The Holbrook news., 1922-12-01

Cant tell" he announced. Feels heavy, looks black and all that. But 1t might not be anything but straight lead with a sprinkling of silver. And then again"
 He began to tinker about with his pottery. He dragged out scoop from somewhere and prepared various white powders. Then he turned to the furnace, with its high-chimneyed draft, and filled a container with the contents of the tobacco can.
 "Let Ter roast. Son." he announced. ''That's the only way. Let Ger roast and while it's getting hot, well, you just cool your heels"
 Long waiting-while the eccentric old assayer told doleful tales of other rushed in. just like Fairchild, with their sample of ore, only to depart with the knowledge that they were no richer than before, days when the news of the demonetization of silver swooped down upon the little town like some black tornado. closing down the mines, shutting up the gambling halls and great saloons, mailing up the doors, even of the Sampler, for years to come.
 He turned to the furnace and took out the pottery dish in which the sample had been smelting white-hot now. He cooled 1t and tinkered with his chemicals. He fused with his scales, he adjusted his glasses, he coughed once or twice in an embar- rassed manner; finally to turn to Fairchild.
 Young man," he querled, "it ain't any of my business, but where'd you get this ore?"
 "Out of my mine, the Blue Poppy !"
 "Sure you ain't been visiting?"
 "What do you mean?" Fairchild was staring at him in wonderment.
 Old Undertaken Chastine rubbed his hands on his big apron and continued tc look over his glasses.
 "What'n you take for the Blue Poppy mine, Son?"
 WuS-lCS 5 nOC TOT Sdle.
 "Sure 1t ain't going to be-soon? ?"
 Absolutely not" Then Fairchild caught the queer look in the mans eyes. 'What do you mean by all these questions? Is that good ore or isn't it?"
 "Son, just one more question-and hope you won't get mad at me. Pm funny old fellow, and I do lot of things that don't seem right at the beginning. But I've saved few young bloods like you from trouble more than once. You ain't been high grading?"
 You mean"
 "Just exactly what I said-wander- ing around somebody else's property and picking up a few samples, as 1t were, to mix in with your own prod uct? Or planting them where they can be found easily by a prospective buyer"
 Fairchild's chin set, and his arms moved slowly. Then he laughed. "No I'll give you my word I haven't been high-grading," he said. My partner and I drilled a hole in the foot wall of the stope where we were working. hoping to find the rest of vein that was pinching out on us. And we got this stuff. Is it any good?"
 "Is it goodT Again Old Under taker Chastine looked over his glasses. That's just the trouble. It's too good-it's so good that it seems there's something funny about 1t. Son, that stuff assays within a gram, almost, of the ore they're taking out of the Silver Queenw
 "What's that?" Fairchild had leaped forward and grasped the other man by the shoulders, his eyes agleam, his whole being trembling with excite ment. You're not kidding me about 1t? You're sure-you're sure?"
 Boy, you've got a bonanza, if this holds out. It's almost identical. never saw two samples of ore that were more alike. Let's see, the Blue Poppy's right up Kentucky gulch, not so very far away from the Silver Queen, isn't 1t? Then there must be tremendous big vein concealed around there somewhere that splits, one half of it running through the mountain in one direction and the other cutting through on the opposite side. It looks like peaches and cream for you. Son. How thick Is it?'
 q don't know. We just happened to put a drill in there and this is some of the scrapings."
 "You haven't cut into 1t at all, then"
 Not unless Harry, my partner, has