Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-09-06
CHAPTER vi.
..v YHO's your new shift boss?'
Glenister inquired OF his
wv partner few days later,
Indicating q man In the cut
CHATTER vi.

Glenister inquired Of his
J" partner few days later,
indicating man in the cut
below. busted in setting line OF
sluices.
.That's old slapjack simms, friend
Of mine from up Dawson way
Glenister laughed immoderately. for
the object was unusually tall and loose
iointed and wore soiled suit OF yellow
mackinaw. He had laid of his coat,
and now the baggy bilious trousers
hung precarionsly from his angular
shoulders by suspenders OF alarming
frailty. His legs were lost in gum
boots, also loose and cavernous, ana
his entire costume looked relaxed ana
Tapping, so that he gave the impress
sion of being able to shake himself out
Of his raiment and to rise like bur-
lesque Aphrodite His face was over
grown with grizzled tangle mat
looked as though it had been trimmed
with buttonhole scissors, While above
the brush heap grandly scared shiny.
domelike head.
HAS ne always Oeen Ddlu
"Naw. He amt bald at all. He
shavcs his srob. In the early days he
wore lone flown name which was
inhabited by crickets, tree toads and
such fauna 1t got to be hobby with
him finally, SO that he growed superstl-
tious about goin' uncurried and would
back into corner with both guns
drawed II barber came near him.
But once Hank-that's his real name
undertook to fry some slapjacks and in
givin' the skillet heave, the dough lit
among his forest primeval, Jest back
of his ears, soft side down. Hank pol
luted the gulch with langwidge which
no man had ought to keep in himself
without 1t was fumigated Disreppita-
bleness oozed out through him like
sweat through an Ice pitcher, an since
then he's been known as Slapjack
Simms an has kept his head shtngled
smooth as a gun bar'l. He's good
miner, though. Amt none better-an'
square as a die"
Sluicing had begun on the Midas.
Long sinuous lengths of canvas hose
wound down the creek bottom from
the dam, like gigantic serpents, while
the roll Of gravel through the fumes
mingled unsteady with the rush Of
waters, the tinkle Of tools and the song
of steel on rock. There were four
Strings" Of boxes abreast. and the
heaving line Of shovelers ate rapidly
into the creek bed, while teams with
scrapers splashed through the tail races
an atmosphere of softened profanity.
In the big white tents which sat back
from the bluffs, fifty men of the night
shift were asleep, for there is no re-
spite here-no night, no Sunday, no
halt, during the hundred days in which
the northland lends herself to pillage.
The mine lay Graded between won
derful, messy, willow mOttled noun
tains, while above and below the gulch
was dotted with tents ard huts, and
everywhere, from basin to hill crest,
men dug and blasted, punlly. patiently.
while their tracks grew daily palmer
over the face of this inscrutable will
derness.
A great contentment filled the two
partners as they looked on this scene.
TO wrest from reluctant earth her
richest treasures, to add to the wealth
of the world, to create-here was sat
isfaction.
I'VE amt robbin' no widders an
orphans dom it, neither" Dextry sud
|. denly remarked, expressing his part
ner's feelings closely. They looked at
each other and smiled with that rare
understanding that exceeds words.
Descending into the cut, the old man
filed gold pan with dirt taken from
under the feet Of the workers and
washed 1t In puddle, while the other
watched his dexterous whirling mo-
tons. When he had finished they
poked the stream of yellow grains into
a pile; then, with heads together,
guessed its weight, laughing again de-
lightedly, in perfect harmony and con-
tentment.
1--WE been waitin' turrible time fer
this day said the elder. 1--WE suf-
fered the plaques Of prospectin' from
the Mexicos to the Circle, an yet 1
don't begretch it none now that I've
struck pay"
While they spoke two miners strug-
gled with bowlder they had unearth-
ed and, having scraped and washed it
carefully, staggered back to place 1t on
the cleaned bedrock behind. One Of
them slipped, and it crashed against a
brace which held the slulces in place.
These boxes stand more than mans
height above the bedrock, resting on
supporting posts and running full Of
water Should a 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 al the joint; then, before
they. could reach the threatened spot
to support it, Slapjack Simms, with
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 a cataract. He dived
under the breach unhesitatingly and,
stopping, lifted the line ELS 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
fey, muddy water. 1t entered his gap
ing waistband, hulging out his yellow
trousers till they we're fat and full and