The lure o' gold Author:Frank Bailey Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Ill ON THE LIGHTER MY BURDEN GROWS HEAVIER Doctor Quaritch was still asleep the next morning when I arose early, dressed and went down to eat my hurried br... more »eakfast. I thought it best not to disturb my friend with my adieus, so I left a note with the landlord, saying "good-bye," and telling the Doctor that I hoped to see him soon in San Francisco. With my rifle over my shoulder, I followed the wheelbarrow in which my treasure-box was being transported to the beach. Everyone in the crowd along the street recognized the nature of the freight in the barrow, and once I overheard the remark among the miners: " He's rather a young chap to have charge of all that dust." " Looks like he knew how to take care of it, though," was the reply. I suppose I did look rather grim and formidable, with my set face and my hard grip upon the barrel ofthe rifle. I confess, however, that while I should not have been loath to level my weapon at anyone who might seek to rob me of that precious box, pressing the trigger would have been a matter very little to my taste. But as everybody I met was civil enough and respectfully turned aside for my wheelbarrow load of gold, there seemed to be no need of any really hostile demonstration on my part. Soon we reached the beach where the lighter lay. Beyond the flat, dark, little craft, which was bobbing on the low waves just out of reach of the white surf, was a world of unquiet, chilly water on which the sun —hanging rather low over the blue Bering in these early autumn months — glinted as upon a surface of steel. There was a harsh, cutting breeze astir and the air was wonderfully clear, bringing the little bristle of masts and funnels in the offing within ready reach of the eye. I could easily make out the tall, lean stack of the Flying Mist, ...« less