The diamond drill., 1921-12-17

you give me clear field--not stick
around. mean. That goes as II lies"
"Huhin l scoffed. "a while back
you were talking about pulling the law
on me. You can't make anything like
that stand In the courts and you know
It mighty we'll"
Maybe not but can make IL stand
with you-Yhich Is much more to the
purpose. You said a minute ago that
/ couldn't turn n wheel without your
consent. You can't turn wheel at
all--without money"
His rubbing the poverty gibe into me
made me madder than ever and
thought IL was about time to tell him
where he got of.
'4Then, by Jove, the wheels needn't
turn" ! countered. "And that lets
you out. II you want TO 20 10 law
about that contract-sail In. That's
al I've got TO say"
"oh. hold on" he protested; with
mock concern. Then he showed me
plainly what he'd been doing I'm the
interval between his first and this Sec
ond appearance In the Red Desert
region. ''rve had time to look you up,
you know, You're engaged TO a girl
back East and you can't marry her
because you haven't money enough.
Half loaf is better than no bread;
and I'm Offering YOU very nearly the
half loaf. Take a day or so TO think
IL over. I'm In no hurry" And with
that he went back TO the cabin across
the dump and left me warming the
anvil.
guess II will say itself that the
next few days stacked mp about as
wretched an interval as l had ever
been called upon 10 put over.
Bullerton had a masterful sort OF
grip that seemed 10 give him stran-
gle-hold upon everything he tackled
AT table and In the evenings before
the fire he monopolized the talk and
the~rest of us sat around like slough
ton-botties and let him do It.
IL didn't help matters out much
when Daddy Hiram, chasing me mp on
one of the days when / was lodging
Fullerton, gave me the sealed enve-
lope which my grandfather had left
with him. AS will be remembered, IL
was on the night of Bullertons arrival
at the Cinnabar that / had told Daddy
and his daughter who | was, and the
subject hadn't been again referred to
by any OF us. But now Daddy, having
overtaken me on one OF the trails |
above the mine, sat beside me on a
fiat rock and we had II out together.
"You knew who was from the first,
Daddy7'' / asked.
mot right plumb at first, no." he
qualified. "You see, didn't know who
wasrlooking for. Always reckoned
somebodyd be along. 4 course, but l
hadn't had any idea who r when"
''rm afraid I've been pretty sorry |
disappointment TO you," ] muttered. "I |
have no money and / don't know |
enough to be any good at the mining
game. And that reminds me my
grandfather. paid you regular salary |
for the caretaking. didn't her"
"Uh-huh."
'That has been discontinued since
his deathf"
IL reckon So"
IL have little income of my own; |
not much, but enough for the way |
we're living here. IL must be under |
stood that I share II with you and |
Jeanie. so long as I stay with you"
"Ain't no need o. your doin that.
Stannle. got little stake hid out
for pinch"
In all this, you will notice. there |
was no word said about Bullerton. We |
sat In silence for a while. Daddy chew |
Ing spear OF grass. After a time he |
called attention TO the envelope which |
! stIli held unopened In my hands.
Don't ye want 10 know what your
grnn'paw saysr he asked mildly.
At this l slit the end Of the envelope. |
Its contents were deed In fee simple
TO the Cinnabar and note 10 me.
written In Grandfather Jaspers
cramped. old-fashioned handwriting.
In the note he merely said that he was |
leaving me a property which had cost |
him pretty well up to half a million
and that he hoped I'd brace up and 20
TO work and make something out Of II,
adding that IL / hadn't been such a
hopeless idler oil my life be might
have considered the propriety of add |
ing an experimental fund TO the gift.
As IL was. I must work out my own
salvatIon--if we're anxious to possess
any Of that commodity.
think IL was on the fourth day after
his arrival that Bullerton cornered me
again and again II was In the deserted
blacksmith shop.
well. Broughton," he began abrupt.
", seating himself once more upon
the empty dynamite box. "rye given
yeu plenty Of time 20 think Il over.
Where do you stand nowl"
fright exactly where did In the
beginning" snapped. Il don't want
any forty.nlne-flfty-one per cent part
ncrhin with you neither that nor any