The Argosy, Volume XLIV — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

THE GOLD GLEANERS. tained. These papers he had removed when offering the purse to Cassidy for inspection, replacing them once more when it was returned to him. At last he found what he was seeking and drew it out. It was a much worn and much soiled playing card—the ten of diamonds. Across the surface be- tween the pips was written, in pencil: Whipple knows, and there’s but one thing to be done with him. Saturday night ts the time to strike, for we shall need the bullion. Be ready. “In order that she may be con- vinced of her brother’s guilt,” thought Whipple, “I am ‘juggling with my life as well as my duty. Suppose I had shown her this card, and suppose I had told her that this very ten of diamonds was found to be missing from a pack which Jeffries’ has in his trunk at Gonzales’ house? She would not have believed; but she will have such proof Saturday night that doubt will be no longer possible. God knows I would have spared her if I could!” He replaced the card in the purse and the purse in his pocket, and got up and made for the house, the horse trappings under his arm. CHAPTER XIII. TANK TEN, “ ‘THE Greasers have thrown the tail- ings out of Tank No. 10, but it is in bad shape and will have to be repaired before it can be filled again.” This was the report that Jeffries made to the manager on Saturday morning. The foreman was surly in al] his intercourse with Whipple, and had been ever since the day Chombo was discharged and the ineipient riot quelled by the new manager. “ What’s the matter with the tank?” asked Whipple. , “The burlap is torn, and the tailings sift into the false bottom and clog it so the cyanide solution fails to run through as it should.” “Go ahead and fix it,” said Whipple. Without a word the foreman whirled on his heel and returned to the works. The great vats, wherein the cyanide 101 solution dissolved the gold and carried it away for precipitation on the zinc shavings, were of peculiar construction. The bottom of each tank was a water- tight floor; above this floor were strips of wood two inches square, laid in parallel rows a foot apart, each strip cut away at intervals along its length. Nailed to the top of the strips was a false bottom an inch thick, made into a sieve by means of many auger holes. The upper surface of this false bottom was covered with two thicknesses of burlap cloth. The tailings were thrown in on the burlap covering, which prevented them from sifting through the auger holes. High above the two rows of tailings tanks was mounted the solution tank, so that the water, charged with its true proportion of cyanide, could be con- ducted to the bottom of each tailings tank and rise of its own gravity through the false bottom of the burlap covering, submerging the powdered ore and flowing off to the zine box through | a pipe near the upper rim. Plank gangways a foot in width ran across the tops of the tanks from end to end of each row; at intervals there were cross-gangways thrown from row to row, while a planked passage and a flight of steps gave access to the tower- ing vat which furnished the solution. At the ends of the two rows easy in- clines led to the gangways. Up these in- clines the “wheelbarrow brigade ” would wheel the dry tailings from which gold was to be taken, dump each barrow-load into the proper tank, and pass on and down the other incline to the place where fresh material was to be secured. livery day six of the tanks were emp- tied and filled again; every day, that is, excepting Sunday. On the first day of the week the laborers were allowed to rest, so that a few of the tanks had four davs of the solution, while the majority had but three, sunday had not always been observed as a day of rest at the Golden Eagle. It was Amy who, after much correspond- ence with the Denver office, had brought about the innovation. On_week days the cyanide “ plant ” presented an animated scene. An end- GORMIGOOO (COL