Show I p I IZ w Z Francis ds b i w l Illustration Bit r rN N j 4 0 Myel's r 1 I 7 g Cerr CHAPTER VII VII Continued Continued 9 9 J- J After Arter a time the sleepy storekeeper came shuffling down an and a search was made mado fur for gas It finally proved successful to the extent of ot unearthing throe three of ot the lile the familiar five gallon cans but the storekeeper humid had only a II small funnel anti and It hail had been carefully nil nils ml laid After It had been found the tile clock on the roadsters roadster's dash hind had measured off the better part of ot another hour Were Yero out of ot the fight so far n a keeping cases on the Is II concerned con cnn corned Markham grumbled n as the car stormed th the grade They hind hilt surmounted the till first IlIn long grade of ot It possibly five Ille miles II IS I'S when n II sudden turn In to the road rm brought n II group of ot mine buildings Into view the partly lighted by th the red glow of ot n a conflagration nt the Ihl roadside let ht the car ar roll slowly upI up I When hen he stripped stopped Broughton put a II afoot afoot foot tuot on the running boardWell board Well ell Ked Itel gut got ot us after till nil lUew the tho safe Rife and the commissary lar till nil to toh h i h-i 1 and set the tile wreck snit saw tw two o blanket covered fi figures fir fig urea ures 1 ly Ing under a II tree Ine and ami sa said hI n it II Y Yes es IS I'S murder My 1 dI dij foreman and nII the watchman I Hit here re was wa n a gun un battle bittie bit bat tie tle both of ot the foremans foreman's guns gums were Ire empty when w we e found fount them lat Hat what's running us all nil rugged ragged Is the fact tact that nobody In to the 1 whole holl camp lamp heard a sound while hilI nil all this w was as going lIln on ou wouldn't have hate lI 1 known about It till morning I suppose t if It a u miners miner's girl girlIn girlIn Irl IrlIn In one of ut the tho cabins hadn't happened to II wake up II and see ee the light of ot the tire fire Isn't It h h 1 n h 17 Wb its it's that I s cut In Yon Ton M tray 1111 nobody heard the explosion put nut perhaps there thero wa wash wasn't ally plo e Ion IonI I Oh yes jes s 's there was safe looks as If It It hid hatI 1 been hit lilt h hv by an 11 II I 1 II shell Itt Io there was gun cun tire lire Just t he here IlIre re one of ut lute his then men drew II aw away lIa a Nut Not tot much doubt as t to win who has your jour our black box now not 1 Is 1 1111 11 t Mark Markham ark ham n asked Landis 1 Nut Not very touch The circumstantial evidence 11 Is lilting tug In III too IO thick and fast t to lu II leave Vl touch much room for tr doubt I 1 dont don't t II want tout to belle vo that these men nicu are the 1111 criminals salt raid Why h not 1 you ou i u see ioe If It they ur are arc Her Herbert bert Canby Is the lilt fourth Well oll whit what If It he hI 1 U Is 11 Ile III I Is going h to marry Betty ml That's up ui to lo you OU Isn't It V Not t nut now It ha hUll bus gone 1 too fur far I made no 10 comment upon i this until after they alley had pa ed IhlI the Ihl I point where the shorter road bv Iy way II I of ot Ked Bed Ili Horse e pass pasI came camo In Then he hI said soul You have han enly f to blame I Owens Owen It Its It's Just JUI fI ns 1 I told IOhl you jou ou the tho I night ou our showed me your our Invention n II girl cant can't watt wait forever tr I dont don't suppose sup I pose you ou U have ha ever lr nt asked keil to marry you jou jouNo ou No Xo I haven't was Willi the Ihl straightforward straightforward straight straight- forward confession Its this his way 1111 I Petty II Iris lias always S 'S had a 1 small time nf ot It a a. a as her hr fathers father's daughter the Ill l doesn't Ill I'll pay Its It's faculty members enough to warrant any nuy other kind of nf time thine for ur their ta families mil I. I And nJ shuts ih desertes deserves de lie- ir serves f'S something Getter better I So o jouve youve been n waiting until you I could Invent nt something that thin you fUU could rould sell se-ll for enough money to lo let her wear diamonds You ou dont don't know Betty Kotty I Lawson awson halt half ns liS welt well as liS 1 do 10 IU evea It If you jou IU are her lover el 1 I I I hello hello what's th that a U UIn In the bottom of ot the gulch some distance below the road n a tire too IlIr large e to figure ns IS a campfire was burning Markham stopped th the car Outer said ald l t seem p rn to be anything tIO down II there to burn No Nu tu but I haven't curiosity enough to make me rife climb down there to 10 find out what It Is I dont don't know how you jou ou feel but Im I'm about dead for tor sleep Lets Let's go go I Due ue to d II blowout II which hit thorn them shortly after pU passing the gulch of the mysterious fire lire and antI which Imposed a rather tedious Job of ot casing changing chang ing the early summer dawn was breaking n ns they skirted Lake inke TopazA Topaz A little later they came to a group of ot mine buildings one of ot 1 which bore hore the Ih legend ALICE ALICH MINI COMPANY Y EiL 1 h ST. mILCI exclaimed fly lly Gorge I Markham as he rend read the sign alga I 1 I Hf after r knew be before before fore tore Just II where here that mine was Willi What about It Landis n asked Why nothing much murll except that 1 i iown own a few tew shares of ot stock tock In It one of the items In la the little legacy my mother left 1 mite me She was dl distantly re related hated to lo Starbuck or rather to Mrs r Starbuck's family Ive I've ne never ver taken the trouble to look 1001 up III the location of ot the mine mInI I dimly remember the Star bucks They stopped over In Carthage with us on their wedding trip when I Iwas ivas was vas a n kid It If they llly lit live e In Brewster well we'll look them then up A few miles mills farther they found themselves looking down on a u little city bestriding river rl A little later they stopped In front of ot a mo mod 1 i r r rA I t VV Canby M Made de a Barrel Darrel of Easy Money Out of Us UI Here Here and and Then Got Cot HI His Own Feet Wet orn ern hotel Turning the tho roadster over overto overto to 10 the uniformed ho hostler the went In to register Night Ight driving queried 1 the clerk Yes from flom an an- rd il Ihen you jou wont won't want wont to 10 wait for forthe forthe the regular t before you jou ou turn In Ve e can rail give I you jou ou quick service r In Inthe Inthe the grill Or If It you jou ou like ilkI 1 Ill I'll U hn have hate e It 1 suit sent t up tip to jour our suite I. I That lint wilt will be hI better jou von ou hid hall nn any hotl body else l e In front from the lIll ei east t t l this morning Yes es n party parly of or three came In n a couple of ot hours ago A t Doctor sun son and 11 his bis 1 daughter and anil t Mr Ir r. r lInh anh olly tI else Ne I presser II XII No o. o Hf jou ou p i 1111 t. t to tile JIll friends hi here re Th I These 1 three gentlemen from rota Louls- Louls s-Ithe s said Ial Markham producing hl his memorandum of the three names The lh clerk cllrk read til the names armies I anti and 1 II L I. I Youve got ut our jour dule some Rome IIII way he Ile suir ested P v e have hal rf reservations Ir made fur for the there e gout uen for fr the 11 lIt tl twenty Ii You I heat beat them to It hv hy a n week or snore more Ce o Mid sail Ihas n hit bit odd It bei heed n juts Just i ahi nf of u us U. usall all 1111 the WilY way noires front from 11 1111 anti anil they drove out of ot op h lute t I night tl 11 very verv short time this before we u-c dh Well ell said the clerk v thi II IIII I to take what they can get JIt If It they turn turu up liP now now- Their late date Is the Ih twenty eighth eighth- You ou say av they left le-fl iid of lit you Then n you on U must have hall then them on nn the tha road Maybe Ia he we old did In rk i offered and wit with h that flint they follows the boy ho boyto to 10 the elevator Ilp hat mj mystified stifled They were up UI In to make the dining linin room for tor a n bite litte luncheon oa At t a table opposite 11 sat rat on nil elderly IMry man of ot ofa n a t type IP which h Is 11 fast fust disappearing even In the farther West t the pioneer who hind bad made c oil and anti Is hi lant at 1 Ia last t able to take hula hit e ease se In H It eit 1111 II linn for II which h he Will was on un I e p one of lit Ih the path path- finders Never hampered by the Markham passed caused aligN his hll card across the table lable and got precisely the tile r reaction 1 the elderly man omens appearance pd neighborly Glad Olad to know you OU Mr Ir Markham My y name nanIe Is U Starbuck Star Star- buck and he tie reached across the table and shoots shook hands Thank l said Wally with hIs Ms gl good naturel grin Thea ot Not by 11 any anI chance Mr r. r William ilium Starbuck a Danner partner part Dan ner npr In the Little Alice Alire miner The d faced l faced man smiled Theres There's only one of n me o I gue gues Um Cm Youve You've Just sunken lands Lando with i a faraway farll cousin hi hr m KP Mr Mt Ir Starbuck also with II a very fery small Im fractional owner In to your our mine My her hor mothers moth mother was 08 n a on ers rs side and once-I once think It was n on your our our wedding trip you trite you stopped off oft for foru fora a u short time with us In Carthage Hut But with me mp shook honk hall hinds hands excuse me uie you jou ou the operation with wont won't you jou repent repeat my friend Owen Ih S RI re e I 1 And nIl hes he's ns as welcome to the us as you are Gosh I Slid Markham You don dont don't t t tSure mean to say you jou ou remember my name name Sure ure I do now tint that jouve youve told I Ime me who you jou Oll are I recollect you jou a aa as 0 a n tat fat fined ed little chip chap hut of ot course I wouldn't hive have known you from and Mr Ir Adam now What liat are ure you jou ou Landis doln doing doing No to plans whatever lr Just t driving about to see how holy far tar we can go O on so 90 many mallY gallons of ot gas gns gas I IThe The Tile mine owner nodded I 1 see You may not believe It Il to lo look at nt me the meno menow now no but I was young youn once myself myself- and I sure lIure had a restless foot toot Im I'm sorry Mrs Starbuck and the tile girls are on a trip east If It they thy were lre here herl wed we'd have hale you jou both bolh out of ot this dump pronto not that It Isn Isn't t a pretty fair sort vort of ot posada at that Ill Ill I'll say It Is Is said Markham t you Owen Landis agreed The Carthage N nan Ban in inner nor ner would l run double leaded editorials about It for tor a n week If It we hud had a II hotel as Its good as a this at lit home borne Speaking of ot Carthage reminds me ml Starbuck put In There Thre are three other oilier people from your jour town In the hotel holl got ot In this morning Maybe you jou know em or lm or know about em eme m We e know two of ot them rather ruther better bet ter than well Professor or Law son oll used to 10 make a mammas mamma's pet of ot Owen here at the same sume time that he wits was doing his level best to flunk me the In Physics Pour bur Starbuck smiled I took an eyeshot eyeshot eye eye- shot at nt the professor professor and and at nt the daughter I take It you'll both bolh agree with me If It I say that Miss Law Lawson son sonIs Is pretty enough to start a stopped clock Ask Ahk Owen said paid Markham with a agrin agrin grin and Starbuck switched to the third member of ot the part purt This 1114 Canby person who writes himself down as lIS from Carthage do you jou ou know him too Markham answered for tor both holh Reasonably fin Rea well though we haven't known koo him very Iry lon long Me tie Is a comparatively com eom- newcomer In our town Starbuck's smile WI was grim the word you jou ou Just nt n. new w tucked tacked onto onlo I your tr friends the 1111 Lav Lawson on we know him a heap bettor better than well out here Is It Markham asked Oh Fur sure He Ill was here all nil last summer booming n a bauxite mining and reduction scheme sold u t good goud chunk of stock block And nd afterward Wally Cally prompted There here wasn't I any afterward lurd not noto so o you jou could tut tute e It The late boomed mine was waS 1 well was well you jou OU might say It wasn't exactly a II I fake het be- be t niu e there Ihre was ns and Is a n small deposit deposit deposit de de- posit of ot the mineral In It hut but not noti i ono nough noll u h to make It a II c commercial ci prop prop- All Ul 1 of lit 1 which Is mighty Interesting to 10 listen to Markham commented The more so 10 because Ju Just t now lOW he Is s strying trying to lo Mont flout n and scheme In our town Im I'm wondering 1 what hut brings him out here right In th the thick ot of his Ills promotion I might be able uLle to tu tip lip you jou off oft as to that still said the mine owner Canny made n barrel of ot easy money mony out of ofus ofus ofus us here here and and then got his own feet fet wet About halt half a tulle mill above the till Little LillIe Alice lIce there U Is u a mine that flint l I Is older than thin anything thing else eKe In this neck n the woods Some ome think It d dates dall' lies back to 10 the time when mull all this region 1 was liS a part of ot the Spanish posses posses- os eM Ions anyway It tt was as here IlIre and worked out and abandoned inn long before betor before be be- tor fore all of rif t the Ihl American prospectors lame cattle In hen hn Lake Topaz benin began lohe to lo tobe tobo bo he n a summer resort the till old as liS Its It's culled rullell became n R sort Fort of It show showplace place Ilace for fr tourists iii like the flue Mammoth cave About two years ago aso u II hunch bunch of ot tinhorn from lIme came over o here and anil reloaded oil the claimed they'd explored It and found new mineral In It W We never nl have ha known the real In Inside loJe but hut its it's the flue general gc belief belle that they thy were suiting salting the till mine mitte and fixing to stick j homebody with It tt An Anyhow that's how It turned out Th limey sold the pal to tn took his bin money and andi i tided awn The biter hit hilt eh th said sold with a n haul Mush h. h Does 11 he lie still own In It Owns It and nd rates one 11 It Hi Ile h. h nn ho n kept kelt a small gang can In I It ever since he 11 bought It sending good money after bad ball jonM you'd Say naj because there them has bus never yet It been n a pound of or ore shipped I from It Just bitchy he hI hn has doubled his huts force Imported d a 1 lot lit of lit Mexicans from dov dot n 11 S Santa inta anta Pe II ways Tu what what's at the bottom of ot all this knows The place Is tl gu as If U It were a 11 diamond nil mine tie I glanced III IIII nt at hi his hIli watch II and nil hed pushed his chair hark hack Sorry hut but Ive I've gut got ut to chop phol It off off off- he still iId Im 11 tine cine nt at the fog fot a ut 1 turning You'll h he be 1 11 er for fn a 1111 while Ill wont won't you Yes so tar far as 81 we WI know note now said flints That'll the talk I 1 want to know you both bolh better Then to Just take me mo In as one of ot the trie family faintly end make such use nile of ot me as 81 you ym can caa As the Spaniards say You ou ate lire In jn your own house bouse while you jou OU are arll with me I TO 10 as 81 0 |