The Argosy, Vol. 82, No. 3 — page 188: what you’re looking at

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

562 is pure gold. I think you are to be con- * gratulated.” CHAPTER XU. WHAT THE READER WANTS TO KNOW. Y/ ONDERFUL days followed for Nug- get Notch. Martin Reeves filed on his claim, then sold a half interest in it to Judge Brand for a sum which the judge called ‘“‘nominal,” but which carried to Reeves the assurance that he had made his mark in the West. Good fortune, however, came not alone to the Tenderfoot. Robbins and the Forty- Niners were marshaled by the judge and Reeves and led into the pocket as into a promised land. The bottom of the basin was staked out in claims, and those who had come to the Notch for an engagement of thirty days concluded to remain perma- nently. Colonel Chet Hungerford purchased the hotel outright, and chose to run it while another worked his claim on shares. Cata- mount Cal and Smedders went into the stage business, putting on a regular service with brand new equipment between the Notch and Penyan. Ezra and Ma Bobbett bought the store, and Ezra panned gold in the pocket while his wife and Lady Ann attended to the merchandizing—until a call of the heart carried Lady Ann into a domestic establish- ment of her own. And the senorita married Juan Rosario Rayner and went away with him to a happiness of work and dancing and vaudeville circuits. Old Jack Lightning-that-Strikes had a claim with the rest, but lived in his dug-out, farmed out the placerings, and took solid comfort exhibiting Hot Tamale. Manuel and Polo, Ah Sin and Sing Lee grew toler- ably rich, and every Forty-Niner prospered and blessed the day that brought Robbins to Los Angeles with a contract to revive the Old West amid the ruins of Rattle- snake City. The judge had spoken of a stampede. It set in as soon as the inhabitants of Pen- yan heard of the “strike ” in the ancient diggings. Lode claims were filed on and more placerings located. The “boom” had hit Nugget Notch; and in its wake came brick buildings, electric lights, telephones, auto- mobiles and all the claptrap of modern THE ARGOSY. progress. The judge’s nostalgia was re- sponsible for it all, and an affair of ex- pensive folly proved itself rooted in wisdom. In the rush and excitement attendant upon the discovery of gold near the old camp Gentleman Jim fared rather better than he deserved, perhaps. No one could take the time to bother with him, and he was finally allowed to make his way out of the country. Lady Ann lost one fortune to gain an- other. In Nugget Notch Martin Reeves is looked upon as a personage. Lady Ann be- came Mrs. Reeves, and a parson who had come in with the stampede tied the knot. Lafe Smedders declared it was the biggest blowout that ever happened; and he put forth veiled hints that if there could be such goings on at a wedding of his own he was ready to jump off himself. The Forty-Niners, prosperous as they had never hoped to be, chipped in liberally and sent Castle to Los Angeles to buy a silver service. It came in a chest, almost as big as the box Robbins had used for his double eagles, and Pop Handy was dele- gated to make the presentation speech. “Marty,” said Pop, after overcoming a brief timidity, ““‘we have knowed you as a Tenderfoot, we have knowed you as one who went out with the jedge to put the kybosh on a pair of highwaymen who had cleaned out the camp, we have knowed you as discoverin’ the yaller metal which has put the Notch really on the map and made us all rich an’ contented, but all them things are two-spots compared to the big trump you have played this evenin’ by takin’ over Lady Ann. “Not a thing you’ve done has made such a hit with us. We congratulate the man as has done us proud, and with our gold we have bought a silver outfit to be used in the house-keepin’. When you pick out the right spoon for the soup, with every dip in the dish we want you should remember your pards, the Forty-Niners; and when you rope the right fork for the pie, with every chunk you bite off we’d admire for you to recall the days when we made a little West for the jedge—and he come out of the East and trimmed us at mighty nigh ever’thing we staged for his pleasure an’ profit. You was a prodigy of a Tenderfoot, son, and we ‘all hope you an’ the missus ’Il live a thou- sand years and have a fambly as big as Cas- tle’s old ’49 Camp!” Pop Handy was submerged in a bedlam COPMICG OOO KS (E@)