Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1916-04-13

egg sharply against the edge or the Ia
BILE The resultant sound was like that
Of the striking OF sphere OF solid
marble
Frozen solid" he remarked.
"Huhr' said shorty 1T ought ~
be solid. seem II has just been freight.
ed up from Forty Mile. TIN take q
ax 20 bust II.
Smoke brought the AK and Wild Wa.
ter split the egg Clearly in half. The
appearance OF the eggs interior was
anything but satisfactory. Smoke felt
premonitory chill. Shorty was more
valiant He held one OF the halves to
his nose.
Smells all right" he said.
But II looks all wrong" Wild Wa.
ter contended. AN how can II smell
when the smells frozen along with
the rest or IL? Wait a minute"
He put the two halves into a frying
pan and placed the latter on the front
lid OF the hot stove. Then the three
men. with distended. questing nostrils.
waited in silence Slowly an unmis
taxable odor began to drift through
the room.
Throw IL outg' Smoke cried. gasp
ing
whats the good:" asked Wild Wa.
Ter. We've got TO sample the rest"
"Not in this cabin" Smoke cough
ID and conquered qualm. "ChoL
them open. and we can test by look
ing AZ them. Throw IL out. Shorty
Throw it out And leave the door
ppeni'
Box after box was opened: egg afte,
rgg. chosen at random was chopped IN
Two. and every egg carried the same
message OF hopeless. lrremediable de-
ray.
IL won't ask you TO eat 'em. Shorty, .
Wild Water jeered. AN. IL you don't
mind. ] can't get outa here too quick.
My contract called for good eggs. II
You'll loan me sled an team I'll haul
hem good ones away before they get
Contaminated"
Smoke helped IN loading the sled
Say. how long you been holdin' that
rOrner?'' was Wild Waters parting
.sibc.
Smoke made no reply. and. with one
glance at his partner. proceeded to
Hing the soap boxes out into the snow
Say. Shorty. how much did you say
YOU paid for that three thousand?
Smoke qucried gently
Eight dollars. Don't talk To me.
can dgger as well as you. We lose
seventeen thOnsan' on the nutter, il
anybody sbonid ride up on dog sled
an ask you. dggered that out while
waitin for the first egg to smell"
Smokr pondcred 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 mp the
bill without a sled Those two sacks
OF dust IN his coat pockets weighed
about twenty pounds each The IN
dersta nding was cash on delivery He
brought enough dust to pay 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 bsd7 What do You make OF
IL anyway"
Huh. That amt nothin 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 known
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. | hadn't no time Il
examine them eggs. ! bad TO hustle t.
get 'em here for delivery. An now
Smoke. femme ask you one civil Ques
ton. What did you say was the par
tvs name that put this egg corner idea
into your headf"
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 II
straight It's the big ha-ha for you
an me. Smoke We won't never dasl
show our faces again in Dawson"
The letter was from Wild Water. ano
Smoke read II aloud:
Dear Smoke and Shortly write TO ask
with compliments OF the season. you
presence at a supper tonight at Slave
yhch's Joint Miss Arral VIII be Their,
and so viii Gautereaux. Him and m,
was pardners down at Circle FIVE year,
ago lie is all right and is going TO b,
best man, About them eggs. They com,
into the country four years back The,
was all bad when they come in They
was bad when they left California They
always was bad They stopped at Carluh
one winter and one winter at Nutlik. and
last winter at Forty Mile. where they
was sold for storage. And this winter
guess they stop at Dawson Don't keeI
them In a hot room Lucille says to say
you and her and me has sure made some
excitement IN Dawson And 1 say the
drinks Is on you. and that goes.
Respectfully your friend. W. w"