found at blazing star-第9章

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He　would　have　given　worlds　to　leave　her　at　that　moment。　　He　would

have　jumped　from　the　starting　coach　to　save　himself　any　explanation

of　the　embarrassment　he　was　furiously　conscious　of　showing；

without；　as　he　believed；　any　adequate　cause。　　And　yet；　like　all

inexperienced；　sensitive　men；　he　dashed　blindly　into　that

explanation；　worse；　he　even　told　his　secret　at　once；　then　and

there；　and　then　sat　abashed　and　conscience　stricken；　with　an　added

sense　of　its　utter　futility。



〃And　this；〃　summed　up　the　young　girl；　with　a　slight　shrug　of　her

pretty　shoulders；　〃is　YOUR　MAY？〃



Cass　would　have　recommenced　his　story。



〃No；　don't；　pray！　　It　isn't　interesting；　nor　original。　　Do　YOU

believe　it？〃



〃I　do；〃　said　Cass；　indignantly。



〃How　lucky！　　Then　let　me　go　to　sleep。〃



Cass；　still　furious；　but　uneasy；　did　not　again　address　her。　　When

the　coach　stopped　at　Blazing　Star　she　asked　him；　indifferently：

〃When　does　this　sentimental　pilgrimage　begin？〃



〃I　return　for　her　at　one　o'clock；〃　replied　Cass；　stiffly。



He　kept　his　word。　　He　appeased　his　eager　companions　with　a　promise

of　future　fortune；　and　exhibited　the　present　and　tangible　reward。

By　a　circuitous　route　known　only　to　himself；　he　led　Miss　Mortimer

to　the　road　before　the　cabin。　　There　was　a　pink　flush　of　excitement

on　her　somewhat　faded　cheek。



〃And　it　was　here？〃　she　asked；　eagerly。



〃I　found　it　here。〃



〃And　the　body？〃



〃That　was　afterward。　　Over　in　that　direction；　beyond　the　clump　of

buckeyes；　on　the　Red　Chief　turnpike。〃



〃And　any　one　coming　from　the　road　we　left　just　now　and　going　to

tothat　place；　would　have　to　cross　just　here？　　Tell　me；〃　she　said；

with　a　strange　laugh；　laying　her　cold　nervous　hand　on　his；

〃wouldn't　they？〃



〃They　would。〃



〃Let　us　go　to　that　place。〃



Cass　stepped　out　briskly　to　avoid　observation　and　gain　the　woods

beyond　the　highway。　　〃You　have　crossed　here　before；〃　she　said。

〃There　seems　to　be　a　trail。〃



〃I　may　have　made　it：　it's　a　short　cut　to　the　buckeyes。〃



〃You　never　found　anything　else　on　the　trail？〃



〃You　remember；　I　told　you　before；　the　ring　was　all　I　found。〃



〃Ah；　true！〃　she　smiled　sweetly；　〃it　was　THAT　which　made　it　seem　so

odd　to　you。　　I　forgot。〃



In　half　an　hour　they　reached　the　buckeyes。　　During　the　walk　she　had

taken　rapid　recognizance　of　everything　in　her　path。　　When　they

crossed　the　road　and　Cass　had　pointed　out　the　scene　of　the　murder；

she　looked　anxiously　around。　　〃You　are　sure　we　are　not　seen？〃



〃Quite。〃



〃You　will　not　think　me　foolish　if　I　ask　you　to　wait　here　while　I　go

in　there〃she　pointed　to　the　ominous　thicket　near　them〃alone？〃



She　was　quite　white。



Cass's　heart；　which　had　grown　somewhat　cold　since　his　interview

with　Miss　Porter；　melted　at　once。



〃Go；　I　will　stay　here。〃



He　waited　five　minutes。　　She　did　not　return。



What　if　the　poor　creature　had　determined　upon　suicide　on　the　spot

where　her　faithless　lover　had　fallen？　　He　was　reassured　in　another

moment　by　the　rustle　of　skirts　in　the　undergrowth。



〃I　was　becoming　quite　alarmed；〃　he　said；　aloud。



〃You　have　reason　to　be；〃　returned　a　hurried　voice。　　He　started。　　It

was　Miss　Porter；　who　stepped　swiftly　out　of　the　cover。　　〃Look；〃　she

said；　〃look　at　that　man　down　the　road。　　He　has　been　tracking　you

two　ever　since　you　left　the　cabin。　　Do　you　know　who　he　is？〃



〃No！〃



〃Then　listen。　　It　is　three…fingered　Dick；　one　of　the　escaped　road

agents。　　I　know　him！〃



〃Let　us　go　and　warn　her；〃　said　Cass；　eagerly。



Miss　Porter　laid　her　hand　upon　his　shoulder。



〃I　don't　think　she'll　thank　you；〃　she　said；　dryly。　　〃Perhaps　you'd

better　see　what　she's　doing；　first。〃



Utterly　bewildered；　yet　with　a　strong　sense　of　the　masterfulness　of

his　companion；　he　followed　her。　　She　crept　like　a　cat　through　the

thicket。　　Suddenly　she　paused。　　〃Look！〃　she　whispered；　viciously；

〃look　at　the　tender　vigils　of　your　heart…broken　May！〃



Cass　saw　the　woman　who　had　left　him　a　moment　before　on　her　knees　on

the　grass；　with　long　thin　fingers　digging　like　a　ghoul　in　the

earth。　　He　had　scarce　time　to　notice　her　eager　face　and　eyes；　cast

now　and　then　back　toward　the　spot　where　she　had　left　him；　before

there　was　a　crash　in　the　bushes；　and　a　man；the　stranger　of　the

road；leaped　to　her　side。　　〃Run；〃　he　said；　〃run　for　it　now。

You're　watched！〃



〃Oh！　that　man；　Beard！〃　she　said；　contemptuously。



〃No；　another　in　a　wagon。　　Quick。　　Fool；　you　know　the　place　now；

you　can　come　later；　run！〃　　And　half…dragging；　half…lifting　her；　he

bore　her　through　the　bushes。　　Scarcely　had　they　closed　behind　the

pair　than　Miss　Porter　ran　to　the　spot　vacated　by　the　woman。

〃Look！〃　she　cried；　triumphantly；　〃look！〃



Cass　looked；　and　sank　on　his　knees　beside　her。



〃It　WAS　worth　a　thousand　dollars；　wasn't　it？〃　she　repeated；

maliciously；　〃wasn't　it？　　But　you　ought　to　return　it！　　REALLY　you

ought。〃



Cass　could　scarcely　articulate。　　〃But　how　did　YOU　know　it？〃　he

finally　gasped。



〃Oh；　I　suspected　something；　there　was　a　woman；　and　you　know　you're

SUCH　a　fool！〃



Cass　rose；　stiffly。



〃Don't　be　a　greater　fool　now；　but　go　and　bring　my　horse　and　wagon

from　the　hill；　and　don't　say　anything　to　the　driver。〃



〃Then　you　did　not　come　alone？〃



〃No；　it　would　have　been　bold　and　improper。〃



〃Please！〃



〃And　to　think　it　WAS　the　ring；　after　all；　that　pointed　to　this；〃

she　said。



〃The　ring　that　YOU　returned　to　me。〃



〃What　did　you　say？〃



〃Nothing。〃



〃Don't；　please；　the　wagon　is　coming。〃



　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



In　the　next　morning's　edition　of　the　〃Red　Chief　Chronicle〃　appeared

the　following　startling　intelligence：





EXTRAORDINARY　DISCOVERY



FINDING　OF　THE　STOLEN　TREASURE　OF　WELLS；　FARGO　&　CO。　　OVER　800；000

RECOVERED



Our　readers　will　remember　the　notorious　robbery　of　Wells；　Fargo　&

Co。's　treasure　from　the　Sacramento　and　Red　Chief　Pioneer　Coach　on

the　night　of　September　1。　　Although　most　of　the　gang　were　arrested；

it　is　known　that　two　escaped；　who；　it　was　presumed；　cached　the

treasure；　amounting　to　nearly　500；000　in　gold；　drafts；　and

jewelry；　as　no　trace　of　the　property　was　found。　　Yesterday　our

esteemed　fellow　citizen；　Mr。　Cass　Beard；　long　and　favorably　known

in　this　county；　succeeded　in　exhuming　the　treasure　in　a　copse　of

hazel　near　the　Red　Chief　turnpike；adjacent　to　the　spot　where　an

unknown　body　was　lately　discovered。　　This　body　is　now　strongly

suspected　to　be　that　of　one　Henry　Cass；　a　disreputable　character；

who　has　since　been　ascertained　to　have　been　one　of　the　road　agents

who　escaped。　　The　matter　is　now　under　legal　investigation。　　The

successful　result　of　the　search　is　due　to　a　systematic　plan　evolved

from　the　genius　of　Mr。　Beard；　who　has　devoted　over　a　year　to　this

labor。　　It　was　first　suggested　to　him　by　the　finding　of　a　ring；　now

definitely　identified　as　part　of　the　treasure　which　was　supposed　to

have　been　dropped　from　Wells；　Fargo　&　Co's　boxes　by　the　robbers　in

their　midnight　flight　through　Blazing　Star。





In　the　same　journal　appeared　the　no　less　important　intelligence；

which　explains；　while　it　completes　this　veracious　chronicle：



〃It　is　rumored　that　a　marriage　is　shortly　to　take　place　between　the

hero　of　the　late　treasure　discovery　and　a　young　lady　of　Red　Chief；

whose　devoted　aid　and　assistance　to　this　important　work　is　well

known　to　this　community。〃











End