The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-20
Ten per cent says he. Give me

s10O''
''Ain't got it," says I.
Keep the gold, then" says he to his
pard. an he starts out with the slab.
Now, we're in another tunnel. l riz up
an grabbed the man by the arm an
he stopped. When we passed out into
the daylight again l counted out 500.
the man snatched it an slammed the
door after him.
well, while I'm still chucklin' over
beaten them out o the tax on couple
o. thousand more. the ticket man come
up to me an asked what them fellers
wanted.
L explained, an he flew up an said:
I was a soft mark, that them want
nspecters-them's confidential men,
says he
How much is it?" says I, reachin'
fer my sack.
"How much is what?'
THE tax" says 1.
They amt no tax to pay" says he,
an then we went on through the car.
mutterin' somethin' about suckers in a
trout country"
The laugh that followed this story
was not very loud. The thing was 100
pathetic.
At the end of pleasant evening the
guests departed, the banker showing
Uncle Ben to the hotel on his way
home.
Uncle Ben did not show up at the
bank until the middle of the afternoon.
1t was Saturday; the bank was closed,
but the manager was at mis- post. He
had been there every moment from the
hour of opening and every hour expect
ing Uncle Ben. The old prospector
showed no sign of regTetting his bar
gain, but the banker was becoming IN
easy. II was Saturday, the regular
through train for RevelstOke had pass
ed. The flash rolf that was to be
taken out of the bank to humor the old
Indian must be returned before the
bank opened on Monday morning. The
manager thought Of chartering spe-
cial train to carry him to Revelstoke,
but that would attract undue notice,
and possibly create a stampede TO the
new fields. A better plan would be TO
secure a permit and go over on the first
freight. which would put them into
Revelstoke at midnight. 1t was agreed
that Mr. King. the editor. should draw
his personal check Tor $12,320. The cash
Ter protested; il was irregular; the man
King did not have 1900 mills in the
bank. but the manager told the cashier
that it was all right. There was $4,000
worth of gold as security in the safe,
besides the cash was TO be returned
Sunday afternoon, or long before the
hour for opening on Monday. So the
money went out.
The banker and the editor were
greatly amused at the quaint sayings of
Uncle Ben on the way over. AS the
heavy freight toiled no over the range
the three men sat in the cupola of the
NAV car. The moon was out full upon
the White mountains. making the world
wildly beautiful.
What's them iron strings fer?" asked
Uncle Ben.
"Those are telegraph wires"
But what's the good o them?-they
don't hold up the poles?
90 said the editor, glancing ar his
friend, 1--WE send messages over them.
You write out a message-a letter-and
hand it to the man at the station, and
he sends it over the wire.
Go on said Uncle Ben, turning
away to watch the moonlight that was
PLAYING on the ripples of the Kicking
Horse.
Honest" said King.
mo" the old man answered, "me an
Chekko watched them strings fer three
weeks once, an they want no letters
passed. Chekko said they was put
there to hold the poles together, an
that in winter the railroad would be
boarded up to keep the snow out.
think Chekkos right"
1t was l o'clock in the morning when
Uncle Ben struck the dim trail north
of the town of RevelstOke, followed by
the banker bearing the flash roll, the
editor stumbled along in he rear. To
the strangers it seemed that they were
walking in a trackless wilderness. but
the old pathfinder kept his feet swing
ing as though it were broad daylight.