The Ordway new era., 1922-11-17

| rooms OF lIc DahB'Ss y.
light came into the old fellow eyes
as he looked into those OF Hooer'
"Don't get 'em too highl" he ad-
monished. Fairchild stared.
"What?"
"Hopes. I've seen many fellow
come in Just like you. I've been mere
thirty yen-. They call me Old Under
taker Chasine!"
Fairchild laughed.
| But I'm hoping"
"Yep, Son." Undertaken Chastine
looked over his glasses. you're just
like all the rest. You're hoping. Iro'
'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 Ind been able to
drag from the powder hole. Evident
iy. his drill had been In the ore, what
ever 1t was, for some time before he
realized 1t; the can was heavy, ex-
ceedlngly heavy. giving evidence OF
purity of something at least. But Un-
6ertnkpT NjnuSIlIle SIlOOh
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-chlmneyed
draft, and filed contalner 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-while the eccentric
old assayer told doleful tales of other
days, tales of other men who had
rushed in, just like Fairchlld. with
their sample of ore, only to depart
with the knowledge that they were
no richer than before, days when the
news of the decentralization 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.
lie turned to the furnace and took
out the pottery dish In which the
sample had been smelling whlte-hot
now. He cooled it and tlnkered 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. at amt
any of my business, but where'd you
get this ore?'
"Out of my mine, the Blue Poppy 7"
"Sure you amt been visitingT
"What do you meanf" 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'll you take for the Blue
Poppy mine. SOM"
"Why-it's not for sale"
"Sure 1t amt 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. I'm
funny old fellow, and do a lot
| of things that don't seem right nj
the beginning. But I've saved few
young bloods like you from trouble
more than once. You amt been high
grading?"
"You mean"
"Just exactly what I said-wander
ing around somebody else's property
were, to mix In with your own prod
uct? Or planting them where they
can be found easily by prospective
buyer?"
Fairchilds chin set, and his arm.
moved slowly. Then he laughed. "N'
I'll give you my word I haven
been high-grading," he said. IN,
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 us
And we got this stuff. Is 1t any good !?
"Is 1t goodW Again Old Under
taker Chastine looked over his glasses
THAT'S just the trouble. It's toe
good-it's so good that 1t seems there
something funny about 1t. Son. tina
stuff assays within gram, almos,
of the ore they're taking out of tn
Silver Queen!''
whats that?" Fairchlld had leape
forward and grasped the other ma
by the shoulders, his eyes agleam, hi
whole being trembling with excite
ment. You're not kidding me abou
1t? You're sure-you're sure?"