The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-20

assay Office for the result of the run.
After what seemed an age 10 him, the
man came out with a certificate that
read: Gold. $19.10.'
The banker slept again that night. 1t
is wonderful what men Will suffer, risk
and endure for gold 1t is the white
I 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 Chek-
So 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 thieves and If 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 aporise
the banker of what he had done-or.
rather. failed TO dO-and TO warn his
new friend against attempting TO ind
out the place of the golden river. Chek-
ko never slept. If any white man
came TO that camp Chekko would sure
ly shoot him with a bullet made or
pure gold.
The banker had another chill Not at
dread of being filed with golden buck
shot. but because of a strange coinci-
dence He had just read in the local
paper an item headed:
bullets of Gold"
Mr.. Smith. our new and obliging as
sayer. whose business card can be 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 ac-
compliShed butcher at the corner of
Fourth and Brook streets. Embedded
against one of the animals shoulder
hull N .ar
gold. While cutting up the last quarter
another golden shot was found. slightly
faItened, 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
be pure gold. is on exhibition in the
window of Mr.. Grass shop.
Surely the plot thickens. Just as all
things seemed to conspire a few days
AGO to shake the bankers faith. so did
these circumstances rush in TO over
whelm him with evidence of the hon
esty of Uncle Ben and the wonderful
richness of the find. To be sure, the
pleasure of this Frightening prospect
was married by the sad news from the
camp, the news of the old Indians OBJ
stinacy, but surely way could be
found to get by the Indian.
Why should a heather savage be al
lowed to stand between the world and
nowIedge-between the banker and a
fortune? Ii was absurd. Do not Chris
tan nations kill savages in order 10
civiliZe them, and incidentally TO save
their souls? He would not do murder,
but he would cheerfully chlOroform this
old idiot. and then wake him up rich
and happy man. When he had tried
every other argument on the old miner,
he suggested the chloroform, but to his
amazement. Uncle Ben did not even
know the meaning of the word. The
banker explained the nature and effect
of the drug, and instantly the old miner
stood up.
And YOU advise this? To take such
advantage of an innocent man, to de-
ceive my best friend, rob him of his
reason, which is the sunlight of the
great spirit, and then, while he is CROP
ing in darkness. rob him of his gold.
All Chekko is right. The white man is
a hypOcrite. liar and a thief. This
makes me wish 1 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 toward the door.
Macquagin heard the door slam, 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 Revelstoke on a private mat
ter, which was perfectly 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 RevelstOke
when he caught sight of Uncle Ben
coming out of a grocery store. The