The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-06


But before we do more" said Uncle
Ben. you take this bar to an assayer
or two If they's Two IN town, an see If
iCs all right"
Carefully covering the little slab of gold
with a newspaper the banker stole out
in search Of man with crucible and scales
and bottles and things for testing ore.
OF course, the old miner went along; not
that he doubted the honesty of the banker
but he had sworn 10 ChekkO. touching the
witch hazel, that the treasure should not
leave his sight. They called upon the old
assayer who had come TO Calgary with
the railroad and had never accumulated
enough wealth TO take him farther, but
The old assayer was away. They gath
cred from a scrap of paper tackled on the
front door that 1t would be three or four
days before the professor would return.
The banker was saying that he would
risk il and send the sab to Montreal when
the keen eye of Uncle Ben caught the
swinging sign of the new man.
An, to be sure" sad the banker bean
ing, II had forgotten that Calgary has
two assayers now. How stupid of me"
But" said Uncle Ben, Juggling at the
bankers sleeve, "can we trust this strang-
cry"
Yes indeed know him well: goes 10
our church; fine fellow and from the
South, TOO
The assayer was busy. They could hear
him juggling his tongS, 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 the assayer explained to him that in
was only fair 10 his customers that no one
should enter the test room sprinkle
of dust i'm a worthless sample he explain
cd. might cause a millionaire to exchange
places with a pauper. The banker ex-
Il fr. .Ares
good thing-for the pauper-and appealed
to Uncle Ben for his opinion on the point
Not If ne came by il through fraud. q"
said the old man, his steel blue eyes fixed
upon the bankers face.
The assayer had informed his friend. the
banker. that it would be impossible 10 do
anything for him before the middle of the
afternoon but when the banker produced
the slab Of gold the assayer said he would
drop his other word and make a test The
Old miner having caught from Chekko
lurking suspicion of all white men. kept
close watch on the assayer, and when the
latter came with his brace and bit it was
Chekko's own hand that guided the auger,
the banker holding the bar in place upon
the low table.
When the assayer, nervous and excited,
had gone into the back room with half the
borings Chekko gathered the rest up care
fully, tied them in a knot in one corner of
his big cotton handkerchief, and dropped
them into his pocket
In a little while the assayer came out
with bright button of gold, and a ceruti-
cate fixing the value Of the bar at S19lO
an ounce. The eye of the banker danced
as he looked into the dancing eye of the as
sayer, while Uncle Ben kept one hand upon
the slab. The hand of the banker trem-
bled as he slid a crisp Canadian S. note in
to the trembling hand of the assayer.
L ~gve ID
CHEEKY goodby 10 the man who had made
him happy, and the latter answered, so
long" but Uncle Ben said not a word.
When they were alone again in the
bankers private office Uncle Ben inform
ed his companion that he did not like the
look of the assayer.
The banker only laughed He was too
happy 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 needed2 1t is plain to me that
he meant TO keep the balance"
But you brought il away with you"
Yes" said Uncle Ben and I want
you 20 take it to the other assayer when
he returns and see what he says"
The banker assured the old man that it
was all right
Yes, l suppose it is" said Uncle Ben;
but ] want you 10 know If the other
man finds the same. then you will be sat
istied" So the banker promised.
And in this way Mr.. Macquasin became
third owner in mire that was a marvel
ora myth. SIN the bargain was not seal
cd. Chckko's consent must be gained. This
could re brought about by Uncle Ben, and
by him alone.
Now that he had overcome his own fool
ish fears the storm-tanned prospector
seemed anxious to win his supers itous
pardner over to the white man. 1t was
upon this business that he embarked by
train that afternoon for Revelstoke There
was no need of secrecy, so far as the
banker was concerned, for was he not now
as deeply interested in protecting the prop
crty as was Uncle Ben of 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 an 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
,-.,-s ,J.g.p tfr,,o. q Ia, 40 mould ,Iya