Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1937-09-03
CHAPTER 6

Now Jack could see the cabin win
dows. Two persons were inside; Ham
mond 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 un-
til 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 sodden
mess. Then, with the landing of the
party, everything became confused;
gold seekers crowded about, placer
miners waded out to catch the rope
which Jimmy Moon had tossed to
them, that they might knot it to pom
toon and anchor the ship. Now HAM
mond was back in his own cabin, talk
ing excitedly as he changed his cloth
eS.
"Kay's crazy about the cottage" he
volunteered.
Mckenzie Joe, squatted on the door
step, turned his beaverlike head.
81 figured she would be for awhile"
""What do you mean awhile?"
"They're city people," said McKen-
zie Joe quietly.
Hammond laughed, frightened his
belt, stood immobile a moment, then
clawed about him in the half dark
room for 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.
"Kind of dressing up, aren't you?"
"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-
Iy.
"Little abrupt, aren't you, Joe?" he
said at last.
"Not particularly"
Aqueer feeling of resentment shot
through Hammond.
"Joe," he said finally, whats on"
""Nothfn' but mosquitoes, reckon"
Lets not JOKE" the younger man
said suddenly. you've been different
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
pit"
"He was asking a lot of questions,
wasn't he?"
Hammond spread his hands.
ooh, Joe-suppose he was? Can't
a man be interested in what 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 masked
smile. "Not the way they're turning
out"
"Then why be so cagey? We haven't
got anything to hide"
"We'v got our theory amt we, that
the big discovery's yet to be found?
This stuff that's been turned up amt
nothfn' but chicken feed. We've got
the richest placer claims along the
new bed of Loon creek and We'll be
lucky if they bring us fifty thousand
dollars" Mckenzie Joe's keen eyes
swept the valley. "There's bonanza
around here somewhere, if we ever
find that old river bed. The ideas
worth keeping to ourselves"
II suppose so. On the other hand,
Kenning's a geologist. 1t might pay
US to give him little information
even cut him in"
Mckenzie Joe rose and tossed the
stick away.
"Not while I'm partner in this She
bang" he said. Then, hesitantly, 81
guess I'll go eat"
"You won't change you mind and
come with us?"
ooh, not tonight. You've all got