The Idaho Republican., 1914-05-29
Copyright. 1914, by Frank A. Munsey.l }
CHAPTER III.

On the untrammeled frontier, where
most men are willing to pass for what
they are without keeping up any
'front.'" much of the private business,
as well as the general devilment, is
transacted in the back rooms of sa-
looms. The Waldorf was nicely fur
nished in this regard.
After a drink at the bar, in which
De Lancey and Hooker joined, Henry
Kruger led the way casually to the
rear, and in few moments they were
safely closeted.
Now" began Kruger, as he took a
seat by the table and faced them with
swapping eyes, "the first thing want
to make plain to you gentlemen is, If
make any deal today it's to be with
Mr.. Hooker. If you boys are pardners
you can talk it over together, but
deal with one man, and that's Hooker
"All right?" he inquired, glancing at
De Lancey, and that young man
nodded indulgently.
Every we'll, then," resumed Kruger,
now to get down to business. This
mine that I'm talking about is located
down here in Sonora within three
hours ride of a big American camp.
1t isn't any old Spanish mine, or lost
padre layout; it's a welldefined ledge
running three or four hundred dollars
to the ton-and l know right where it
is, too.
"What l want to do is to establish
the title to it now, while this revolu-
ton is going on, and make bonanza
out of it afterward. Of course, if you
boys don't want to go back into Mex
leo, that settles it; but if you do go,
and let you in on the deal, you've got
to see it through or I'll lose the whole
thing. So make up your minds, and
if you say you'll go, want you to stick
to it,"
"We1l go, all right" spoke up De
Lancey, 'if it's rich enough"
How about you?" inquired Kruger,
turning impatiently on Bud; ''will you
go?"
eyes, I'll CO." answered Bud sullen-
ly. But amt stuck on the job," he
added. "Jest about get it opened up
when a bunch of rebels will jump in
and take everything we've got"
well, you get title to it and pay
your taxes and you can come out,
then" conceded Henry Kruger
NO" grumbled Hooker, "if go I'll
stay with it." He glanced at his pard-
ner at this, but he, for one, did not
seem to be worried.
"I'll try anything-once!" he OBJ
served with sprightly air, and Bud
grinned sardonically at the well-worn
phrase.
Well" said Kruger, gazing inquir-
ingly from one to the other, "is it
go? Will you shake hands on it?"
whats the propositions" broke in
De Lancey eagerly.
"The deal is between me and
Hooker" corrected Kruger. "Ill give
him three hundred a month, or an
equal share in the mine, expenses to
be shared between u.s."
Make it equal shares" said Hook
er, holding out his hand, "and I'll give
half of mine to Phil"
"All right, my boy!" cried the old
man, suddenly clapping him on the
shoulder, "Ill go you-and you'll never
regret it," he added significantly.
Then, throwing off the air of guarded
secrecy which had characterized his
actions so far, he sat down and began
to talk.
Boys he said, TIN feeling lucky
today or I'd never have closed this
deal. I'm letting you in on one at tie
biggest things that's ever beeE found
in Sonora. Just to show you how good
it is, here's my smelter receipts for
eight hundred pounds of picked ore,
one thousand and twenty-five dollars!
That's the first and last ore that's ever
been shipped from the old Eagle Tail.
l dug it out myself, and sacked it
and shipped it; and then some of them
crooked Mexican officials tried to beat
me out of my title and blowed up the
whole works with dynamite!
Eyes, sir, clean as a whistle! I had
my powder stored away in the drift,
and the minute I found out l was
euchred / laid fuse to it and brought
the whole mountain down. That was
ten years ago, and old Aragon and
the agente mineral have had the land
located ever since.
II bet they've spent five thousand
pesos trying to find that lead, but be-
ing nothing but bunch of ignorant
of course they never found
Then Francisco Madero
comes in and fires the agente mineral
off his job and old Aragon let's the land
revert for taxes. I've got Mexican
that keeps me posted, and ever since
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