Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1937-09-24
WORCESTER DEMOCRAT POCOMOKE CITY, MARYLAND
Towers, waving excitedly from the
doorway of her cabin store.

Towers, waving excitedly from the
doorway of her cabin store.
give almost sold out!" she exclaim-
ed, as he approached. I'm going to send
in another order tomorrow. Larry
Baine, he's the one with the all-metal
Junkers, is going to bring me back
whole list of stuff from Fourcross."
"That's the way business grows"
Hammond bantered. 1.-TWO hundred
dollars for a claim, doubled all in a
couple of weeks"
Jeanne laughed, tipping her home
made gold scales with toying. finger.
"Well, nearly doubled. I hope I do
it again."
"And dozen times after that.
Then I'll know where to borrow if the
gold-mining business plays out!"
He went on then, at last to reach
Loon creek. Kay was not yet there;
it was still breakfast time in most of
the camp. But Bruce Kenning was
moving along the stream, toward one
of his claims a quarter mile beyond.
A few hundred yards up the stream
where the raw-boned Olson scooped
the earth by great shovelfuls into his
sluice, was Mrs. Joyce. Hammond saw
her there often; now and then he had
found Olson sitting on the veranda of
the Joyce cottage, talking of wander
ings in many lands in his search for
gold, while Mrs. Joyce gave far more
than her usual monosyllabic rejoind-
ers- There was something about the
man which seemed to fascinate her.
Suddenly he ceased his musings. Bruce
Kenning had come beside him.
"How's the work going with Nc
Kenzie Joe?" he asked quietly.
Hammond shrugged his shoulders.
81 haven't been. able to get any
where. He still wants to put down
one hole at a time and give the rest
of his life to it."
Kenning frowned.
"You can't have that. I'm con-
WINGED that the old river bed lies over
toward the British Columbia hills"
He chuckled. ~ wish it were the 9TH
er way around-all my claims are in
the other direction"
Hammond grinned. "Well, you
can't say ! didn't tell YOU"
ooh, you're talking about that stuff
I bought from Jeanne Towers. I've
added to that a great deal-on the
chance that somebody around here
would want it. But everybody's look
ing the other way. Just as well. I'm
obligated to turn over some worthless
claims to an English syndicate"
"That's beyond me-"
Something took over out of what
was left when Joyce died. I guess the
house is crooked. They say frankly
they probably won't develop property
(. They just want something cheap in
a live mining camp"
"A stock-selling scheme, probably"
II haven't much doubt of it. Be
glad to have the thing over"
$50 would L" Hammond felt he
could share Kenning's repugnance. He
was fired these days with the thought
of new gold, clean money. The eager
ness 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 bedrock?"
"A lot deeper than you'd imagine
ninety to hundred and twenty feet.
From my study of the strata, can't
see any other answer"
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 min
ing"
That's what I've been trying to tell
Mckenzie Joe. But he"
There he halted. Kay was coming
down the trail. Bruce Kenning called
good morning and went up the stream.