The diamond drill., 1921-12-24

back couple o. years r so there was
I copper strike made In Little Cinnabar
gulch. about four mile west o. here,
| and follerln II there was a heap o.
talk about the railroad runnin'
branch TO H. That there branch, II II
was bunt--'r when it's built. for it's
goln' 20 be. some day. 10 open them
copper mlnes-that there branch III 20
right along our bench within a hun
dred yards OF the old CInnabar; so
close you could mighty near dump
from the ore sheds into the cars"
began 10 see more crookings I'm
the sacrihcial road over which Grand
| father Jasper had been led; many
more and more devious ones.
"In that case, even the low-grade
Cinnabar would come bit nearer be-
ing bonanza, wouldn't 1T" / asked.
"She sure would. Stannie. That
long. hard wagon haul 10 Tropia was
what was putin the cuss In the cost
o. handlin'."
"And with the railroad right at the
door. so 10 speak, II might even pay 10
recapitalize at three-quarters Of a mil
lion and drive that long drainage tun-
nel we have been figuring onf"
"Somethin' like that; yes. Can you
see any furder into the mlllstonef I'll
say I've got about 10 the end OF my
squlntin'."
I refilled my pipe and did bit OF
cogitating. Supposing had been the
boss hgurer In the bunch that did
Grandfather Jasper the honor 10 blk
him; as conscienceless as that pirate,
whoever he was. and In the secret OF
the conditions as Daddy had just out
lined them, what would have doner'
The answer came as pat as you
please. With a railroad In prospect
which would turn a small profit into
big one. should quite probably
have shut the mine down 10 wait until
i could hear the whistle OF the locomo-
tive.
This conclusion led promptly and
logically 10 another. Supposlng, at the
moment when l had decided upon the
shutdown, some doddering old gentle
man had come along and offered to
buy the miner Add, as corollary,
the supposition that the water problem
was daily growing more inslstent. with
the ultimate threat of flood. AS an or
dinary, garden-varlety mining shark,
what would ! have done?
That answer came pat, also.
should have taken the old gentleman's
money. trusting TO the rising flood to
make him sick OF his bargain In due
course OF time and thus willing to sell
out for anything he could get.
II believe l have IL doped out" i
told Daddy at the end of the cogitating
pause; and then / passed the infer
ences along to him. The immediate
effect was TO evoke couple Of his
quaint substitutes for profanity.
achlm-to-breakfastr he ex-
claimed; "I1l be ding-swlzzed IL l
don't believe you've struck the true
lead Stannle, my sonl II you have,
here's what follers: Charley Butler
tons here 10 do the dlckerln' for that
same old high-bindin' Cinnabar outfit
that did your gran'paw up. They sold
for half million r so and now they're
wlllin' TO buy back for thirty or forty
or fifty thousand. BY Jezebell / just
knew that slck-tongued rooster was
tryln' to work some skin gamei"
"Yet he is going 10 marry your
daughter" | put In grimly.
At this the old man turned gloomy
serious in the batting Of an eye, draw
Ing his mouth down at the corner and
sucking hard at the pipe which had
long since burned out.
That's been a-pinchIn' me like a
tight boot, Stannie," he admitted. "If
you'd asst me afore he come, I'd "a
told you she hadn't a morsel o. use
for that con-dummed blowhard. But
just you look at the way things are
stackin' up nowl He's snoopln' round
her mighty near all the whole time
and she hain't never once give me the
wink to send him a-kitin', like I'm
ltchin' toi"
He told me 70 look. had been look.
Ing until my eyes ached. The indi-
cations we're all one way, tons of
them; with only one little impulsive
kiss 10 put In the other pan OF the
SSuics uluh tell bhuuy uODut the
kiss; but I did tell him that Jeanie
had told me not to sell the Cinnabar.
"Sof" he commented. livening up a
little. That brings on more talk.
Reckon you can make out 10 hang onto
the old cows tail for spell longerf"
took time TO consider my answer.
i've been wondering IL. all things
given their due footing. II were worth
while 20 hang on, Daddy. As matters
stand now, Fullerton Is stuck unless
sell out 10 him. II should take my
foot In my hand and walk out, he'd
be left up In the air. But. on the 9TH
er hand, there's Jeanie. II she's go
Ing 70 marry Fullerton, why. that's a
horse OF another color. I'm not enough
Of dog-in-the-manger 10 bite her nose
Off 10 spite Bullerton's face"
"Um." was the grunted response.
Then, with side swipe that wasn't
1 IookfnO for. o(yharlav Ruilarfonsa haan