The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-09-18
CHAPTER III

Jack and were early about in the
morning, intent upon making our pros
pecting arrangements. We asked a
casual question of an early morning
lounger at a livery stable-some OF
these fellows seemed to get up at day
light for the express purpose of loung
ing-and he flung his voice over his
shoulder into the recesses of the barn
"Jakep' he called; two guys here to
see yuh."
Jake was evidently feeding his
horses, for we heard the rustic of hay
and caught Whit of its fragrance, but
presently he came stumping down the
main thoroughfare between the stalls
He was short man with an override
veloped waistline-quite the opposite
of the lean and lanky Westerner our
imaginations had been picturing.
"Well," he said, bringing his weight
to poise on his pudgy feet, and scru.
tinizing us closely through shrewd
half-closed eyes. "You fellows lookin
fer land?"
That's what" said Jack, who was
already beginning to pick up some OF
the direct vernacular Of the West
1--WE want a man who knows the coun,
try to show us about"
"I'm your gazabo," said Jake. 81
know every badger hole from Estevan
to Prince Albert. / know every patch
Of stinkweed from Arcola to Swift Cur.
rent. I've druv this country till there
amt coyote between Montana an
the Saskatchewan river but knows the
rattle O. my bone-shaker. You boys
| hit luck with your first throw
runnin' into me like this" Then, with
| a sharp squint through his calf-closed
eyes, and dropping his voice to a con
fidential note, 'How much money you
got?'
Enough" said Jack, "but none to
waste. What are your ratesT'
Jake seemed to be turning a prob
lem heavily in his mind. ~ like you
fellows" he said at length, "and
make you special price. Usual
get seven dollars day an found fel
drivin', an fifty dollars for locatin.
That's fer each gent. Now calls yor
two boys one gent an makes you the
same price-seven bones an a grub
stake whether we hit oil or not, ar
fifty plunks extra If we do. An we
will. No question about that. / know
two claims that's JUS sittin' up an
yelpin' fer you lads to come along"
| We withdrew and talked the matter
over for a few minutes. In spite Of
Jake's unprepossessing appearance ant
boastful language there was something
appealing about him. We returned
presently with our minds made up.
wen take your offer, Mr." Jacl
commenced.
| Jake" he interrupted. "No mister
"All right, Jake, We'll take YOU
offer. When do we start, what do W.
take, and where do we go?''
Jake looked interrogatively at tn,
morning sun. Then, Had breakfast? 2
he demanded.
mo"
well, fill up. You must be feelin
pretty well bored out after your trip
I'll start get the outfit together.
got team of buckskins that's tougher
than Little Eva in an Uncle Tom
Cabin show, an a democrat bone
shaker that scuds across the prairi,
like the shadow of cloud" (He hat
his poetic turns, had jake. 81 got ,
tent, but you'll need your own blankets
After breakfast Wen go over to stor,
an buy layout O. grub"
"How long will we be away?"
"Well, naturally we have to fgger oil
driving out good spell. Amt no fire,
land nowhere close to city, /,
C-LT-Y"-he spelled it out with
whimsical mixture of pride and ridi
cule-"like this. Now I've a spot Il
my mind think'll suit you boys RICH
about three days to go, an day t
look it over, an three days to com
back, which knocks the hell out o.
week, don't it? An it might be longer.
"You see, we have our sisters here
We have to give them some idea"
SlSleTS JAKE cACldlIucu, cNluculi
in some panic. "They amt goir
alongT
mo. They'll stay here until we ge
settled"
That's all right, then," said Jake
visibly relieved. "Well. you tell 'eI
week or ten days."
We related the mornings transaC
tions to the girls, who accepted the sill
uation with resignation, ss it had bee
agreed that they would stay in Regin
while we did our prospecting. The
would at once set about to find cheape
lodgings, or couple of rooms wher
they could keep house; they insiste
that they were quite able to shift 70
themselves, They would leave wor
of their new location at the hotel.
4 The forenoon was well gone by tn
time we had finished eur arrangement
and bought our grub" which consiste
mainly Of canned goods and othe