Page:Allan Dunn--Dead Man's Gold.djvu/35

Rh "Thar's somethin' back of thet Book," said Lyman, "thet'll make th' oath stand. Break it an' yore luck breaks. Stone, put th' oath."

"Repeat it after me," said Stone» and the others followed his phrases.

"We, severally and together, in the presence of death, and upon the pages of this Book, which, to this dying man, is a divine symbol, do swear to do our utmost to seek out Madge Lyman, daughter of our friend and partner, and to give her an equal share, of all that we may gain from the knowledge of gold deposits about to be given us by Wat Lyman. So help us God!"

"So help us God!" galloped Healy. "Now, old man, tell us."

"You, Lefty, and you, Stone, go outside for a minnit," said Lyman. He had palpably braced himself. The guttering candle now revealed his face wet with moisture that showed darkly in the mat of grisly hair upon his chest and arms. The outstanding veins were flaccid. The hand he laid for a second on Stone's wrist was cold.

"Wot's the hidea?" started Lefty, but Stone checked him.

"The gen'ral location an' th' route to Healy," said Lyman. "Th' placer cricks to Lefty, an' the secret of th' lode to Stone."

"That's all danmed foolishness!" snapped Healy. "You'll die before you get it out. Tell it all to us at once. You must be crazy. Out with it, or. …"

His fist clenched, but Stone gripped his wrist so