The St. Charles herald., 1922-11-11

him from the dirty, dusty. bin-niieo
rooms of the Sampler proper. A queer
light came into the old fellows eyes
as he looked into those of Robert
Fairchild.
"Don't get 'em too high" he ad-
monished. Fairchild stared.
"What?"
"Hopes. I've seen many reno"
come in just like you. I've been mere
thirty year. They call me Old OAde''
taker Chastine!'
Fairchild laughed.
"But I'm hoping"
"Yep, Son." Undertaken Chastihe
looked over his glasses. you're just
like all the rest. You're hoping. Trot
'er out and let the old Undertaken
have look at 'er."
Sobered now, Fairchild reached for
his tobacco can, which had been
stuffed full of every scrap of slime
that he and AIRY had been able to
drag from the powder hole. Evident
ly, his drill had been in the ore, what
ever it was, for some time before ne
realized it: the can was heavy, ex-
ceedingly heavy. giving evidence OF
purity of something at least. But Un-
dertaker Chastine shook his head.
Cant tell" he announced. "Feels
heavy, looks black and all that. But
it 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 container with the
contents of the tobacco can.
LET 'er roast, Son." he announced.
"'That's the only way. Let 'er roast
| and while it's getting hot, well, you
just cool your heels"
Long waiting-wlIile the eccentric
old assayer told doleful tales OF other
| days, tales of other men who had
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 smelling white-hot
now. He cooled it 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 queried, "it ain't
any of my business, but where'd you
get this ore?' =.
"Out Of my mine, the Blue Poppy! y
"Sure you amt 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
t. look over his glasses.
"What'll you take for the Blue
Poppy mine. Son?''
"Why-it's not for SALE"
"Sure it amt going to be-soon?
absolutely not" Then Fairchilt
caught the queer look in the man!
eyes. "What do you mean by al
these questions? Is that good ore
or isn't it?"
"Son, just one more questiOn-and
hope you won't get mad at me. In
a funny old fellow, and l do 10
of things that don't seem right a
, the beginning. But I've saved a fev
young bloods like you from trouble
! more than once. You amt been high
) grading?"
"Just exactly what I said-wandei
= ing around somebody else's propert
and picking up few samples, as
were, to mix In with your own prod
! uct? Or planting them where the
can be found easily by prosperity
= buyer"
Fairchild's chin set, and his arm
moved slowly. Then he laughed. IN
!, I'll give you my word l haven
been high-grading." he said. M
= partner and l drilled hole In tn
foot wall Of the stope where we wer
working, hoping to find the rest OF
vein that was pinching out on u
e And we got this stuff. Is 1t any good
. "Is it good?" Again Old Unde
L taker Chastine looked over his glasse
$ "That's just the trouble. It's to
e good-it's SO good that It seems there
Ii something funny about 1t. Son. ths
stuff assays within gram. almos
of the ore they're taking out OF tt
Silver Queen!"
k "What's that?' Fairchild had leape
IS forward and grasped the other ma
It by the shoulders, his eyes agleam, h
e whole being trembling with excit
< ment. "You're not kidding me abo'
N it? You're sure-you're sure?'
'e "Boy, you've got a bonanza. II tn
i. holds out. It's almost identical. l new
1t saw two samples Of ore that we
more alike. Let's see, the Bl,
Poppy's right up Kentucky gulch. n
c,~c~ lrov,o Tho Civ,