'
I
1
Tie Spoilers.
fcy REX E. BEACH.
Onp.vrJtftt, 500G, by Ilex IJ. Uciteli.
(Continued from I'iio Throe.)
L3cw.i jnifl. wllli ii pick, ripped out
Uvr. rlttl - 'I'lils wan n mutter ol only
ii Jtv wisindi; then, .seizing u Khovel,
Vi imii!foriTil llic eonreiitrutos whleh
Yku J Mio bottom f llii' boxes lulo
vjyivM Hrk which his compnuion
.)u 'is vjeh him was lillcil II wns
i&'j) .'ixil dumped lulo llic cut. They
ftrnatri) but four boxes in this wiiy,
Vsnnc fl lower two-thirds of the
jRoftM untouched, for Anvil creel; gold
XiH-mrw and the heart of tin; clenn
wpJScs .vliei'i It Is thrown In. (Silt her
Z thi' wicks together, they lushed
fJrjra upon the puck iinliunls, then
atiauntfid Iho second string of sluices
..wH Ivgnu ns hefore. Throughout It
-aiC J1ey worked with feverish hnste
nnO Jn unbroken silence, every nio
.Ttrni flnshing Miilck glnnees at the llg
x'.tn of 'the lookout who stood on the
cnwl nl-ovo, half illinmed in the shad
ow of ii willow clump. Judging by
UliyT rapidity and sureness, they were
r.ipTl minors.
Vroin thr lentcnine the voices of the
vuRhtKbirt al talile and the fainl rattle
irJUh8, while the canvas walls glow
1 frnn the lights within like prat
llwflifs hidden In the grass. The fore
ttflirs finishing his meal, upiieaied lit
tin door of the mess tent and, pausing
iu nivnstorn his eyes to the gloom,
red. perfunctorily toward the creek.
?'! ivatclmian detached himself from
bn shadow. moving out Into plain
lgbt, and the losi turned hack. The
-1hx men below were now working on
4tte sluices which lay cloe under the
Jtaxilt -ami were thus hidden from the
.ainL
JcTJnmfirn' description of Anvil
isvcVp riches had fired Helen Chester
-Vllh,tbo desire to witness a cleanup,
wr ftrjy had ridden out from town In
lime for supper at the claim. She had
wt Known whither he led her, only
understanding that provision for her
najtertntnineut would he made with
Ifc superintendent's wife. I'poti roe-
xaatelnc; the Midas she had endeavor-
fd 1n question him as to why her
Jri'm). bail been dispossessed, ami he
.tad nnswerel, as it mviuoiI. straight
m.Tid true.
Thr cntiiud was in dh.pute. I.e said -T.aolher
man claimed it and wii'lethe
litigation pi'iided he was in charge for
HX& :ourt, 10 see that neither party re--ty.'ii'pO
Injury, lie spoke adroitly, and
Ji f.itlslled her to have the proposition
rrsrilveu into stieh sluipPeltv .
Shr had route prepared to spend the
.vtgM and witness the early morning
rijicrsliiMi. m the receher made the
.tuovt of his opportunity. He showed
r over the workings, expl.iinlns: the
many thing' that were .strange to her.
vnlonly as he In himself a fascinat
iiK figure to any woman, hut wherever
.ts M'enl men regarded him deferential
3, and nothing alVects a woman's
Jiihrnicui more promptly than this ob--?ons
Mgn of power. lie spent the
rtftninR with her. talking or his early
dtys and the things he had done in the
-frost, til story matching the plctur
"srpie.tioss of her canvas walh'd ipiar
rrx with tliclr rough furnishings or
:X!ns and lilaukets. Holng a keen oh
Tftrrer tis well iir a finished raconteur.
hv had woven a siell of words about
lh. girl, leaving her in a state of tu
mult and Indecision when at last, to
w&tii midnight, he retired to his own
Jt.-mr. She Icnew to what end all this
ivas worklns and yet knew not what
3t answer would be when the qttes--ilon
cntue which lay behind It all. At
inomeiit.s she felt the wonderful al
tit!llon of the man. and still there
-was vmo distrust or hltn which she
?ofl uot fathom. Again her thoughts
.TTrrenril 1o Olenlster. the Impetuous,
siDi) she compared the two. so similar
u som Wats, so utterly opposed In
art'nerK
rt. was when she heard the night shift
vt their meal that she threw a silken
rJjAwl about her head, stepped Into the
vwl nlgbt and picked her way down
-Jwwnrii tbr roar of the creek. "A
Urcath o! air and then to bed," she
"Ifcatuftit. he saw the tall tlgure of
She ivati'hiuan and made for him. lie
miimttl oddly Interestetl In her ap-
Tr&ni!ft, watching her er.v closely, nl
-nmosttis though alartned. It was douht-
tess 'bccatise there were so few women
"Wittorrc, or possibly on account of the
' tatrnoss of the hour. Away with con-
-entlons': This wiih the hind of In
tilnrt and luvpulse. She would talk to
ilm. The limn drew his hat more
rlovely about Ills face and moved off
r shf raine up. Olenlster had been
iu her bougbts n moment hIiico, and
cue now noted that here wrfs another
vAth the Btune great, square shoulders
Jk-ad Teet bead. Then she saw with a
rturt time this one was a negro. He
flarrle.i'i u Winchester and seemed to
uolcb her carefully, yet with hide
iTlSllWU
1 exnress Jior Interest and to break
the silence, i he (UC3tloued him, hut at
the sound of her voice ho stepped to
ward her nnd spoko roughly:
"What!"
Then ho paused mid stammered In n
strangely altered nnd unnatural voice:
"Yass'm. I'm tho watchmnn."
Khe noted two other darkles at work
below and was vaguely surprised, not
so much at their presence, as ut the
manner In which they moved, for they
seemed under stress of some great
haste, running hither nnd yon. She
saw horses standing In the trail and
sensed something Indefinably odd and
alarming In the air. Turning to tho
man shu opened her mouth to speak,
when from the rank grass under her
feet came a noise which set her a
tlngle mid at which her suspicions
leaped full to the solution. It was the
groan of a man. Again he gave voice
to his pain, and she knew that she
stood face to face with something sin
ister. Talcs of sluice robbers had come
to her and rumors of the daring raids
Into which men were lured by the yel
low sheen, and .vol this was iuci edible.
A hundred men lay within sound of her
voice. She could hear their laughter.
One was whittling a popular refrain.
A quarter mile away on eve'y hand
were other camps, a scream from her
would bring them all. Nonsense, this
was no sluice robliory. nnd then the
man In the hushes below moaned for
the third time.
"What Is thatV" she said. ,
Without reply the negro lowered the
muzzle of his rllle till It covered her
breast, and at tho same time she heard
the double click of the hummer.
"Keep still and don't move," he '
warned. "We're desperate, and wo I
can't take any chances, miss." i
"Oh, you are stealing the gold"--
She was wlldl.t frightened, yei slood '
sllll while the lookout anxiously di
vided his attention between her and
the tents above until his companions I
signaled him that they were through
and the hordes were loaded. Then he '
spoke: I
"I don't know what to do with you, I
but t guess I'll tie you up." j
"What V" she said. j
"I'm going to He and gag you so you
can't holler." i
"Oh. don't yon dare!" she cried ilerce- i
ly. "I'll stand right here till you've I
gone, and 1 won't scream. I promise." I
She looked up at him nppcallngly, at i
which he dipped his head, so that she
caught only a glimpse or his face, and
then backed away.
"All right! lion't try It because I'll
be hidden In those hushes yonder at
the bend, and I'll keep you covered till
the others are gone." He leaped down
the bank, ran to the cavalcade, mount
ed quickly, and the three lashed their
horses into a run. disappearing up the
trail aroutii the sharp curve. She
hcaid the blows of their quirts as they
whipped the pack Iioi'm-s.
They were long out of sight before
the girl moved or made sound, al
though she knew that none of the three
had paused at the bend. She only
stood and gazed, for as they galloped
off she had heard the serap of broken
sentence. It was but one etched
word sounding through the rattle of
hoofs her own name- Helen!" and
yet because of It she did not olce the
alarm, but rather began to piece to
gether Ml by bit the strange points of
tills adventure. She recalled the out- '
Hues of her captor with a wrinkle of '
perplexity. Her fright disappeared en-
tirely. giving place to intense excite- I
tuent. "No. no; It can't be! And vet 1 I
wonder if It Is!" she cried. "Oil, I
wonder if It could be!"
She opened her lips to cry aloud, then
hesitated. She started toward tho
tents, then paused, and for many mo- j
incuts afier the boor beats had died
out she stayed undecided. Surely she !
wished to give the signal, to force the
tierce pursuit. What meant this rob
bery, this dellance of the law, of her
nude's edicts ntidof McNamaraV They
were common thieves, criminals, out
laws, these men. deserving punish
ment, and yet she recalled a darker
night, when she herself had sobbed
and quivered with the terrors or pur
suit and two men had shielded her
with their bodies.
She turned and sped toward the
tents, bursting in through the canvas
door. Instantly every man rose to his
feet at sight of her pallid face, her
Hashing eyes and rumpled hair.
"Sluice robbers!" she cried breath
lessly. "Oulck! A holdup! The watch
man Is hurt!"
A roar shook the night air, and the
men poured out past her, while the
day shift came tumbling forth from
every quarter In various stages of un
dress. "Where V Who did It V Where did
they go':"
McNumaru appeared uinoug them,
llorce and coiniuaudlng, seeming to
grasp the situation Intuitively without
explanation from her.
"Come on, men. We'll run 'em down.
Get out the horses. Quick!"
n- Mil.T iiioiniii.'ii ctuii n hi; niUKt! i
ami otner joineu him. Then, turning,
he waved his long arm up the valley
toward the mountains. "Divide luto
squads of live mid cover the hills!
Hun down to Discovery, one of you,
and telephone to town for Voorhees
and a posse."
As they made ready to ride away
the girl cried:
"Stop! Not that way. They went
down tho gulch three negroes."
She pointed out of the valley toviArd
the dim glow on the southern hori.on,
mid the cavnleade rode nwny Into tho
gloom.
CnAPTKH X.
T TT ereek the three negroes lied,
Upnst other ennips, to where the
stream branched. Here they
took to the right mid urged
their horses along n forsaken trail to
the headwaters of tho little tributary
and over the low saddle. They had en- t
(leavored to reach unfrequented paths
as soon as possible In order that they
might pass unnoticed. Hefore quilling
the valley they halted their heaving
horses and. selecting a stagnant pool,
scoured the grease paint from their
features us best they could. Their
ears were strained for sounds of pur
suit, but as the moments passed and
none came the tension cased some
what, and they conversed guardedly.
As the morning light spread they
crossed the moss capped summit of the
range, but paused iiga'ti. and, remov
ing two saddles, hid them among the
rocks. Slapjack left the othes heie
nnd rode southward down the Dry
('reek trail toward town, while the
partners shlfled part of the weight
from the oerloaded pack mules to the
remaining saddle animals and con
tinued eastward along the barren
comb of hills on foot, leading the live
horses.
"II don't seem like we'll gel nwny
this easy," said Dextry. scanning the
hack trail. "If we do, I'll be tempted
to fuller the business rcg'lar. This
grease paint on my face makes me
mnfll like h minstrel man. I bet we'll
get some Nully press notices tomor
row." "I wonder what Helen was doing
there." (Menlsier answered Irrelevant
ly, for he had been more shaken by
his encounter with her than at his part
In the rest of the enterprise, and hl
nilnd. which should have been busied
with the lllght, hehl nothing but pic
tures of her as she stood In the half
darkness under the tear of his Win
chester. "What If she ever learned
who that black rulliau was!" He
quailed at the thought.
"Say. Hex. I am going to marry that
girl."
"I dunno If you be or not," said Dex
try. "Hotter watch .MoNaimirn."
"WhatV" The younger mini stopped
nnd stared
"fio on.
ain't blind
"What do you menu':"
Don't slop the horses. I
I klu put two an' two to-
gether."
"You'll never put those two together.
Nonsense; Why, the man's a rascal.
I wouldn't let him have her. Hesldes.
it couldn't be. She'll llnd him out. I
love her so much that oh. my feelings
are too big to talk about." lie moved
his hands eloquently. "You can't un
derstand."
"t'lu-ni! I s'pos not," grunted De
try. but his eyes were level and held
the llulit of the past.
"He may be a rascal.' ;hc old man
continued, after a Utile. "I'll put In
with you on that, but he's a handsome
devil, and as for manners he makes
you look like a logger. He's a brave
man too. Them three qualities are
trump cards and warranted to take
must any queen in the human deck
red, while or yellow."
"If he darcN." growled iMeuUter.
while his thick brows eauie forward,
and ugiy lines hardened in hi face.
In the irray ol the early morning
they descended the foothills Into the
wide valley of the Nome river and
llled out across the rolling country to
the river bluff- where, cleverly con
cealed among the willows, was n
rocker. This they set up. then pro
ceeded to wa-h the dirt from the sacks
carefully, yet with the utmost speed,
for theie was serious danger of dis
covery. It was wonderful, this treas
ure of the richest ground since the
days of !. and the men worked with
shining eyes and hands a-treinble. The
gold was coarse, and many ragged, yel
low lumps, too large to pass through
the screen, rolled in the hopper, while
the aprons bellied with Its weight. In
the pans which they had provided there
grew a gleaming heap of wet, raw gold.
Shortly, by divergent routes, the part
ners rode unnoticed Into town and Into
the excitement of the holdup news,
while the tardy still lingered over
their bicakfasts. Far out in the roud--tead
lay the Koanoke, black smoke
pouring from her stack. A tug was re
turning from Its last trip to her.
Olenlster forced his lathered horse
down to the beach and questioned the
lonirshoreineii who hung about.
"No. It's too late to got uboard
the last tender Is on Its way back,"
they Informed him. "If you want to
go to the uiitidde,' you'll have to wall
for the Meet. That only means another
week, and -there she IjIowh now."
A ribbon of whlto mingled with tho
velvet from the steamer's funnel, and
there came a slow, throbbing, farewell
blast.
(Jlenlster's Jaw clicked mid squared.
"Quick, you men!" he cried to the
sailors. "I want tho lightest dory on
the beach and the strongest oarsmen
in the crowd. I'll be back In live min
utes. There's a hundred dollars lu It
for you If wo catch that ship."
Ho whirled and spurred up through
the mud of the streets. Hill Wheatou
was snoring luxuriously when wrench
ed from his bed by a disheveled man
who shook him Into wakefulness nnd
J.1U UK CONTIKUKD.
Tho Kind You Ilavo Always Bought, and which litis been
in uso for over 00 years, has homo tho signature of
rj7 - a,,,l Jias heen made undei' his per-
LrCTnj 1 .supervision since its infancy.
vuzrv, '-C6CCSUW. Allow no one to deceive you In tills.
All Counterfeits, Imitations and Just-as-good" are but
liXperimeiits that trillo with and endanger the health of
Infants and Children Experience against Experiment.
What is CASTOR! A
Caslorhi is a harmless substitute for Ca.lor Oil, Pare
goric, lrops and Soothing Syrups. It is Pleasant. It
contains neither Opium, Morphine Jior other Narcotic
substance. jts ngo is its guarantee. It destroys Worm-,
and allays Feverish ncss. It cures Diarrhuja and Wind
Colic. It relieves Teething Troubles, cures Constipation
and Flatulency. It assimilates tho Food, regulates the
Stomach and Uowcls, giving healthy and natural sleep.
The Children's Panacea-The Mother's Friend.
GENUINE CASTORJA ALWAYS
Bears the
The Kind You tee Always Bonjjht
In Use For Over 30 Years.
THE CCNTAUM COVPNV, TT MUKRAV STIlCCT. NEW VOnK CITY.
60 YEARS
EXPERIENCE
Trade Marks
Designs
Copyrights &c.
Anyone ncnrilnc nnkrtrli niul dcicrlplloii ninr
quickly iiscurlahi our opinion freo whether nn
liivnutlnn Is tirntintilr iituntniili. Communion.
tloiiHRtrlctlycoiithlontlal. HANDBOOK on I'ntenu
ei'nt froo. UMcit nuonry for m;oimiiK piitentn.
l'nleuto taUuu Uirouch .Muun & Co. receive
tpecltil notlct, rrltlmut chnruo, lu tho
ScMific Jliiteiicatt.
A linnrtsnmrlj- Illit.lrnlPrt weekly. T.nmcat clr
cilliillun of uny Hcientillc Jmirnul. 'iVrinn, 3
rear: four iminlhs, (I. tiolU LyiiU imwudmlera.
MUNN & Ca.3C,Mav. New York
Ilrnnch onlco, IB5 V St., Washington, I. C.
Hi INSURANCE
against Jiro, Lightning, Cy
clones anil Windstorms, see
JNO. B, STANSER,
agent for the Farmers Union Insur
tuice Co., Lincoln, Nob., tho bost in
surniicu company intho s'-ite
. ! i ' - '.
i s';'"- j
mmi&
X--4 -- .
L. SHERMAN,
General
Auctioneer
Residence: First door south of
Red Cloud Mill, 101 South Webster
street.
Can bo found nt homo every fore
noon. Terms reusonublo.
Mercer's
Barber Shop
Basement ot
Potter Block.
Massaging
a Specialty
RHEUMATISM CUUKD IN A DAY.
nr.Petcb.ons Ilcllef foriMieumfitlsin nnd Neural
gla ntdlrnlly cans In 1 to 3 (lays. Its action upon
the system Is remnrknbla and mytitorlmis. It
removes at once tint cause and iho dlseaso Im
mediately disappears. The tlrst dose creatlj
iMMieflts, 75 c.v niH nurt It. Sold by II. K. Ouicb.
driiKRlfct. Tied Cloud.
Read
F. NewHoise'
Adv. on. pa.ge 6.
Signature of
CATARRH
Elvs Cream Balm
Suro to Civo Satisfaction.
ClVES RELIEF AT ONCE.
It (-irniiseii, soo'h -t, Ji.-als nnd pride ts tho
ih-eu-i.il nicinhriiuu r - dt-'ng fr -m (' it.irrh
imddrhcsnwayaC i 1 iu tit llc:id quickly.
7b stores tho Sctie of T.-.to and Smell.
I I.iy to use. (ont.iii.s no uijuri.'Us drugs
j pplied into tlio n .-.'.ni., and nh-orbcl.
, Luge Si.e, HO utitet Drugyi-U or by
I iivmI Liquid Ori'.uu. Kiha lor uw in
utomiers, 7"i fonts.
ELY BROTHERS. 56 Warren St.. New York.
fthat sick women endure.1
in the back. hips, lees,
'etc., the headaches, waist'
and side pains, falling
feelings, nervousness, ir
regular periods and other
suttermg can be relieved.
or cured, as were those!
,of Mrs, Lucy Rowe, of1
trtitord, HLt by taking
CARDUI
WINE
OF
WOMAN'S RELIEF
1 She writes "Fot 4 years I suf-'
liered terrible ounsm mv side.
I from female trouble. Wine
of Cardui cured them They
were better before I finished
one bottle. The doctor i
wanted to operate on me, but
I took Cardui instead, and
now I am nearlv weli.wl
Cardui is a cure for dis-1
1 orders of the wnminlv ftmc-1
I
i lions, iryit.
Ea7 . i
ai an uraggists, ;i.oo
PARKER'S
HAIP RAIRAM
Clwwf na IwamiHct tlio hilr.
IrinibUi n lujutiaiit growth.
Ijvcr Failb to Uotoro Ury
r.?,V"r x? MP Vouthmi Color
tut 1 1 ielp lWfiH.f & l,alr lulling.
hakever tygy
The Misery
MM
V
.
y
i
lfHiv.TT4jBjMiqr
9Wi;
ywmum
mm""!
iMnwnnmnwyniw
.'r ., ,- 'it.uuiAu.1' irFiLiit j.v..
WWlWl,'WHr''l'll''''"'t,l"r-f11W
tiiuAi.ik 2 r h '.nr.Aj k.
'' . .. "1 - ' ' ' "-gi-MifflaiMgkfc.. -.W