Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-05

while he is cropping in darkness, rob him
| of his gold Ali Chekko is right The
/ white man is hypocrite liar and a thief.
| This makes me wish l had been born red
| or black or even yaller-anything but
| white
| Stay" gasped the banker for Uncle Ben
| had turned and taken two long strides to-
ward the door.
| Macquagin heard the door SIAM and Uncle
| Ben was gone.
| When the editor of the local paper asked
| the banker where he was bound for, the
| banker said he was just going over to Rev
efstoke on private matter. which was per-
| fectly true. 1t was perfectly natural. too,
| that the banker should take this trip, for
his rest had been broken for ten nights.
| he had been three days in Revslstoke
when he caught sight of Uncle Ben coming
out OF grocery store. The proSDectOr
J would have passed on without recognizing
I the banker, but the latter would not let it
| happen that way. He spoke to the miner,
| calling him Uncle Ben and showing great
| surprise and much pleasure at the unex-
| pected meeting. Uncle Ben was remote
| but not altogether frosty in his intercourse
| with Macquagfn. After much persuasion
| the prospector consented to break bread
with the man who had offered to help him.
| ard before they left the table they had
| some white wine that sparkled and bit like
hard cider, and it put Uncle Ben in better
| spirits than he had shown for some time
| AS the two men came down the long flight
! OF steps that led from the hotel to the de-
I pot Uncle Ben actually leaned at times
! upon the bankers arm.
| When the last CLINT of gold was gone
| from the western sky and the stars stud
| ded the blue vault above the valley of the
Columbia. the two men said goodbye, and
| hind the town.
Before they separated the banker sue
| ceeded Ill getting the old man to prom
| Use to visit Calgary once more and see
/ ny no ar,fc- 30 Il
| looking to the development of the prop
erty that the lucky prospectors had dis
| covered.
OF course, Uncle Ben kept his prom
| Use. To the great joy of the banker he
| brought back the bar of gold When the
! two men had been together for an hour
the banker had gotten from Uncle Ben
| the bewildering statement that, in addi-
| ton to the small slab which he carried
| they had cached near their camp a rough
| bar that would weigh seventy-five or
eighty pounds. He was tired of living
| so, starving in a bank vault so to speak
and had at last gained Chekko's consent
! to give up third interest in the mine
| for the bankers help But first Chekko
must have some tangible proof of the bank
| er's existence and of his wealth. Finally
| it was agreed that the banker should weigh
| up the gold that Uncle Ben had brought
| the bar, the nuggets and three bags Of
| dust, and find the cash value of the whole.
Thirty-six thousand nine hundred and six
| ty dollars was what it was worth
How much is Chekkos share?" asked
Uncle Ben eagerly.
The banker figured moment and said:
S12.320.' Then take $12,320 in cash and
| show it to Chekko. He knows money
knows what it looks like-an if we show
| it to him he will be satisfied; then YOU can
bring the money back and lock it up In
| your iron box again. You can bring the
big bar of gold at the same time" he add
ed, as if this had been mere after
thought.
The banker sighed sigh that was
great relief to him, and then he called
the paying teller and told him to put the
gold in the vault.
The difficulty that confronted the banker
now was how to get this $12, 800 out of
| the bank. He could not draw a check
for the amount himself without exciting
the cashier. He must have a confederate.
He would take in a partner, but it must
be some one not connected with the bank
He called upon friend who did a lit
tie business in legal way, but the friend
was out. He sought out the editor
of the local paper and told him little bits
of the wonderful story that had come to
him in sections during the past six weeks.
The editor was willing, almost eager, to
do his part and to take whatever came
to him.
Uncle Ben was introduced, asked to sup
per at the editors house and accepted the
invitation. Mr.. Smith, the new assayer and
bass singer, was there, and the banker. 1t
was pleasant evening. Here were three
men of intelligence, all reasonably well ed
ucated. men of some refinement, entertain
ing an unwaShed hillman. but they soon
discovered that Uncle Ben was uncon-
sciously entertaining them. From the mo-
ment he entered the little vestibue he had
the whole party at the point of exploding
with laughter He watched the other men
hang their hats on the moosehead hat rack
and then deposited his on the floor in the
hall. When Mrs. King, the editors wife
offered him napkin he said 'Thanke, I've
got a hankicher" He had been reserved
and very guarded in his conversation with
he thawed perceptibly The Unborn chivalry
of the south still showed through the tan
and thirty years of beard.
What a nice coupboard,'' he said to the
hostess
THAT isn't a coupboard. Uncle Ben" said
Mrs; Killing sweetly; that's a piano-a
And then she went over lifted the lid and
let her hands wander idly the keys
Uncle Ben said no more, but as he re-
sumed her seat his hostess saw him sneak
corner of his red and white kerchief up
to his off eye
Away along toward the coffee he became
| talkative again. "Uh'' he exclaimed. grasp
ing the stem of a champagne glass in his
big brown fist, that liquors finer'n mooses
milk" The roar of laughter in which the
ladies Joined, seemed to embarrass the old
| man.
Tell us story. Uncle Ben." said Mr..
Smith; "a bear story If you will"
wolves is worsen bears, said Uncle
Ben, making dough pill and Tipping it at
little time 18th couple Nv EN- today,
comm over"
Tell us about it, urged the assayer.
reaching for the nut cracker.
Yer wastin good liquor there pardner"
| said the old man, Killing emptfed the bot
| tie on the back of Uncle Ben's hand that
sheltered his champagne glass.
When the train stopped at the Glacier
Ter dinner, mosied into the lunch room for
bite to eat. Whin come out see a cou-
/ pie o feliers prancin up an down the walk
| lookin' ST they'd been there fore we come
Little while after the train started thew
come into the car wher / set smolxin' one
! pushed my shoulder down with a punch he
packed. jest edzactly like them pinchers
| that Mr.. Smiths mashin' nuts with an,
said to me, Alternative like: open up"
WHAT" says |.
| open up yer pack, says he this is the
government Inspector" pintin' his pinchers
| at the other man.
Jest then we started into one O. them
| wooden tunnels, an, thinks |, here's a good
place to hide the slab. Well, at the mint
l was pokin 1t under the cushin we DARED
| out again an one o the inspectors see mo
He caught my arm, trailed it down an,
| found the slab o gold. First I'm mad lint
some skeered at the same time Then the
| second Teller spoke. He tuck the slab from
| the first man. sayin He's an old chan: we
won't report it; give back his gold'
| munh trnf he,