Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1936-01-02
BY ROBERT
AMES
BENNETT
WNU Service
Copyright by Robert Ames Bennett

"You're too generous" Garth pro-
tested. II couldn't think Of taking
your money. In fact, I'll have to own
up l had little testing acid with me
when happened upon this gray alloy.
So, as I do not believe in cheating,
suppose we head back for the Mac
kenzie."
The millionaire mine buyer chuckled
and clapped him on the back. boy,
you're whole lot less fool than you
look"
Huxby stared hard. Then, pocketing
the alloy, he went for the shovel.
"Good idea," Garth said. "A pan
from above Discovery, one below, and
the same from three or four hun
dred feet out each side-they'n tell
you whether or not it's merely small
pocket"
Without replying, Huxby set off up
the trough. Mr.. Ramill limped slowly
after him.
Miss Ramill appeared to have fallen
asleep. She lay still, protected by her
net from the mosquitoes that tinged
about her head.
Relieved from the company Of his I'M.
pleasant travel mates, Garth stretched
out like the girl. He thought of the
vast length of time that had been re-
quired to erode the side of the noun
tain above him. Nature had spent
ages in collecting these hundreds of
thousands of dollars worth of precious
alloy upon which he now lay basking.
And he had CHANGED to stumble upon
the treasure near the end Of trip
of which exploration and adventure
had been the prime motive and pros
pecting only side issue. Now, by
law, he was sole owner of all this
wealth.
He thought Of the two men upslope
whom he had brought to share in his
good fortune. They had thanked him
by seeking to lie and cheat him out Of
it all. But that was the nature Of
far too many men. There was no
reason to be surprised or angered
They had failed to outplay him with
their stacked cards. He looked at a
clump of alpine blossoms close beside
his elbow, and smiled.
Upslope he heard the swirl Of gravel
in the gold pan. After time the
sound died out. His keen ear caught
the dull tread of heavy feet on the turf.
Mr.. Ramill turned toward Garth.
"We will go back to the plane for
lunch while considering the matter"
"Only for a short time" Huxby
qualified. II intend to return here for
more sampling. No need of your
troubling to join u.s."
Garth saw that his company was not
wanted. Thanks. I'm not hungry.
Come to think, I'll go down to the
lake and make sure my old lady grizzly
isn't lurking in the BUSH"
"Your phantom BEAR" Knocked Miss
Ramill. ''Watch out she doesn't make
a ghost of you"
Under cover Of his smile at the
gibe, Garth caught the glance that
passed between her father and Huxby.
The girl had said it. "Watch out" was
the word.
He swung down the trough with no
sign of hurry. The length of his Gid
ing stride made his movements appear
leisurely. Without looking back, he
slanted in among the scrubby spruces.
A mass of the dense evergreens put him
out of sight of the three chechahcos
up on the open tundra. He turned
sharp to the right. Midway down the
brush-fringed lake shore, the tall
spruces stood we'll spaced. He broke
into run.
A vista between the trees offered
him view upslope. He halted be-
hind a screen of young aspens to look.
The three had already reached the side
of the trough. They started to hurry
on aslant the mountainside. Lilith
Ramill and Huxby had the girls heavy
bodied father between them. They
were helping him along twice as fast
as he could have made it without
their aid
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