The Argosy, October 1906 — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

os prise é speak for ieee Se ee ee hugger-mugger. - Everything shall be every detail with your own eyes. To- a morrow we will make a little trip over the property aa ~ “To-morrow ! “T think not. All I want is a square deal, but I want it quickly. To-morrow “= I must be on my way back to the States. = This business must be finished this after- noon.’ : SS Denton felt the ground slipping from beneath his feet, but protest was in vain. Peabody was obdurate. -.. was his motto, and he stuck to it perti- 3S; naciously. ee ter the siesta the probing committee. set forth—Peabody, Denton, a native miner, and a couple of peons armed with picks and shovels—for the ten- mile ride along the faintly marked trail _ through the cactus to-the ‘subterranean -__« treastire-vaults of the Aztec Company. = Peabody gions; sustained by his fev- _erish energy, ignored the discomforts of _ the journey and uncomplainingly en- - dured the oppressive heat of the decli- = ning day. Arrived at Denton’s adobe, almost at the mouth of the mine, he was = ~~ with difficulty persuaded to indulge in a half-hour’s rest preparatory to the ‘descent in a capacious - rawhide bucket 3 to the bottom of the ninety-foot shaft. ‘Beneath the surface of the earth, as = Se the visitor retained his mastery = of the situation. er Ale listened attentively as Denton ex- - plained, in the minutest detail, the trend, oe dimensions, and value of fhe veins | ae ready opened, the certainty of the exist- the cruel. necessity which had compelled eS ee. ‘suspension, of active operations for lack of the requisite capital ; “but when ‘the limited area worked by a former owner had been thoroughly explored, he Ly, ti y wach mn} eee AS API? “ ae pling, and specified the points at which the blasting should be done. Four 2 25 - charges were set off in as many different — Sree SS. ‘and after each en = = - open and above board. You shall see ~ exclaimed — Peabody. Sp me show it, and we can doubtless. do a little ~—S Now or never = ~The upshot. was that immediately af- ence of others yet more profitable, and os himself ‘broached the subject of sam- the ore in his traveling-bag, locked it, =~ put the key in his pocket and heaved a bottle and filled his diminutive tumbler ae disposed of, Denton went back at him — A GILT-EDGED IN VESTMENT. called eee wax sad. a sell = sol s emnly sealed up~the necks of his precious — 3 bags of ore in the most approved fash- AS ion. Marking the seals for the purpose — Se = of identification with an imprint from— Ss his cameo watch-charm, he deposited anaes ae << = Sou a ‘sigh of intense satisfaction. = -“ There,” he said, tapping the ee == with his forefinger, ‘ ‘is the verdict. If — you have a good: thing the assay will Es stroke of business.” = ~ JTust so,” fete the promoter, ie — as much confidence as he could muster ; So “and the sooner your sealed verdict is —— opened in court the better for both sides, = You will, of course, put up with me to- night. Why not let me send ‘these sam- aS ples to the assayer at Guanajuato now, sie and direct him to have a report ecadg a when you go over in the morning?” “A friend of yours, eh?” asked Pea- body. “No, I think not. I’ll take ‘em == with me and have ’em overhauled at El = Ss Paso by an assuredly disinterested party. = “ Not that IT haven’t the utmost confi- Ses dence in you, you understand,” he added, with a peculiar smile; ‘“ but just for the. = = =a sake of observing the usual precautions Se in such an important transaction.” Denton bit his lip, but swallowed the ei murmured - Peabody, as Denton offered to replenish his glass; notwithstanding == which protest he presently, in the most —_ absent-minded manner, himself took the __ = affront without turning an eyelash. The = sampling farce was little to his liking; S _ yet he resolved to bide his time, hoping, = like Micawber, that .something might = turn up. es Meanwhile he produced a black bots tle and a couple of glasses, and found his guest nothing loath to join him in a libation to a successful and mutually — ES aes profitable outcome to the pending neue Ee tiations. 2s ‘““No, no—well, just one fagee” = ; é acy en i a: y es to the brim. = A toast to that estimable francis — = Mr. Cowperthwaite St. Clair, having = been proposed by the visitor and duly — Dee ean with a bumper. to es own. prperitn = = Se ‘comicboo ‘S.