Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-09-04


ed up from Forty Mile. It'll take
Ak to bust It"
Smoke brought the ak and Wild wa
ter split the egg cleanly ln half. Th
appearance Of the eggs interior wa
anything but satisfactory. Smoke fel
premOnitory chill. Shorty was NOR
valiant. He held one OF the halves L
his nose.
Smells all right" he said.
"But 1t looks all wrong" Wild Wa
ter contended. "An' how can 1t smel
when the smells frozen along Will
the rest OF It? Wait minute"
He put the two halves into a fryinl
pan and placed the latter on the from
lid Of the hot stove. Then the thret
men. with distended, questing nostrils
waited in silence. Slowly an unmis
taxable odor began to drift through
the room.
Throw It outP' Smoke cried, gasp
ing.
Whats the goodT asked Wild Wa
ter. We've got to sample the rest"
mot fn this cabin" Smoke cough
ed and conquered a qualm. "Cbon
them open, and we can test by look
ing at them. Throw 1t out, Shorty
Throw 1t outl And leave the door
0penp
Box after box was opened; egg after
egg. chosen at random, was chopped in
two, and every egg carried the same
message Of hopeless, irremediable de.
cay.
Il won't ask you to eat 'em, Shorty"
Wild Water jeered, "an', If you don't
mind, can't get outa here too quick.
MY contract called for good eggs. II
you'll loan me a sled an team I'll haul
them good ones away before they get
contaminated"
Smoke helped In loading the sled.
"Say, how long you been holdin' that
cornerT was Wild Waters parting
gibe.
Smoke made no reply, and, with one
glance at his partner, proceeded to
hlng the soap boxes out into the snow.
SAY. Shorty, how much did you say
you paid for. that three thousands"
Smoke queried gently.
Eight dollars. Don't talk to me.
can 6gger as well as you. We lose
seventeen thousan' on the futter, II
anybody, should ride up on a dog sled
an ask you. ! t1gsred that out while
waitin' for the first egg to smell"
Smoke, pondered a few minutes, then
igain broke silence. "Say, Shorty,
10000 gold weighs 200 pounds. Wild
Water borrowed our sled and team to
iaul away. his eggs. He came up the
all without a sled, Those two sacks
'r dust 10 his coat pockets weighed
'bout twenty pounds each The un.
ierstandlng was cash on delivery. He
brought enough dust to pay for the
rood eggs. He never expected to nay
or those. three thousand. He knew
hey were bad. Now, how did he know
hey were bad? What do you make of
{ anywayT
"Huhl That ain, nothin'. A child
'ould answer It. We lose seventeen
Lhousan'. Wild Water wins seven.
teen thousan'. Them eggs of Gaute
was Wild Waters all the time
Anything else you're curious to known"
Yes. Why In the name OF common
'ense didn't you find out whether those
Eggs were good before you paid for
.hemW
Just as easy as the first question
Wild Water swung the bunko game
lined to seconds hadn't no time to
examine them eggs. | had to hustle to
get 'em here for delivery. An now,
smoke, lemme ask you one civil ques.
ion. What did you say was the par.
US name that put this egg corner idea
nto your head?
Smoke was casting about to begin
he preparation for supper when Colo
lel Bowie knocked at the door, handed
smoke letter and went on to his own
'Nbln.
Did you see his faceT Shorty raved
He was almost Dustin to keep It
straight It's the big ha-ha for you
IN me, Smoke. We won't never dast
'how our faces again in Dawson"
The letter was from Wild Water, and
smoke read 1t aloud:
Dear Smoke and shorty-I write to ask
WIN compliments OF the season, your
'resence at a supper tonight at Shvo-
items Joint Miss Arral will be there
ma SO VIII Gautereaux. Him and me
vas pardners down at Circle Ave years
go lie Is all right and Is going 10 be
'est man About them eggs. They como
mo tne country four years back. They
vas all bad when they come in. They
vas pad when they left California. They
lways was bad. They stopped at Carlus
me winter, and one winter at Nuuik, and
lsI winter at Forty Mile. where they
vas sold FOR storage And this winter
,uess they stop at Dawson. Don't keep
nem In hot room. Lucille says to say
GU ana her and me has sure made some
vehement In Dawson. And | say the
links Is on you. and that goes.
Respectfully your friend, W. W."
CHAPTER XXI.