Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-23


richness of the claim increased by Reds talk of
his share. Peters precarous position came to him
with startling vlvidnesS Red would be satisfied with
nothing less than half and Haskell would claim half
of Peters share according to his contract Silently
Wright vowed that he'd share with one of the two
men only And the moment of decision had arrived;
for having staked the three claims in Duferin his
miners license, which exhausted its privilege,
he would have to file the Pink Eye claims either in
the name of Haskell or of Meekins.
Let see your miner license, Red, he asked
presently.
Il amt got no license" Meekins declared.
You amt got license! You're fine pros
pector!" Peter swore in his dismay.
Il wasn't prospectin'; 1 worl1in' for you,''
Meekins objected Il didn't have no five dollars to
pay for it, an you said you hadn't none too much
money; so never said nothn bout it,
Wright relapsed into broodng silence, pulling fit
fully at his pipe his mind tortured with this new
Hanged if you don't take the cake! Red snar1ed
after time. "One'd think you'd lost your mother
in law. Does gettin rich quick give you the blues,
Peter"
I'm goin' to turn in Wright answered surlily.
We've got to beat the birds to the early worm in the
mcrnin'."
VISIT could sleepr' Red whned as Peter rolled
in his blankets. Seems to be somethin' the matter
with me- Maybe it's bein' rich all of student. Did
you have dyspepsy, Pete?" he asked presently.
My stomach's called a board meetin' to see why |
amt putin no meat into it."
After time Red took Peters advice; but the
gver of it lay wide eyed, staring up at the stars,
soul words of sophistry that the doom Of honor
and fealty. Why should he, who was the actual dis
give half of it to dr11nkard who would never have
found anyone else with faith enough to take this trip
and also half of his share to man sitting in COM
fort at home who had rsked few patry dollars and
had the claims up in Dufferin for his money. The
point of honor hardly entered Peters thoughts.
That eight-inch vein of silver meant that the forty
worth half million at least 1t was the
large of money at stake that held sway over his
mind.
7 ATE in the night Wright fell asleep At the first
II cav of crow he sprang to his feet and wakened
his companion with rough shake of the shoulder
Red sat up, looked stupidity at Wright, and asked,
@ Say Pete, did we find that vein? It's kinder mixed
in my mind like dream
Shake yourself, Peter answered laconically
An as to breakfast Red remarked, as he set a
copper kettle the fire Peter had lighted, there's
hammock we'll done an rare. An for bev'rage, souaw
tea-the same bein' decocted from these and he
dropped into the kettle handful of shiny green
leaves from plant allied to the wintergreen.
We'll 60 up an see what she looks like in day.
light" Wright said when they had eaten.
% ths bsse all Of the as they
yonder is what first five years ago. 1t was like
great pink eye blinkin at Teller. Say, that'd
make good name for the mine, Pete-the Pink Eye.
Is it go? Kinder ketchy, amt it?''
Goods any, guess, Wright answered. Lets
get to the top an what she's like the roof
On the summit they found the vein running due
west for two hundred feet Here the silver
oxdized, was almost devoid of the pink bloom and
ran like ribbon between holding walls of diabase
rock in brown fretwork of wire silver looking like
artistic inlay of bronze
She's the real cheese!" Red opined. "A cool
million buys my half, an not cent less!"
WRIGHT looked at Meekins out of heavy sulen
w eyes. There was something incongruous, fla
grant, about this talk of million emanatng from
who, when hanging round the hotels, borrowed
a quarter from anybody who would lend it. He
turned and fought his way through the brush down
the hill, followed by Meekins: When they to
the discovery post, Wright kicked the stones away,
pulled the timber up and swung it to his shoulder
Red stared. What you doin', Pete?" he