The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-06-14


somebody else in your place.
'Not able to go to the minesp' Horton
exclaimed. "Why, lad, you know''--
eyes, know" Ben interrupted, "butI
want you to do it as a particular favor to
me. l must have long talk with you to-
day. You can trust me, can't yous''
'I'm sure can, lad, but"--
"Hold on, then" Ben interrupted again.
"I'll put it another way. You think a
great deal of your mother and sisters, /
know For their sakes, sit down and write
the note"
Wonderingly Horton obeyed, and in a
few minutes the note was written and
sent But with all his questioning he could
get no explanation from Ben before break
fast. After the early meal, when they had
returned to the room, Ben carefully closed
the door and unfolded his important bust
ness.
81 am going to give you plan, Hor-
ton, !" he said, THAT will put money into
both of our pockets l suppose you know
that, although the present value of silver
is very low, still a silver dollar is worth
100 cents. If you sell the silver from your
projected mine by weight, you will get, say,
go cents an ounce for it. If you coin it
into dollars yourself, you get a dollar an
ounce. "
'tBut that would be''- Horton inter
rupted.
''Hold ont Hear me out,'' Ben contin-
ued. 'sThat would be counterfeiting, as
you were about to say, even though we
made the dollars of pure silver 1t would
be in this country, where there is special
law against it. But your silver lies just
across the border in Mexico, where Amer
lean dollars could be made with compare
tive safety. We could make them at the
mine, and then every day you could bring
over a chest of your own silver dollars In
stead of chest of somebody else's silver
ingots. just think how we could heap up
the money! Think of it, man!'
Dead Shot Horton sat with his head in
his hands and made no reply.
'sThink of it!'' Ben repeated, "Millions,
millionsl'
For more than minute Horton did not
answer. Then he raised his head and re-
piled.
"No, Mr.. Trumbull, I couldn't do it,
and you mustn't either"
A pity it is that there was no one in the
room to take a snap shot at Ben as he
sprang forward and seized Horizons hand.
Horton, old fellow he exclaimed,
you're as good as gold. / was snre of it
before, but since I've tried you am dou-
bly, sure. I knew you wouldn't do such
thing no more than would not for all
the millions there might be in it, But
want to ask you question or two. Did
you ever notice that when you took the
chest back to the mines in the morning 1t
was always as heavy as when you brought
it back here full of silverP'
"1've noticed sometimes" Horton re-
piled, "that it seemed pretty heavy. But
there's quicksilver in it-that's heavy, you
know"
Ben went to the window and looked out.
s'Now, I don't have to be mysterious
any longer" he said, 'slook at this crowd
in the street. They are following the Gao
tus City bank people, who have just been
arrested. All the people on this side the
border who had anything to do with the
Santa MariA mine are wearing handouts
except yourself. was sure you were in
nocent, even before 1 tried to tempt you a
moment ago. and that was why wanted
you here with me today. If you had gone
to your work, you would be wearing hand
cuffs too. But couldn't let you go out
and be arrested, Horton, old fellow"
"ArrestedP' Horton exclaimed. lis it
for smuggling? The stuff has all come over
uAio UoIuSI WlUuOuO paying uuUy, suppose,
but that is not my fault
"Much worse than that" Ben replied.
''It's for counterfeiting. There is no Santa
Maria mine, Horton. Your entire compa.
| ny is nothing but gang of counterfeiters
may as well tell you at once that am a
secret service Officer
ssYou, ladl" Horton exclaimed. sSuch
| boy as you detectivep'
"Yes," Ben laughed, Hsuch boy as I.
| The government often selects young fell
| lows to do such work in cases where old
| detectives would be easily recognized. l
was satisfied when 1 first got here that
| you had nothing to do with it, and that
| you were working honestly for the cornpa-
ny. But the company is nothing but a
| gang of counterfeiters. The old mine was
exhausted centuries ago. and all they mine
| there now is rock, just for appearances. !
| ought to know, for have worked in the
mine three days this week. And the Cac-
tus City bank is only blind. All it's Off
GERS are members of the gang-I have thor
ough evidence Of it. What you just now
Indignantly refused to do with your eyes
open, you have been doing blindly foP the
last year. But come, it is safe for us to go
now. Tomorrow am off for the east, to
raise capital to open up Dead Shot Horton q
and my silver mine and make some honest
money for us both. ''--William Drysdals
In New York Press.