Amador ledger., 1905-03-24
Jinmy's Mine

Roderick-locally known as Cred
I-Alleger thoughtfully regarded the
sample of quartz the younger man
had handed him.
Its good quartz" he said at last.
"It's running about $40 to the ton. -
" That's what the assay said, "de-
clared Jimmy Milligan delightedly.
4" guess Pm not SO green. Five
thousand for a mine like Shaf.
=" Whose miner" demanded Red an
ruptly.
=" The Golden Hope, answered
Jimmy.
Red rose solemnly, turned the sur
prised youth about, kicked him with
the dignity of one who performs q
ritualistic Office Ind sst himself
down again.
You'll thank me, he exclaimed
to the surprised Milligan, when you
find out that the only thing about
the Golden Hope that is gold is the
title.'
" But this specimen" persisted
Milligan.
Runs $12O to the ton, agreed
Red. "You can get 1t IRON the Ar
rowmine just as Epson did" Milli-
gan went white. "You mean," he
gasped.
"That's the salt they put on the
tails of the little dickey birds from
the East SO they can catch EN-
"And the mine is worth -
Whatever you can get for it as
building material. There ain
very good market for building ma
terial hereabouts, lessen its tim ber.'' -
"I'll make him give me back my
money!" stormed Milligan, starting
for the door. Red grasped his collar.
'You can save yourself lot of
trouble not chasing after Epson"
he admonished. "Ep packed the trail
on the east bound last night. Said
he was going to New York for
spell. -
The mention of the train suddenly
brought Milligan to his feet. Ny
sister he gasped.
"What about herr" asked Red, un,
interestedly.
''What about her? She is due here
on the Overland tonight" Jimmy
explained. "She was waiting in Den
yer until | located somewhere, and
she's due here tonight.
Red rose and grasped Jimmy's col
lar. There was sharp tussle, but
Milligan was no match for the hardy
westerneI and in a moment he was
experiencing the first shaking which
had been administered since he had
left school.
81 apologize for kickin' yer, awhile
back, said Red, with a twinkle in
his eye, but thought you was most
grown up. Any fool lad that brings
dainty, lap-o'- luxury girl out in
these diggins amt quite right.
''She's all I've got," defended
Jimmy. She wouldn't be happy with
out me-. -
" Dye think she's apt to be happy
in that tumble down shacko' yourn?"
demanded Red with fine scorn.
"She won't mind roughing it for
while," protested the boy. "She
said She rather like it,
'Did she ever get good look at
a shack, likes on the Golden Hope
delusion?"
''She's read lot about the west,
was the uneasy answer.
"Well," said Red with a smile
flickering about the determined
mouth, "she'll find that shacks are
a heap lot more comfortable in story
books than they are on a mineral
claim in Pepperpot Gulch."
"Now you're going to rent from
me, dye understand until you can
get something that looks more like a
house built on that fool claim of
yourn.
"But where'll you bunk?" demand
ed the boy uneasily. "This is the
best place in the gulch. | don't want
to turn you out"
81 think" said Red dryly,-'' that
the Golden Hope is altogether too
valuable property to be lett alone
I'll bunk over there and watch it
until something can be DONE"
Much argument followed, but in
the end the boy gave in and Marion
Milligan, with many an exclamation
of delight, was ushered into the
habitable three roomed shack instead
of the tumbeIdown shanty, in which
at that moment Red was cooking
his evening fiapjacks and frying his
bacon.
Somehow Jimmy hated to spell that
first night with the recital of he swim
die of which he had been the victim.
The morrow would bring time enough
for that. They sat long into the
night planning their future and the
boy let her plan alterations to the
cabin since an explanation of the loan
of the shack would involve further
cnfession.
Worn out by excitement, Jimmy
slept soundly the following morning,
and Marion, coming out to get day