The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-28
THE WESTERNERS
BY STEWART EDWARD WHITE.
Copyrighted by Mcclure Phillips & Co.
BY STEWART EDWARD WHITE.
Copyrighted by Mcclure. Phillips & Co.

a I'd - II NOuiu ldht oAAlN u niue over
four months TO catch the initial en-
pense."
of course. there's your running ex-
penses of a camp" suggested Frank.
'Oh, yes: but look at the margin to
cover them"
They went on to the next. and the
next. until the ten claims were all fg-
ured over, Not all showed as allurng
prospect as the Great Snake. for that
was admittedly the banner claim of
the group. but all yielded a good mar
gin of profit 1t was simple as
proposition in algebra. Assay value
minus cost of production equals profits.
There was no unknown quantity in
sight Lafond alone saw one. and he
held his peace
One more item the Fasteners had
to include. and this falling within their
business habits. and out of Billys, they
arranged TO their own satisfaction. 1t
was Billy's price for his claims
Now, what are your ideas on the
subject, Mr.. Knapp" asked Stevens,
briskly.
Billy hesitated. 'Mebbe it's funny"
he confessed; but l hadn't settled on
a price. I know you gentlemen II do
what is right. But 1 would like to
stay with her a bit"
Stay with herr"
Yes" explained Billy, embarrassed.
self, you know" There spoke Billy's
vanity.
The three talked together low-voiced
for a moment. They had conceived a
vast respect for Billy-s capacity in
the West. however unsophisticatsd he
might appear in the East; and they
had long before talked out in antici-
patton just this point. Stevens voiced
their decision.
1--WE have decided, Mr.. Knapp" he
began, ito ask you to be our superin-
tendent, provided, of course, the COM
pany is formed. We feel sure that
your best efforts will be expended in
our behalf because your interests will
be ours" Then he went on briefly
to fatter Billy exceedingly, until that
individual was ready to weep with JOY.
"Our proposition is this" he concluded.
I'VE intend to form a stock company
of two hundred thousand shares at 81
share, worcestershire. OF this
amount a majority will be held by the
promoters of the company, some other
smaller amount will remain in the
treasury, and, say, fifty thousand will
be floated on the market. Our offer is.
to make you superintendent at a NOM
inal salary of five thousand. and to
give you in addition thirty thousand
promoters shares as your price OF the
claims. These shares you may either
SGiA VI htCp. 1nuo gOu may NANhGA
take a certain sum of money, or YOU
may pool your interests with ours. con-
fident that every good showing made
by you as superintendent will increase
the value of your holding as partici-
pator in the enterprise. In other words.
ii gives you a personal interest in
your work here. What do you say"
Heads I win. tails you lose" said
Lafond over in the corner, but he said
it under his breath
To Billy is was all gorgeous. He saw
only that he was offered $50, 900 and
five thousand a year. in addition to
keeping the position of prominence he
coveted. To him the paper dollar
shares looked as good as paper dollar
bills.
What do I say?" he cried, 1T say.
put her thar and thank you. Let's
go have drink"
So the meeting adjourned wonder
fully inspirted, especially Michail La
fond. for at last he saw a chance.
AS he looked up at the stars that
night before turning in, he made a
quaint little sign on high. 1t was the
Indian gesture of worship. ''Lafond.'
he purred to himself. you are a TOOL
for luck. Ripping Water used to say
you were born under a lucky star,
and by the Turtle, believe she was
right"
For though the Fasteners thought
they had done we'll In paying Billy with
a paper futurity, Lafond saw two sides
to the question. The meeting had been
conducted apparently, in the most
business-like and painstaking manner,
yet it was TO be noted that the funda-
mental facts, the facts on whose &C
curacy depended the whole value of
the subsequent figuring. were accept
ed on Billy's mere sa.y-so. without an
atfeOopf ar outSida UarifirafiOn T3illX
was honest, but he was superficial.
His temperament did not force MIN to
search out the little details. Michail
Lafond was in the habit of searching
them out very thoroughly.
He saw that one claim, because of its
peculiar situation, would require an ore
bin to equally peculiar construction:
that it might perhaps be necessary to
tiume water to another; that a third,
though it's surface showing was good,
gave indications of being nothing but
a blowout; that though the assay of
a certain ore was high. the actual
working value might be low. because
of the refractory character of the rock.
In regard to mere eXternals of camp
building. his experience taught him
that the Fasteners estimate would
turn out to be superficial. His view
from the inside showed him that every
last article of equipment for the build
ings, and every pound OF machinery,
would have to be brought in on mules;
that men might not always be easy
to get in a new country: that hay for
horses came from a distant prairie, at
prices that correspond to the distance;
that the enthusiastic promoter is rare
ly or never the careful, painstaking
superintendent. And so with hundred
other items, which the Fasteners had
entirely overlooked. 1t is marvellous
that they should have done so.
Translate gold into button hooks,
the Hills into a factory. Billy Knapp
into an impecunious small proprietor
anxious to sell, and not one of the three
would have gone into the affair so
blindly. But it is true. And more the
history of this operation at Copper
Creek is the faithful history of a my
Rad of exactly similar enterprises in
the West. Ask your broker friend, or
any one in a position to watch the
floating of schemes on Change; he will
tell you.
Having settled the business of the
trip, the Fasteners spent few ride
ulously juvenile days in pleasure. Billy
worked himself nearly blind to get
them a shot at deer, but without sue
cess. They visited Custer. On their
way back to the railroad. they took in
the Pine Ridge reservation. where they
saw 5000 Sioux. and bought beaded
moccasins and short ill-made arrows
Finally they piled on the Pullman.