The Argosy, Vol. 83 No. 1 — page 192: what you’re looking at

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

182 “Tt looks like it to me, too. I had a hard job turning down Dafney’s offer this time, because I got a letter from Martha in the last mail saying that the baby is sick and ought to go to a different climate, according to the doctors. But I feel sure that there’s something here. If there wasn’t, Martha’s Uncle Jim would never have left these claims to her with the in- struction that they were never to be sold. The stuff’s here and we’re going to un- cover it.” | “We sure are,’’ Graves agreed. Il. For the following six months the “Geegee” partners drove their tunnel into the shale of the hogback behind their camp, working steadily and ignoring the gibes and fun-making of the hard-rock men about them. They continued to be the laughing stock of the “M.O.X.”’ dis- trict, but they stuck at their work and followed a barren white bull quartz vein into the mountain. There was not even an indication of mineral. From bad, things went to worse, and the former joshers in the district reached the point where their gibings ceased and the partners were considered plain, un- adulterated fools. Even the elements seemed against them, for a grubstake they were freighting to their camp from the nearest town was ruined in a big storm, and they had very little money left. The climax of their misfortune was reached when a letter arrived from Grif- fin’s wife stating that mountain air was imperative for the baby. “That’s certainly hard luck, boy,” Graves sympathized when the letter was read aloud. ‘“There’s only one way out now.” ‘You mean sell to Dafney?” “What else?” “No,” and Griffin shook his head dog- gedly. “Ves,” shouted the other, jumping to his feet and pacing up and down the floor. “T won’t quit till I’m out.” “No,” gritted the other, “You'll hang THE ARGOSY. the two of us so high we’ll never get down again. Well, go ahead. I’m through,” and he strode out into the night. IIT. THE next morning Griffin arose, cooked and ate his breakfast alone and opened the cabin door to find the snow hip-deep outside. A heavy white mantle had dropped quietly over the surrounding hills during the night and Griffin sighed as he realized the tedious trip through the drifts to the tunnel working. Mechanically he began his day’s work and a few hours later Graves entered the tunnel to find him pounding a drill in the face of it. ‘““Come out on the dump,” said the older man, “I want to talk to you.” “When I finish this hole,” was the re- ply. “Thick headed sap,” grunted Graves as he walked out of the drift. In half an hour the tapping of the single jack as it met the head of a drill in the tunnel ceased and as Griffin walked out on the dump his partner knocked the ashes from a venerable corncob pipe. “Frank,” he began abruptly, “you owe it to Martha and the baby to see this thing right. You’re takin’ an awful chance to hang on here any longer. We've worked like a couple o’ slaves fer close to a year and what is there to show for it? Nothing but a lot of bull quartz and a two hundred foot tunnel.” Griffin seated himself on the rim of a wheelbarrow and Graves continued: “Why, Frank, if I had a wife like Mar- tha and as fine a kid as that youngster 0’ yours, I’d think o’ them first. Stop chas- ing the gold phantom, boy. You haven’t got the right. Let’s get out while we can.” “Dafney won’t make us another offer.” “He'll pay us what we’ve put into it.” “How do you know?” “T was talking to him last night.” There was a long pause. “T won’t see Dafney,” the younger man gritted, “‘but it does look—” “T’ll see him,” interrupted Graves. COMMICLOOOKS (C@