Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-09-28

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Frank and me to death. There's our
total assets" said Talbot and laid u
knee.
We'll call that dime a curiosity"
said he, "for l notice a quarter Is the
smallest coin they use out here. Now
you see that we've got to talk business.
Frank and I haven't got enough to live
: on for n more day.
There's enough among u.s. began
Yank.
You mean you already have your
share Of the partnership finances" cor
rected Talbot quickly. eff we're going
to be partners, and that's desired and
understood, l s~uppose"-we all nodded
emphatic agreement-"we must all put
in the same amount. l move that said
amount be 1920 apiece. Yank, you can
loaf tomorrow. You've got your share
! all made up. You can put in the day
finding out all about getting to the
mines and how much it costs and
what we will need"
AAAA AlSl IL w IL, Sdlu 1dllh.
"As for the rest of u.s." cried Talbot,
we've got to rustic up 500 each be-
fore tomorrow evening"
"How?" I asked blankly.
How should l know? Out there
he waved his hand abroad at the flick
ering lights-'there is the Golden City,
challenging every man as he enters
her gates. She offers opportunity and
fortune. All q man has to do is go
and take them. Accept the challenger
1.-The only way l could take them
would be to lift them off some other
fellow at the point Of a gum" said
Johnny gloomily.
We talked the situation over thor
oughly and then turned in, having lost
u chance to see the sights. Beneath
us and in the tent next door went on
Il tremendous row of talking, laugh
ing and singing that for a little while
prevented me from falling asleep. But
me i'll that way, and shortly I dropped
off.
Hours later l awakened, shiverinS
with cold, to find the moonlight pour
ing into the room and the hunks all
occupied. My blanket had disappear
ed, which accounted for my dreams of
icebergs. At first L felt inclined to
raise a row, then thought better Of it
and by careful manipulation abstract
ed two good blankets from the most
unprotected of my neighbors and soon
slept sCundly.
We went downstairs and out into
the sweetest of mornings. The sun
was bright, the sky clear and blue. The
wind had not yet risen; balmy warmth
showered down through every particle
of the air. I had felt some May days
like this back on our old farm. Some
how they We're associated in my mind
with Sunday morning and the drawl-
ing, lazy clucking of hens. Only here
there were no hens, and If 1t was Sun
Nay morning-which it might have
~been-nobody knew it.
We ate a frugal breakfast and sep
arated on the agreed business of the
day. Yank started for the water front
to make inquiries as to ways of get
ting to the mines, Talbot set off at a
businesshke pace for the hotel as
though he knew fully what he was
about, Johnny wandered rather aim
lessly to the east, and 1 as aimlessly
to the west.
1t took me just one hour to discover
that I could get all Of any kind Of
work that any dozen men could do and
at wages so high that at first I had to
ask yer and over again to make sure
I had heard Alright. Only none of them
would bring me in 1920 by evening.
The further I looked into that propo-
sition the more absurd, of course, I
saw it to be. l could earn from 500 to
| $50 by plain day labor ut some Jobs,
or l could get fabulous salaries by
the month or year, but that was DIFF
ferent. After determining this to my
satisfaction 1 came to the sensible con
clusion that l would make what l