Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-06-06

Slou Lutl hcALFy WQlSper0Q.
"Ain't he ring-tailed wonder? It's
plumb solemn and reverent the way he
makes them untamed cusswords sit
up an beg. It's privilege to be pre-
sent. That's gift, that is"
You'd better get some dry Clothes
they suggested, and Slapjack proceed
ed a few PAGES toward the tents, hob
bling as though treading on pounded
glass.
"Ow-w! he yelled These blasted
boots is full of gravel
He seated himself and tugged at his
foot till the boot came away with a
sucking sound, then, instead of empty
Ing the accumulation at random, he
poured the contents into Dextry' 8
empty gold-pan, rinsing it out care
fully. The other boot he emptied like
wise. They held a surprising amount
of sediment, because the stream that
had emerged from the crack in the
sluices had carried with 1t pebbles
sand, and all the concentration of the
rifles at this point. Standing directly
beneath the cataract, most of it had
Owed fairly into his inviting waist
band, following down the lines of least
resistance into his boot-legs and boil
ing 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 yellow, glittering
pile which raised a yell from the men
who had fingered curiously.
"He pans forty dollars to the boot.
leg" one shouted.
GLOW much do you run to the foot,
Slapjack?"
Hes a regular free-milling ledge"
No, he ain't-he's too thin. He's
nothing but a stringer, but he'll pay to
work"
The old miner grinned toothlessly.
Gentlemen, there amt no better
way to save fine gold than with un-
dercurrents an blanket rifles. III
have to wash these garments of mine
an clean up the soapsuds cause q
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 bron.
co.
"I'm goin' to town for pair of gold.
scales, but I'll be back for supper, then
We'll clean up between shifts. She'd
ought to give us a thousand ounces
the way that ground prospects," He
loped down the gulch, while his part
ner returned to the pit, the flashing
shovel blades, and the rumbling un
dertone Of the big workings that SC
fascinated him
1t was perhaps 4 O'clock when he
was aroused from his labors by q
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
| North n-McNanara-the man of the
heavy hand Struve straightway en-,
gagged him.
Say, Glenister, we've come out to
see about the title to this claim
What about it?"
| well. 1t was relocated about a
month ago." He paused.
Eyes. What Of that?''
| Galloway has commenced suit"
THE ground belongs to Dexter and
me-. We discovered it, we opened it
up, we've complied with the law, and
we're going to hold It," Glenister
spoke with such conviction and heat
as to nonplus Strive, but Mcnamara
who had sat his horse silently until
now, answered.:
Certainly, sir; If your title is good
you will be protected but the law has
arrived in Alaska and we've got to let
it take it's course. There's no need Of
v1olence-none whatever-but. briefly
has commenced action against you;
the court has enjoined you from work
ing and has appointed me as receiver
to operate the mine until the suit is
settled. It's an extraordinary proceed
ure, of course, but the conditions are
extraordinary in this country. The
season Is so short that it would be I'm.
just to the rightful owner if the claim
lay idle all summer-so, to avoid that
I've been put in charge, with instrust.
ions to operate it and preserve the pro
ceeds subject to the courts order. Mr.
marshal. He will serve the papers,"
Glenister threw UP his hands In a
gesture Of restraint.
Hold on! Do you mean to tell me
that any coourt would recognize such
a claim as Galloway's?"
"The law recognizes everything. II
his grounds are no good, SO much the
better for you"
you can't put in receiver without
notice to us. Why. good Lord, we
never heard Of a suit being commenc.
ed. We've never even been served
with summons and we hayn't had a
chance to argue in our own defence"
81 have just said that this is a re-
markable state of affairs and unusual
action had to be taken" Mcnamara
replied, but the young miner grew ex.
cited
Look here-this gold won't get
away It's safe in the ground. Well
knock off work and let the claim lie
idle till the thing is settled. You can't
really expect us to surrender posses.
sion of our mine on the mere allega.
ton of some unknown man. That's
ridiculous. We won't do it. Why
you'll have to let us argue our case