The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1916-06-16

with MIN. 1Ou KNOW that IOuSt mar
row sandtar in the river just below
the mouth of the upper canyon"
Grislow nodded.
"That is where we went for the
proof. Massingale dipped UP a painful
of the bar sand, which he asked me
to wash out for myself. / did it, and
you have the results there in that pa
per. That bar is comparatively rich
placer dirt"
Good Lord!" calculated the map
maker. Comparatively rich, you say?
and you washed this spoonful out of
single PAM"
Keep your head" said Brouillard
coolly. "Massingale explained that
had happened to make ten-strike;
that the bar wasn't any such bonanza
as that first result would indicate.
proved that, too, by washing some
more of it without getting any more
than a few 'colors.' But the fact re-
mains: it's placer ground"
It was at this point that the larger
aspect of the fact launched itself upon
the photographer.
"a gold strike!" he gasped. "And
we-we're planning to drown 1t IN
der two hundred feet of a lake!"
Brouillard's laugh was harsh.
Don't let the fever get hold of you,
Grislow. Don't forget that we are
here to carry out the plans of the rec
lamation service-which are more far
reaching and Of good bit greater
consequence than dozen placer
mines. Massingale drove the peg
down good and hard. If would jump
in and pull every possible string to
hurry the railroad over the range, and
keep on pulling them, the secret of
the placer bar would remain secret.
Otherwise he, Stephen Massingale,
would give it away, publish it, adver-
tise it to the world. You know what
that would mean for us, Murray"
my Lord! 1 should say so! We'd
have Boomtown-on-the-pike right now,
with all the variations! Every white
man in the camp would chuck his job
in the hollow half of minute and go
to gravel washing!"
That's it precisely" Brouillard &C
guessed gloomily. "Massingale is
young tough, but he is shrewd enough,
when he is sober. He had me dead to
rights, and he knew it. You don't
want any gold camp starting up here
IN the bottom of your reservoir he
said; and 1 had to admit it."
Grislow had found magnifying
glass in the drawer of the mapping
able, and he was holding it in focus
,ver the small collection of grain gold
md nuggets. In the midst of the ca
,er examination he looked up sudden |
y to say: Hold on a minute. Why is
Steve proposing to give this thing |
way? Why isn't he working the bar |
limself?"
HE explained that phase of it, after |
fashion-said that placer mining was |
Ilways more or less of gamble, and
hat they had q sure thing Of it in
he Little Susan OF course, If the
hing had to be given away he and
lis father would avail themselves OF
heir rights as discoveries and take
heir chance with the crowd for the
AXE of the ready money they might
et out of 1t. Otherwise they'd be
ontent to let it alone and stick to
heir legitimate business, which is
uartz mining"
"And to do that successfully they've
ct to have the railroad. How did you
ettle it finally?"
"He told me to take a week or two
nd think about it,
Grislow was biting the end Of his
enholder thoughtfully.
What are you going to do about
!, Victor" he asked at length. I'VE
ant stand for any more chaos than
le gods have already doped out for
8, can WEI"
Brouillard took another long minute
! the office window before he said:
What would you do If you were in
" place, Murray"
But at this the mapmaker put up I
Is hands as if to ward off blow.
"No, you don't!" he laughed. 1
fuse to be that kind of fool But 1
i venture q small prophecy: The t
,lden secret will leak out. And after h
lat, the deluge." Z
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