Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1922-02-16


i didn't see any reason why ne
shouldn't know, so l told him all OF
It, from start to finish, offers, bully
ings, and threats, but, Of course. moth
ing about the Jeanne factor.
Great Moses !" he calculated, at the
end Of the sorry tale. "Why, gosh-to-
Methusaleh!-it's hold-up! Do you
reckon he kin .unwater the Cinnabar?"
"Surest thing in the world. So
could you or l, If we had the money
to drive long drainage tunnel from
the lower slope"
The old man smoked along in
thoughtful silence for a few minutes.
Then he said:
"'Bout that there tunnel job; some
thin like two hundred thousand, we
fiugerd that'd cost, with no bad luck,
didn't we, Stannie?"
'1rhat was the figure"
.And first off. Charley Fullerton
! was willin' to give you fifty thousand
for your rights-though now you say
he's shaved 1t down to forty. That'd
mean an investment Of at least two
hundred and fifty thousand; all a-goin'
out and nothin' a-comin' in. Let's see
where that's fetchin' us to. / don't
know what your gran'paw paid for the
mine, but it was lessh half million,
/ and l reckon he paid ever dollar 1t
was worth, don't you?"
DOUBTLESS he did, admitted.
$50 there's where we land" he went
on speculativGy. "Two hundred and
b fifty thousand tackled onto half mil
lion gives her capital of three-quar-
tiers of million sunk in her, first and
last. Question is: Is she worth it?'
l was beginning to get his idea at
last. He was wondering If mine
that had once sold at a top-notch
price Of half million could stand
the investment of quarter Of a mil
lion additional, and still hope to be
a paying proposition.
'You mean that FULLERTON is fgur-
4 ing upon spending quarter Of mil
lion more on it?" l queried.
"Nope; l reckon can't. There's too
Niger HI the wOodpile, sOmewheres,
.
"Can you carry it any further?"
"Nope; reckon can't. There's too
many darned things a-puzzlin' me.
One of 'em is where in Sam Hill did
Charley Fullerton get all the money
that he's fiashin around SO peacocky?"
II don't know where he got it, but
he has It, all right; carries it with
him." l said sourly.
Eyes; but see here, Stannie, son,
I'll bet fee dog worth a hundred dol
lars that it amt his money"
''What makes you say that"
"Well, for one thing, because know
Charley Fullerton; been KNOWN him
since Adam was little boy in knee
breeches. He. can't keep any money
Of his own; just naturally amt built
hathaway"
i "Gambles IT." I suggested.
y "Big CANDLES, yes; stocks and that
sort O. truck. No stree; these yeller-
backs he's a-flashin' around amt his'n,
not by long chalk, and I'd bet on it.
Somebody else is settin' EN- up; and
II that's SO, Stannie, there's reason
for it,
Sure" l conceded. Then: "Could
you make long, high, running jump
and guess at the reason, Daddy?"
. '.Not so g it'd hold together, 1
reckon" he replied obviously. "But
there's a few little notions at I've
picked up from folks that's older in
this neck o. woods than am-been
here. longer. The old Cinnabar never
was what you'd call bonanza Plen-
ty of ore, to be sure, but mostly low
grade, 'cepting them rich little pockets
now and then"
i Those rich pockets put ip. "a
strike Of one Of them would be about
the right time. to. sell, wouldn't it?"
He nodded.
you're shOutin', now. l reckon
that's about how they caught your
gran'paw. But Buddy Fuller he's the
'Tropia telegraph operator and sort
O. halfway nephew o. mine-says
there's more to 1t than that. Long
back couple o. years r so there was
a copper, strike made in Little Cinnabar
gulch, about four mile west o here.
and follerin' 1t there was heap O.
talk about the railroad runnin' a
:: branch to it. That there branch, IL 1t
was bult--'r when it's built, for It's
goin' to be. some day, to open them
copper mines-that there branch III 20
right along our bencl. within q hun
dred yards Of the old Cinnabar.; %
close you could mighty near dump
from the ore sheds into the cara"
T. began to see more tcrookinRs I'm
the sacrifieial road over which Grand.
father Jasper had been led: many
more and more devious ones. 4.
j Continued Next weekly 4 I
THE GOOD TURN THAT BROUGHT
| SCOUTING TO AMERICA
ii ~ - NM