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spasmodically　and　helplessly　against　the　curtain　of　soil　that　hid

the　treasure；　the　elements　had　achieved　with　mightier　but　more

patient　forces。　　The　slow　sapping　of　the　winter　rains　had　loosened

the　soil　from　the　auriferous　rock；　even　while　the　swollen　stream

was　carrying　their　impotent　and　shattered　engines　to　the　sea。



What　mattered　that　his　single　arm　could　not　lift　the　treasure　he

had　found！　　What　mattered　that　to　unfix　those　glittering　stars

would　still　tax　both　skill　and　patience！　　The　work　was　done；　the

goal　was　reached！　even　his　boyish　impatience　was　content　with　that。

He　rose　slowly　to　his　feet；　unstrapped　his　long…handled　shovel　from

his　back；　secured　it　in　the　crevice；　and　quietly　regained　the

summit。



It　was　all　his　own！　　His　own　by　right　of　discovery　under　the　law　of

the　land；　and　without　accepting　a　favor　from　THEM。　　He　recalled

even　the　fact　that　it　was　HIS　prospecting　on　the　mountain　that

first　suggested　the　existence　of　gold　in　the　outcrop　and　the　use　of

the　hydraulic。　　HE　had　never　abandoned　that　belief；　whatever　the

others　had　done。　　He　dwelt　somewhat　indignantly　to　himself　on　this

circumstance；　and　half　unconsciously　faced　defiantly　towards　the

plain　below。　　But　it　was　sleeping　peacefully　in　the　full　sight　of

the　moon；　without　life　or　motion。　　He　looked　at　the　stars；　it　was

still　far　from　midnight。　　His　companions　had　no　doubt　long　since

returned　to　the　cabin　to　prepare　for　their　midnight　journey。　　They

were　discussing　him；　perhaps　laughing　at　him；　or　worse；　pitying　him

and　his　bargain。　　Yet　here　was　his　bargain！　　A　slight　laugh　he　gave

vent　to　here　startled　him　a　little；　it　sounded　so　hard　and　so

unmirthful；　and　so　unlike；　as　he　oddly　fancied；　what　he　really

THOUGHT。　　But　WHAT　did　he　think？



Nothing　mean　or　revengeful；　no；　they　never　would　say　THAT。　　When　he

had　taken　out　all　the　surface　gold　and　put　the　mine　in　working

order；　he　would　send　them　each　a　draft　for　a　thousand　dollars。　　Of

course；　if　they　were　ever　ill　or　poor　he　would　do　more。　　One　of　the

first；　the　very　first　things　he　should　do　would　be　to　send　them

each　a　handsome　gun　and　tell　them　that　he　only　asked　in　return　the

old…fashioned　rifle　that　once　was　his。　　Looking　back　at　the　moment

in　after　years；　he　wondered　that；　with　this　exception；　he　made　no

plans　for　his　own　future；　or　the　way　he　should　dispose　of　his　newly

acquired　wealth。　　This　was　the　more　singular　as　it　had　been　the

custom　of　the　five　partners　to　lie　awake　at　night；　audibly

comparing　with　each　other　what　they　would　do　in　case　they　made　a

strike。　　He　remembered　how；　Alnaschar…like；　they　nearly　separated

once　over　a　difference　in　the　disposal　of　a　hundred　thousand

dollars　that　they　never　had；　nor　expected　to　have。　　He　remembered

how　Union　Mills　always　began　his　career　as　a　millionnaire　by　a

〃square　meal〃　at　Delmonico's；　how　the　Right　Bower's　initial　step

was　always　a　trip　home　〃to　see　his　mother〃；　how　the　Left　Bower

would　immediately　placate　the　parents　of　his　beloved　with　priceless

gifts　（it　may　be　parenthetically　remarked　that　the　parents　and　the

beloved　one　were　as　hypothetical　as　the　fortune）；　and　how　the　Judge

would　make　his　first　start　as　a　capitalist　by　breaking　a　certain

faro　bank　in　Sacramento。　　He　himself　had　been　equally　eloquent　in

extravagant　fancy　in　those　penniless　days；　he　who　now　was　quite

cold　and　impassive　beside　the　more　extravagant　reality。



How　different　it　might　have　been！　　If　they　had　only　waited　a　day

longer！　if　they　had　only　broken　their　resolves　to　him　kindly　and

parted　in　good　will！　　How　he　would　long　ere　this　have　rushed　to

greet　them　with　the　joyful　news！　　How　they　would　have　danced　around

it；　sung　themselves　hoarse；　laughed　down　their　enemies；　and　run　up

the　flag　triumphantly　on　the　summit　of　the　Lone　Star　Mountain！　　How

they　would　have　crowned　him　〃the　Old　Man；〃　〃the　hero　of　the　camp！〃

How　he　would　have　told　them　the　whole　story；　how　some　strange

instinct　had　impelled　him　to　ascend　the　summit；　and　how　another

step　on　that　summit　would　have　precipitated　him　into　the　canyon！

And　howbut　what　if　somebody　else；　Union　Mills　or　the　Judge；　had

been　the　first　discoverer？　　Might　they　not　have　meanly　kept　the

secret　from　him；　have　selfishly　helped　themselves　and　done



〃What　YOU　are　doing　now。〃



The　hot　blood　rushed　to　his　cheek；　as　if　a　strange　voice　were　at

his　ear。　　For　a　moment　he　could　not　believe　that　it　came　from　his

own　pale　lips　until　he　found　himself　speaking。　　He　rose　to　his

feet；　tingling　with　shame；　and　began　hurriedly　to　descend　the

mountain。



He　would　go　to　them；　tell　them　of　his　discovery；　let　them　give　him

his　share；　and　leave　them　forever。　　It　was　the　only　thing　to　be

done；　strange　that　he　had　not　thought　of　it　at　once。　　Yet　it　was

hard；　very　hard　and　cruel　to　be　forced　to　meet　them　again。　　What

had　he　done　to　suffer　this　mortification？　　For　a　moment　he　actually

hated　this　vulgar　treasure　that　had　forever　buried　under　its　gross

ponderability　the　light　and　careless　past；　and　utterly　crushed　out

the　poetry　of　their　old；　indolent；　happy　existence。



He　was　sure　to　find　them　waiting　at　the　Cross　Roads　where　the　coach

came　past。　　It　was　three　miles　away；　yet　he　could　get　there　in　time

if　he　hastened。　　It　was　a　wise　and　practical　conclusion　of　his

evening's　work；　a　lame　and　impotent　conclusion　to　his　evening's

indignation。　　No　matter。　　They　would　perhaps　at　first　think　he　had

come　to　weakly　follow　them；　perhaps　they　would　at　first　doubt　his

story。　　No　matter。　　He　bit　his　lips　to　keep　down　the　foolish　rising

tears；　but　still　went　blindly　forward。



He　saw　not　the　beautiful　night；　cradled　in　the　dark　hills；　swathed

in　luminous　mists；　and　hushed　in　the　awe　of　its　own　loveliness！

Here　and　there　the　moon　had　laid　her　calm　face　on　lake　and

overflow；　and　gone　to　sleep　embracing　them；　until　the　whole　plain

seemed　to　be　lifted　into　infinite　quiet。　　Walking　on　as　in　a　dream；

the　black；　impenetrable　barriers　of　skirting　thickets　opened　and

gave　way　to　vague　distances　that　it　appeared　impossible　to　reach；

dim　vistas　that　seemed　unapproachable。　　Gradually　he　seemed　himself

to　become　a　part　of　the　mysterious　night。　　He　was　becoming　as

pulseless；　as　calm；　as　passionless。



What　was　that？　　A　shot　in　the　direction　of　the　cabin！　yet　so　faint；

so　echoless；　so　ineffective　in　the　vast　silence；　that　he　would　have

thought　it　his　fancy　but　for　the　strange　instinctive　jar　upon　his

sensitive　nerves。　　Was　it　an　accident；　or　was　it　an　intentional

signal　to　him？　　He　stopped；　it　was　not　repeated；　the　silence

reasserted　itself；　but　this　time　with　an　ominous　death…like

suggestion。　　A　sudden　and　terrible　thought　crossed　his　mind。　　He

cast　aside　his　pack　and　all　encumbering　weight；　took　a　deep　breath；

lowered　his　head　and　darted　like　a　deer　in　the　direction　of　the

challenge。





CHAPTER　II





The　exodus　of　the　seceding　partners　of　the　Lone　Star　claim　had　been

scarcely　an　imposing　one。　　For　the　first　five　minutes　after

quitting　the　cabin；　the　procession　was　straggling　and　vagabond。

Unwonted　exertion　had　exaggerated　the　lameness　of　some；　and

feebleness　of　moral　purpose　had　predisposed　the　others　to　obtrusive

musical　exhibition。　　Union　Mills　limped　and　whistled　with　affected

abstraction；　the　Judge　whistled　and　limped　with　affected

earnestness。　　The　Right　Bower　led　the　way　with　some　show　of

definite　design；　the　Left　Bower　followed　with　his　hands　in　his

pockets。　　The　two　feebler　natures；　drawn　together　in　unconscious

sympathy；　looked　vaguely　at　each　other　for　support。



〃You　see；〃　said　the　Judge；　suddenly；　as　if　triumphantly　concluding

an　argument；　〃there　ain't　anything　better　for　a　young　fellow　than

independence。　　Nature；　so　to　speak；　points　the　way。　　Look　at　the

animals。〃



〃There's　a　skunk　hereabouts；〃　said　Union　Mills；　who　was　supposed　to

be　gifted　with　aristocratically　sensitive　nostrils；　〃within　ten

miles　of　this　place；　like　as　not　crossing　the　Ridge。　　It's　always

my　luck　to　happen　out　just　at　such　times。　　I　don't　see　the

necessity　anyhow　of　trapesing　round　the　claim　now；　if　we　calculate

to　leave　it　to…night。〃



Both　men　waited　to　observe　if　the　suggestion　was　taken　up　by　the

Right　and　Left　Bower　moodily　plodding　ahead。　　No　response

following；　the　Judge　shamelessly　abandoned　his　companion。



〃You　wouldn't　stand　snoopin'　round　instead　of　lettin'　the　Old　Man

get　used　to　the　idea　alone？　　No；　I　could　see　all　along　that　he　was

takin'　it　in；　takin'　it　in；　kindly　but　slowly；　and　I　reckoned　the

best　thing　for　us　to　do　was　to　git　up　and　git　until　he'd　got　round

it。〃　　The　Judge's　voice　was　slightly　raised　for　the　benefit　of　the

two　before　him。



〃Didn't　he　say；〃　remarked　the　Right　Bower；　stopping　suddenly　and

facing　the　others；　〃didn't　he　say　that　that　new　trader　was　goin'　to

let　him　have　some　provisions　anyway？〃



Union　Mills　turned　appealingly　to　the　Judge；　that　gentleman　was

forced　to　reply；　〃Yes；　I　remember　distinctly　he　said　it。