The Holly chieftain., 1923-08-09
RinrOck Trail

like-what she is," said Westlake, as
Miranda Bailey. Mormon in attend
ance, came out Of the house.
.Time fo' me to be trailin' back"
said the spinster. Moons risin'.
Good night. Mr.. Westlake. See you
ag'in before you 60. j hope"
She climbed into the machine.
which Mormon. cranked. 1t moved on,
Mormon watching 1t. Then Sam came
out and Joined them.
"Gels gone to bed" he announced.
''What'st Keith dom up to Casey
Town, Westlakef
ut won't take long to tell you"
The four walked over to the corral
and the three partners climbed on the
top rail, ranch-fashion. Westlake
stood before them.
practically all the gold found in
Casey Town comes from the main
guich where the creek runs. The
gulch was once ndn-eustent. It is
likely there was hill there. Its nub
was porphyry cap; the rest Of 1t
was composed Of layers of porphyry
and valueless rock dipping downward,
nested like saucers In the synclinal
layers. Ice and water wore of the
nub and leveled the hill, then gouged
out the gulch. They ground away, in
my belief. all the porphyry that held
gold except the portions now lying
either side Of the gulch.
''It was the top layers that held
the richest ore. OF those that are
left only one carries It and that is
the reef that outcrops here and there
both sides Of the gulch. This isn't
theory. All strikes have been made
in this top layer. Where they have
sunk through to lower porphyry
stratum they have found only indica-
tions where they found anything at
all. But the strikes were rich be-
cause sylvanite is one of the richest
of all gold ores. Some of the strikes
have been on the Keith Group prop
critics. They have boosted the stock
Of all Of them.
II have been developing these
group projects. The value Of group
promotion, to the promoter, is, that
as long as one claim shows promise,
the shares keep selling. The public
loves to gamble. Keith came back
this trip and proposed to purchase a
lot Of claims that are nothing but plain
rock, surface dirt and sage-brush. He
can buy them for almost nothing. But
he does not propose to sell them for
that. He was going to start another
group. He ordered me to make the
preliminary surveys.
"He knew one would have as much
chance digging In New York back
yard. told him So He has his own
expert, and, II he didn't tell him so
too, he's crook.
"Keith said he understood his busi-
ness and suggested I should attend
strictly to mine. was hot. 1 suo.
gested that wildcat development was
not my business. He called me
quixotic young fool, among other
things, and I may have called him a
robber. I'm not sure. Anyway, I
quit.
"rm comparatively a kid. But 1
know what Is going on generally in
Casey Town. There have been no
more strikes. for one thing; the dis
coveries have all been in the one
layer and they are gradually working
out. Keith would rather develop a
good property than a bad one. He
carries his investing clients from one
proposition to another. He never has
to risk his own money and he has
been lucky. He has made money
lots Of It. Now. then, why does he
start wildcatting7 I believe he's been
stung somewhere. know he's been
fooling with oil stocks. His malls
full of It And believe he's been
bitten by the other fellows game
instead Of sticking to his own"
Its been done befo'."
"But that isn't ALL" Westlake
brought down his right fist into the
palm Of his left hand for emphasis.
Yesterday they closed up the slopes
In the Molly. Boarded 'em over. This
was done without consulting me. I
heard of It after had walked out Of
keith's office. resigned, or fired.
"Now, then-there's no gold left
c0Nn VA eho booA uAS Al tAOoc blOpCS-
practically none! The Molly is played
out. picked like walnut Of Its meat
II they do develop down to the sec
ond porphyry level they won't find
anything to pay for the work. They
have taken all the sylvanite out Of
your mine and Keith, is trying to
cover up the fact"
Westlake stopped and eyed them.
Sandy's eyes closed slightly.
"Keith can't help the mine peterin'
out" he said. "Jest why is he hidin'
IT. Sos he can unloadr'
"Plain enough. Now the Molly
mine stock isn't OF the market. 1t is
all owned. as l understand. by Miss
Casey and you three holding the con-
trolling interest, Keith the rest. It's
lot