The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-09-06
CHAPTER VIII
10

You'd better quit" said the Prod
gal. 1t was the evening of my mishap.
and he had arrived unexpectedly
from town ut just fits in with my
plans. I'm getting Jim TO come in, too,
I've realized on that stuff | bought,
made over three thousand clear profit,
and with IL I've made a dicker for
property on the beach above Bonanza,
Gold hill they call il. I've a notion
it's all right Anyway, we'll tunnel
in and see. You and Jim will have
a quarter share each for your work,
while I'll have an extra quarter for
the capital I've put in Is ii a goT
/ said ii was.
Next day found Us all three survey
ing our claim. The first thing to do
was TO build cabin. Right away we
began to level off the ground. The
work was pleasant, and conducted in
such friendship that the time passed
most happily. Indeed, my only worry
was about Berna- / schOoIed myself
into the belief that she was all right.
but, thank God, every moment was
bringing her nearer TO tie.
We had hauled the logs for the
cabin, and the foundation was laid.
Every day saw our future home near
er completion.
One evening 1 spied the saturnine
RibwOOd climbing down the hill to
our tent he hailed me:
Say, We want a night Waterman
up al the claim 70 go on four hours
a night at a dollar an hour. You see.
there's been a lot of sluice-box rob-
berries lately, and we're scared for
our cleanup. There's four hours ev-
cry night the place is deserted and
HOFFMAN proposed we should get you
TO keep watch"
YES" | said; 'rll run up every
evening if the others don't object"
They did not; so the next night.
and for about a dozen after that. !
spent the darkest hours watching on
the claim where previously l had
worked.
Ii was the dimmest and most un-
certain hour of the four, and | was
sitting al my post of guard. As the
night was chilly | had brought along
an old gray blanket, similar in color
to the mound of the pay-dirt- There
had been quite a cavity dug in the
dump during the day, and into this
l crawled and wrapped myself in my
blanket From my position [ could
see the string of boxes containing the
rifles. By my side lay loaded shot
gun
If the swine comes" Ribwood had
said. -let him have a cleanup Of
lead instead of gold"
Lying there, ! got to thinking Of
the robberies. They were remark
able. All had been done by an ex-
pert Each time the robber had
cleaned up from two TO three thou
sand dollars. and all within the past
month. There was some mysle rious
mastercrook in our midst, one who
operated swiftly and surely, and left
absolutely no clew of his identity.
| was quiet for a while. watching
dreamiIy the dark shadows of the
dusk.
Histl What was that? Surely the
bushes were moving over there by the
hillside. strained my eyes | was
right: they were.
I watched and waited. A man was
parting the bushes Cautiously.
crawling like a snake. he worked his
way 10 the sluice-boxes. None bur
a keen watcher could have seen him
Again and again be paused, peerej
around. listened intently. Very care
fully, with my eyes fixed on him,
lifted the gun to my shoulder. / had
him covered
| waited Somehow l was loath t.
shoot. My nerves were a-quiver
Proof, more proof, said. | saw hin
working busily. lying fat alongside
the boxes How crafty, how skillful
he wasl He was disconnecting the
hrzes- He would LET the water rur
TO the ground: then. there in the ex
posed rifles. would be his harvest
WOULD shoot now
now
Then, in the midnight hush, my CUR