The Argosy, Vol. 76, No. 3 — page 75: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

GOLD GRABBERS. He looked at O’Hara and his lips framed a silent word. Ransom nodded to O’Hara, then went to Bremerton, took the hastily scrawled transcript and read it over while the flute’s music once more throbbed through the room. Over and over, while the tide ebbed, O’Hara breathed the Intermezzo into the dead wood and warmed it into life. The doctor, watching Carruthers, final- ly went to the bedside and bent down to touch his wrist. “ That will be all,” said the doctor to O’Hara; “he’s past hearing you.” The sheriff had cracked the shell of a trgaiblesome mystery. His profes- sional satisfaction was jarred, a bit in-' congruously, by a sentiment perfectly human and somewhat awkward. “That’s the way I’d like to go out myself, when I have to,” he murmured. “We've got a melodeon to home. Give me the name of that piece, O'Hara, sO I can have my daughter learn it.” O’Hara, with pity im his pale eyes, stood looking down at Carruthers. “Faith,” said he, ‘“ there’s good in the worst of us and bad in the best of us, and there’s some hope for the man who goes beyond with the love o’ music in his soul.” | He laid the hands on the breast and gently drew the blanket over the face. “We're but cogs in the wheel, any- way, he added, “and the machine keeps running even if a cog here and there is not what it ought to be.” “ Come out in the other room, all of you,’ requested the sheriff, “ while I read what Bremerton took down. It’s fresh in your minds, you know, and I want you to sign as witnesses.” They grouped about Ransom in the office and listened while he read. After that each set his hand to the document. “Here’s a black spot cleared up,” went on Ransom. “ Beats all I never thought of Carruthers in this matter of Griggsby. But that’s the way. The plain truth is so plain, sometimes, we’re apt to dodge it.” He turned to Bremerton. ‘“ Thanks to you, Bremerton, from this on Deane 545 will have clear sailing. Do you know, I’m blamed glad of one thing.” “What's that?” mquired Bremer- ton. “Why, that the Mallorys had no hand m the lawlessness out here. There was a spell when it looked dark for them. No objection to having— that ”’—he nodded toward the bedroom —“here until I can get the underta- kers out?” “ Certainly not.” “ Then suppose we hike, Morton?” ~* Pil be ready in a minute, Ransom,” said the doctor. He went to the end of the pipe- ine and washed his hands. When he had returned to the office and slipped into his coat, the sheriff had the machine ready. Bremerton, meanwhile, had picked up a pad of telegraph blanks and ‘written the following: S1LAs Deane, Denver. | Have cleaned up on the other crowd and located bonanza vein on Mariquita property. Important you come on at once. Notify and will meet you Phoe- nix. : BREMERTON. He went out of the office and handed the message to the sheriff. ‘“* Send that for me, will you, Ran- som?” he asked. “ Let it go collect.” “Glad to oblige,” “said the sheriff. “Will get it on the wires as soonaas I hit town.” Bremerton and O’Hara watched the car vanish over the rise in the trail; and then the Irishman, after a long look at his friend, turned on his heel and moved off toward the mill. The news spread through the camp that Carruthers, the man who had lo- cated the mine and added to his hold- ings until they embraced the whole valley and the neighboring hills, had gone his way and was lying in the headquarters. adobe. When the day men came’ off duty and the night men went on, all eyes sought the little office building, awed and curious. The same eyes presently shifted to Bremerton and paid him a COMicdoo S CO@