIe He feared that he had not gathered them all however and h he I warned Ra Rawley against setting hi his foot carelessly among the rocks I c Johnny Buffalo then gathered dry leaves and started a fire In the I brush So much dead wood underlay underlay under under- lay the growth that the crevice was presently a a. furnace If any snakes are there they will come out he observed d grimly Also light will go down so that you will wll not stumble In darkness I know V what what my sergeant meant in t the message Take heed now that Is exceeding deep You will need need light Rawley nodded He lIe was watching watch watch- ing the flames curiously By Jove Tove Johnny I believe you are right he exclaimed pointing Do you jou ou see lee that 1 There is a strong draught from beneath There is an opening down there sure as anything And Ill I'll admit to you OU right now that this is gold formatIon forma forma- tion blown out here The iron stain Is a good mask for it I can readily believe that it hasn't been prospected pros pros- My sergeant does not speak lies Johnny Buffalo retorted inn j I know lenow that it is 50 so j Whereupon he lie gave chase to a rattlesnake rattlesnake rat rat- that had slipped out from between two tilted and went sliding sinuously away Witha ritha With rith a crude trident long of handle and tough and light he pinned the snake to the ground and neatly sliced off its head with a light Ai ax which he carried suspended from hi his belt Heres another er Rawle Rawley told him and Johnny Buffalo moving with surprising agility caught that one also For a tIme I gathered the venom in a bottle he Informed Rawley in his serious tone But now I take take only the body When you go do down n into the nit it 0 Ili 5 v 1 until yo you yore re reach h th the bo bottom tto- tto Th Thin Then you look out Rawley was was sufficiently thy Impressed to borrow the trident which was barbed and could kill as easily as al It could capture So when the tire fire fire had died and the rocks had cooled a a little he went down Into the pit A blowhole it was such as Is frequently frequently frequently fre- fre fre fre- found in a country so torn tom by volcanic action A At As he descended descend descend- ed he read the signs at a glance glance- signs which to a layman would have meant nothing whatever Bene Beneath th all all this said the rocks to Rawley there should be gold His pulse pulse quickened as he worked his wa way downward seeking foothold pre where he lie might The The- thought that Grandfather King or of orall all the millions of men in the world worl wa Sa was the only one who had ever eser dared these depths thrilled him him- with pride Not ot even the Indians Indian had known of it he wa was sure He wondered how his grandfather had managed the snakes and then It occurred to him that Grandfather King might have d discovered ered this this' place late in m some season after the snakes had been overcome by their i winter lethargy f S Continued tomorrow |
