The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-07-08

ure. all the claims I staked are
right in line"
What about giving those leases,
over where we've been digging the
big bunch of test pits?"
Kenning wrinkled his brow.
mo. l still think that lands good.
There's an explanation.
81 don't see it,
Suppose Big Moose hit some OBJ
stacle. some tremendous rock that's
since either been covered up, or
ground to pieces and washed
away"
Say, maybe you're right"
1T stands to reason. The nat
ural result would have been a split
of the stream, wouldn't it, Half of
it would have travelled right where
my findings show it should have
gone. The rest of it easily could
have swung over to this side
1T doesn't leave much of selec-
ton for your English friends"
Don't call 'em friends. They're
swine, the whole gang of them. But
| got mixed into it; I'll keep my
word and send them something"
There isn't much left"
Kenning laughed.
Nothing except where Joe was
working. If they want a worthless
tract, that's it..
Hammond was going over the
leases. At last he asked:
| whats the name of this OUTFIT"
"You mean the English bunch?
Oh, you'd better just sign the lease
over to me, then can reconvey it.
There may be lot of red tape
about it if it's handled differently"
A half hour later, Hammond was
alone in his cabin, his bundle of
papers again resting in their hiding
place under the bunk. The ground
on which Mckenzie had labored
was gone; Kenning had taken the
conveyed lease over to the record
er's tent, for entering under his
name as owner. And Jack stood
there, thinking how queer was gold;
Mckenzie Joe had fought every
idea Bruce Kenning had advanced
Now the land where he had worked
was of value only because it would
allow Kenning and himself to con-
troll veritable underground river
of gold at another part of the val
ley
AT last Jack reached for his hat
and left the cabin. 1t had occurred
to him that he should tell Jeanne
about all this She was not at the
store, her substitute told Hammond
that she had gone on an errand.
far up the valley.
The man turned from the little
log structure with a feeling of dis
appointment. For a time he stood
watching the activities down at the
lake. volunteers in these short aut-
umn days were donating a part of
their work time to the completion
of giant, log life-rafts, with heavy
boxes for food and blankets, the
grim insurance of every outpost
settlement when the sun blazes for
a long stretch, when the moss grows
crinkly underfoot and the dead
spruce needles, raining down with
every stirring Of the wind, are like
so much finder.
A remote camp cannot take
chances when forest fire turks in the
offing; these days at Sapphire lake
were ones of apprehension. That
there would be a fire, providing
snow or rain did not soon fall,
was almost a certainty; prospectors
were wandering the hills, seeking
the mother lode source of the mug
gets which had brought humanity
into this far land After a time, in
terest IN the sight ceased for Ham
mond He still wanted to see Jeanne
Towers and receive her congratu-
lations. Finally he began to walk in
the direction she had taken.
They met, some four hundred
yards from camp, where Jeanne fol-
lowed a winding trail through the
high, heat-yellowed marsh grass.
I've been looking everywhere for
you! We've found It'll All the gold in
the worldl"
The girl cried out happily,
You've really found the old bed
rock?"
you should have seen the pan
washed the stuff out I'M" Jack an
swered disjointedly. The whole
bottom covered, either with mug
gets or flake gold. Like it had
been gilded. You'll see rush all
right when this news gets out. It's
another Kondyke."
He whirled then, looking down
toward the lake, as if he could visu-
alize the speeding of motor boats,
the Flooding progress of scows, the
surge of airplanes, as they struck
the water and TAXED for shore. Then
he realized that Jeanne's hands
were on his arm.
Mckenzie Joe knew what he was
doing, after all, didn't he?" she
asked. The man looked down in
amazement.
Knew what he was doing?" he
queried. "We'd have been chasing
rainbows yet if we'd kept on where
he was working"