Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-10


fire me if he wanted to.
Jim smiled to himself He suspected the
cause of Harjes' lively interest In the lake.
But the boatmans next words, dlsJolnted
by his efforts at the oars, gave him further
thought
I'D just about got good and sick of him
and his bullyin' ways, anyhow. Every once
in awhile he'd ask me, beatin' all around the
bush, if knew what John Brewer was up
here for. Well, old Brewers one of our kind.
He's real outdoor man, he is. | knowed
him up in Alaska when he was trampin'
around over glaciers. So | don't allow it's
mans dom up here. | keep my mouth shut
pretty we'll till just before we landed this
evenin', and then he asked me another ques
ton, and says if hear anything that Brewer
says, when he comes back, or what he's said
to other folks about his business, he-this
big bluff Harges-will slip me five-spot.
I'd had all | wanted out of him, anyhow; so
| turned loose on him. And I'm a good
turner too, when | get goin'. What in the
devil do you take me for?' says |. Do you
reckon I'm goin' about eavesdroppin' to
earn dirty five from some big, fat, snoopin
old stiff like you are? You make any more
cracks like that at me- says |, and III
dump you in the lake. I'll tell John
Brewer the minute he gets back here that
you're tryin' to stick your red nose into his
business; then if John Brewer doesn't like
it, and wants me to give you a ickin', III
give you the derndest thumpin' you ever got
in your life! Well, that r'iled him some,
and him and me had it hot and heavy. He
cussed me out so loud that the folks started
to come from the hotel; then he suddenly
saw EN-, and just stopped and shook his fist
at me, and tramped off up to the PLACER, and |
amt seen him since. Nice old party, ain 'the?'
Jim forced laugh; but he knew, recol-
lecting all that the scientist had told him,
that Harjes was merely trailing after the
former, and that he had espied the possible
advantages of securing control of the lake,
and had sustained great disappointment
when he found it could not be utilized for
another promotion scheme. Almost idly,
and merely to make conversation, he said, |
"You had better watch that he doesn't dis
pute your bill, now that he IS through with
your services"
Through with my services?" snorted the
boatman. "He amt through with 'em. He
sends word down by that coon of his about
an hour ago that he wants me to row him
across the lake tomorrer mornin', or get a
man to do it, and then be ready to take him
back whenever he's through takin' his little
promenade. You can't faze an old cuss like
he is with words. 1t takes pick handle to
jar EN- any,"
THE miner paid for his ferriage, and
1 climbed the trail in no happy mood.
1t seemed certain to him that on the follow
ing day he might expect to see Harjes wan
dering around over the claim; and he de-
voutly hoped that there would be nothing in
the lay of its ground that would attract that
grasping mans covetousness.
So thoughtful was he of this that when he
arrived at the cabin, where Hardpan was
preparing for bed, he voiced his fears, and
they sat on the bench in front of their cabin
and discussed the possible visitation as they
might had they been holding a council of
war On the whole, however, they came to
the conclusion that he could not possibly
work them any harm.
@You see,' philosophical Hardpan, cts
this way He CANT do nothin' to the ground
up here that we're workin', because we
staked her fair and square, and claim all the
mineral that's in her. He CANT keep us
from turnin' off the water when we get
ready, because we got that canyon staked
over there where we empty, and the law
amt goin' to let him interfere. | don't see
no need of worryin' any more about him.
And Jim, calmly thinking over all fea-
lures, decided that his partners viewpoint
was correct, and that they had no reason to
fear anything the promoter might do.