The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1914-07-24

Make 1t equal Shares, SAID HOOK
er, holding out his hand, land III give ;
lalf of mine to Phil"
"All right, my boy!" cried the old
man. suddenly clapping him on the
shoulder, "Ill 60 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, "Im feeling lucky
today or Id never have closed this
deal I'm letting you in on one OF the
biggest things that's ever been 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 Tai.
I dug 1t out myself. and sacked 1t
and shipped it; and then some OF them
crooked Mexican officials tried to beat
me out Of my title and l bowed up the
whole works with dynamite!
Yes, sir, clean as whistle! | had
my powder stored away in the DRIFT,
and the minute ! 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.
81 bet they've spent five thousand
pesos trying to find that lead, but De-
ing nothing but bunch of Ignorant
Mexicans, of course they never FOUND
nothing. Then Francisco Madero
comes in and fires the agente mineral
off his Job and old Aragon lets the land
revert for taxes. I've got a Mexican
that keeps me posted. and ever since
he sent me word that the title mao
lapsed I've been crazy to relocate tha'
claim.
well, now, that don't look so bad
does it?" he asked, beaming paternally
at Bud. There amt man IN town
that wouldn't have jumped at the
chance, If I was where l could tall
about 1t. but that's just what couldn'
|, do. | had to find some stranger tina
| wouldn't sense what mine was talk
ing about and then git him to 60 IN OF
it blind.
Now here's the way I'm fixed
bows" he exclaimed. brushing his un
kempt beard and smiling craftily
when | dynamited the Eagle Tail
was mine by rights, but Cipriano Ara
q gon-he's the big Mexican down at oil
I Fortuna-and Morales, the minera
y agent, had buncoed me out OF the n'l'
, so, according to law, l bowed u
a their mine. and If ever showed u
!. down there reckon they'd throw m
r. into 1ail. And if at any time they Tin
out that you're working for me, wh'
h we're ditched-that's all! They'll p'
" YOU out of business. So, after weV
10 made our agreement and I've told yo
70 what to do, l don't want to hear
word out of you'll don't want you
a come near me, nor even write me
III letter-just go ahead the best you ca
ut until you win out or 60 broke.
IL ut amt a hard proposition
tn continued, III you keep your mou1
rs shut, but If they tumble, it'll be hg
l to a finish. I'm not saying this Il
,r. you. Hooker, because know you
at safe: I'm saying 1t for your paron
an here. You talk too much, Mr.. De La
cey." he chided, eying him with 81
er. den severity. I'm afraid of ye!"
lis "All right broke in Hooker goo
ed naturally, II reckon we understat
ee Now 90 ahead and tell us where II
Up. mine is and who there Is down the
,st to look out for"
&c ."The man to look out for"
RS swered Kruger with venom, is ZIP
it ano Aragon. He's the man that DIX
me out of the mine once, and he'll
sh II again IL he can. When went 40
lu- there-it was ten years and more
ia Il wasn't on to those Spanish ways
ou his and he was SO dog-goned pol
ex- and friendly ! thought could tn
go. him anywhere.
got HE owns a big ranch and mes
ole still, runs cattle, works few place
nd sends out pack-trains, and has !eV'
lex Mexican and Indian in the country
debt to him through his store, so II
De happens to want any rough WORK az
there's always somebody to DO IT,
,er. well, just to show you how ne
you me. | got to nosing round those
SPANISH workings east of Fortuna
en-. finally run across the ledge that
he telling you about, not far from
up abandoned shaft. But the Mex
in mining laws are different from o.
and an American has lots OF trou
pay anyway, so / made a trade with