The Argosy, Vol. 82, No. 3 — page 175: what you’re looking at

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

THE OLD WEST ing his eyes, “this joke on the Tenderfoot is going to turn out a boomerang. Come on, now, and we'll get back to camp.” CHAPTER IX. THE JUDGE TELLS BOBBETT A STORY, REEVES did not allow the prospect of a fortune at the pocket to drive from his mind his theory regarding the duplicity of Gentleman Jim. In his ignorance, it seemed, he had made discoveries which the judge considered tremendously important; but the Tenderfoot refused to be dazzled by a vista of personal fortunes while the affairs of Lady Ann and the Bobbetts were in such a precarious state. Reeves expounded his theory to Judge Brand on their way back to the camp. “You don’t know absolutely that Rayner and Quesada made the attack on you and carried you off to the pocket,” commented the judge. “Tt isn’t necessary to know some things absolutely in order to be sure of them,” countered Reeves. ‘‘There was no tender- foot-joke at the bottom of last night’s work, judge. Rayner thought I knew too much, and he wanted to get me out of the way.” “Very likely. you are right, but it was a fine thing for you that you were bowled over and dropped into the pocket. A fine thing for the rest of us, too,” the old gen- tleman added. “Tf that’s the case, then I am glad of it; you understand, though, judge, that I am worried about Miss Bobbett. Ezra Bob- bett has done something—perhaps com- mitted a crime—that Gentleman Jim knows about. The fifty thousand dollars is the gambler’s price for keeping still.” “Now,” said Brand, a little testily, “you leave all that to me, Reeves. We have matters of infinitely more importance to claim our attention at present. The affair of the Bobbetts can lie over for a few days. The hope of getting the money will be a restraint on Rayner, and I will take care of that fellow in my own good time. “You will stay at my house while I am away in Penyan, and, of course, you will be careful not to let Rayner or any one else catch you at a disadvantage again. When I finish with this business I am going to tell Ezra Bobbett a story warranted to calm his troubled mind. You are now a dis- penser of favors, and I’d like to know just PER CONTRACT, 549 who you want in on that good thing at the pocket?” ‘Yourself, first,” answered Reeves. “TY was intending to see to that. If it had not been for me, remember, you would have thrown those ore samples away, and no one would ever have been the wiser.” ‘I want every one in camp to have a part in the good luck,” said Reeves, “with the exception of Rayner and Quesada. I be- lieve they are both crooked, and not en- titled to a share in the strike.” “That is generous,” returned the judge, approvingly. ‘Mind you don’t say a word; just leave the handling of this proposition to me. There'll be a stampede to Nugget Notch when the truth gets out, and we’ve got to be protected up and down and across before that happens.” The old fellow threw back his shoulders and tossed his head exultantly. “Tf I had not hungered and thirsted for the old times,” he went on, “and if I had not tried to put a little life into the old camp, this new strike would never have been made. It’s queer how events come about sometimes, Reeves! “Just a passing glance at that pocket would never hold the keenest prospector alive; it’s only when one gets down into it, and makes a close examination, that the be- wildering possibilities show up. That little creek, for instance, is a freak stream. It comes out of one cliff and flows into an- other—an underground stream until it finally rills away into Nugget Gulch with its load of placer gold. “But the whole Southwest is a sort of Nature’s, Wonderland. The Titans played strange pranks all through this country when the world was forming.” They passed Ree Middling, panning over the washed-out gravel in Nugget Creek. He waved his hat. ‘““‘Where’d they put you, son?” he cried. “Down in some old prospect hole?” “I was in a hole for a while,” Reeves called back, ‘“‘but I got out of it all right.” “T’ll lay dollars to chalk-marks,” shouted Perdue, from the shade of the shack wall, “that ary feller who’d stay with the jedge on his joy ride would jest nat’rally bob up Serene an’ smilin’ no matter what was done to him!” The camp turned out for a look at Reeves when word was passed that he had returned with the judge. There was a lot of good- natured joking, which he took in good part. EOPMICGLOOOKS (E@)