The San Francisco call., 1908-05-31

he concluded, apologetically, evading
my admiring gaze. And yet candor
compels me to insist that had the
Wharf Rat led with his right he would
have sent the Smasher to the ropes
'Ah, sighed Finer. lamely spar
ring at his shadow, If one of those
lads could only stub UP against the
Chuck McBuCr outfit and chasten it,
This called for an explanation, and
our host described McBurr as a very
unwholesome neighbor. 1t seems his
long. lank frame contained the crossed
blood of the Athabascan lnjun and the
worst traits of a white sea captain.
FINER said Chuck's grandpa was a
New Bedford whaler when that port
was wearing out the water with its
many boats. and had lost his ship in
Ungaya in the early days Half crazy.
he had refused to return and face the
owners and had joined tribe of va
grants on the Little Seal river instead
and ultimately took wife. One thing
the old fellow was strong on and that
was the art OF self-defense, Sea cap
tains in his day. of course had TO be
ever ready to go to the mat with mu-
tinous sailor Thus. because of his
prowess and the Little Seal peoples
Ignorance of the pummeling business
lie soon came TO be considered the only
patent medicine on the coast
Naturally he taught his son the
game. and so it was handed down to
the present polyglot who now bossed
the tribe.
Taken all together. they are a bad
combination. alH right declared Fin
zer- Several OF our boys who had
stolen up there to find ont where they
mine the gold they sometimes bring
here to swap for rum, tobacco and
gun powder, have forgotten to return.
Chucks people are not at home now
but when they return | am going to
collect few Of my men and run them
out Only last night my best hunter
was telling me the missionary at Tu-
- had lost his / year old boy-been
kidnapped. you know; and if Chuck
McBurr wasn't in on the deal the
youngster eloped by himself Say. give
US some more of those fights, They'ro
great
III was Finzer's chance remark
about the gold flakes mined by the
tenants of the Little Seal. that set Tin
to yearning to discover their lode Now
that this Chuck. .or whatever they
style him. has led his children up
north. why not sneak over to thai
stream and do some prospecting he
began; and ] knew he would have his
way. For two days | stood him off
but as Finzer repeated there was nc
danger, the territory being deserted
finally capitulated, and we borrowed
two men and a boat and ultimately
Knocked along the coast and landed al
the mouth of the river. We ordered
the men to drop anchor and await o,ll
return. and to send posse after us II
We failed to ring in after seven days
For the first day we hardly got out
+. of sight OF our boat so intent was Til
examining every bit Of ledge and tam
!. pering with every bowlder with his
hammer. But we didn't find enough
gold TO I'LL tooth. For the next two
days we pressed inward rapidly. and
one night, while making coffee on q
little island, about as large as youl
hat. and reached by jumping from rock
TO rock, | made a big hit The island
was apparently the butt end of gold
mine. In fact, 1T needed no geologis,
10 see we'd made happy haul AL
most every layer of ledge, facing VI
stream. that | jerked loose contained
several scales of The lovely stuff. TIL
said IL we'd only follow the bank.
until we struck some falls we doubt.
less caald scoop il out in hunks.
Marking the place well in oul
minds. we packed up our profits ant
rambled on for several miles | begar
TO notice some abandoned huts her,
snd there. and warned Tib we has
teoo'tu Shuck McBurrs stamping
grounds, and he had just poohed a.
me. said Chuck was far away in othel
pastures, when an ensemble of tn.
most yiilainous apologies for legiti
mate bipeds yon ever saw. sir. emerged
from the wild wood and tagged us be
fore we could even cross our fingers
Oh. yes. L lamented. as the circl,
narrowed and circle OF ugly squaw,
formed a nenacing fringe on the out