Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-03

| dust; gradually mems minds swung
back to the balanced and normal, and
the life of the camp went forward on
Nevertheless. certain effects re-
manned. Each express went out
! heavily guarded, and preceded and
followed by men on horseback.
Strangely enough the gamblers left
camp. In a little more than a year
| Old Man Bright fell into settled
. melancholia from which his millions
| never helped him to the very day of
his death, a little more than year
| later.
In the meantime, however varied
| the fortunes of the other mines and
work toward a steadily increasing
paying basis. tt never reached the
proportions of the Clarice, but turned
out an increasing value of dust at
| each cleanup. The Gaynes boys two
years before had been in debt for
their groceries. Now they were said
to have shipped out something like
| three or four hundred thousand dol
lars worth of gold. Their friends
used to wander down for the regular
cleanup, just to rejoice over the
youngsters deserved good luck. The
little five. stamp-mill crunched away
| steadily; the water flowed, and in IL
rifles the heavy gold dust accumu-
| lated.
why don't you-all put up a big
mill, throw in crew OF men, ana
| get busy?" they were asked.
"I'Il tell YOU" replied George, sft's
! because we know a. heap sight more
| about mining than we did when we
/ came here. We have just one claim.
and from all indications it's only
/ pocket. The Clarice is on a genuine
| lode; but we're likely to run into
horse or pinch out most any minute.
When we do, it's all over but few
| faint cries of fraud. And We can
empty that pocket just as well with
a little jerkwater outfit like this as
we could with a. big crew and real
mill. It'll take little longer, but
1 we're pulling it and quick enough.
Those Babes have more sense than
we gave 'em credit for" commented
| California John. Their heads are
| level. They're dead right about it's
| through there is the darndest mixture
/ ever see gold in.
| Two months after this conversation
! the Babes drifted into camp to an
nounce that the expected: pinch had
Were going" said Jimmy. I'VE
have heap plenty dust sailed away.
/ and there's not a color left in the Lost
Dog. The mill machinery is for sale
cheap. ANY one can have the Lost
DOS VINO Wduto WIZ sums wv
to see what makes the wheels go
| round. You boys have first claim
| on US wherever you find us. You've
| sure been good to- US. If you catch
that spook, send US one of his tail
| feathers. It would be worth just
twelve thousand five hundred to u.s."
They sold the stamp-mill for almost
/ nothing, packed eight animals with
heavy things they had accumulated
and departed up the steep white road.
4 I'll
| whence came no word of them more.
| The camp went on prospecting. Old
| Man Bright died. The heavily guard
ed express continued to drag out yell
low gold by the hundredweight.
| About six weeks after the depar-
T, departed for his semi-annual visit to
| the valleys and the towns. A week
+; later he returned. 1t was about dusk.
At the water trough he dismounted.
4 Boys" said he. quietly, I've been
held up He eyed them quizzicaiiy.
up by the slide rock he continued,
"Who was he?" what was it?" they
cried, starting to their feet.
| ct was Jimmy. Gaynes," replied
California John.
/ "The Babe?" some one broke the
stunned silence at last.
Precisely"
We'll. Til be damned" cried Tib-
belts.
did he get much off your" asked a
miner after another pause.
HE never took a thing"
| \ X 4 +
| CALIFORNIA JOHN was discursive
~ and interested and disinclined to
Nbe hurried.
II was driftin' down the road busy
| with my own idees-which amt
i =, T 10
up all to once by some one givin' me
! advice. took the advice. Wasn't
nothin' else to do. So / histed my
hands as per commands and waited
for the next move" He chuckled. Il
| wasn't worryin'. Had to squeeze my
dust bag to pay my hotel bill when 1
left the city"
Drop yore gun in the road, says
| the agent.
NOW dismount.'
LII ! l< L 49,.