Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-19

UST as a man is getting things going
so that the future looks pretty good,
4 Steve Hunter reflected, something al
ways happens to take him down peg.
He had thought some pretty harsh
things about himself from time to time,
but he had never expected to be picked out
as a come-on for one of the most worn-out
skin-games known to the West Yet there sat
the man who called himself ORiley, costumed
as an time prospector down to the last
whisker-down to the last ore sample, HunOer
had no doubt, in the pocket of ORiley's pants.
You must have heard your pa speak OF
Dennis ORiley," the old reprobate was plead
ing
Never heard of him." Steve Hunter pro-
fessed, making his face look blank.
1t was true that the name Of Dennis ORiley
had sometimes entered the thousand tall Sto-
ries that had featured the declining years OF
wild Bill Hunter, Stoves father. But find
ing the name of some one once known TO Wild
Bill-some long since disappeared-wouid
have been easy to any imposter; about as easy
finding a white granite mountain there III
the high Sierras, where Steve Hunter was now
running his pack outfit
II can't understand it," said the old man.
wild Bill never mentioned Dennis O'Riey?
Why, and him-me and him-WeH, at
least" the old man tried again, you know
about Lost Dutchman's gold?"
Never heard of it." Steve declared.
The man who called himself Dennis O'Riley
sat back f1abbergasted Never heard Of
well, I'll be"
He pulled himself together. Back in the
eighties" he proceeded sententiously, "a Teller
wandered into Buck Springs with his pockets
full of the richest ore samples these here
mountains seen. He had mountain fever
pretty near died But when he pulled
through he knew that he rich
ORILEY leaned forward. He started back
~ TO his discovery. But Buck Springs picked
up as one man and followed along, burro, pick
and pan, hundreds of EN-; and he took to
twisting and turning in the hills, to shake EN-
Off And in the end he did lose EN-, too.
And then-he found that he was lost, tool
"You don't mean to tell me-" said Steve,
who had heard the story 80 times.
~Wait till you hear the next" said the old
man. IT. Dennis ORiley, am the Lost Dutch
man himself"
shocked silence fell between them. Steve
turned to his shaving mirror, broken tri-
angle tackled to the log wall. The face that
looked back at him was clearly shaved, lean
and brown; from above high cheek bones COM
pretending blue eyes stared soberly. so this"
he said, lis what born come-on is supposed
to look like.
"Are you," he asked his visitor, "of the Dub
lin Dutch, or one of the Amsterdam O'Rieys?"
IT admit" said the infamous wowser testify,
cts little peculiar that the original Lost
Dutchman turns out to be of honest County
Kerry blood But what does a bunch of
Westerners know about different nationalities,
anyhow? The sun had prob1y bleached out
my hair the color of Winter hay, I expect is
the root of the matter"
THAT explains it," Hunter accepted. And
now where is your sample of most astounding
rich ore?"
Right here" said O'Riley bringing it out
And where" stkve pursued, "is your picture
of your penniless niece?"
Granddaughter" O'Riley corrected him.
How did you know I got her picture here?"
isn't that the usual play?"
"If you keep on having fool fits of giggling,"
said O'Riley with annoyance, opportunity is
going to pass you by!"
Heaven forbid" said Steve. "Get on with
the description of your penniless granddaughter.
Trot the chrome out"
From a pocket of his brush jacket O'Riley
dug snapshot showing girl on horse.
"She's staying down here at the Two Pine
boarding house." O'Riley explained.
At first Hunter thought the girl was one he
had known before, for a swift odd sense Of
recognition touched him as he perceived the
clean, alert lift of her head, and the slim re-
Taxed grace with which she sat in the stock
saddle. Her face in the shadow Of big hat
was less clearly shown, but he could see that
from the cameras angle, at least this girl was
lovely, too lovely to be connected In any way
with the crooked old wowser who was trying
to sell a mythical mine. gust Of anger
stirred him.
Il don't know where you got this picture,