Carbon County news., 1937-03-19

4 TsN
were the other way around all my
claims are in the other direction 4
4 Hammond grinned. ''Well, you
can't say I didn't tell you."
"Oh, you're talking about that
stuff bought from Jeanne Towers.
I've added to that great deal
on the chance that somebody
around here would want it. But
everybody's looking the other way.
Just as well. I'm obligated to turn
over some worthless claims to an
English syndicate"
That's beyond me-"
Something I took over out of
what was left when Joyce died.
guess the house is crooked. They
say frankly they probably won't de-
velop the property. They just want
something cheap in a live mining
camp"
"A stock-selling scheme, probab-
ly."
II haven't much doubt of it. Be
glad to have the thing over"
so would l." Hammond felt he
could share Kenning'S repugnance.
He was fired these days with the
thought of new gold, clean money.
The eagerness had been mounting
ever since that night when Kay had
told him her decision. To get gold
for Kay-his hands clawed for gold,
his mind was centered upon little
else.
"How deep do you think we'll
have to go to reach that old bed
rock?"
"a lot deeper than you'd imagine
ninety to a hundred and twenty
feet. From my study of the strata,
I can't see any other answer"
Hammond whistled.
"That means a lot of work"
''You bet it means work and men.
And 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 a cleanup of
the sluice box on the Joyce claim.
It only revealed the usual flour gold,
indications Of something more to
come, but as yet, nothing worth
saving.
Neither this fiurne 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 sawmill. I'll tell 'em to send |
some lumber"
"And nails" called Kay.
T. ''I'n get them.''
Hammond left the stream, with
it's lines of eager workers. At the
SaWmilf 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.
II think there are some left.
There's been a run on them this
morning. Everybody in camp wants
lails-or glass"
They reached the store and she
fitted the peg from the hasp-few
in Sapphire lake even both
.red to close their doors. Then
pushing the door open, she walked
within the store, suddenly to gasp
md to hurry around the end of the
'ough counter.
The crudely built money drawer
stood open. The girl wavered, star
ng at it, her hands half-raised, her
aw sagging. Then she said, in
lueerly dulled voice:
somebody's been in the store!" .
"Had you left your money here?"
Hammond asked sharply. |,
"Yes-an of it. I-I-thought-
lobody ever botherS to lock up"
Hammond stared about him. It
eemed inconceivable that crime
hould have entered this. far-away :
lace; Sergeant Terry main work
vas growing a garden. Beside him,
Jeanne Towers continued to stare
,lankly; it was as if they sought an s
explanation of the impossible, the I
supernatural. Y
"But who would want to steal my {
money!" she asked dazedly. 'They &
ook everything; the bills, and my c
Nuggets and bottle of golddust-z" +
Hammond did not answer. The
oor had begun to swing shut; the v
aint breeze therefrom was Suff1- +
lent to lift a bit Of paper, hitherto
and whisk it to the floor. y
ack moved for it, but the girl, with !
wifi intuition, sped before him. She !
rasped it, turning it in her hand. =
hen, with a spasmodic movement, =
he crunpled it in a tightly o
fist