Didn't want but
sixty thousand for it; that would give them thirty thousand
apiece, after which they'd quit and live on a ranch. No, they
wouldn't go with him to inspect the mine; there was the map. He
couldn't miss it; man at the hotel would drive him out there.
There was, of course, a foot of snow on the ground, which was
frozen hard, but they had provided for that and had cut a lot of
cord-wood, intending to stay till spring. The Englishman could
have the wood to thaw out the ground.
"The Englishman went and found everything as the two prospectors
had said; thawed out the soil in half a dozen places; scooped up
the dirt and every shovelful panned out about twelve hundred to
the ton. Then he came back and paid the money; that was the last
of it. Began to dig again in the spring--and not a trace of
anything."
"What was the matter?" asked Breen. So far his interest in mines
had been centred on the stock.
"Oh, the same old swindle," said Mason, looking around the table,
a grim smile on his face--"only in a different way.
Pages:
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215