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

to do anything for him before the mid
die of the afternoon but when the
! banker produced the slab of gold the
assayer said he would drop his other
work and make a test. The Old miner.
/ having caught from chekke a lurking
suspicion Of all white men,. kept a close
watch on the assayer. and when the
latter came with his brace and bit
! it was Chekko's OWN hand that guided
/ the anger, the banker holding the bar
! in place upon the low table.
When the assayer. nervous and ex-
cited. had gone into the back room with
half the borings. Chekko gathered the
rest up carefully, tied them in a knot
/ in one corner of his big cotton hand
kerchief and dropped them into his
/ pocket.
In a little while the assayer came out
I with bright button of gold and a
certificate fixing the value of the bar
at $3.50 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 trembled as ne slid
! a crisp Canadian So note into the trem-
bling hand of the asSayer.
Now the banker, passing out, called
d CHEEKY goodbye to the man who had
made him happy. and the latter an
swered ''SO-long." but Uncle Ben said
not q word
When they We're alone again in the
bankers private office Uncle Ben in
formed 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 ne needed 1t is plain to
me that he meant to keep the balance
But you brought it away with YOU
Yes, said Uncle Ben, and I want
you TO take it to the other assaver
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 1 want you TO know. If the other
man finds the same. then you will be
/ satisfied" SO the banker promised.
And in this way Mr.. Macquagin be-
came third owner in mine that was
marvel ora myth. Still the bar
gain was not sealed. Chekko's consent
must be gained. This could be Or ought
about nv Uncle Ben. and by him alone.
Now that J e had overcome Dis o:sn
foolish Gears, the Storm tanned prlS-
pector seemed anxious TO win his su-
perstitiOus partner 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 bahner V-as con-
cerned. for was he not nov Is decr'y
interested in protecting the property
as was Uncle Ben or Chekko2
a week passed, and no word from I'm
Gle Ben. The banker called on the as
sayer. He felt that he must talk with
someone who knew about the bar of
gold but the assayer's 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 con-
nection with the disappearance Of IN
Gle Ben? No, he thought not: but the
times a day he would take the little
gold button from his pocket and look ii
over. On the ninth day he took The
button TO the old assayer, and the Old
assayer said it was gold.
But what is it worth. suppose I have
peck of those buttons2'
"Oh, / should say about 49,"
The banker slept better thar 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 rest
less. The suspense was unbearab BILE.
After all. what assurance had he that
this button came from the augur hole
All, the borings? 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
thought the banker was waiting in the