Chapter VIII (1)

At the threshold of the library Miss Herrick paused. "I cannot go into that room, Elizabeth," she said. "How cruel you are to subject me to this again! Bring the boy to me here, if you are speaking the truth and he is really in the house."

Elizabeth found her brother at the top of the stairs.

"Come down," she said. "Aunt Caroline wants you."

Without a word he brushed past her and went to the library. He was too angry to speak. Miss Herrick had seated herself in a high-backed chair, which had the appearance of being a throne of justice, while she herself looked sufficiently stern and forbidding to cause the stoutest heart to quail. Neither she nor her sister gave Valentine the slightest sign of greeting. The boy might have been an absolute stranger to them.

Miss Herrick motioned to her niece to come to her side, but Elizabeth did not heed her. She had followed Valentine into the room, and she now stood beside him.

"What have you to say for yourself?" asked their aunt, after a pause which to the two culprits seemed hours long.

"Nothing," said Valentine.

"You mean that you have no excuse to offer?"

There was no answer.

"Unless you explain fully why you are here and why you crept into the house in this underhand manner, I will telegraph at once to your uncle and aunt. Perhaps they will be able to account for your conduct."

"They don't know anything about it," Val blurted out at last.

"I thought not; but for all that I shall send for them to come. Their nephew needs looking after, and they should know it."

"This is your fault," cried Valentine, turning upon Elizabeth. "All would have gone right if you had not been a traitor. I could have gone off to-morrow morning, and no one would have known anything. Now the 'Q. R. K.' is done for as far as I am concerned, and I am in this scrape besides."

"Elizabeth did quite the proper thing," said Miss Herrick, "and now I wish you to explain yourself. I give you five minutes. At the end of that time, if you have not begun to explain, I will telegraph to your uncle." She glanced at the clock as she spoke.

"Oh, I suppose there is no help for it," said Valentine. "I've got to tell you! The 'Q. R. K.' is a secret society at our school, and you have to be initiated. I have been wanting to belong for ever so long, and this year I was elected. I had been telling the fellows about this house, and the queer room no one ever goes into, and how Elizabeth had the Brady girls there once, and they said that part of my initiation would be to come on here without any one knowing it, and spend the night in that room, and get back again the next day. They knew I couldn't do it, but if I did they would put me on the executive committee, and that is a big honor for a new member. Of course I thought it would be a lark to do it, and I was sure I could manage it. Aunt Helen thinks I am spending the night with one of the fellows. It would have been all right if Elizabeth hadn't gone back on me. I was to take back a statement from her that no one had seen me."

The Misses Herrick looked at him in amazement. "Do you mean to say that such things are customary among school-boys?" asked Miss Rebecca.

"I don't know," returned Valentine, sullenly. "I am only telling you about our club."

"Do you think, Valentine, that it was the proper thing for you to do, after you had been a guest in this house and had profited by our hospitality, to return to your home and gossip of our private affairs? Of that--that room? And we your own aunts, your father's sisters?"

It was Miss Herrick who asked these questions.

"No," said the boy, "I don't suppose it was. But I didn't gossip; only girls do that. One day when we were all telling queer stories, I told this. I never thought at the time, and afterwards when they were planning my initiation rites one of the fellows remembered it. That is all."

"And quite enough. As that room is connected with the greatest sorrow of my life, you have hurt me more than you can ever realize. You are cruel."

"Don't say that to Val," said Elizabeth. "After all, Aunt Caroline, it was really my fault that he got in there. He never would have known anything about it last year if I had not told him and taken him there, and I ought not to have let him in this time. I was the one who went to your desk and got the key and opened the door. He didn't do one of those things. And you would never have known about it if I had not told. I think I am the one to be scolded, Aunt Caroline--really, I do."

"You certainly are very much to blame, Elizabeth. I shall punish you by withdrawing my consent to your taking drawing-lessons. I had supposed that you had outgrown your prying, curious ways. I see that you are no more worthy of trust than you used to be."

Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears and her lip trembled. It had been so hard for her to determine to betray Valentine, and now they were all against her. He, especially. But the boy, after a long pause, suddenly spoke:

"Look here, Aunt Caroline! I think you are mighty hard on Elizabeth. I am as mad as I can be at her for peaching, and I sha'n't forgive her in a hurry, but you have no right to blame her such a lot. I took her by surprise, in the first place, and I made her go and get the key and open the door. Of course she ought not to have told after that was all done, but still it wasn't her fault that I got in there."

It cost Valentine some effort to say this. It was by no means an easy matter for him to shoulder the blame, but, as he said afterwards, he could not stand there and hear his aunt pitching into little Elizabeth, who had been so ready to make excuses for him. He was rewarded by Elizabeth's grateful look, which he pretended not to see; and when she stole her hand into his and squeezed it, he impatiently shook her off.

Valentine departed in disgrace the following day, and the letter which Miss Herrick wrote to his uncle bore such results that he concluded that it would be wiser in future to avoid any such initiation rites as those which had just been attempted.

Elizabeth went to school as usual, but it was with so sad a heart that even her friend Patsy could not succeed in cheering her. A note was sent to Mrs. Arnold, which told her that Miss Herrick's niece was not to take drawing lessons, so that delightful prospect faded away into thin air, much to the little girl's disappointment.

And the room was closed again, and life in the old Herrick house went on about as usual, until an event came to pass by which it was again startled out of its accustomed calm, and which brought a great change into Elizabeth's existence.

For some weeks Patsy Loring had been planning to give a party. It was to be on her birthday, which fell on the first day of December. Elizabeth had never been to a party in her life, and the thought of going to one, and to one so delightful as Patsy Loring's was sure to be, served to keep her awake at night and to absorb her mind by day. And then a present was to be bought, and although her aunts took little interest in the all-important subject, Elizabeth was allowed to go to Chestnut Street under the care of the maid, and after much hesitation and the visiting of many shops, a beautiful silver pencil was selected for Patsy to use in school.

Twenty times a day did Elizabeth gaze upon it as it lay on green cotton in a pink box, and at last it was tied up in tissue-paper with a colored ribbon, and carried to Patsy's house, for the hour for the party had arrived.

Elizabeth Herrick had grown to be quite a tall girl, and in many respects she seemed much older than her thirteen years, while in others she was a mere child.

Her beautiful hair still hung in a shining mass over her shoulders, and she was simply dressed in a white frock with a broad blue sash about her waist. Her aunt believed in "dressing children as children," so that she seemed almost out of place among the very young-ladyfied girls who assembled at Mis. Loring's on this birthday afternoon.

After supper--for it was a tea party--Patsy's sister took her seat at the piano, and they all danced. All except Elizabeth. The mere idea of being asked to dance so terrified her that she fled up stairs to the little sitting-room, determined to stay there until the evening had worn away and some one should come to take her home.

She was overcome with disappointment. Even the pencil had not been the success that she had anticipated, for all the girls had brought presents to Patsy, and among them had been a pencil which she very much feared her friend might admire more than the one she had given, although Patsy had thrown her arms about Elizabeth's neck and declared hers to be the sweetest in the world.

"There are so many disappointing things," thought Elizabeth, at the age of the thirteen. "I wonder, if my father were to come home I should be disappointed about him!"

In the sitting-room she found a lady, who sat by the table, reading the evening paper. Elizabeth did not see at first who it was, for her face was hidden, but the lady looked up presently, and, to her surprise, it proved to be Mrs. Brown, who gave drawing and painting lessons at the school.

She was a very beautiful woman, and Elizabeth had always admired her in secret, and had longed more than ever to be allowed to take lessons of her. They had never exchanged a word, however, for Mrs. Brown was at the school merely during the hours of her lessons, and knew only those girls who were in her classes, but she recognized Elizabeth's face to-night, and smiled kindly at the little girl when she saw her.

"You are one of Miss Garner's pupils, are you not?" she said, with the lovely light in her eyes that won the heart of every girl to whom she spoke. "I think I have seen you there, although you are not in my class."

"No," said Elizabeth, "I am not in your class, though I do wish I could be. I love drawing."

"Perhaps another year you may be allowed to study."

"I am afraid not," replied Elizabeth, sadly; "my aunt does not approve of my learning it. I don't know why. She said once that I might, but I was dreadfully bad--so naughty that she had to punish me by not letting me learn to draw and paint, and I do love it so!"

"I am sorry," said Mrs. Brown; "but you do not look as if you could be dreadfully bad."

"Oh, but I am!" replied the little girl, earnestly. "I am terribly curious, for one thing, but I don't think I should be if there were not so many mysteries in our house. Don't you hate mysteries?"

"They are not agreeable things, certainly. Tell me what your name is. I feel sure we shall be friends, and you remind me of some one whom I used to know."

"Oh, do you think so?" cried Elizabeth, going to her side. "I do love friends, and this is the first year I ever had any. My name is Elizabeth Herrick."

"Elizabeth Herrick!" repeated Mrs. Brown, in a low, startled voice. "Where--where do you live?"

"I live in Fourth Street. With my two aunts. What is the matter, Mrs. Brown? Don't you feel well?"

"Yes, dear. It was only a momentary shock. I--I sometimes have them. You live with your aunts, you say? How many aunts have you?"

"Two--Aunt Caroline and Aunt Rebecca."

"And did you never have any other?"

"No, not here in Philadelphia. There was never any one else in our family but my father."

"So they have not told her!" murmured Mrs. Brown, but so low that Elizabeth could not quite catch the words. Then with an effort she continued, "And your father! Where is he?"

"He is abroad. He has never lived at home since my mother died, and that was when I was a baby, so I have never seen him."

"Ah, poor Edward!" said Mrs. Brown.

"Why, Mrs. Brown, do you know him? That is exactly what Aunt Caroline always calls him. Do you know my father?"

"What did I say?" exclaimed Mrs. Brown, hurriedly. "I must have been thinking of--at least, I used to know your father, it is true. But don't ask me any more, my child; and perhaps it would be as well not to mention to your aunts that--that you have seen me."

"Another mystery!" cried Elizabeth. "Oh, dear me, I do hate them!"

"My child," said Mrs. Brown, taking the little girl's hands in her own and looking tenderly into the great brown eyes, "I do not ask you to hide anything on my account. Say just what you think best. And I hope I shall see more of you, Elizabeth. Perhaps some day you can come to see me with Patsy. My home is in the country, and I am merely spending the night with Mrs. Loring, who is an old friend whom I have not seen in some years. She only discovered to-day that I was at the school, and she begged me to stay with her to-night. I am sitting here waiting for her to come to me. And now I want you to kiss me, Elizabeth, for already I love you dearly."

Elizabeth threw her arms about her new friend.

"You are the most beautiful lady in the world," she whispered. "And I wish you were my mother or my aunt."

They were interrupted by a maid who came to say that the carriage had been sent for Miss Elizabeth Herrick, and that she must hurry. Her aunts wanted her at once.

"I wonder why," said Elizabeth, discontentedly, as she glanced at the clock. "Aunt Caroline told me I could stay until nine o'clock, and it is only eight now. And I was just beginning to enjoy the party."

"Never mind, dear," said Mrs. Brown; "it is very nice that you happened to come up here and find me, and I shall look forward to seeing you again soon. Perhaps after a time you may be allowed to take drawing-lessons. I am so glad you love it, Elizabeth"--kissing her again--"and I am more glad still that you like me even a tiny bit!"

"Like you!" cried Elizabeth. "I love you. I adore you!"

And then she ran to put on her coat and hat, for her aunt's message had been imperative, and she dared not linger.

She was driven quickly home, and when the door was opened for her the man told her that her aunts were in the library and wished to see her at once. Wondering, she ran up stairs, and, drawing aside the portière, she entered the room. It was more brightly lighted than usual, and her eyes fell upon a group of people who were sitting at the farther end of it, beyond the big library table.

Her two aunts were there, and a gentleman whose back was turned to her. A strange feeling came over Elizabeth. Who was this gentleman? Why had they sent for her? Was the longing of years to be fulfilled at last?

They did not see her at first, not until she had slowly advanced and was very near them. Then Miss Herrick discovered her.

"Oh," she exclaimed, "you are here! Edward, this is Elizabeth."

The gentleman turned quickly and rose to his feet. "So this is Elizabeth!" he repeated. "My child, do you know who I am?"

"Yes!" she cried, with a sob in her voice, "you are my father, at last, at last!"

* * * * *

It was half an hour later, and Elizabeth was even yet unable to realize that her father was actually here, in the same room with her, touching her, stroking her hair. She had drawn a footstool to the side of his chair, and sat holding his hand in both of hers, and looking up into his face.

He seemed older than she had thought, for the photograph of him that she had was taken long ago when he was first married. His eyes were sad now, and his hair and mustache were quite gray, while his face was browned with exposure to the sun, for he had travelled widely.

"And so you are glad to see me, Elizabeth?" he said.

"Glad? Why, you are my father!"

And the look in Elizabeth's eyes and the tone of her voice showed that these words conveyed all that could be said.

"Poor little girl, I have neglected you."

"Elizabeth can scarcely be said to have been neglected," put in Miss Herrick, somewhat stiffly.

"Oh no, Aunt Caroline, you have been very good to take care of me so long, and I have given you so much trouble; but you are not my father, and I have wanted him so much."

"And what do you think was the means of bringing me home at last, Elizabeth?"

"I don't know, father."

Mr. Herrick released her hand for a moment, and took from his pocket a leather case. Carefully put away in the innermost compartment was a letter. The envelope was covered with postmarks, and it had the appearance of having journeyed to many places.

"Do you remember this letter that you wrote me more than a year ago?" he asked. "It reached me only the day before I sailed, and until it came, Elizabeth, I had no intention of sailing for many years to come. It has followed me about from place to place, and has been mislaid and sent astray, until at last it found me. When I read it, Elizabeth, I believe I realized for the first time that I had a daughter, and that I ought to come home to her."

"Oh, father! did that letter really bring you at last? I knew it would, for it is what I have prayed for every night and morning ever since I wrote it; but you were so long in coming that I had almost begun to give up hoping."

"May I see the letter?" asked Miss Herrick.

"No," said her brother. "I don't think any one shall ever read this letter but my daughter and myself." Which made Elizabeth sigh with satisfaction.

There was a short pause, and then she summoned courage to ask a question--one of the utmost importance, and the asking of which cost her a great effort. She rose from her stool and stood in front of her father, her hands clasped behind her and tightly locked.

"Father," she said, timidly.

"What is it, my darling?"

"I want you to look at me very, very hard. Do you think--you--can--bear the sight of me?"

"My child, what on earth do you mean? You are the most beautiful sight in the world to me."

He put his arms around her and drew her down to his knee. Elizabeth hid her face on his shoulder and cried with relief.

It was indeed a happy Elizabeth who went to bed that night, and the next morning when she awoke and remembered that her father was actually in the house, she was obliged to pinch herself to make sure that it was not all a dream.

When she went down to breakfast there he was, waiting to kiss her for good-morning, and Elizabeth felt that she was at last like other girls with a father to love her, and she should soon have a brother also, for Valentine had already been sent for, and would hereafter make his home with them in the house which their father intended to buy.

Elizabeth rather dreaded Val's coming, for she feared that he had not yet forgiven her for telling their aunt of his previous visit; but when he arrived, a few days later, she found that he was ready to acknowledge that his sister had done right, and that it was he who had been in the wrong.

The morning after Mr. Herrick's return the father and daughter had a long conversation, and Elizabeth was able to ask him about the subjects which most interested her. One question related to her drawing-lessons, which her father readily promised that she should take. The other was in regard to the mystery of the locked door.

"It was your aunt's room, my child," said Mr. Herrick.

"But which aunt, father--Aunt Caroline or Aunt Rebecca?"

"Your aunt Mildred."

"But who was she? I never heard of her."

"You have never heard of your aunt Mildred? Is it possible?"

And then he told her of his beautiful younger sister who, years before, when she was but twenty, had left home to become a trained nurse in a hospital. Miss Herrick, who was devotedly fond of her, and who had expected her to make a brilliant marriage, had bitterly opposed this course.

"They were equally obstinate," said Mr. Herrick, "and neither one would give up. It was not that it was a disgraceful thing for Mildred to do--far from it. She had a longing to do some good in the world, and it suited her fancy to try to do it in that way. In a year or two she would probably have come back. But Caroline told her she must make her choice then and there--if she left her it was to be forever; and Mildred chose to go. Your aunt Caroline never forgave her for this, and her room has been closed and padlocked ever since, and her name is never mentioned. It is a sad story, Elizabeth, and I think your aunt has made a mistake; but it is not for me to judge her, I who have neglected my children all these years. We Herricks are all more or less peculiar."

Elizabeth told her father of the letters in the closed room, and from one of them Mr. Herrick learned that his sister had married an artist by the name of Brown. A second letter told that he had died within a year of their marriage, that her money was almost gone, and that she was now obliged to support herself.

Mr. Herrick reproached his sister Caroline for not having forwarded these letters to him, and although Miss Herrick tried to defend herself, she knew in her heart that she had done very wrong, and she longed to make amends to the Mildred whom she had once loved so dearly. But she gave no outward sign of this change of feeling.

Mr. Herrick determined to lose no further time in looking for Mildred, but he wished, first of all, to settle Elizabeth comfortably at school in regard to her drawing-lessons, which seemed to be so near her heart. That very morning, therefore, he went with her to Mrs. Arnold's, and asked to see the teacher of drawing and painting. Mrs. Arnold left the room to send her to the parlor, and the father and daughter were left alone together.

Presently there was a faint sound on the stairs, a rustle in the hall. The door was opened and Mrs. Brown came in. Mr. Herrick, attracted by the slight sound of her entrance, turned, and their eyes met. For a moment he was speechless, and there was a silence in the room.

"Mildred!" he said, starting forward, "have I found you here?"

"Edward, at last you have come!"

The three returned to Fourth Street together, and Mr. Herrick and his sister waited in the parlor while Elizabeth went to her aunts. She found them in the library.

"Aunt Caroline," said she, standing in front of her, "whom do you love best in the world?"

Her aunt looked at her for a moment without speaking. Then she said, "You, Elizabeth, I think."

"No, there is some one else. Some one you used to love and who loved you, and she is here now, in this very house. Come, Aunt Caroline and Aunt Rebecca, come down and see her."

And she took the hand of each.

And so it was Elizabeth who in the end brought them together. It was she who unlocked the door.

THE END.

THE VOYAGE OF THE "RATTLETRAP."

BY HAYDEN CARRUTH.

XI.

"You're a miserable, sneaking, treacherous old equine scoundrel!" cried Jack, shaking his fist violently at Old Blacky. "You knew you were making us come the wrong road."

Old Blacky answered never a word, but turned, hit the wagon tongue a kick, and joined the other horses.

"Well, close down the front and let's talk this thing over," said Jack. "In the first place, we are snowed in."

"In the second place," said I, "we may stay snowed in a week."

"I don't think we're prepared for _that_," said Ollie, very solemnly.

"Let's see," went on Jack. "There are two sacks of ground feed under Ollie's bed. By putting the horses on rather short rations, that ought to last pretty nearly or quite a week. But for hay we're not so well provided. There's one big bundle under the wagon, if Blacky hasn't eaten it up. The pony won't need any, because she knows how to paw down to the dry grass. The others don't know how to do this, and the hay will last them, after a fashion, for about three days."

"Perhaps by that time the pony will have taught them how to paw," I said.

"Wouldn't be surprised," returned Jack. "Perhaps by that time we'll all be glad to learn from her. We've got flour enough to last a fortnight, so we needn't be afraid of running out of water pancakes at least. You don't grow fat on 'em, but, on the other hand, there is no gout lurking in a water pancake as I make it."

"No, Jack, that's so," I said, feelingly.

"We've got enough bacon for several meals, a can of chicken, and two cans of beans. Also a loaf of bread and a pound of crackers. Then there's three cans of fruit, a dozen potatoes, six eggs, a quart of milk, and half a pound of pressed figs. After that we'll paw with the pony."

"I wonder if we couldn't get some game?" inquired Ollie.

"Snow-birds, maybe," said Jack. "Or perhaps an owl. I've heard b'iled owl spoken of."

After all, the prospect was not so bad. Besides, it was so early in the season that it did not seem at all likely that we would be snow-bound a week. Still, we knew little about the mountain climate.

We got on our overcoats and went out and gave the horses their breakfast. Old Blacky was still cross, but Jack contented himself by calling him a few names. We also got up what wood we could and piled it against the wagon, for use in case our kerosene became exhausted, though we decided to cook in the wagon for the present. The snow was seven or eight inches deep, and still falling rapidly. After breakfast we took the pony down to a little open flat and turned her loose. The old instinct of her wild days came back to her, and she began to paw away the snow and gnaw at the scanty grass beneath.

"Perhaps," I said, "she can be induced to paw for the others."

After giving the other horses a little hay, we returned to the wagon, where we staid most of the day. I'm afraid we were a little frightened by the prospect. Of course, we knew that if it came to the worst we could leave the wagon and make our way back along the trail on foot, but we did not want to do that. But as for getting the wagon back along the narrow road, now blotted out by the snow, we knew it would be foolish to attempt it. It was not very cold in the wagon, and Jack played the banjo, and we were fairly cheerful. The snow kept coming down all day, and by night it was a foot deep. The pony came in from the flat as it began to grow dark, and we gave the horses their supper and left them in the shelter of the rocks. Then we brushed the snow off the top of the cover, as we had done several times before, and went in to spend the evening by the light of the lantern. When bedtime came, Jack looked up and said:

"The cover doesn't seem to sag down. It must have stopped snowing."

We looked out, and found that it was so. We could even see the stars; and, better yet, it did not seem to be growing colder. We went to bed feeling encouraged.

The next morning the sun peeped in at us through the long trunks of the pines, and Ollie soon discovered that the wind was from the south.

"Unless it turns cold again, this will fix the snow," said Jack.

He was right, and it soon began to thaw. By noon the little stream in the gulch was a torrent, and before night patches of bare ground began to appear. We decided not to attempt to leave camp that day, but the next morning saw us headed back along the tortuous road. In two hours we were again on the main trail. Just as we turned in, Eugene Brooks came along, having also been delayed by the snow, though the fall down the trail had not been nearly so great. 'Gene laughed at us, and told us that we had been following a trail to some lead-mines, which had been abandoned several months before.

Half a mile farther on we came to the Thunder Butte Creek which we had sought. The water was almost blood-red, which 'Gene told us came from the gold stamp-mills on its upper course. If the water had been gray it would have indicated silver-mining. Just beyond we met the Deadwood Treasure Coach. It was an ordinary four-horse stage, without passengers, but carrying two guards, each with a very short double-barrelled shot-gun resting across his lap. The stage was operated by the express company, and was bringing out the gold bricks from the mines near Deadwood.

"I suppose," said Ollie, musingly, "if anybody tried to rob the coach, those fellows would shoot with their guns?"

"Oh no," replied Jack. "Oh no; they carry those guns to fan themselves with on hot days." But Ollie did not seem to be misled by this astonishing information.

As we went on, the road grew constantly more mountainous. Sometimes the trail ran along ledges, and sometimes near roaring streams and waterfalls, and the great pine-trees were everywhere. We passed two grizzly old placer-miners working just off the trail, and stopped and watched them "pan out" a few shovelfuls of dirt. They were rewarded by two or three specks of gold, and seemed satisfied. 'Gene told us afterward that one of them was an old California '49er, who had used the same pan in every State and Territory of the West.

It was a little after noon when we drove in to Deadwood--the last point outward bound at which the Rattletrap expected to touch. It was a larger town than Rapid City, and was wedged in a little gulch between two mountains, with the White Wood Creek rushing along and threatening to wash away the main street. We noticed that the only way of reaching many of the houses on the mountain-side was by climbing long flights of stairs. We drove on, and camped near a mill on the upper edge of town.

In the afternoon we wandered about town, and, among other places, visited the many Chinese stores. We also clambered up the mountain-sides to the two cemeteries, which we could see far above the town. It seemed to us that on rather too many of the head-stones (which were in nearly every case boards, by-the-way) it was stated that the person whose grave it marked was "assassinated by" so-and-so, giving the name of the assassin; but these were of the old days, when no doubt there were a good many folks in Deadwood who left the town just as well off after they had been assassinated. "Killed by Indians" was also the record on some of the boards. Ollie was greatly interested in the Chinese graves, with dishes of rice and chicken on them, and colored papers covered with curious characters--prayers, I suppose. We climbed on up to the White Rocks, almost, at the top of the highest peak overlooking Deadwood, and had a good view of the town and gulch below, and of the great Bear Butte standing out alone and bold miles to the east. We were tired, and glad to go to bed as soon as we got back to the wagon.

The next day we decided to visit Lead City (pronounced not like the metal, but like the verb to lead). Here were most of the big gold-mines, including the great Homestake Mine. It was only two or three miles, and we drove over early. It was a strange town, perched on the side of a mountain, and consisted of small openings in the ground, which were the mines, and immense shedlike buildings, which contained the ore-reducing works. The noise of the stamp-mills filled the whole town, and seemed to drown out and cover up everything else. We soon found that there was no hope of our getting into the mines.

"They'd think you were spies for the other mines, or something of that sort," said a man to us. "Nobody can get down. Nobody knows where they are digging, and they don't mean that anybody shall. They may be digging under their own property exclusively, and they may not. For all I know, they may be taking gold that belongs to me a thousand feet, more or less, under my back yard."

"If I had a back yard here," said Jack, after we had passed on, "I'd put my ear to the ground once in a while and listen, and if I heard anybody burrowing under it I'd--well--I'd yell scat at 'em."

We found no difficulty in getting in the stamp-mills, and a man kindly told us much about them.

"The Homestake Mills make up the largest gold-reducing plant in the world," said the man. "Where do you suppose the largest single stamp-mill in the world is?"

We guessed California.

"No," he said. "It's in Alaska--the Treadwell Mill."

We decided that the stamp-mills were the noisiest place we were ever in. There were hundreds of great steel bars, three or four inches in diameter and a dozen feet long, pounding up and down at the same time on the ore and reducing it to powder. It was mixed with water, and ran away as thin red mud, the gold being caught by quicksilver. The openings of the shafts and tunnels were in or near the mills, and there were the smallest cars and locomotives which we had ever seen, going about everywhere on narrow tracks, carrying the ore. Ollie walked up to one of the locomotives and looked down at it, and said:

"Why, it seems just like a Shetland-pony colt. I believe I could almost lift it."

The engineer sat on a little seat on the back end, and seemed bigger than his engine. As we looked at them we constantly expected to see them tip up in front from the weight of the engineer. There was also a larger railroad, though still a narrow gauge, winding away for twenty miles along the tops of the hills, which was used principally for bringing wood for the engines and timbers for propping up the mines.

We were walking along a connecting shed, and happened to look out a window, when we saw a four-foot stick of cord-wood shoot up fifty feet from some place behind us, and after sailing over a wide curve, like a "fly-ball," alight on a great pile of similar sticks on the lower ground, which was much higher than an ordinary house, and must have contained thousands of cords.

"Good gracious!" exclaimed Jack. "Wish I could throw a stick of wood like that fellow."

Another and another shot after the first one in quick succession. Sometimes there were two almost together, and we noticed the bigger and heavier the stick the higher and farther it was shot. We saw some almost a foot in diameter soaring like straws before the wind.

"What a baseball-pitcher that man would make!" went on Jack, enthusiastically. "Think of his arm! Look at that big one go--it must weigh two hundred pounds!"

"Let's get out of this shed and investigate the mystery," I said.

Outside it was all clear. The narrow-gauge wood railroad ended on the edge of the steep hill overlooking the mills. Down this was a long wooden chute, or flume, like a big trough, which for the last thirty or forty feet at its lower end curved upward. Men were unloading wood from a train at the upper end. Each stick shot down the flume like lightning, up the short incline at the end, and soared away like a bird to the pile beyond and below the shed. A little stream of water trickled constantly down the chute to keep the friction of the logs from setting it on fire.

"That's the most interesting thing here," said Jack. "I'd like to send the Blacksmith's Pet down the thing and see what he would do. Bet a cooky he'd kick the wood-pile all over the town after he alighted."

We spent nearly the whole day in wandering about the stamp-mills. The great steam-engines which operated them were some of the largest we had ever seen.

"And think," observed Jack, "of the fact that all of this heavy machinery, including the big engines and the locomotives and cars, and, in fact, everything, was brought overland on wagons, probably most of it nearly three hundred miles. No wonder people got to driving such teams as Henderson's."

Toward night we returned to Deadwood by the way of Central City. Here were more great mines and mills, but they did not seem to be so prosperous, and part of the town was deserted, and consisted of nothing but empty houses. Just as the sun set we drove in through the Golden Gate, and cast anchor at our old camp near the mill.

The next morning was wintry again, with snowflakes floating in the air. The ground was frozen, and the wind seemed to come through the wagon cover with rather more freedom than we enjoyed.

"It's time we began the return voyage," said Jack. "We're a long way from home, and we won't get there any too soon if we go as fast as we can and take the shortest cut." So we started that afternoon.

The shortest cut was to return to Rapid City, and then instead of going south into Nebraska, to go straight east, through the Sioux Indian Reservation, crossing the Missouri at Pierre, and then on across the settled country of eastern Dakota to Prairie Flower, over against the Minnesota line.

We followed the same road between Deadwood and Rapid City, with the exception that we turned out in one place, and went around by Fort Meade. Here we found a beautiful camping-place the first night near a little stream, and great overhanging rocks, and not far from Bear Butte. We reached Rapid late the next night, which was Saturday, and stopped at the old camp near the mill-race. Here we staid over Sunday, but Monday noon saw us under sail again. As we went through the town we stopped at the freighter's camp, and told 'Gene Brooks good-by, and then drove away across the wide rolling plain to the east.

'Gene had warned us that we had a lonesome road before us to Pierre, one hundred and seventy miles, nearly all of it across the reservation.

"You'll follow the old freight trail all the way," he said, "but you may not see three teams the whole distance, because since the railroad got nearer it isn't used. You'll find an old stage station about every fifteen or seventeen miles, with probably one man in charge. You may see a horse-thief or two, or something of that sort. S'ciety ain't what it ought to be 'round a reservation gen'rally."

Just before the sun sank behind the mountains, which lay like low black clouds to the west, we came to a little ranch standing alone on the prairie. The door was open, and it seemed to be deserted, though there was a rude bed inside. There was a good well of water, and we decided to camp near it for the night, especially as the grass was good. There was no other house in sight. Bedtime arrived, and no one came to the ranch.

"I think I'll just sleep in that house to-night," said Jack, "and see how it seems. I'll leave the door open, so as not to have _too_ much luxury at first."

I must have been asleep three or four hours, when I was awakened by the loud barking of a dog. I started up, and began to unfasten the front end of the cover. As I put my head out, Jack called, excitedly:

"Some men were trying to get the pony. They'd have done it, too, if Snoozer hadn't barked and scared them away."

I was out of the wagon by this time, and found the pony trembling at the end of her picket-line as near the wagon as she could get. Snoozer kept barking as if he couldn't stop.

"Did they shoot at you, Jack?" I asked.

"No, I guess not. I think they just blazed away for fun. They went off toward the reservation. Some of 'Gene's poor s'ciety, I suppose."

It took half an hour to get the frightened pony and indignant dog quieted; and perhaps it was longer than that before we again got to sleep.

[TO BE CONTINUED.]

FAIR PLAY.

BY MARGARET E. SANGSTER.

There are two little words that are dear as his honor
To the every-day boy whom we meet at our school.
He may walk round the street with a chip on his shoulder,
But if you join battle, fair play is the rule.

All he asks of a comrade, a foe, or a neighbor,
This every-day fellow, whom you and I know.
Is that friendship be loyal, and battle be open,
And fair play be practised with friend or with foe.

And so be it comrade, or foe, or near neighbor
In the march or the fight, or the heat of the game,
Whatever the stress of the fun or the labor,
He calls for fair play, and he renders the same.

Only cowards and braggarts would seize an advantage
That was not allowed in the rules of the game.
Our boy is as brave as the knight in the tourney;
He asks but fair play, and he renders the same.

CAPTAIN JACK AND THE BLUE-FISH.

It was dreadfully hot on the sea-shore, and the boys couldn't find much fun in digging in the sand, so they sauntered slowly down the scorching beach to the old wreck, intending to sit upon its shady side and try to keep cool. It was deserted when they arrived, and they had a pretty good time by themselves for about an hour, when who should turn up but old Captain Jack, pulling away as usual upon his pipe! They could always tell without much trouble when the Captain was approaching, he used such very strong tobacco, and blew the smoke on ahead of him in great clouds, which announced his coming some fifteen or twenty seconds before he arrived.

"Hullo!" said he, as he sat down alongside of the boys. "You here? I sort of thought you'd be up at the hotel sitting in a bath-tub full of ice-water a sizzling day like this."

"It is pretty hot, isn't it?" said Tommie. "The thermometer's at eighty-nine up in the hotel office."

"I don't doubt it," said Captain Jack. "But that don't signify much. Everything's high at the hotel. They charged me a quarter for ten cents' worth o' smokin'-tobaccy last week--so I ain't surprised that the mercury's riz to pretty high heights there. What takes me all of a heap is the heat out there on the ocean. It's fearful. I 'ain't seen anything like it since '69, and even then it warn't half as hot."

The boys giggled, and Captain Jack went on. "I been out blue-fishin' all the morning, and I tell you if it's a-sizzlin' in here it's simply a-sozzlin' out there. The boat's all covered with blisters, and her name, where I painted it last week, has just regularly peeled right off; and worst of all, I've teetotally forgot what the name was, so I've got to christen her clean over again."

"She was called the _Polly Ann_, wasn't she?" asked Bob.

"That used to be her name," said the Captain; "but it hasn't been this summer. It was something like _Amber-Jack_ or _Sarah Toodles_ this year, and I can't remember which. Fact was, she leaked so last summer when she was known as the _Polly Ann_ that people wouldn't hire her to go fishin' in; so, seeing as how I couldn't afford to buy a new boat, I gave her a new name, so's the fishin' folks wouldn't know she was the old _Polly Ann_; and now this here heat has gone and het her name right off, and I can't remember what it was. Kind of hard luck, I think."

"Very," said the boys. "But why don't you call her the _Sarah Toodles_ anyhow?"

"I'm afeered to. The summer before last she had some such name as that, and she leaked then, bad as ever, and it may be some folks will remember it. I guess I'll call her _Fido_. _Fido_'s as good a name for a boat as a dog, and it'll give funny fellers a chance to speak of my bark bein' on the seas, and say she's a regular old sea-dog."

"Good idea," said Bob. "Did you catch any fish this morning?"

"Yes," said the Captain, sadly, "but the heat ruined 'em all. It's a shame the way the Weather Bureau lets loose all these hot waves, ruinin' honest men's business--peelin' the names off their boats and spilin' their fish."

"How did it spoil the fish, Captain?" queried Tommie.

"Spoiled 'em for my trade," said the Captain, sadly. "I took two young fellers out to catch 'em. They were fellers that thought there was nothin' so good to eat in this world as broiled blue-fish, and I said I knew where we could catch some beauties, so we struck a bargain and went out. Inside of two hours we'd caught a dozen of the finest yo'd ever seen, and we turned about to come in. 'It's been awful hot,' says one of the fellers. 'Yes,' said the other; 'but we'll make up for our sufferin' in the heat when we have a couple o' those blue-fish broiled and sit down to eat 'em. It makes my mouth water,' says he. Then we came in and landed. We took the fish ashore, and then we found out what had happened."

The old man paused, and pulled mournfully away at his pipe for a full minute.

"Go on," said Bob, softly. "What had happened?"

"_They was boiled when we caught 'em, the water was so hot_," moaned the Captain. "And if there's anything spoils a blue-fish for broiling, it's to have 'em boiled first!"

"It was too bad," said Tommie. "And wouldn't they take 'em?"

"No," said the Captain; "and I couldn't blame 'em. They only wanted to keep me up to my bargain. I'd made it, and they meant I should stick to it; and havin' promised 'em broilers, they wasn't under any obligations to take boiled fish. The worst part of it is I've got 'em all on my hands, and instead o' havin' the cash to buy tenderloin steaks and pie and apple-sauce with, I'll have to eat boiled blue-fish instead for the next ten days; and boiled blue-fish gives me the most depressed feelin's you ever saw."

With which sorrowful statement the good old fellow rose up and walked away, leaving the boys not only sorry for him, but sorry for themselves as well; for when they realized how awfully hot it must be out upon the sea to boil the fish in the water itself, somehow or other it seemed to grow a great deal hotter there upon the beach.

FLAGS OF THE REVOLUTION.

BY WILLIAM HALE.

It is a fact not generally known that the stars and stripes is the oldest national emblem now in existence, and that the national flags of all other countries bear more recent dates of official adoption.

There has been a great deal of discussion concerning the origin of our flag. Although the thirteen stripes were in use before and during the early part of the Revolution, the first and only legislative action for the establishment of a national flag was in the shape of the following resolution, which was passed on Saturday, June 14, 1777:

"_Resolved_, That the flag of the thirteen United States be
thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be
thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new
constellation."

No record of the discussions that preceded the adoption of this flag has been kept, and although there have been many theories as to the origin of the device, none of them has been entirely satisfactory.

In the early years of the Revolution a number of emblems were in use, which became famous. The standard displayed on the south-east bastion of Fort Sullivan (or Moultrie, as it was afterward named) on the 28th of June, 1776, by Colonel Moultrie, was a blue flag with a white crescent in the upper left-hand corner, and the word "Liberty" in white letters emblazoned upon it. This was the flare that fell outside the fort and was secured by Sergeant Jasper, who leaped the parapet, walked the whole length of the fort, seized the flag, fastened it to a sponge-staff, and in sight of the whole British fleet, and in the midst of a perfect hail of bullets, planted it firmly upon the bastion. The next day Governor Rutledge visited the fort, and rewarded Jasper by giving him his own sword. He offered him also a lieutenant's commission; but Jasper, who could neither read nor write, modestly declined it.

The pine-tree flag, which was a favorite device with the officers of American privateers, had a white field with a green pine-tree in the middle, and the motto, "An Appeal to Heaven." This flag was officially endorsed by the Massachusetts Council, which in April, 1776, passed a series of resolutions providing for the regulation of the sea service, among which was the following:

"_Resolved_, That the uniform of the officers be green and white,
and that they furnish themselves accordingly, and that the colors
be a white flag with a green pine-tree and the inscription 'An
Appeal to Heaven.'"

The device of a rattlesnake was popular among the colonists, and its origin as an American emblem is a curious feature in our national history. It has been stated that its use grew out of a humorous suggestion made by a writer in Franklin's paper, the _Pennsylvania Gazette_--that, in return for the wrongs which England was forcing upon the colonists, a cargo of rattlesnakes should be sent to the mother-country and "distributed in St. James's Park, Spring Garden, and other places of pleasure."