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Show tS&S illustrations SX J3ZS&&CK RB.VanNic.3 "Ohndl Is thlrty-olght miles from Denver. That's jour goal. Out there, they'll tell you how the mine cned In, und how Thornton Knlrchlld. who liml worked It. together with his two men. Harry Hurkln, n rornlslininii, nnil 'Hissle' Lnracn, Swede, left town lute one night for Cripple Creek and that they never came buck. That's the tory they'll tell jou. Agree with lt. Tell them thut Hiirklns, as far as you know, went hack to Cornwall, and that you have heard vaguely that Lur-sen Lur-sen later followed the mining game farther out west." "Is It the trutli?" "How do I know? It's good enough people shouldn't nsk questions. Tell nothing more than that and he cure-ful cure-ful of your friends. There Is one man to watch If he Is.atlll ullve. They call him 'Squint' Rodalne, nnd I 1 KH JL Sk UISi They Call Him 'Squint' Rodalne." tie may or may not still be there. I don't know I'm only sure of the fact that your father hated htm, fought him nnd feared hlni. The mine tunnel tun-nel Is two miles up Kentucky gulch und one hundred yards to the right. A surveyor can lead you to the very spot. It's been abandoned now for thirty oars. What you'll find thorn Is moro than I can guess. Dut, Boy." and his hand clenched tight on Robert Fntrchlld's shoulder, "whatever you do, whatever you run Into, whatever friends or enemies you ilnd awaiting you, don't let that light die out of your eyes und don't pull In that chin I It you find n flght on your hands, whether It's man, beast or nature, sail Into It I If you run Into tlilim 'hat cut your very heuri nut to lenrn brat 'em down nnd keen going I And wjnl There thnt's nil the advice L know. Meet me at the 11 :10 train for Indian-ii Indian-ii poll s. Goodhy!" " "Goodhy I'll be there."" Fulrcblld grasped the pudgy hand nnd left the office. For a moment nfterward, old Henry Beamish stood thinking and looking out ou'r ibe dingy roof adjacent. adja-cent. Then, somewhat absently, he pressed the ancient electric button for his more ancient stenographer. "Call a messenger, please," he ordered or-dered when she entered, "I want to send a cablegram." CHAPTER III Three weeks later, Robert Falrchlld sat In the smoking compartment of the Overland Limited, looking at the Rocky mountains In the distance. In his pocket weru a few hundred dollars; dol-lars; In the bank In Indianapolis a few thousand, representing the final proceeds of the sale of everything that had connected him with u rather dreary pjist. Out before blm- Three weeks had created a metamorphosis meta-morphosis In what had been n plod" dlrig, mnttor-of-fnet man with dreams which did -not extend beyond his ledi gers nnd his gloomy home but npw a man leaning his head against the win-dow win-dow of a rushing train, staring ahead Ltownrd the linrkles and the rainbow they held for htm. Hack to the place where his father hud gone with dreams nglow was the son traveling now back Into tho rumpled mountains moun-tains where the blue haze hung low nil nrn(cHne ns thoiirh ovec mysteries myste-ries and trciinures which awaited ont man and one ulnnn. It thrilled Falrchlld, Falr-chlld, It caused his heart to tug and pull nor could bo tell exactly why. The hills camo closer. Still closer; then, when It seemed that tho train must plunge straight Into them, they drew uwny again, as though through some optlc.nl Illusion, and brooded In tho background, ns the long, transcontinental trans-continental train began to bang over the frogn nnd switches as It made its entrance Into Denver. Falrchlld went through the long chute and to a ticket window. "When can I get a train for Ohadl?" The ticket seller smiled. "You can't get one" "Hut the map shows thnt a railroad runs there " "Itin there, you mean," chaffed the clerk. "The best yon enn do Is to get to Forks Creek and walk the rest of the way. Thai's n narrow-gauge line, and Clear creek's been on a ram-pngo. ram-pngo. It took out about two hundred feet of trestle, nnd there won't be a trnln Into Ohndl for n week. Stranger out here?" "Very much of one." "In n hurry to get to Ohndl?" "Yes." "Then ou enn go uptown and hire n taxi they've got big cars for mountain moun-tain wo.k und there are good roads nil the way. It'll cost fifteen or twenty dollnrs. Or" Knlrchlld smiled. "Give mo the other' system If you've got one. I'm not terribly ter-ribly long on cash for taxis." "Certainly. No use spending that money If you've got n little pep. and It Isn't a matter of life or death. Go up to the Central loop anybody can direct you und catch a ttreet car for Golden. Thut eats up fifteen miles and leaves Just twenty-threo miles more. Then usk somebody to point out the road over Mount Lookout Machines go along there every few minutes no trouble at all to catch a ride. You'll be in Ohadl in no time." Fulrcblld obeyed the Instructions, and In the baggage room rechecked his trunk t6 follow him, lightening his traveling hag at the same time until It curried only necessities. A luncheon, lunch-eon, then the street car. Three quarters quar-ters of an hour later, he began the five-mile trudge up the broad, smooth, carefully groomed automobile highway high-way which masters Monnt Lookout A rumbling sound behind him, then he stepped to one side, a grimy track driver lenned out to shout aa he passed : , "Want n lift? Hop on I CaaVt stop too mucli grade." " A running leap, nnd Falrchlld seated seat-ed himself on the tailboard of the truck, swinging his legs and looking out over the fudlng plains us the truck roared and clattered upward along the twlsttng mountain road. Upwurd. still upward! Tho towp below became merely n checkerboard thing, the lnke a dot of gleaming silver, sil-ver, the stream a scintillating ribbon stretching off Into the foothills. A turn, nnd they skirted a. tremendous valley, Its slopes falling away In sheer descents from the roadway. A darkened, dark-ened, moist stretch of rnnd, fringed by pines, then a Jogging Journey over rolling roll-ing tnble-lnml. At Inst came a voice from the driver's seat. "Turn off up here at Genesee mountain. moun-tain. Which way do you go?" "Trying to get to Ohadl." Falrchlld shouted It above the roar of the engine. en-gine. The driver waved a hand forward. for-ward. "Keep to the mnln road. Drop off when I mnko the turn." "Thanks for the lift." "Aw. forget It." i The truck wheeled from the main rood and chugged nwny, leaving Fair-child Fair-child afoot, making ns much progress ns possible toward his goal until good fortune should bring n swifter means of locomotion. Suddenly he wheeled. Behind him sounded the swift droning of a motor, cut-out open, as It rushed forward along tho road nnd the noise told a story of speed. Far ut the brow of n steep hill It appeared, seeming to hang In space for nn Instant before leaping downward. down-ward. Rushing, plunging, once skidding skid-ding dangerously at a small curve, It made the descent, bumped over a bridge, was lost tor a second hi the pines, then sped tnwi 1am, a M touring car. with' a small, resolute figure clinging to tho wheeL Then, with a report like, n revolver shot, the mnchlnn suddenly slewed In drunken fashion far to one side of the rood, hung dangerously over the steep cliff an Instant, righted Itself, swayed forward for-ward and stopped, barely twenty-live yards away, afefqrlng. Robert Falrchlld Falr-chlld saw that a small, trim figure bail leaped forth nnd was waving excitedly excited-ly to him, nnd he run forward. nis flret glance hud proclaimed It a boy; the second had told a different story. A girl dressed In far different fashion from Robert Falrchlld's limited lim-ited specifications of feminine garb she caused him to gnsp In surprise, then, to stop nnd stare. Aguln she waved u hand ;md stumped a foot excitedly; ex-citedly; a vohenmnt little thing. In snug whipcord r lag bublt and u checkered cap pimcd tlgn,t over closely close-ly braided hair, she awaited hlra with all the Impatience of Impetuous womanhood. wom-anhood. "For goodness' sake, come herel" she called, as he still stood gaping. "I'll give you five dollars. Hurry 1" Falrchlld mannged to voice the fact that he would be willing to help without with-out remuneration m he hurried for-F&r.d.. for-F&r.d.. ?'10 dived for the tonneun -... with nil her strength at the heavy scat cushion, ns be stepped te the running board beside her. "Can't get this dinged thing up I" she panted. "Always sticks when you're In a hurry. That's It I Jerk It Thanks! Herel" She reached forward for-ward nnd a small, sun-tanned hand grasped n greasy Jack, "Slide under the back nxlc and put this Jack la place, will you? And rush It! Tva got to change a tire In nothing flat I Hurry 1" '' Falrchlld. almost before he knew It, found hlnuelf under the rear of the cur, fussing with a refractory lifting Jack and trjlng to keep his eyes from the view of trimly clad, brown-shod little feet, us they pattered about at tho side of tho car, hurried to the running run-ning board, then stopped ns wrenches nnd a hummer clattered to the ground. Then one shoe was raised, to press tight against a wheel; metal touched metal, a feminine gasp sounded sound-ed ns strength wns exerted In vain, then eddying dust ns the foot stamped, accompanied by nn cxitsperntcd ejaculation. ejacu-lation. - "Ding these old lugs I They're rusted! rust-ed! 0t thut Jack In place yet?" "Yes I I'm raising the car now." "Oh, pleuso hurry." There was pleading In the tone now. "Please 1" ,The car creaked upward. Out came Falrchlld, brushing the dust from his clothes. Hut already the girl was pressing the 'lug wrench Into his hands. -"Don't mind that dirt," enme her exclamation. "I'll I'll give you some extra money to get your salt cleaned. Loosen those lugs, while I get the spare tire off the bnck. And for goodness' good-ness' sake. tlease hurry I" Astonishment had taken away speech for Knlrchlld. He could only wonder and obey, while behind him a girl In whipcord riding habit and close-pulled cap fidgeted first on one tan-dad foot, then on the other, anxiously anx-iously watching the road behind her and calling constantly for speed. At last the Job was finished, the girl fastening tho useless shoe behind the machine while Falrchlld tightened the last of the lugs. Then as.he straightened, straight-ened, a small figure shot to his side, took the wrench from his hand nnd sent It, with the other tools, clattering1 clatter-ing1 Into the tonnenu. A tiny hand went Into n pocket, something that -crinkled was shoved Into the man's yj Bsaaasfen sssji tla Staring Wondsrlngly at a Ten-Dollar BUI. grasp, and whllo he stood there gasping, gasp-ing, she leaped to the driver's seat, slammed the door, spun the stnrtcr until It whined, and with open cutout cut-out roaring again, was off and uway, rocking down the mountain side, around a curvo nnd out of sight-while sight-while Falrchlld merely stood there, staring wonderlngly at a ten-dollar hill ! A noise from the rear, growing ouder, and the amazed man turned to see a second machine, filled with men, careening toward him. Fifty feet away the brakes creaked, and the big automobile camo to a skidding, dust-throwing stop. A sun-browned man In a Stetson bat, metal badge gleaming from beneath his coat leaned forth, "Which way did he go?" "He?" Robert Falrchlld stared. "Yeh. Didn't a man Just puss here In an automobile? Where'd he go-straight go-straight on the main road or off on the circuit trail?" "It It wasn't a man. It It was a boy, Just nbout tlfteen years old." "Sur?" "Oh, yes" Falrchlld wus swim-mlng swim-mlng in deep wnter now. "I got a good look' at him. He he took that road off to the left." It was the opposite one to which the hurrying fugltivo In whipcord had taken. There wns doubt In the Inter-rogutor'a Inter-rogutor'a ejes. "Sure of that?" he queried. "I'm tho sheriff of Arupnhoe county. That's an uuto bandit abend of us We" "Well, I wouldu't svpar to It There was another machine abend, and I lost em both for a second down there by the turn." "Probubly him, all right" The voice camo from the tonnenu. "Maybe be figured to give us tho slip and get back to Denver," "Let's go " The sheriff was pressing press-ing it foot on the accelerator. Down the bill went the car, to skid, then to iiiiiko a short turn on to the road width led awuy from tho scent, leaving leav-ing behind tt mun stnndlng In the middle of the rond, staring at a ten-dollar ten-dollar bill und wondering why be hud Ileal CHAPTER IV Wonderment which got nowhere. The sheriffs car returned before Falrchlld Falr-chlld reached the bottom of the grade, and again stopped to survey the scene of defeat. "Dangerous character?" Falrchlld hardly knew why he asked the quea tlon. The sheriff smiled grimly. "If tt wiva the fellow we were after, he wus plenty dangerous. We were trailing him on word from Denver-described Denver-described the car nnd said he'd pulled a duyllght hold-up on a puy-wagon for ttie Smelter company so when the cor went' through Golden, we took up the trail a couple of blocks behind. He kept the some speed for a little while until one of my deputies got a little anxious nnd took a shot at a "tire. Man, how ho turned on the Juice! I thought thnt thing was a Jack rabbit, tho wuy lt went up tho hill 1 I guess It's us bnck to tho office." The automobile went Its way then, and Falrchlld his, still wondering, And so thoroughly did tho Incident engross en-gross him thnt It wns not until n truck had conic to u full stop behind him, nnd n driver mingled a shout with the tooting of his born, that ho turned to allow Its passage. "Didn't hear you, old man," lie apologized. apol-ogized. "Could j on glvo n fellow a lift?" "Guess so." It was friendly, even 'hough n bit disgruntled; "hop on.' And Knlrchlld hopped, once more to sit on the tnllhonrd. swinging his legs, but this time his ees saw tho ever-changing ever-changing scenery without noticing It. In spite of himself, Falrchlld found himself constantly stnrlng at a vision of n pretty girl In n riding hnblt, with dark-brown hnlr straying about equally dark-brown eyes, almost fren-r.lcd fren-r.lcd In her efforts to change a tire In lime to elude n pursuing sheriff. Some wny, It nil didn't blend. If she hadn't committed some sort of depredation ugnlnst the law, why on earth was she willing to part with ten dollars, merely mere-ly to save a few moments In changing u tire nnd thus elude a sheriff? If there bad been nothing wrong, could not n moment of explanation have satisfied sat-isfied nnjonc of the fact? It was too much for an) one, nnd falrchlld knew It Yet be clung grimly grim-ly to tho mystery us the truck clattered clat-tered on, mile nfter mile. A small town gradually wus coming Into view, A mile more, then the truck stopped with n Jerk. "Where you bound for, pardner?" "Ohadl." "That's t, straight nhond. I turn off here. Miner?" Falrchlld shrugged his shoulders and nodded noncommlttnlly, "Just thought I'd nsk. Plenty of work around here for single and double Juckcrs. Things ore beginning to look up u bit at least In silver." "Thnnks. Do you know a good place to stop?" "Yeh. Mother Howard's boarding house. Ever) body goes there, sooner or later. You'll sec It on the left-hand side of the Btreet before you get to the main block. Good old girl; knows how to treat anybody In the mining game from operators on down. She was here when mining was mining!" Falrchlld lifted his bag from the rear of the vehicle, waved a farewell to the driver and started Into the village. vil-lage. And then the vision of the girt departed, momentarily, to give place to other thoughts, oUier pictures, of a day long gone. The sun was slanting low, throwing deep shadows from the hills Into the little valley with Its chattering, milk-white milk-white stream, softening the scars of saaaj the mountains witn tneir great renew H dumps: reminders of hopes of twenty H j cars before and as bare of vegeta- H tlon aa In the days when the pick aa4 H gad and drill of the prospector tar M the rock loose from Ita biding place M under the surface of the ground. The H scrub pines of the almost barren H mountains took on n fluffier, softer H tone; the Juttln rocks melted away H Into their owu shadows; It was a file- H turc of pence and of memories. H And tt had been here that Thorataa . H Falrchlld. back In the nineties, hael f m dreamed bis dreams and fought hto H fight. A sudden cramping caught tha 'iH son's heart and It pounded with setae- thing akin to fear The old ferabol ,M Ing of his father's letter had con "M upon him, the mysterious thread of H that elusive, intangible Thing great M enough to break the will and resist- H ance of n strong mnn and turn him Into a weakling sljent, white-haired H sitting by a window, waiting for M death What had It been? Why had It come upon his father? How could H It he fought? He brushed away the H heady perspiration with a gesture al- H most of anger, then with a look of re ' H lief, turned In at u small white gate M toward a big, rambling building which B proclaimed Itself, by the sign on tho door, to be Mother Howard's boarding B house. ! A moment of waiting, then he faced HJ a gray-halrcd, kindly faced woman, HJ lio stared at him with wide-open HJ eyes ns she stood, bunds on hips, be- H fore him. M "Don't you tell me I don't know M jout .If you ain't a Falrchlld, Til never feed another miner corned beef M und cabbage as long as I live. Ain't M you, now?" sho persisted, "uln't you a M Falrchlld?" The mnn laughed in spite of him- fl self. "You guessed lt." M "You're Thornton Falrchlld's boy!" She had readied out for his lunidbng, M und then, bustling about him, drew M him Into the big "parlor." "Didn't I know jou the minute I saw yonf M Land, you're the picture of your dad I M Sakcs alive, bow Is he?" H There wns n moment of silence. M Falrchlld found himself suddenly halt H Ing and boyish ns he stood before her. M "He's he's gone, Mrs. Howard." H "Dead?" She put up both hands. "It don't seem possible. And me re- H "He's He's Qons, Mrs. Howard." ' memberlng him looking just like yon, 'nil of life and strong and" I (remained mm 4 -$B |