The Argosy, Vol. 76, No. 3 — page 82: what you’re looking at

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

552 Mariquita and her father would be- come prominent enough before he was through with the mining king. Deane was absorbed in the recital. The fire went out of his cigar again and again. He breathed hard in the pinches, and by the town canal and at the fork in the trail his fat hands clenched and he swore under his breath. But his fat face beamed while Bremerton was describing that foot- wide vein back of the overhang. “Tl take my oath, Lee,” he com- mented earnestly, when the telling was done, “I never thought Carruthers would rough things up like that! (What’s become of the law in these parts, anyhow? Can’t it protect a man in keeping his own? Never mind that, though. A miss is as good as a mile, and you skinned the gang! It makes my blood sing just to hear you palaver about it. A month’s running on that bonanza ore and the mine’s as good as sold. Half a million, by thunder, and it cost me only fifty thousand. That’s business, Bremerton. That’s the way to get rich.” There were no regrets for that mound over Griggsby in the Phoenix cemetery, and not a word of commis- eration for the unlucky Lacey. Deane’s eye was single to that half ‘million. It completely filled his per- spective. - Bremerton knew that if he had fallen at the fork of the trail his money-grubbing friend would have ex- perienced few twinges and few regrets. The roar of flood waters in Arapa- hoe Cafion was almost silenced. Deane had strangled his finer sentiments with a rope of gold. The Deane that was and the Deane who now sat at Bremer- ton’s side in the buckboard were two different men. This realization did much to recon- cile Bremerton to the course he had mapped out for himself. In the inter- ests of right and justice he could deal with this swaggering, purse-proud trickster as he could not have dealt with his old, loyal prospector-friend. THE ARGOSY. Deane offered Bremerton a cigar. Bremerton declined, and filled and lighted his pipe. For some time they traveled in silence. Finally Deane aroused to observe: ““T consider, Bremerton, that an- other month of you at the mine will be enough. I’m getting out for fifteen hundred less than I calculated on. Eh? 99 The superintendent’s eyes narrowed. “What's that?” he asked. Deane repeated his words. Brem- erton had heard them plainly enough the first time, but he wanted them re- peated. “You mean,” said he, “ that I was hired for six months for three thou- sand dollars, and that, inasmuch as I have miade good in half the time, I am only éntitled to half pay. Is that it?” “Something like that,’ replied Deane, giving a canny glance out of the tails of his eyes. “Are you going to split the ten- thousand-dollar bonus in two as well?;”” asked Bremerton dryly. “Well, what do you think?” ““T don’t know, Deane. I shall have to give it a little reflection.” “Of course I intend to do the right thing,” burst out the other in a flurry of virtuous determination. ‘I'll not be small with a friend, and you can gamble a blue stack on that. Think it over, old pard. I'll leave it to you. Whatever you say is right goes with Deane.” Here was the final straw. For risk- ing his life, for robbing the Mallorys, for making the mine worth half a million, Deane could haggle with his old friend over the paltry sum that was to be paid! Yes, certainly, think it over. Bremerton would CHAPTER XXIV. TIGHTENING THE COIL, A FLuRRY of excitement passed through the camp with the arrival of COMicdoo S CO@