Lane.

CHAPTER XXI.

GOD'S GOLD.

The troubled night passed. The shepherd arose to see the sky above
the eastern rim of the Hollow glowing with the first soft light of
a new day. Away over Compton Ridge one last, pale star hung,
caught in the upper branches of a dead pine. Not a leaf of the
forest stirred. In awe the man watched the miracle of the morning,
as the glowing colors touched cloud after cloud, until the whole
sky was aflame, and the star was gone.

Again he seemed to hear, faint and far away, the roar and surge of
the troubled sea. With face uplifted, he cried aloud, "O God, my
Father, I ask thee not for the things that men deem great. I covet
not wealth, nor honor, nor ease; only peace; only that I may live
free from those who do not understand; only that I may in some
measure make atonement; that I may win pardon. Oh, drive me not
from this haven into the world again!"

"AGAIN, AGAIN," came back from the cliff on the other side of the
clearing, and, as the echo died away in the silent woods, a bush
on top of the bluff stirred in the breathless air; stirred, and
was still again. Somewhere up on Dewey a crow croaked hoarsely to
his mate; a cow on the range bawled loudly and the sheep in the
corral chorused in answer.

Re-entering the cabin, the old man quickly built a fire, then,
taking the bucket, went to the spring for water. He must prepare
his breakfast. Coming back with the brimming pail, he placed it on
the bench and was turning to the cupboard, when he noticed on the
table a small oblong package. "Mr. Matthews must have left it last
night," he thought. "Strange that I did not see it before."

Picking up the package he found that it was quite heavy, and, to
his amazement, saw that it was addressed to himself, in a strange,
cramped printing, such letters as a child would make. He ripped
open the covering and read in the same crude writing: "This stuff
is for you to give to the Matthews's and Jim Lane, but don't tell
anyone where you got it. And don't try to find out where it come
from either, or you'll wish you hadn't. You needn't be afraid.
It's good money alright." The package contained gold pieces of
various denominations.

With a low exclamation, the shepherd let the parcel slip, and the
money fell in a shining heap on the floor. He stood as in a dream,
looking from the gold to the letter in his hand. Then, going to
the door, he gazed long and searchingly in every direction.
N