Part 13 (2/2)
”I'm not so sure He doesn't know you as Lee and Poleon and your father do I think we had better say nothing at all about--you and irl, stopping abruptly ”They will know it, anyhohen they see us I can't conceal it”
”I am wiser in this than you are,” the soldier insisted, ”and we mustn't act like lovers; trust this to me”
”Oh, I won't play that!” cried Necia, petulantly ”If all this is going to end e get to Lee's cabin, we'll stay right here forever”
He was not sure of all the logic he advanced in convincing her, but she yielded finally, saying:
”Well, I suppose you know best, and, anyhow, littles should alwaysto the divide for several hours, then descended into the bed of a streaer one a couple offirs, they found Lee's cabin nestling in a narrow, forked valley Evidently the miner had selected a point on the main creek just below the confluence of the feeders as a place in which to prospect, and Burrell fell to wondering which one of these sold
”There's no one here,” said Necia, gleefully ”We've beat the rapidly since dawn, and, although Burrell's watch shoo o'clock, she refused to halt for lunch, declaring that the others ht arrive at any moment; so down they went to the lower end of ”No Creek” Lee's location, where Burrell blazed a smooth spot on the down-stream side of a tree and wrote thereon at Necia's dictation When he had finished, she signed her name, and he witnessed it, then paced off four hundred and forty steps, where he squared a spruce-tree, which she marked: ”Lower centre end stake of No I below discovery Necia Gale, locator” She was vastly excited and i the clailades with resounding echoes and dancing about in the bright sunlight that filtered through the branches
”Now you stake the one below ood, and maybe better--nobody can tell” But he shook his head
”I',” said he
”Youfroht you”
”I merely said I would come with you,” he corrected ”I did not proht to do so If I were a civilian, it would be different, but this is governovernment, as it were Then, too, in addition to the question ofenemies of your people, old ”No Creek” and the rest, and I can't afford that now With you it is different, for you are entitled to this ground After Lee's friends have shared in his discovery Iwere in vain; he re two other claims for herself, one on each of the sether above the house
”But nobody ever stakes irl ”It's a custom of the miners”
”Then we'll call each one of these branches a different and separate creek,” he said ”The gold was carried down one of those smaller streams, and on't take any chances on which one it was When a fellow plays a big gareat deal to you, on't overlook any bets”
Necia consented, and when her three claims had been properly located the couple returned to the cabin to get lunch and to aith soood or ill it
CHAPTER VII
THE MAGIC OF BEN STARK
Before the party caht, the sound of their voices reached the cabin, and Burrell rose nervously and sauntered to the door Uncertain how this affair et first look at his enee that goes to a man who stands squarely on both feet
The trail cah the brush at the rear, and he heard Lee say: