The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-06-03
CHAPTER VI-COntinued
Hammond whistled.

'"That means a lot of work"
"You bet it means work and men.
And a concentrated campaign. Any
other method will keep you here for
the next fifty years. You've got to
spend money to make money In
mining"
THAT'S what I've been trying to
tell Mckenzie Joe. But he"
There he halted. Kay was COM
ing down the trail. Bruce Kenning
called good morning and went up
the stream. Hours later, with Kay
and Hammond watching intently,
the workmen began cleanup of
the sluice box on the Joyce claim.
1t only revealed the usual flour gold,
indications of something more to
come, but as yet, nothing worth
saving.
''Neither this f1ume nor the sluice
is long enough" one of the work
ers complained. ''Me m Jim waste
an awful lot of time just standin'
around, for fear of shovelin' in too
much gravel"
''Then build 'em up now, while
you're dried out for the cleanup"
Hammond said. ''I'm going past
the sawnill. I'll tell 'em to send
some lumber"
"And nails" called Kay.
'Tn get them"
Hammond left the stream, with
its lines of eager workers. At the
sawmill he gave the lumber order,
then turned for Jeanne's to get the
nails. She met him, some fifty
yards away, returning from the de-
livery of batch of darning
Haven't sold all those nails?"
he asked.
81 think there are some left
There's been a run on them this
morning. Everybody in camp wants
nails-or glass"
They reached the store and she
lifted the peg from the hasp-few
persons in Sapphire lake even both
cred to close their doors. Then
pushing the door open, she walked
within the store, suddenly to gasp
and to hurry around the end of the
rough counter.
The crudely built money drawer
ing at it, her hands half-raised, her
jaw sagging. Then she said, in a
queerly dulled voice:
Somebody's been in the store!"
HAD you left your money here?"
Hammond asked sharply.
"Yes-all of it. I-I-thought-
nobody ever bothers to lock up"
Hammond stared about him. 1t
seemed inconceivable that crime
should have entered this far-away
place; Sergeant Terry's main work
was growing garden. Beside him,
Jeanne Towers continued to stare
blankly; it was as if they sought an
explanation of the impossible, the
supernatural.
"But who would want to steal my
money!" she asked dazedly. 'tThey
took everything; the bills, and my
nuggets and bottle of golddust-"
Hammond did not answer. The
door had begun to swing shut; the
faint breeze therefrom was suffi-
cient to lift bit of paper, hitherto
unnoticed, and whisk it to the floor.
Jack moved for it, but the girl, with
swift intuition, sped before him. She
grasped it, turning it in her hand.
Then, with a spasmodic movement,
she crumpled it in tightly
clenched fist.
''It's-nothing, she said. Her
face was bloodless.
A strange madness overpowered
Hammond. He did not know why
he insisted; he only realized that
his face was hot and his veins
pounding.
''Give me that paper" he said
thinly. There was something terri
BILE about his eyes. Slowly the girl
passed it over to him. His hands
shook as he unfolded it, revealing
its curt message:
"I.o.U.
Lew"
'I thought So" said Hammond,
and turned for the door. Jeanne
moved desperately, catching him
by the arm.
''Jack! Waltz Waltz"
"Why waltz" he asked. "T'm GO
ing after Sergeant Terry"
But she blocked him, frantic, both
hands against his chest.
"Oh, don't!" she gasped. "Please
don't-please don't!"
Jack Hammond could not believe
her.
you're not going to let Lew
shade get away with a robbery"
81 don't see anything else to do"
Jeanne answered hopelessly.
''But-" vaguely Jack realized
that he was discussing situation
of which he really knew nothing.
"You can't do that. He stole your
money!"
The girl sank against the counter.
''I simply can't go to the police.
guess that's why he left that
I.O.U.-so I'd know who did it and
not make report"
'tWhy not?"
She rubbed her hands.
''He still uses his own name"
"What of it?"
She smiled family.
1--WE changed mine," came at
last. 'If / had to prosecute him
and they took him out to Fourcross
don't you understand" Plainly
Hammond did not and evidenced
it. The girl added, in colorless
voice, eff it should ever get back
home that Lew shade had been ar
rested for stealing money from
girl-somebody would figure out the
right name of that girl"
Again there was silence. At last
Hammond began to pace the mar
row confine between the door and
the counter. Then Jeanne said:
"Pd hoped you'd never have to