Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-15


busy bee If he asks you what's doing, play 'possum.
And don't make the holes too deep
Napoleon went off directed. His blows could
presently be heard as he drilled in porphyry dixie.
His advent puzzled the man intent on building.
Say you " said he what's on your mind?"
Napoleon drilled, and said nothing
The carpenter watched him in uneasiness.
Saw YOU amt starting d Shaft?
No
Amt this placer? Say. you, are you deef?'
Napoleon pounded on the steel
Go to blazes!" said the builder as he had before.
"A man that can't answer civil questions!" He re-
sumed his labors pausing and then to stare at
Napoleon, in steadily increasing dubiety of mind.
In something less than twenty minutes he had
done very little roofing, owing to nervousness he
found it difficult to bansh while Napoleon had all
but completed his holes Then Van came leisurely
strolling to the place, comfortably loaded with
dynamite, of which man may carry much
With utter indifference to the man on the roof he
proceeded to charge those shallow holes. As a
matter of fact, he overcharged them He used an
laid short fuse to the cap Then he turned to the
builder who had watched proceedings with sickenng
alarm at his vitals. That industrious person had
taken a heavy, leaden hue
You see | went where you told me- said Van,
and I've brought some back, as l promised. This
shot has got to go before breakfast-and breakfast
is Just about ready.
For Gods sake give chance" implored
the man who had trespassed in the night. III
move the shack tomorrow.
You won't have to-" Van informed him; but
q
a match scratched it with quiet deiberation, and
lighted the end OF the fuse.
For Gods sake mani" cried the carpenter, and
without even waiting to climb from the roof he rolled
all the fends of I1ades were fairly at his heels.
Van and Napoleon also moved away with becom-
ing alacrty. Three minutes later the charge went
off. 1t sounded like the crack of doom. 1t seemed
to split the earth and very armament. huge black
toadstool of smoke rose abruptly. Something like
a blot of yelowish color spattered all over the land
ScaDe 1t was the shack.
1t had moved The smoke cloud drifted rapidly
away On the hill great jagged hole lined with
rock; but there nothing more The cabin was
hung in lumber shreds the stunted for hun
dreds of feet in all directions With it went ham
mers, saws and barrel of nails whose usefulness
was ended.
Gettysburg aproned and fresh from his breakfast
getting at the stove fastening out OF the CABIN
where his partners Stood in great distress of mind
Holy toads, Van!" he said excitedy. 1T
must have been the shot I've dropped an egg
and what in the world shall dor"
"Cackle, man, cackle, Van answered him gravely.
That's mighty rare occurrence.
And two bits apiece! almost walled poor Gettys-
burg diving back into the cabin. And only them
four in the shacki
THAT was also the day that Bostwick came out
on the scene. He came with his Prospectors,
all in the party somewhat d1slllusoned as to that
tabled gold on the Indian reservation.
Some word of the wealth of the Laughing Water
claim had come to Searle early in the week He did
not visit the caD1l or the owners OF the cove FOI
fifteen minutes, however he sat upon his horse and
scanned the place in silence Then out of his newly
acquired knowledge of the boundaries of the
ton the ,runds If his mind jumped up half-mad
plan His cold eyes gllttered he looked across to
where Van and his partners we're tOlllng. His lips
compressed in a smile.
He rode to Goldite hurriedJy and sought out his
friend McCoppet. When the two were presently
closeted together where their privacy assured,
conspiracy diabolically insdious about to have
its birth.
CHAPTER XIV.
Matching Plot
YOU'RE back pretty pronto,' drawled the gam
il bier bv wav of an opennp remark Found