The Huttig news., 1914-06-20

safe; I'm saying 1t for your pardner here. You talk too much, Mr De Lan- cer," he chided, eying him with sud- den severity. I'm afraid of vel"
 All right, broke in Hooker good naturedly, .1 reckon we understand. Now go ahead and tell us where this mine is and who there is down there to look out for.''
 The man to look out for" an- swered Kruger with venom, .is Cipri- ano Aragon. He's the man that bilked me out of the mine once, and he'll do 1t again if he can. When I went down there--it was ten years and more ago -I wasn't on to those Spanish ways of his, and he was so dog-goned polite and friendly I thought I could trust him anywhere.
 "He owns a big ranch and mescal still, runs cattle, works few placers, sends out pack-trains, and has every Mexican and Indian in the country in debt to him through his store, so if he happens to want any rough work done there's always somebody to do it.
 Well, just to show you how he did me, I got to nosing round those old Spanish workings east of Fortuna and finally l run across the ledge that Pm telling you about, not far from an abandoned shaft But the Mexican mining laws are different from ours, and an American has lots of trouble anyway, so I made a trade with old Aragon that he should locate the claim for me under a power of attorney. Didn't know him then like I do now. The papers had 10 be sent to Mocte- zuma and Hermosillo, and to the City of Mexico and back, and while ! was waiting around I dug in on this lead and opened up the prettiest vein of quartz you ever saw in your life Here's a sample Of it. and it's sure rich"
 He handed De Eancey the familiar piece of quartz and proceeded with his story.
 That ore looked so good to me that I couldn't wait-I shipped 1t before I got my title. And right there made my mistake When Aragon saw the gold in that rock he just quietly re- corded the concession in his own name and told me to go to blazes That's the greaser of it! So blew the whole mine up and hit for the border That's the Dutch of it. I reckon" he added grimly. Anyway, my old man was Dutch"
 uo pa,,ond cr,flipo ruor tf,a ,.,<vvr ] ory of his misplaced credulity. and Hooker and De Lancey joined in a hearty laugh. From the town bum that he had first seemed this shabby little man had changed in their eyes until now he was border Croesus, the mere recital of whose adventures conjured up in their minds visions of gold and hidden treasure.
 The rugged face of Bud Hooker, which had been set in grim lines from the first, relaxed as the tale proceeded and his honest eyes glowed with ad- miration as he heard the well-planned scheme. As for De Lancey, he could hardly restrain his enthusiasm. and, drawn on. by the contagion, Henry Kruger made maps and answered uues- tions until every detail was settled
 After the location had been marked, and the lost tunnel charted from the corner monuments, he bade them re- member it well and destroyed every vestige of paper Then, as a final ad- monition, he said
 Now go in there quietly, boys don't hurry. Prospect around little and the Mexicans will all come to you and try to sell you lost mines Cruz Mendez is the man you're looking far he's honest. and he'll take you to the Eagle Tail. After that you can use your own judgment. So good by''--he took them by the hands-"and don't talk!"
 He held up a warning finger as they parted, and Bud nodded briefly in reply. Silence was habit with him, desert-bred, and he nodded his head for two.