The Argosy, Vol. 76, No. 3 — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

482 erton’s eyes, and he drew a long breath and sank back in his chair. He had had his chance to rise with Deane. If he had joined him in “ jumping ”’ a cer- tain claim, together they would have made a pauper out of a mutual friend and have divided a round million of loot. But that was not Bremerton’s way, even if it were Deane’s. Bremerton had principles, and those principles had chained him to the foot of the ladder. In the five years that had passed since Deane began to rise, Bremerton had been poor, then moderately fortunate, only to become poor again. Now he was at the lowest ebb. That is no great hardship for one who has not yet turned thirty; but, contrasted with Deane’s dazzling success at thirty- five, there was something ‘ pitifully wrong in it all. For Bremerton was the more industrious, the more able, the better man in every way. Deane’s telegram had reached Brem- erton just when he was at sixes and sevens regarding his next meal. He had sold his burro and pawned his watch to pay car fare to Denver. So there he sat in the luxuriously furnished office of the mining king, contrasting his poverty with the wealth of his one-time comrade and being forcibly reminded of his repeated fail- ures. Yes, he was on the rocks—and again. “ Silas,” said Bremerton quietly, “you wired me to come, and I’m here. What do you want? ” “ Now we're getting at it,.old man,” returned the other, waving his hand toward an open cigar-box on top of his mahogany desk. “ Help yourself to a weed, and we'll smoke and talk. By George, Lee ””—and the fat, red face creased into an: amiable smile—* it does me a heap of good just to have you around once in a while! “ Great times we used to have, eh? Remember when the burro kicked you into the dry wash? ”’ Again the chuckle, while the red face grew redder. “ By thunder, I can see THE ARGOSY. your legs yet, kicking skyward as you went over the bank! Up inthe Harqua Halas, that was, with the grub mighty slim and our hopes almighty big. “We were always dreaming we were no more than three feet from a million dollars; and when we woke.up we al- ways found that we were a million feet from three dollars. Oh, I don’t know! I enjoyed them days.” “Why did you send for me, Silas? ”’ persisted Bremerton, in no mood for reminiscences. Deane shook his thick shoulders, denied himself to a caller announced by the office-boy, and allowed the mel- lowing influences of friendship to fade before the demands of business. “Got a mine I want you to take hold of, Bremerton. It’s down near Phoenix. If I can make a good showing with that mine I can unload it for half a million.” “ Any gold in it, Deane?” “ Tll swear to that. One of the finest prospects in all that pockety country. A year ago it was paying big. Since then it has begun to slump. Can’t get a man down there who’s able to make a showing. ‘The—ah—the men I send don’t last.” There was something in the gleam- ing little eyes of Deane, just then, which Bremerton could not fathom. “Why don’t they last?’ Bremerton inquired. “ Hanged if Iknow! The last super was shot and is now in the hospital. The one before ‘him was also shot, but didn’t have a chance to get to the hos- pital. Neither of ’em got enough bul- lion out of the proposition to offset the pay-roll.” “Why were they shot?” ‘““Somebody was mad, I expect. Somebody ‘has to be mad, don’t they, in a shooting scrape? There’s a gang down there that’s trying to run things and freeze me out.” The fat under jaw met the upper with'a snap. “I made up my mind that I’d get somebody down there that would trim the gang—and that’s why I wired you.” COMicdoo S CO@