The Argosy, Vol. 76, No. 3 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

GOLD GRABBERS. “Ts there anything crooked about the way got hold of that property, Silas?” inquired Bremerton quietly. “ Not on your life!” and Deane’s expression became exceedingly vir- tuous. “I got the property at.a bar- gain, of course, intending to turn it over to a syndicate. I'll make hand- somely if I can let go fot half a mil- lion; but in order to’do that the bullion has got to come as it did a year ago, when I took over the proposition. You go down there, Lee, and straighten things out.” “T won’t stand for anything off- color, Deane.” “Confound it, that’s why I want you! Youcan forget more in a minute about mining and milling than any ex- pert knows in a year. I'll make it worth your while, old man. You ought to get things coming our way inside of ‘a month. After that, keep up the good showing for six months and [’) un- load.” “ What am [ to get out of 1t—except a chance to go to the hospital, if I’m lucky?” “Oh, bosh! When you grab hold, the gang will have the first real man to deal with that I’ve sent down there. They'll hunt their holes, and you won’t have a mite of trouble. f£ know you, or I wouldn’t give you this chance. “Of course, Bremerton, you ain’t so darned old, but I guess you sabe it’s getting pretty near time you took a start. Eh? Sure! Now,-look here. I’m going to give you five hundred do!l- lars a month, and allow you six months to make that mine a winner. How does that hit you? ” “ That will amount to three thousand 6 dollars,’ observed Bremerton, “ pro- vided I last for six months.” “You'll last, all right. Thunder! If you've got any white feathers con- cealed on your person, then it’s all hap- pened in the last five years. Time was when they called you Lee Reckless, and neither hell nor high-water threw a crimp into you.” Bremerton stirred uneasily. Reck- 483 less he had been called, but not justly. Occasionally he had made the most of a desperate situation, but not without care—never recklessly. “Tf you want aé_ reckless man, Deane,” he said, “ you don’t want me.” ““ Come, now,” insisted the other, “ I guess I know who I want. This is a man’s job, and you’re the man for it. I’m never far wide of my trail when I size up a bunch of circumstances ‘and pick a chap toe handle ’em. But if you don’t want this chance—if you are not in need of money—” “You know I’m in need of money,” was the sharp response, “ and you know I’m only waiting to grab at something in the way of a chance. And that,” Bremerton added a-trifle grimly, “ is why I’m afraid of you, ‘Deane. I hope, for old: friendship’s sake, you’re not trying to take advantage of my neces- sities.” “When you twang the sentimental string, old partner, you sure get me going! I'll crowd a stranger to the wall—it’s his lookout whether or not his eye-teeth are cut—but the needs of an old friend will always hit me close to the héart. Lee, won’t you see, can’t you see, that I’m trying to do some- thing for you? “Why, you and me drank out of the same coffee-can years ago; and once, when I was nigh petered in the desert, you wrung the last drop from the can- teen and gave it to me. Say, do you imagine that all the money in the world could. make me forget a few of those things? Dash it! I’m not so walled in with dollars that I can’t break through to help a chap I think more of than I would of a blood-brother.” Bremerton listened thoughtfully. By turning a losing proposition into a win- ner he would help Deane to half a million. Balanced against that was the three thousand dollars he was to re- ceive for the risk and the trouble. As though he had read his old friend’s thoughts, Deane leaned for- ward and dropped a confiding hand on his knee. COMicdoo S CO@