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

l9e)
risk 1t and send the slab to Montreal, when
the Keen eye of Uncle Ben caught the
swinging sign of the new man.
All. to be sure said the banker beam
ing. Il had forgotten that Calgary has two
assayers nov. How stupid of me-
But, said Uncle Ben, Juggling at the
bankers sleeve "'can we trust this stran-
ger?"
Yes, indeed. I know him well, goes to
| our church, fine fellow and from the south,
too"
The assayer was busy. They could hear
| MIN juggling his longs and when the door
| opened they could smell the ore roasting
| IN the furnace in the little back room
When Uncle Ben had been introduced he
wanted to see the great man at work but
me assayer explained to him that it was
, only fair to his customers that no one
should enter the test room. A sprinkle of
aust IN a worthless sample, he explained
might cause a millionaire to exchange
PAGES with pauper. The banker express
ed the opinion that that would be a good
lning-for the pauper-and appealed to
Uncle Ben for his opinion on the point.
Not II he came by it through fraud
said the old man. his steel blue eyes fixed
upon the bankers face
Inc aSsayer had informed his friend the
banker that it would be impossible to do
anything fer him before the middle of the
afternoon, but when the banker produced
the slab of sold the assayer said he would
crop his other work and make a test The
| Old miner. having caught from Chekko a
lurking suspicion of all white men, kept a
ciose watch on the assayer, and when the
latter came with his brace and bit it was
MS own hand that guided the auger the
banker holding the bar in place upon the
low table.
bad gone into the back room with half the
borinss. Chekko gathered the rest uu care
fully, tied them in knot in one corner of
his big cotton handkerchief and dropped
them into his pocket.
In a little while the assayer came out
with a bright button of gold and a certifi-
cate hiking the value of the bar at $40 10
an ounce The eye of the banker danced
as he looked into the dancing eye of the
assayer, while Uncle Ben kept one hand
upon the slab. The hand of the banker
tremb!ed as he slid crisp Canadian s.
sayer
Now, the banker. passing out. called
cheery goodbye to the man who had made
MIN nappy. and the latter answered so
long but Uncle Ben said not word
When they were alone again in the bank
er's private office Uncle Ben informed his
companion that he did not like the look of
the assayer.
The banker only laughed He was too
Eappy to see anything but good in a world
that had been good to him.
But why did he take out twice as much
gold as he needed? 1t is plain to me that
he meant to keep the balance"
Yes, said Uncle Ben; land I want you
to take it TO the other assayer when he re-
turns and see what he says"
The banker assured the old man that it
was all right.
Yes, 1 suppose it isl said Uncle Ben:
but / want you to know. If the other
man hnds the same then you will be salts
fed So the banker promised
And In this way Mr.. Macquagin became
third owner in a mine that was a marvel
ora myth Still the bargain was not seal
ed thekko's consent must be gained This
could be brought about by Uncle Ben and
by him alone.
Now that he had overcome his own fool
Ism fears, the storm tanned prospector
seemed anxious to win his superstitious
partner over to the white man 1t was
upon this business that he embarked bv
train that afternoon for Revelstoke There
was no need of secrecy, so far as the bank
er was concerned, for was he not now as
deeply interested in protecting the property
as was Uncle Ben or Chekko?
A week passed. and no word from Uncle
Ben. The banker called on the assayer
He felt that he must talk with some one
who knew about the bar of gold but the
assayers office was closed. "Out of town"
was all the paper talk on the door had to
tell
The banker became uneasy. Could the
absence of this man have any connection
with the disappearance of Uncle Ben? No
he thought not: but the days dragged like
years A dozen times a day he would take
the little gold button from his pocket and
look 1t over. On the ninth day he took the
button to the old assayer and the old as
sayer said it was gold
But what is it worth suppose have a
peck of those buttonsr'
oh. should say about So"
The banker slept better that night The
| new assayer had been in the bank that
day. and this fact helped to quiet the
bankers fears.
Still another day. and no news from
Uncle Ben. The banker became restless
The suspense was unbearable. After all
what assurance had he that this button
came from the augur hole? All, the Dor
ings! Why not have the old assayer pass
upon the shavings that Uncle Ben had
saved? Uncle Ben had, of course, carried
the bar away with him, but the borings
would do as well
Thirty minutes from the birth of this
brilliant thought the banker was waiting
in the assay office for the result of the run
After what seemed IN age to him. the man
came out with a certificate that read.
Gold, $40 TO-"
wonderful what men will suffer. risk and
endure for gold. 1t is the white mans
god The next day Uncle Ben came back
to Calgary. but when the banker saw that
he had no gold chill passed down the
bankers spine. Chekko would not consent
For nearly two weeks the white man had
labored with the old Indian, but he would
not; The white men were all there's, and
II they set foot In the new camp Chekko
would be driven out. Uncle Ben showed
plainly his disappointment. He had come
back to Calgary only to apprise the banker
of what he had done. or rather failed to
do, and to warn his new friend against at
tempting to find out the place of the golden
river. Chekko never slept. If any white
man came to that camp, Chekko would
surely shoot him with bullet made of
pure gold
The banker had another chill Not at
dread of being filled with golden buckshot
but because of a strange coincidence He
had just read in the local paper an item
headed:
BULLETS OF GOLD"
Mr.. Smith, our new and obligirg as
| saver. whose business card can b. seen in
another column, and whose deep bass
voice may be heard every Sunday at the
Church of the Ascension. killed a caribou
on Wednesday of this week and sold the
carcass to Mr.. Grass, the accomplished
butcher at the corner of 4th and Brook
j streets. Embedded against one of the ami
mails shoulder blades the butcher found a
bullet of gold. While cutting up the last
quarter another golden shot was found
slightly fattened, against the hip bone of
| the caribou. One of said bullets can be
| seen at this office. The other, having been
| tested by Mr.. Smith. and found TO he pure
/ gold, is on exhibition in the window of Mr.
! Grass shop
| Surely the plot thickens Just as all
! things seemed to conspire few DAYS ago
/ to shake the bankers faith. so did tbeea