THE SHADOW OF SAM HURST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11745, 29 August 1901, Page 3

THE SHADOW OF SAM HURST.

gating uncomfortable for Sam Hurst, " "'Tttd the conviction that he was being ' . -ed Under other circumstances the ?' l, How" would have felt the substance of BVs powerful arm, but just now he did not ->1 a if ho wore in a state to administer lB physical- correction. Sam Hurst wasn't j k - he would have indignantly repelled ff" r h mi insinuation, but he was ready to it that the frequent libations during his * 'tramp along tho duSty road had slightly ob " r soured his mental faculties. gam stumbled into a wayside public-house • * the hope of throwing off tho shadow. Ho m not sorry to have an excuso for another 1 "nk and then ho fell into a condition of Wilful unconsciousness that was not alto- ' briber'explained by the soothing caress of - th, war® air which camo through tho open - window. • He woke out of his slumber with a vague feeling that someone was investigating his Dockets, and though the hands were light * .there was a curiously'■heavy breathing close '' <o his car. Sam tried to move his head. Ho o ,t like one in a dream, tied down by some • visible force and threatened by an overS whelming calamity. Out of a half-closed V 3 ho watched a man in tio corner—his '/shadow. The snun, of sligV.it build, but ""•bronzed and warded, was overhauling a voluminous pocket-book that Sam Hurst thought looked suspiciously familiar—indeed, Sum was positive it was his own. Ho mado ' ail effort to protest against this unwarrantahie liberty. The movement caused tho ,mn to sweep the papers on one side, but nfipi' an uneasy glance at San, and seeing i : i thai he was still slumbering, tho shadow continued to examine the papers, which he put in his pocket and replaced with others from !„> own pocketbook. Ho then returned the j Jjroki to Sam's pockot. ."V. The conduct of tho shadow was very singu-lju.i-'He exchanged his own hat for Sam's " (cu*brero, and tried to get off Sam's coat, b-jt had to give up tho attempt when ho had worked round to the arm fixed rigidly under tho sleeping man's' head? Ho then : produced a pair of scissors and deliberately cut off Sam's beard with the rapidity and ■' skill of a professional barber. Tho shadow Jerked critically at his handiwork and „ laughed softly. Thero was something in tho laugh that revived a memory in Sam's slug- ( gish brain. • At length, rousing himself, Ram Hurst lurched up in his seat. Ho could now see ; the man with tho distinctness of an impres- :( sionist portrait, but despite the blurred out- ■ line and the irritating persistency with which % th-) features wandered out of their normal 1 proportion, it was a faco that appeared quite familiar to Sara. - He had felt himself so utterly lost and abandoned since ho returned to the Old Country, where his friends had ; either died or dispersed during his 20 years' alienee, that it was pleasant to meet- some- : one he knew. The man, however, showed no : signs of desiring acquaintance, nor could Sam oil to mind where he had mot him. Sam |v; tried to contort his face into an engaging smile, but could not get anywhere nearer then an idiotic grin. »' "Here's to ye, pardner," ho said, as lie put '• lis lips to the tankard, and took a long • draught. This courtesy was lost on the. stranger, who remained silent. By dint of thinking, Sam's > mind began to• clear, and'recollections came ft tumbling over him in curious confusion. Then ' th 37 crystallised into one incident—the rush to Coolgardio when Australia was ringing : with the news of Bayley's find. Sam Hurst , bad joined in the mad'race, together with hi,? partner, Dick Marsh. They were known as the Twins, these two, probably because there was no greater antithesis than between the taciturn and stubborn Sam Hurst and his j, lively and versatile companion. ; ■ Dick Marsh ! The name crowded up angry ~ recollections in Sam mind." Hp almost wished that the stranger was Dick, so that, he • cculd discharge the whole of the rage and gtbitterness whydi had been rankling in him : for years past. And yet there was something in the shadow that reminded him of Dick. Those were the same cynical eves, but that WW all. . J Sam felt an overwhelming desire to take ... the stranger into his confidence. He was gating his mental balance now, and the tv. thoughts that crowded upon him marshalled ||v themselves into something liko order, i "Eiren I seen you in Australia, pardI nsrl'he asked by way of introduction. , , l The shadow nodded. v . # "Then you've 'eard of Sam Hurst's find?" . lie stranger nodded again in the affirma- ■. tire. ' .I m Sam Hurst, pardner. I once owned ■; Bullions and millions of gold that only want- ; ed takin' away. I was done out of it by my pardner. Yes: he was a nice.sort. We .■• Was as thick as brothers. We was prospectin at Coolgardio, but all the claims were pegged out, and we 'eard as there was a lot : ; of gold beyond the Southern Desert, so we ■; went to try our luck. . You know the desert, pardner? It's hell, that's what it is. ■ The sand burns yer feet, and when the sun scorches you up you go stumblin' over the ; sheddings with your eyes smartin' and you see things red. We had four weeks of that, .pardner.' ■ Sam glared viciously and clenched his fist. Dick was a mean skunk, a sneakin' coward, Ho got afraid of the desert, and , wanted to go back, but I kept 'im on because you see, we only had one camel, .'• and. if ' e went/ I should "'ave to go too. I V,wasn't going to give up the game. I knowed as the desert was a basin and the reefs would outcrop on the other side like they do at halgurlie. Our water was gettin' low, and ■.there wasn't no water holes in this Gawdwnaken territory; nothln' but salt lakes. like goin' through hell fire, pardner.' ; The Eheddings showed that we was getting into reef country of the right sort. wick was a fool; he couldn't see nothin'. ,"6 got across the plain among some hills "here I 'appened on a reef—almost virgin gold. It outcropped like a hill cut in two It was a long way bigger' Morton's Find. We was millionaires. We got down as much gold as the camel could carry, and then went - • ;°„|?. e P' r Kettin' the thirst. • , Dick Marsh is a foul murderer. When I . woke in the morning Dick was gone. There was no camel and nothin'; everything had disappeared. I got up on the hill and locked, over the red plain, but there was nothin to break the long monotonous lino, ;7, c f'™_ to the great lone world, and swore that rd live to bring the skunk down in .his tracks.••• It weren't any good tryin' to go back by the way we had come, so I struck .south, - where it was more likely I should meet with water holes. I don't know how 1 got through it, pardner. It all passed like a dream. I remember reachin' an oasis where l laid down thinkin' myself in Paradise; .nut vengeance pushed me on, and I tramped ■-.oxer, the country until 7. fell in with a party . 01 cry blowers. I waj nothin' but a skeleton, was crazy, and they took me for a madman • wen I told them of our find. They would. - Q! ye gone anyway if I could 'ave guided 'em, S ut I had forgotten to take any bearings. oam Hurst's Find was lost." ■ Sam tried to drown his thoughts in .another Pull at the tankard. Had he looked at the stranger be would have noticed that he apstorv disappointed a3 Sam concluded hisYou was always a clever chap, Sam; you 'M hound to get through." am started as he heard the words which I®, d like an echo of the past. ~ Jye 'card that story out yonder," con- • iniied the stranger. "Dick told us out in vp°°t- "di® that he had left his pard to pre- ■ -> ? anyone from jumpin' the claim, and he , t ad come alone, 'oause there was hardly enough water to let one get back. It was a I if of life or death, you see. Two of 'em •Pi i have left their bones on the sand. ,f ut I always did think as Dick was a bit orgetful. He had his fling in Coolgardie, and it was only when 'e had lost nearly all ls pile at faro that he got up a party to . return. He was a popular mau then, and I T Jo/'i ' was tryin' to find out where the 'ay, an' Dick wasn't tellin' 'cm. '1 , D ick was the blankest fool that ever -V this earth. I've seen 'im tryin' to kick li? 1 He didn't have 110 bearin's; he ' 1 Jftknow how to mako for the mine. He Jul " ls pa ' got lost 1,1 the desert, and Dick .. . a sultry time of it until they found -- ji.j l to Mount Margaret, where he : ♦Jl. himself scarce. The colony was gettin' - , l0 ° hot for Dick Marsh." Veri^? 1 rose unsteadily to his feet, and stag- •* p. over to where the stranger was sitting. j, ? ma n was unprepared for this movement. S'c' -i he was aware of it Sam's face was nn°v '° ''' sown ' a,1, l Sam's heavy hand was ' I,- ™ ' B ,'boulder. The ?(ranger tried to shake • ™ s «'f free; his beard fell to the ground. ; _ 'l?awd!" was all iSam could say. ' ■. u. i , lurched back and felt in bis coat pocket, rev before .he could withdraw his hand a 'rf i O . er —his own—was within a few inches ,< j 01 ,j»3 face. :m l . er °"ohred, pard. Sit down an' don't ' bis- 1 f°?l of yerself. We've both played a „ ? ame and lost, and if you don't want to !L,- I ui> trouble you'd better take things • , "Really. This world's big enough for '' Ban.°> 3 -' > I in skippin'-tho Old Country, I'm ' • > ain '' K oof l enough for us Colonials. ' Y. If jWint to try my fortune somewhere else. '' : ' thin ■ • a P p cned on you out yonder, Sam, |have .panned out differently. I'' Wn,,r «^' ma de it up. and d—d if we - !<» wl " ave had another try. I'm sorry $Wth Of us, Sam."

Ho pushed Sam back m his seat, and left fL 1 !! 11 ' S™ Hurst started up and rati alto,, him with a. cry of rage, but his enemy had disappeared • The fresh air told on Sam. firll fee -tottered an d he fell by the wayside, with face between hit » , arms ' in a drunken sleep. • ®°. n .^ ace objected to his customers leaving J",. 19 summary way,, and informed the police of their disappearance. Sam was dis™ve[ed, y -, a member of the forcc, who nought his identification by turning out tho man 9 pockets, and gave a low whistle as he examined the papers which came to light. ~ 1 m luck's way," he said to the innkeeper. This means promotion. I've captured tho most dangerous oriminal of the clay, Richard Marsh is a thief, a forger, and % murderer he shot a butler who interrupted him m the act of burglary. He jumped out of the train while being taken to the assizes. He was signalled as likely to pass through this '"'strict, as it was believed that he would try to get to the Continent. If he hadn't been such a fool as to get drunk he would have escaped. Help us along with him, will you?" And so they carried Sam Hurst away.