Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-08-28
"Go on.n Smoke renuested

"Go on" Smoke requested.
"Well, that geezer you was dlckar,D.
with is a big buck Indian. Am
right?"
Smoke nodded and continued 70 noa
to each question.
Hes got one cheek half gone, whero
a bald face grizzly swatted him. Amf
right? Hes n dog trader-right chs
His name is Scar Face Jim. That's So
amt 1t? Dye get my driftg
''You mean we've been bidding"-
Against each other: Sure thing
That squaw's his wife, an they keen
house on the hill back of the hosptaI
could "a got them eggs for two
throw If you hadn't bntted in"
And so could l." Smoke laughed "it
you'd Kept out But it doesn't amount
to anything We know that we've got
the corner That's the big thing"
Shorty spent the next hour wrestling
with stub of a pencil on the margin
of three-year-old newspaper
There she stands" ne said at last.
"Lemme give yon the totals You an
me has right now in our possession ex.
actly 973 eggs They costs us exactly
$2,760, If we stick up Wild Water for
$40 an egg we stand TO win, clean net
an all to the good. just exactly &c..
80"
At II that night Smoke was routed
from sound sleep by Shorty.
II just seen Slavovitch. He says to
me: Shorty, want to speak to you
about them eggs I've kept it quiet
Nobody knows | sold 'em to you But
if you're speculatin can put you wise
to a good thing An he did, too,
Smoke.
"Well, maybe it sounds incredible,
but that good thing was Wild Water
Charley. He's lookin' to buy eggs. He
goes around to Slavovitch an offers
him S. an egg, an before he quits he's
offerin' So. An Slavovitch amt got no
eggs. Last thing Wild Water says to
Slavovitch is that he'll beat the head
often him If he ever finds out Slavo-
witch has eggs cached away some
where's. Slavovitch had to tell IN he'd
sold the eggs, but that the buyer was
secret.
"Slavovitch says to let him say the
word to Wild Water, who's got the
eggs. Shorty he says to me. wild
Water'll come a-runnin'. You can hold
him up for $S. Eight dollars your
grandmother / says. He'll fall for
$40 before I'm done with him. Any
way, told Slavovitch I'd think It over
and let him know In the mornin'. OF
course we'll let IN pass the word on Co
Wild Water. Am right"
"You certainly are, Shorty. First
thing in the morning tip off Slavovitch.
Have him tell Wild Water that you
and are partners in the deal"
In the morning Smoke CHANGED upon
Lucille Arral again at the dry goods
counter Of the A. G. store.
ITS workingT he jubilated. "It's
working! Wild Waters been around
to Slavovitch,, trying to buy or bully
eggs out Of him. And by this time
Slavovitch has told him that Shorty
and | own the corner"
Lucille Arral's eyes sparkled with de-
light 'I'm going to breakfast right
now," she cried. "And III ask the
waiter for eggs and be so plaintve
when there aren't any as to melt
heart Of stone. And you know Wild
Waters heart is anything but stone.
He'll buy the corner If it costs him one
Of his mines. Hold out for stiff iig-
ure. Nothing less than $40 will satisfy
me, and If you sell for anything less.
Smoke, I'll never forgive you"
That noon, up In their cabin, Shorty
placed on the table pot Of beans. a
pot of coffee, smoking platter Of
moose meat and bacon. plate OF
stewed dried peaches and called,
"Grubs readyp'
Smoke opened the door for breath
of frosty air and saw something that
made him close the door hurrledly and
dash to the stove. The frying pan, still
hot from the moose meat and bacon.
he put back on the front lid. Into the
frying pan he put generous dab Of
butter, then reached for an egg, which
he broke and dropped sputtering into
the pan. AS he reached for second
egg Shorty gained his side and clutched
his arm in an excited grip.
Hey, what you doin'l" he demanded.
Frying eggs" Smoke Informed him.
breaking the second one and throwing
Off Shnrtvis dntninin hnnd MTot nnf