The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1917-08-09

property" asked Bell, with something
like sheer.
"Once or twice." said the mining ex.
pert simply, and then she relapsed In.
to commonplace remarks about the
scenery and climate.
Welton, deeply bitten BY remorse,
Tell into wordless state Of gloom and
abstraction which lasted until the par.
ty reached the mine shaft. Here the
expert became all activity. She ran
lightly down the ladder into the gaping
hole which was surmounted by a crude
hoisting apparatus known as swhip."
She swung pick with her own hands,
chipping specimens from the vein and
filling several Of the little canvas ore
sacks which she had taken from the
valise. Then she took one Of the odd.
looking hammers, affected by prospec-
tors. and announced that she was going
to examine the surface Indications.
She wandered for an hour over the ad-
Joining acres, absorbed in cracking
rocks and making microscopic exam.
nations. AS she was chipping some
rock from fissure technically known
as blowout" she heard footsteps
and, on rising, found Welton standing
near her.
Miss Eyler," said the young man,
his hat in his hand and his head down.
cast, Il want to tell you few things
before you 60 back to make your re-
port. Don't trust to any assay returns
which you may get. Your samples in
those ore sacks have been sailed with
an injection of chloride of gold, carried
In hypodermic syringe. This proper
ty looks good on top, and we did strike
a rich pocket, but it played out, and
In my opinion the whole things false
alarm"
"Why do you tell me all this2" asked
Miss Eyler, without the faintest symp-
tom Of surprise exhibiting itself in her
textures.
Because I'm only half a scoundrel,
I suppose" said Welton with q bitter
laugh. "Or perhaps I'm doubly a
scOundrel for the reason that when I've
once agreed to rascally trick I lose
heart and expose my partner. I've
been away from civilization so long
that guess had forgotten that was
! gentleman. But I've had this prop
erty on my hands and have seen all my
money go into it. and when things get
to that PASS out here-well, any trick
is legitimate among miners In such an
event."
"And I'll tell you something MORE"
said Miss Eyler firmly. "That mine has
been cleverly walled with pay ore at
the bottom Of the shaft. The work has
been done by your partner, but he has
overreached himself. He has gone on
the superstition that it must be gold
property or nothing, whereas the surf
ace indications show that 1t is likely to
make fine copper mine, and I'm going
to recommend it's purchase ON that
basis. But that partner Of yours must
never reap any benefit. When we get
back to the hotel am going to tell him
that will give him just 48 hours to
get out Of the state"
Here slight noise made both turn.
Bell was standing back of the girl,
where he had crept through the Quak-
ing asps and stunted cottonwoods.
"You won't do 20 SIGH thing, Miss"
he said slowly, his voice shaking with
rage. II thought this white-faced
young pup had weakened, and III jest
settle him fust-"
AS the man spoke he had been adj
vancing, with his eyes fixed on the
slowly toward his hip pocket. He was
but few feet from Miss Eyler and
she was not the one to hesitate when
there was only one step to be taken.
AS she stepped, she swung her vigor-
GUS young arm, and the heavy head of
the prospector's hammer struck full in
the center Of the miners sOmbrerO.
Without sound he dropped, face
downward. and the girl fell on her
knees at his side and quickly possessed
herself Of the shining weapon that had
been half drawn from his pocket.
Welton turned the man over on his
back and felt where the hammer had
struck.
''There's a nasty bump there" he
said to Miss Eyler, who was still on
her knees, her eyes very bright ana
her face very white. "IIe'll pull
through all right in a few minutes and
guess we might as we'll leave him
right here. He'll want to make him
self scarce anyway when he wakes up.
and he might as we'll pull freight from
here"
What explanations were made, what
was overlooked and what was taken for
granted during that return ride down |
the canyon will never be known save
by two persons, but Seth Elkins seemed |
to have reached conclusions of his own |
as, six months later, he suddenly cried:
"Say, you fellers know that slick
lOOkin' tailOr-l1ade expert that sold !
young Dick Welton's copper prop'ty fer
him? Well. jest hauled trunk and
sight o. boxes up here, marked Mrs.
Richard Welton. amt had no we'd
din card I'm Dick. mind Won. hut I'm