Graham guardian., 1922-01-20

SVhiih oklp OuL tnat Otiler uOOr,
Stsnnle, and hit for the timber. I'll
Eetch up with you In n little SPELL"
didnt know exactly what he was
driving at until after l got clear Of
the mine buildings and was climbing
the slope OF the mountain above. Then
/ looked back and saw Bullerton saun.
tering across the dump head. lie was
evidently bent on another little Job
Of spying; either that, or else he didn't
want Daddy and me to get together
by ourselves.
Under cover Of the forest sat down
and waited; and In a shoyt time Daddy
Joined me. making an excuse for the
dodge-away that didn't mean anything
at all.
~ got q claim over yo-fer in the
right.hsnd gut c,~...S .1S at I was
werkin' when you - Saw came
along" he said. Thought maybe
you'd like to mos over with me and
take a look at her"
or course, said I'd be delighted;
80 We made a detour around the Gin.
nabar, Keeping out OF sight from the
cabin and shaft-house, and pushing on
around the western slope for maybe
half mile until We came to the guich
In which the abandoned claim lay.
Working entirely alone, Daddy had
driven tunnel possibly hundred feet
deep straight into the solid rock Of the
mountain side, following the thin vein
and hoping that II would widen into
a 'pay-streuk." After he had led me
few yards into the tunnel, he waved
me to seat on pile of broken rock.
and took one himself with his back
against the opposite wall.
"Im Eettin' just naturally so l hate
gosh-dummed crowd" he remarked,
switching suddenly from his talk of the
abandoned claim. Feel sometimes as
If Id like to swap skins with con.
dummed gopher and duck plumb into
hole"
"Well," said l, grinnlng at him,
you've ducked, for once In a way, and
so have i. What about til"
Charley Bullerton," he Spat out.
without further preface. That slick
tongued word artist sure does get onto
my nerves. What-alfs he tryin' to do
to you, SUBWAY. StunnleT
didn't see any reason why he
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 Jeanie factor.
Great Mosesw he calculated. at the
ind Of the sorry tale. "Why, gosh-tO-
Methusaleh its q hOld.upl Do you
reckon he kin unwater the Cinnabar?"
"Surest thing In the world. So
could you or I, II we had the money
to drive h long drainage tunnel from
the lower slope"
The old man smoked along In
thoughtful silence for few minutes,
Then he said:
"BOut that there tunnel job; some
thin like two hundred thousand, We
1ugerd that'd cost, with no bad luck,
didn't we, StannieT
"That was the figure"
And. first of. Charley BullertOn
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 nothln' n-comin' In. Let's see
where that's fetchin' us to. don't
know what your grsn'paw paid for the
mine, but It was less'n half million,
and I reckon he paid ever dollar 1t
was worth, don't yOuT
doubtless he did," admitted.
$50 there's where we land" he went
ON speculatively. Two hundred and
fifty thousand tackled onto half q mil.
lion gives her u capital OF three-quar-
ters OF a million sunk in her, first and
last. Question is: Is she worth iti''
was beginning to get his Idea ut
last. He was wondering II a mine
that had once sold at q top-notch
price OF half a million could stand
the investment OF quarter of mil
lion additional and still hope to be
paying proposition.
you mean that Bullerton is fgur-
Ing upon spending a quarter Of mil
lion more on III" I Queried.
"N0pe; ! reckon can't. There's too
nIgger In the woodpile, somewheres,
Stannie, as sure s you're born"
Can you carry II any furtherP
"Nope; l reckon I can't. There's too
many darned things a-puzzlln' me.
One of 'em Is where In Sam Hill did
Charley Fullerton get al! the money
that he's fiashIn' around so peacOckyT'
II don't know where he got II, but
| he has II, all right; carries It with
him." said souily.
"Yes; but see here, Stannle, son,
I'll bet flee dog worth hundred dol
lars that II amt his money"
what makes you say thatT"
"Weli, for one thing, because I know
Charley fullerton; been knowin' him
since Adam WAS little boy In knee
breeches. He can't keep any money
OF his own; just naturally amt built
that.away."
"Gambles Itf" | suggested.
big CANDLES, yes; stocks and that
sort O. truck. No stree; these yelier.
backs he's I-nashin' around amt hlS'n,
not by long chalk, and I'd bet OH It.
Somebody else Is settin' EN- up; and
II that's SO, Stannle, there'sea reason
| for IT,"
Sure" I conceded. Then: Gould
YOU make long, high, running jump