Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-05-17
THE SANTA MARIA.

SURF - lLlilk iudl SUM- II NNithESANi
as | should have been selected for
such an important and difficult job
And to be acually In the service of
the --. Well, In my first "A hours
here I've made one good move in get
ting acquainted with Dead shot Hor-
ton, feel half sorry for him, too,
though | suppose If | unearth the
gang he'll have to go with the rest
But he talks so much about his folks
up in Nebraska and thinks SO much
of them there must be some good in
him It's about time he was here too y
The words were hardly out of his
mouth before there came a heavy rap
at the door, and when ii was opened
Dead Shot Horton walked in He was
considerably older than Ben Trumhull,
probably 10 years older and much
heavier, and was muscular But not
WithStanding his cowboy dress, and
the very large reyolvers In his belt,
and the long spurs on his boots he
looked like a man to be trusted.
IF you can assay these nuggets for
me, Mr.. Trumbull" were his first
words after they had shaken hands,
you'll be doing me a big favor the
biggest kind of IA favor And | don't
doubt you can do it, since you say
You can--only YOU seem such a young
chap to he equal to that kind Of work. "
''There's nothing difficult about that"
Ben laughingly replied "cyen for a
young chap. You know | am fresh out
of the School of Mines in New York,
as I told you and If I couldn't assay
a bit Of silver I'd have a poor chance
of making a fortune down here in
Arizona"
Ben had brought with him from the
east an assaying outfit and in a short
time was able to announce that the
nuggets contained nearly ~ per cent.
of pure silver.
Horton let himself drop back into his
chair, and Ben saw that his eyes were
moist. For some moments he could
not speak,
'Tts not for myself I care so much,
Mr. Trumbull," he said at length in n
husky voice. Its such grand news for
the folks at home. for mother and
my little sisters. And it's good news
| for you, too, Mr. ITumbull, for as /
| said, | must have a partner, lad.
well, if YOU put it that way Ben
answered, you must tell me some
| thing about it, ! don't ask you, of
course, where your claim is
ITS this way, lad" Horton said, his
voice still a little unsteady. you see
| I'm working here for the Santa Maria
| Silver Mining company, and the mines
! are Just two miles across the border,
! in Mexico-that makes them eight
miles from Cactus City. The Santa
Maria is one Of the old time Mexican
mines. gone into new hands. My busi-
| ness is to guard the silver inFotS~ that
they cast at the mine and send over
here TO Cactus City every day In a
mule wagon locked up in big chest.
The silver goes into the Cactus City
bank, and l get my receipt for it.
Next day il is sent to Fairbank, the
nearest railroad station and so on east.
Every evening / guard that chest of
ingots till it is locked up in the bank
and every morning | see the chest
taken back to the mine,
mo, not empty" Horton replied,
filled with chemicals, quicksilver, all
sorts Of mine supplies. Well, in going
over that eight miles twice every day,
| have time to look round q bit, and
one day while the mules We're resting
/ made my find. That was nearly two
months ago but I've not been sure till
this day that I'd struck the real stuff,
for I'm Lot an educated man like
yourself, Mr. Trumbull, end I was
afraid TO have my metal asSayed here
in Cactus City Anyhow bought the
land for a song-it's just over the
border in Mexico and l can hardly
believe even now that it's all true"
Every day you bring in this chest
Of ingots from the Santa Maria, do
your Ben asked.
Every blessed day, sir" Horton re-
piled, Sundays and holidays in.
cluded."
"They must be making money" Ben
suggested. ~ should Ike to 20 out
with you some day and have a look
at the mine
I'm sure Ia like To have You 90,
sir" Horton answered, "but it's not
possible. They don't allow any
visitors to 20 into the mine nor to
come about the place at all"
It was late that night before Horton
left Ben's room. and when he did go
. Ben was in possession Of all the in
formation about the Santa Maria mine
that his companion could give him.
Somehow Ben seemed to take more in
terest in the Santa Maria, mine than
in Horizons great find
u think know an honest face when
/ see one" Ben said to himself before
he went to bed, land IL it's possible
I'll save that man, but Til make rsnre
Of his innocence first"
For the next two weeks Ben and his