Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-09-06
The Spoilers.
BY REX e. BEACH.
). copyrisht. 1905. by E. Bes.D. =
By REX e. BEACH.

though blue and puckered. his wilder
ness OF whiskers streaming like timber
stalactites, 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 to be pres
ent. That's 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-w. he yelled. "These blasted
boots is full of gravel"
He seated himself and tugged at his
foot till the boot came away with
sucking sound; then, instead Of emp
tying the accumulation at random, he
poured the contents into Dextry's emp
ty gold pan, rinsing 1t out carefully
The other boot he emptied likewise.
They held 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 1t 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 d prospect"
With artful passes Dextry settled It
in the pan bottom and washed away
the gravel. leaving a yellow glittering
pile which raised yell from the men,
who had fingered curiously.
Gle pans $40 to the boot leg" one
shouted
"How much do you run to the foot.
| Slapjack?"
"He's a reg'lar free milling ledge"
mo, he amt: 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 under
currents 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'
J to my person this minute" He went
dripping up the bank, while the men
returned to their work singing.
| After lunch Dextry saddled his
| broncho.
"pm 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
down the gulch, while his partner re-
turned to the pit, the flashing shovel
blades and the rurnbling 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 group of
horsemen had clustered. AS Glenistef
drew near he saw among them Wilton
! Struve, the lawyer, and the big, well
| dressed tenderfoot of the Northern,
Mcnamara, 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, it was relocated about a
month ago" He paused.
I eyes What of that?"
1! "Galloway has commenced suit
"The ground belongs to Dextry 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 its course. There's no
need Of. yiolence-none whatever-but,
briefly, the situation is this: Mr.. Cal
loway has commenced action against
you, the court has enjoined you from
working and has appointed me as re-
ceiyer to operate the mine until the
suit is settled It's an extraordinary
procedure, of course, but the eondi-
/ lions are extraordinary in this country.
The season is so short that it would be
unjust to the rightful owner II the
claim lay idle all summer, so to avoid
that I've been put in charge, with In
structions to operate it and preserve
the proceeds subject to the courts or
! der. Mr.. Voorhees, here is the United
States marshal. He will serve the
papers"
GIenister threw up his hand in ges-
ture Of restraint.
| ssHold on! Do you mean to tell me
that any court would recognize such
claim as Galloway's?
1.-THE law recognizes everything. II
his grounds are NO good, 80 much the
better for you"
"You can't put In receiver without
notice to us. Why, good Lord. we new
er heard of suit being commenced.
We've never even been served with q
summons, and we haven't had a
chance to argue in our own defense.
81 have Just said that this Is re-
markable state of affairs and unusual
| action had to be taken" Mcnamara re-
piled, but the young miner grew ex-
cited
| CT