The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-28

Come on in an I shows them to you"
He led the way into the little shack,
and began to rummage in a ValiSe full
of papers. Lafond found the place in
a litter of confusion. Scattered about
in the widest disorder were clothes,
WEAPONS saddles, harness. knick-
knacks and mining tools. Among the
latter the half-breed noticed the sec
lions of a pump-an expensive ma
chine used only after a shaft has
penetrated below the water level, but
which Billy had already purchased.
Lying half open among the dusty old
pipes, which numbered the tables, Mike
perceived a large wooden box.
Whats this?" he asked.
Billy looked up red-faced from his
search.
"That?" he replied. "Oh, that's a
stamper," and dived back into the va
lise.
Lafond drew the box toward him.
He found it to contain a vast quantity
of rubber types of all sizes and styles,
figures, ornaments and ornamental
rulings. The box itself was perhaps
some thirty inches square. 1t was a
most elaborate outfit, whose use is
confined almost entirely to large de-
partment stores where there is much
marking of prices.
Billy now stood upright, having
found his roll of plans.
What did you say this is?" asked
Lafond again.
"A stamper."
What do you do with ;t?"
You sticks the types in this rule
this way" Billy took out the rule
and some of the types. fumbled I'M
skillfully with them for moment, and
threw them impatiently down. Any
way, they goes in; and then that keeps
them in straight line"
Yes persisted Lafond; but what's
it for?"
Why. to stamp things with. of
course"
What things?"
Billy hadn't thought of that
But his discontinue was only mo-
mentary. He spread the plans out on
the rapidly cleared table, and dis
coursed concerning them Lafond lent
an attentive ear, but said little. Biily's
ideas were comprehensive. They in
cluded every adjunct of use or eXpe-
diency which the prospector remem-
bered to have seen in any of the numer-
GUS successful camps which had fallen
under his observation. In fact, when
finished, the external Great Snake
would be composite of the desirable
features of many other camps, includ-
ing the great "Homestake" itself. 1t
was evident that before Billy's minds
eye, the Great Snake was already as
prosperous and as we'll entitled to its
graces of mining luxury as any of the
older enterprises. After a little APP
peared a man who had some horses
to SELL so Lafond took his leave and
retraced his steps to town. Near the
foot of the knoll he happened across
still further evidence of Billy's wan
dering activity in the shape of an w.
ory-handled clasp knife of five-inch
blade. Mike remembered that Billy
had shown it about in the Little Mug
get the evening before as another eX-
ample of the Fasteners generosity;
and he remembered further the West
erner's delighted laugh over the in
scription, William Knapp"
Don't know myself that way" he
had cried. II clean forgets that Billy
does stand for William
Lafond's first impulse was to reclimb
the knoll for the purpose of returning
his find to its owner, but on second
thoughts it hardly seemed worth the
trouble. He slipped it into the side
pocket of his canvas coat, where, of
course. he speedily forgot all about it.
When he reached the Little Nugget,
empty at this time of day, ne sat down
in his chair and laughed aloud, peal
on peal, wagging his head and rubbing
his eyes. Frosty, happening in, with
drew with celebrity, firmly convinced
that his master had gone crazy.
"A fool for luck, a fool for luck!"
cried Lafond. "Why, the idiot is play
ing right into my hands,"