River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-02-25

| 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.
II won't ask you to eat 'em. Shorty
! Wild Water jeered, IAN, if you don t
mind, l can't get outa here too quick.
My contract called for good eggs. If
you'll loan me 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
| corner?" was Wild Waters parting
gibe.
Smoke made no reply, and. with one
glance at his partner, proceeded to
fling the soap boxes out into the snow
Say, Shorty, how much did you say
you paid for that three thousand?"
Smoke queried gently.
Eight dollars. Don't talk to me.
can fgger as we'll as YOU We lose
seventeen thousan' on the f1utter if
anybody should ride up on a dog sled
an ask you. l figgered that. out while
waitin' for the first egg to SMELL
Smoke pondered a few minutes. then
again broke silence "Say. Shorty,
$4,000 gold weighs 200 pounds. Wild
Water borrowed our sled and team to
haul away his eggs. He came up the
bill without a sled. Those two sacks
of dust in his coat pockets weighed
about twenty pounds each. The un-
Outstanding was cash on delivery. He
brought enough dust to TCy for the
good eggs. He never expected to pay
for those three thousand. He knew
they were bad. Now, how did be know
they were bad? What do you make Of
it anyway
Huh! That amt nothip'. A child
could answer it. We lose seventeen
thousan'. Wild Water wins seven
teen thousan. Them eggs Of Gaute-
reaux's was Wild Waters all the time
Anything else you're curious to know?"
Yes. Why in the name Of common
sense didn't you find out whether those
eggs were good before you paid for
themT'
"Just as easy as the first question.
Wild Water swung the bunko game
timed to seconds. l 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-
ton. What did you say was the par
tvs name that put this egg corner idea
into your headY"
Smoke was casting about to begin
the preparation for supper when Colo
mel Bowie knocked at the door, handed
Smoke a letter and went on to his own
cabin.
did you see his face?" Shorty raved.
HE was almost Dustin to keep it
straight It's the big ha-ha for you
an me, Smoke. We won't never dast
show our faces again in Dawson"
The letter was from Wild Water. and
Smoke read it aloud:
Dear Smoke and Shortly write to ask,
with compliments Of the season. your
presence at a supper tonight at Slavo-
vitch's joint. Miss Arral will be there
and so will Gautereaux Him and me
was pardners down at Circle five years
ago. He is all right and is going to be
best man About them eggs. They come
into the country four years back They
was all bad when they come in. They
was bad when they left California They
always was bad. They stopped at Carluk
one winter, and one winter at Nutlik, and
last winter at Forty Mile. whore they
was sold for storage. And this winter
guess they stop at Dawson. Don't keep
them IN hot room Lucille says to say
you and her and me has sure made some
excitement in Dawson. And l say the
drinks is on you. and that goes.
Respectfully your friend, W. W..
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