The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-12-05
CHAPTER xxx.
The Golden Web.

The Golden Web.
Y 7 d thrust away his watch and
RI the pistol and with shout of
Joy seized both my hands.
\ \ well, well. we'll WE'LL" he
cried over and over again, but l am
glad to see you! I'd no idea where
you were or what you were doing
Why couldn't you write man occa-
sionally"
II don't know,'i said l rather blank
ly. al don't believe 1t ever occurred
to US we could write"
'Where are the others? Are they
with your"
wen look them up" said /.
Together we walked away. arm In
arm. Talbot had not changed, except
that ne had discarded his nliner's rig
and was now dressed in rather quiet
cloth suit, a small soft hat and blue
flannel shirt. The trousers he had
tucked into the tops of his boots. l
thought the loose, neat costume very
becoming to him. After dozen swift
Inquiries as to our welfare he plunged
headlong into enthuslasms as to the
town.
"It's the greatest city in the worldv'
he cried; then, catching my express
sion, he added, "or it's going to be.
Think Of it. Frank, a year ago 1t had
less than q thousand people, and now
we have at least 10000. The new com
mercial wharf is nearly half mile
long and cost us n hundred and fifty
thousand dollars, but we raised the
money IN ten minutesl We're going to
build two more. And Sam Brannan
and lot of us are talking OF putting
down plank roads. Think what that
viii meant And there's no limit to
what we can do In real estate! Just
knock down few OF these hills to the
north
He stopped, for | was laughing,
"Why not drain the bay?" ! sug-
gested. "There's a.plenty OF land down
there"
"Well," said Talbot in calmer man
ner. "we won't quite do that, but wen
put some of those sand hills into the
edge of the bay. You wait and SEQ.
If you want to make money you just
buy some of those water front lots.
You'll wake up some morning TO find
you're mile inland
| laughed again, but Just the other
day, in this year 1890, l rode in a
street car where fifty years ago great
ships had lain at anchor.
We discovered Johnny and Yank and
pounded each others backs and had
drinks and generally worked or our
high spirits. Then we adjourned to a
corner, lit cigars, tremendous luxury
for us miners, and plunged into recital.
Talbot listened to us attentively, his
eyes bright with interest, occasionally
breaking In on the narrator to ask one
of the others to supplement some toe
modestly worded statement.
"Well," he sighed when we had fin
ished, you boys have certainly had O
time! What an experience! You'll
never forget it,! He brooded awhile
"I suppose the world will never see IT.
like again. 1t was the chance of O
lifetime. I'd like-no, wouldn't! I've
lived too. Well, now for the partner
! ship. AS understand 1t, for the Hang
mans Gulch end OF 1t we have, al
! told, about $5,000-at any rate, tina
was the amount Mcclellan sent dow
I to me-"
"That's It." said l.
"And the Porcupine Flat venture wa
n bad loss?'
"The robbers cleaned us out ther
except for what we sent you," l agreed
rcgretfully,
"smce which time Yank has beel
out OF it completely
Haven't made cent since" aC
knowledged Yank cheerfully, "and
owe somethink TO Frank here for m
keep. Thought had about $500, bu
l guess amt"
"At Italian Bar" went on Talbo
chow much did you make?"
doesn't matter what | made" II
terposed Johnny, "for, as Frank FOL
you, it's all at the bottom of the Sacr'
mento river"
81 did pretty well," said /, ian
pulled out PIG ounces"
"About $4,000" computed Talbo
You're the plutocrat, all right We
I've done pretty well with this end
the partnership too. think-but
guess we'd better take fresh day
II. 1t must be ungodly late. Goo
Lord, yesl Three o'clockg
Nobody would have thought so. IT
place seemed nearly as full as eve
We accompanied Talbot to his hot'