The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-11-22
The Spoilers.
By REX e. BEACH.
:. copyrisht. E. Reach
By REX E. BEACH.

them slipped, and 1t crashed against a
brace which held the sluices in place.
These boxes stand more than a mans
height above the bedrock, resting on
supporting posts and running full Of
water. Should sluice fall the rush
ing stream carries out the gold which
has lodged in the rifles and floods the
bedrock, raising havoc. Too late the
partners saw the string of boxes sway
and bend at the joint; then, before
they could reach the threatened spot
to support it, Slapjack Simms, with q
shrek, plunged tapping down into the
cut and seized the flume. His great
height stood him in good stead now
for where the joint had opened water
poured forth in cataract. He dived
under the breach unhesitatingly and,
STOPPING, lifted the line as near to its
former level as possible, holding the
entire burden upon his naked pate.
He gesticulated wildly for help,
while over him poured the deluge of
icy. muddy water. 1t entered his gap
ing waistband, bulging out his yellow
trousers till they were fat and full and
the seams were bursting, while his
yawning boot tops became as boiling
springs. Meanwhile he chartered forth
profanity in such volume that the ear
ached under 1t as must have ached the
heroic Slapjack under the chill of the
melting snow. He was relieved quick
ly, however and emerged triumphant,
though blue and puckered, his wilder
ness of whiskers streaming like timber
btalactites, his boots loosely "squish-
ing" while oaths still poured from him
in such profusion that Dextry whis-
pered:
"Ain't he ring tailed wonder? It's
plumb solemn an reverent the way he
makes them untamed cuss words sit
up an beg. It's privilege u be pres
emit That's a gift, that is"
You'd better get some dry Clothes"
they suggested, and Slapjack proceed
ed few PAGES toward the tents, hob
bling as though treading on pounded
glass.
"Ow-ww he yelled. "These blasted
boots is full of gravel"
He seated himself and tugged at his
foot till the boot came away with q
sucking sound; then, instead of emp
tying the accumulation at random, he
poured the contents into Dextry's emp
ty gold pan, rinsing it out carefully.
The other boot he emptied likewise.
They held a surprising amount of sedi-
ment, because the stream that had
emerged from the crack in the sluices
had carried with it pebbles, sand and
all the concentration of the rifles at
this point. Standing directly beneath
the cataract, most of it had dived fair
ly into his inviting waistband, follow
ing down the lines of least resistance
into his boot legs and boiling out at
the knees.
"Wash that" he said. You're apt
to get prospect"
With artful passes Dextry settled 1t
In the pan bottom and washed away
the gravel, leaving a yellow glittering
pile which raised yell from the men,
who had fingered curiously.
HE pans $40 to the boot leg" one
shouted.
SLOW much do you run to the foot,
Hes regular free milling ledge"
mo, he amt; he's too thin. He's
nothing but stringer, but he'll pay to
work."
The old miner grinned toothlessly.
Gentlemen, there amt no better
way to save fine gold than with under
an blanket rifles. I'll have
to wash these garments of mine an
clean up the soapsuds cause there's a
hundred dollars In gold dust clingin'
TO my person this minute" He went
dripping up the bank, while the men
returned to their work singing.
After lunch Dextry saddled his
''I'm goin' to town for pair Of gold
scales, but I'll be back by supper; then
we'll clean up between shifts. She'd
ought to give us thousand ounces the
way that ground prospects" He loped
Town the gulch, while his partner re-
turned to the pit, the flashing shovel
blades and the rumbling undertone of
the big workings that so fascinated
him.
1t was perhaps 4 o'clock when he
was aroused from his labors by shout
from the bunk tent, where a group of
horsemen had clustered. AS Glenister
drew near he saw among them Wilton
Strive. the lawyer, and the big, well
dressed tenderfoot of the Northern,
the man of the heavy
hand. Strive straightway engaged
him,
"Say, Glenister we've come out to
see about the title to this claim"
What about it?'
well, 1t was relocated about
month ago" He paused.
'Yes. What of thatT
Galloway has commenced suit"
1.-THE ground belongs to Dextry and
me. We discovered 1t, we opened 1t
up. we've complied with the law, and
we're going to hold It." Glenister
spoke with such conviction and heat as
10 nonplus Strive, but Mcnamara, who
had sat his horse silently until now,
"Certainlv sir. If vour fffIa 10 GOOD