The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-04-29
Poor Mans Gold
Courtney RyIey Cooper '' r~g ss e"""

limned against the sunset, moving
swiftly into sharper delineation.
1t circled the town and travelled
far down the lake, dropping lower,
lower. At last, with it's trailing
edge-faps cutting down its speed,
it slipped still nearer the lake; its
engine snarled anew, and cut off
again. Spray scattered like plunes
of letting steam from it's pontoons
swishing and splashing, it skipped
the water in great leaps, settled
again, ploughed onward; then~ with
the engine roaring anew, began to
taxi toward shore.
Men ran into the marshy shall
lows to greet it, paving wildly
about, then wading frantically to
get out of its way. The pilot rose
in his cockpit, to motion furiously,
warning excited watchers against
the danger of the propeller. Jack
Hammond gave an exultant shout.
He leaped from the side of Jeanne
Towers and splashed into the water
without even feeling it.
Hello, Timmy!" he yelled. "You
made it, Timmy!"
The man in the cockpit, veering
from side to side as he watched the
water depths about him, raised a
hand in answer, then swiftly re-
turned to his task.
Now Jack could see the cabin
windows. Two persons were inside;
Hammond saw that Kay was one
of them. He cupped his hands to
his mouth and shouted at the height
of his lungs. He jumped up and
down in the water until he was
dripping. He waved his arms. He
jerked off his hat and threw it at
the cabin door-at last it opened.
Kay Joyce, trim in polo shirt,
fawn-colored breeches, riding boots
and red nails of an equal luster,
leaned out.
"Jack!" she called. Don't splash
around like that. How in the world
will you ever carry mother and me
ashore? Well be simply dripping,
you old silly!"
1t was Bruce Kenning, however,
who finally carried Kay and her
mother ashore. Hammond, all of a
sudden, had realized that he was a
sodden mess. Then, with the land
ing of the party, everything be-
came confused; gold seekers crowd
ed about, placer miners waded out
to catch the rope which Jimmy
Moon had tossed to them, that they
might knot it to a pontoon and an
Choir the ship. Now Hammond was
back in his own cabin, talking ex-
citedly as he changed his clothes.
'Kay's crazy about the cottage"
he volunteered.
Mckenzie Joe, squatted on the
doorstep, turned his beaverlike
head.
81 figured she would be, for
awhile"
"What do you mean awhile?"
They're city people," said Nc
Kenzie Joe quietly.
Hammond laughed, frightened his
belt, stood inmobile a moment,
then clawed about him in tho half
dark room for a necktie.
Don't you worry about that. Kay
can take it. So can her mother.
They like the outdoors"
Mckenzie made no direct reply.
He only eyed his partner.
'FKind of dressing up, aren't
|ou?"'
"Well," said Jack with a grin.
"You know-their first night here.
We're all going to the Slumgullion
to eat. Come along?"
"Nope." Joe said it half brusque-
ly.
Little abrupt, aren't you, Joe?"
he said at last.
mot particularly"
A queer feeling of resentment shot
through Hammond.
"Joe," he said finally, whats
been eating on your"
"Nothin' but mosquitoes, I reck-
on"
Lets not joke" the younger man
said suddenly. you've been diff
ferent ever since we came back
here"
"Me different? I amt noticed it,
Jack" ...
"You haven't seemed yourself.
Moody-thinking about something
all the time. Grouchy, like you
had chip on your shoulder"
"When?" asked Joe.
'The other day, for instance,
when Bruce Kenning dropped by
our test pitt
"He was asking a lot of ques-
tons, wasn't heP"
Hammond spread his hands.
"Oh, Joe-suppose he was? Can't
man be interested in what a
friends doing? You'd think he was
going to jump our claims, the way
you act"
THAT wouldn't do him much
good" the old prospector said,
with a masked smile. ''Not the
way they're turning out"
"Then why be so cagey? We
haven't got anything to hide"