Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1921-05-05
CHAPTER XII-Continued.


out of an otherwise sure thing. How
ever" he added, recalling the note re-
ceived from Ricardo Ruey just before
his departure from Buenaventura and
rejecting that to be forewarned is to
be forearmed, well accept the, gam
BILE. That rascal can't live forever,
and he may be eliminated before he
causes us any trouble"
"What will it cost us to get this
mine on a paying basis, johnny?
"Well, back home, I'd figure on
spending at least 100000; but dare
say, taking into consideration the low
cost of labor in .Sobrante and the raw,
natural resources of power and tim
Der right on the ground, we ought to
put this deal over for $4,000 at the
outside. Praise be, I have cash
enough to do the trick without calling
IN any help, and such being the case,
We'll not waste any time but hop to
the job in a hurry and make the fur
fly"
Fright, Jack. What's the program
"Well, first off, son, I'm not going
to stay in this country and lose my
self managing this mine. That's your
job, because you're young and unim-
portant in your profession and have
the ability to get away with the job.
You can afford to spend the next Is
years here, but cannot. l can only
afford to come down here every cOu-
pie of years and relieve you for a va
cation"
"That's the way figured it, Jack"
"All right then, Bill, let us start in
by giving you your first vacation. If
you're going to dig in here and make
the fur fly, you've got to be in tip-top
physical conSLition-and you are thin
and gaunted and full of chills and fe-
yer. Just before / left Buenaventura
I cashcd a draft for $1,000 on my let
ter Of credit at the Banco Nacional,
and placed it to the credit of your
account there.
Tomorrow morning you will take
your horse, one pack mule, and one
mozo and ride for San Miguel de Pad
ua, where you will take the train for
Buenaventura. In Buenaventura YOU
may do what you blame please, but
If l were you, boy, I'd try to get mar
ried and go back to the U. S. A. for
my honeymoon. And when I finally
hit a town that contained some reg
ular doctors I'd let them paw me over
and rebabbitt me and overhaul my
bearings and put me in such nice run
ming order I'd be firing on all u cyl
inders at once.
"And when l was feeling tip-top
o1I TDI,,
Webster and tell him so, after which
I'd stand by for a cable from the said
sourdOugh inviting me to return and
take up my labOrs."
Billy's wan yellow face lighted up
like a sunrise on the desert. 81 guess
that plans kind of poor" he an
nounced feelingly. you're right,
Jack. I'm in rotten condition and l
ought to be right before start. Still,
If should arrange to get married be-
fore leave, I'd like mighty we'll to
have a good man and true see me
safely over the hurdles"
"That's nice, son, but haven't time
to be your best man. Arranging the
honeymoon let's me out, Bill. I'm in
a hurry to finish here and get back,
80 the sooner we both start our pros
pective jobs the sooner we'll finish.
Have a quiet little marriage, Bill,
without any fuss or feathers or voices
breathing DER Eden. What are the
odds, provided you get hitched prop
erly? Besides, I'm in mortal dread of
that town of Buenaventura. The sew
er system is bad; it's rotten with fe-
yer; and you'd better get that girl
out of it P. D. O.. and the quicker the
better. Myself, prefer to stay up
here in these mountains in tenn
perate climate where there are no
mosquitoes"
Billy saw that Webster was serious
and would resent any interference in
his plans. "All right, Jack" he as
scented. you're the boss"
"Flne. Now, Bill, you listen to ia.
Their and be guided accordingly. When
you get to Buenaventura, wire the
Bingham Engineering company OF
Denver, using my name, and tell them
to add to my order given them last
month and held for shipping direc'
lions, II dozen picks, II dozen shov,
axes, brush knives, big road pillow
and whatever other things you happier
to think of and which would come in
handy when building our road. Also
when you get to New Orleans buy {
stanch three-tOn motor truck. Wei
need it for getting in supplies from
San Miguel de Padua. Pay for the
truck also, and if you go broke anC
cannot reach me by cable, wire Ned
dy Jerome at the Engineers club il
Denver and kick his eye out in m!
honored name.
81 guess that's about all of YOU
Job, Bill AS for me, I'll camp RICH
here. I'll have a deal of surveying
to do and l plan to sweat the booz
out of that Cafferty person. II
make Don Juan my chain man ant
HI