Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-01-27
THEWELL TN THE DESERT
PHlLP VERRlLI f1lGHELS

Blake disappeared temporarily from
Gold Circle Camp, and for fourteen
days Val Maynard had wandered in the
huge desolation of mountains, a COM
mon prospector, searching the hills for
any sign of gold. He was thin, un-
kempt and ill-fed. Then he returned to
the camp, where his hopes, funds and
energies had been ruthlessly thrown to
the winds. At the claim on the hill
where he had mined with his partner
there were ore sacks, filed with pre-
cious quartz, heaped like wall on the
former dump, and two hired miners
were gouging a cleft of its golden hoard
as If a very fiend had been goading at
their backs.
Blake was there. When Maynard
confronted him at last, he read with
clearness the meaning of the cold, hard
CLEAN that played in his former part
ner's eyes.
''How's thisY' he said. "Are you
working here now for Folger & Com
pany, who bought our leaseY
Don't try to get funny, Maynard"
said his former friend. you're a
gutter; you've got a streak of yellow
in your blood. 1 got on, that's all, and
took up the lease myself"
81 See" said Maynard, coolly enough,
aware Of his helpless position. "And
also, If remember correctly, Blake,
you were the one who always had the
assays made, and you always reported
no gold"
When the word went round that
Howard Blake had cleaned I'D and
sacked fully eighty thousand dollars
worth Of ore, and that he and the rock
would 60 out together on a freighter
to the railroad, solitary horseman
rode promptly forth from Gold Circle
camp to the station in the middle Of the
desert. 1t was Maynard, come a day
ahead of Blake, who would ride on q
load Of golden ore. Aye, it was May
nard, grim and hardened, and with
something of exceptional Importance to
discuss with the man who owned the
well.
That night the man leased the well
and station to Maynard for a period of
4S hours, and riding away to enjoy his
brief vacation, he left the new-made
proprietor alone in full possession.
In the morning the transfers who
watered their stock at the trough made
settlement with Maynard and went
their way, to brave the heat and dust
that would lodge upon them all day
long, like unembodied things of prey.
Maynard began to wait.
The morning passed; the heat Of the
sun was intense. Not a breath of air
was stirring on the desert In the af-
ternoon there was a cloud of dust on
the road. so far away southwark in the
level desolation that it seemed a mere
blur on the landscape.
The dust cloud conferred all May
nard's faculties. at length wagons, two
of them, hitched one behind the other,
were almost upon the station-and
Blake was not in sight. Maynard's
heart sank. The horses were halted be-
fore the place. A team more utterly
exhausted, more nearly famished for
drink, had never arrived at the well.
Their load was extra heavy; the heat
had drunk up and dried out their very
vitality.
The driver like a figure modelled In
dust, stif1y alighted from the nigh
wheel animal. He was a small, thin
faced man, nearly fifty years of age.
Then up from a resting place in the
foremost wagon rose a second human
form. 1t was Blake; and the small,
ugly sacks piled on the wagons contain
ed the gold he had snatched from a
cleft In the adamant.
Maynard waited where he stood,
quietly, Blake had not yet beheld him.
you might as well git OUT said the
teamster to his passenger. 1--WE stay
all night and water and feed the stock"
Maynard stepped forward to the
tea mster's side, unobserved by Blake.
You'll water your team think you
said?' he inquired hoarsely.
water 'em? Don't you see they're
near droppin'?" answered the teamster.
Il own the place." said Maynard.
1.-The price of watering here at this
station will be two thousand dollars a
head for every one Of your twenty
horses"
The man stared at him blanl1ly.
1.-TWO thou Say, are you crazy p
he said. Then he cried out shrilly T;
Here, Mr.. Blake, come here and listen
to this here racket This fcllRr says