'i!U:RSIAY, MARC!! -f. 1913.
PLATTSMOUTH SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL.
Pr.E 7.
sttpf
Copyright, 1314, by
CHAPTER XVIII.
"Five Hundred Dollars a Potato."
ERSUADIXG. bullying, and. at
times, by main strength. men
were dragged from their bun'is
and forced to dress. Smoke
selected the mildest cases for the bur
jal srjuad. Another squad was told
off to supply the wood by which the
graves were burned down into tbe fro
zen muck-and pravel. Still another
squad bad to chop firewood and iin
partially supply every cabin. Those
wuo were too weak for outdoor work
were put to cleaning and scrubbing
tbe cabins and washing clothes. One
squad brought in many loads of spruce
loughs and every stove was used for
the brewing of spruce tea. '
Hut. lid matter what tare Smoke and
Shorty put on it. the situation was
frrim and serious. At least thirty fear
ful and impossible cases could net be
taken from the heds. as the two men.
with nausea and horror. learned, while
one. a woman, died in Laura Sibley's
cabin. Yet strong measures were nec
essary. When the working cattgs enme in at
noon they found decently cooked dia
llers awaiting them, prepared by tha
weaker members of their cabin under
the tutelage and drive of Smoke and
Shorty.
That'll do," Smoke said at 3 in the
afternoon. "Knock oft". Go to your
bunks. You may be feeling rotten
dow. but sou' LI be the better for it
tomorrow. Of course it fcurts to net
well, but I'm going to get you well."
'"Too late." Amos Wentworth sneer
ed pallidly at Smoke's efforts. "They
ought to have started in that way last
falL"
"Come along with me. Smoke an
swered. "1'ick up those two pails,
you're cot a 11 ins.
From cabin to cabin the three men
went, dosing every man and woman
with a full pint of spruce tea. Nor
was it easy.
"You might as well learn at the start
that we mean business. Smoke stated i
to the first obdurate, wbj Jay on bis
Lack groaning through set teeth.
"Stand by. Shorty." Smoke caught
tbe patient by the nose and tapped tUe
solar plexus section so as to make the
rgoutb gasp open. "Now, Shorty ! Down
the goesl"
Ai.d down she went, accompanied
with nnavoidable splutterlngs asd
slrangliiigs.
""We're covering this sprnce tea rocte '
four times a day. and there are eighty
of you to be dosed each time." Smoke
informed Laura Sibley. "So we've uo
time to fool. WilJ you take it. or must
J bold your nose?" Ilis thumb and
forefinger hovered eloquently above
Ler. "It's vegetable, so you needn't
.bave any qualms.
"I'll I'll take it. she quavered
"Hurry pr
That night, exhausted as by no bard
day ot trail. Smoke and Shorty crawl
td into their blankets.
"I'm lairly sick with it, Smoke con
fessed "The way they suffer Is awful.
ISut exercise is the only remedy 1 ran
think of. and it must be given a thor
ough trial. 1 wish we bad a sack ot
Taw potatoes."
"Sparkbns. he can't wash no more
dishes." Shorty sala. "it hurts nim no
be sweats Ms pnln. 1 seen him sweat
lb 1 cad to put him back in the nunt
be was that helpless."
"It only we had raw potatoes."
Smoke went on. "The rital. essential
something is missing from that prepar
ed stul. The life has been evaporated
out of it."
"An' if that young fellow Jones in
tbe Drown low cabin don't croak tKffort
injnun' 1 miss my cuess."
"For heaven's sake ba cheertr.l."
Smoke chided.
in the morning not enly was Jones
dead, but one of the stronger men vrbc
bad worked on the firewood squad was
found to have hanged himself. A
nightmare procession of days set in
For a weekv Keeling himself to th
task. S mo Le enforced the exercise and
tlie spruce tea. and one by one and It
twos and threes he was compelled tc
liijock off the workers. As he was
learning, exercise was the last thing
in the world for scurvy patients. The
d.iiiinishins tirlal squad was kept
ftc-diiy at work, and a surplus halt
dozen graves -were always burned
down and waiting. One day Smoke
fr.iw the t-eeress e-tering Amos Wtnt
wurtb's cabin and followed after tier.
At the dcor he could bear her voice.
Trhimperins and pleading.
"Just for trie." she was beggin:; as
i- U!.i;e entered "1 won t tell a souL"
l'.otn glanced guiltily at the intruder.
and Smoke was certain that he was on
the edgo of something, be knew not!
what, and he cursed himself for not
Laving eavesdropped.
"Out with it!" he commanded harsh
ly. "What is it?"
-What is what?" Amos Wentworth
asked sullenly. And Smoke could 3ot'
Lame what was what. j
tho Wheeler Syndicate.
Grimmer and grimmer grew the situ
ation, in that darii uole of a canyon the
horrible death list rao-anted up. Each
day. in apprehension. Smoke and Shor
ty examined each other's mouth for the
whitening of the gums and mucou9
membranes the Invariable first symp
tom of tbe disease
"I've quit." Shorty announced oo')
evening. "I've been thlnkin' it over,
an 1 quit. 1 can make a go at slave
drivin. but cripple drivin" 's too much
for my stomach. They go from bad to
worse. They ain't twenty men 1 can
drive to work. 1 told Jackson this
afternoon he could take to his bunk.
Ue was gcttln ready to suicide. 1
could see it stJckiu out all over blm.
Cxercise ain't no good."
"I've made up my mind to tbe same
thinjr. Smoke answered.
Tbe everlasting miracle of Went
worth's immunity perplexed Smoke.
Why should be alone not have de
veloped scurvy? Why did Laura Sib
ley hate him and at the same time
whine and snivel j?nd beg from him?
On several occasions Smoke made it
a point to drop into Wentworth's cabin
at mealtime. Hut one thing did be
note that was suspicious and that was
Wentworth's suspicion of him. Next
be tried sounding out Laura Sibley.
"Raw potatoes would cure everybody
here," be remarked to the seeress. "1
know it. I've seen it work before.
The flare of conviction In ber eyes,
followed by bitterness and hatred, told
blm the scent was warm.
"Why didn't you bring in a supply
of fresh potatoes on tbe steamer? be
asked.
"We did. But coming up the river
we sold them all out at a bargain at
Fort Yukon. We bad plenty of the
evaporated kinds, and we knew they'd
keep better. They woaldn't even
freeze."
Smoke groaned. "Now, mightn't
there bave been a couple of odd sacks
left accidentally, you know, mislaid
on the steamer 7"
She shook ber bead, as be thought,
a trifle belatedly, then added. "We nev
er found any.
"Dut mightn't there?" he persisted.
"How do 1 know?" she rasped angri
ly. "I didn't hare charge of the com
missary." "Ai:J Amos Wentworth did." he
Jumped to the conclusion. "Very good.
Now what is your private opinion
Just between us two? Do yon think
Wentworth has any raw potatoes stor
ed away somewhere?"
"No; certainly not. Why should be?"
Struggle as he would with her.
Smoke could not bring ber to admit
the possibility.
That night, when the camp groaned
and 6lept or groaned and did not sleep.
Sruoke went to Wentworth's onlighted
cabin.
"Listen to me, Wentworth," be said.
"I've got a thousand dollars In dust
right here in this sack. I'm a rich
man in this country, and I can afford
it. 1 think I'm getting touched. Put
a raw potato in my band and the dust
is yours. Uere, beft it."
And Smoke thrilled when Amos
Wentworth put out his hand In the
darkness and befted the gold. Smoke
heard blm fumble in the blankets and
tbeu felt pressed into his hand not
the heavy gold sack, but the unmis
takable potato, tbe size of a ben's
egg, warm from contact with the oth
er's body.
Smoke did not wait till morning. He
and Shorty were expecting at any time
the deaths of their worst two cases,
and to this cabin the partners went.
Grated and mashed op In a cup, skin
and clinging specks of earth and all.
was tbe thousand dollar potato a thick
fluiQ that they fed. several drops at a
time, into the frightful orillces that
nad once been mouths. Shift by shift
through the long nigbt Smoke and
Shorty relieved each other at adminis
tering the potato Juice, rubbing It into
tbe poor swollen gums where loose
teeth rattled together and compelling
tbe swallowing of every drop of the
precious elixir.
By evening of tbe next day the
change for tbe better In the two pa
tients was miraculous and almost un
believable. They were no longer the
worst cases. In forty-eight hours, with
the exhaustion of tbe potato, tbey
were temporarily out of danger, though
far from oelng cured.
"I'll teU you what I'll do." Smoke
said to Wentworth. "I've got holdings
in this country. nd my paper Is good
anywhere. I'll give you $500 a potato
op to .TCVO.Ooo worth. That's 100 pota
toes." "Wa that nil the dust you bad?"
Wentworth queried.
"Shorty and 1 scraped up all we cad.
But. straight, be and I are worth sev
eral millions between us."
" haven't tny potatoes." Wentworth
snid finally. "Wish I had. That io
tato I save y:n was tbe only one. I'd
been saving it all the winter Xorfety
I'd "get this scurvy. I only sold it so
as to be able to buy n passage out ol
the country when the river opens."
Despite the cessation of potato Juice,
the two treated cases continued to im
prove through the third day. The un
treated cases went from bad to worse.
On the fourth morning three corpses
were buried.
Then Smoke and Shorty together In
vaded Wentworth's cabin, throwing
him out in the snow, while they turn
ed the Interior upside down. Laura
Sibley hobbled In and frantically Join
ed them In the seared
Though the very floor was dug up.
they discovered nothing.
Another day passed, during which
tbey kept a steady watch ou Went-
Til give you $500 a potato up to $50,000
worth."
worth's movements. Several times
when he started out, water bucket in
hand, for tha creek they casually ap
proached the cabin, and each time be
hurried back without the water.
"They're cached right here in bis
cabin."' Shorty said. "But wtiere?
We sure overhauled it plenty." He
stood up and pulled on his mittens.
"I'm goin to find em if I have to pull
tbe blame shack down a log at a time."
Ue glanced at Smoke, wbo. with an
intent, absent face, bad not beard blm.
"What's eatin you J" Shorty demand
ed wrathfuliy.
"Just trying to remember something.
Shorty."
"What's the game?"
"Watch me. that's all," Smoke bat
fled. "I always told you. Shorty, that
a deficient acquaintance with litera
ture was a handicap, even in the Klon
dike. Now, what we're going to do
came out of a book. I read It when 1
was a kid. and it will wort. Comeon!"
Several minutes later, nnder a pale
gleaming, greenish aurora borealis. the
two men crept up to Amos Went
worth's cabin. Carefully and noise
lessly they ioured kerosene over the
logs, extrit-drenching the door frame
and window sash. Then the match
was applied, and they watched the
flaming oil gather headway. They
drew back beyond tbe growing light
and waited.
They saw Wentworth rnsh out, stare
wildly at the conflagration and plunge
back into the cabin. Scarcely a minute
elapsed when he emerged, this time
slowly, half doubled over, his shoul
ders burdened by a sack, heavy and
unmistakable.
Smoke and Shorty sprang at him like
a pair of famished wolves. They hit
him right and left at the same instant
Ele crumpled down under the weight
of the sack, which Smoke pressed over
with his bands to make sure. Then
he felt bis knees clasped by Went
worth's arms as tbe man turned a
ghastly face upward.
"Give me a dozen, only a dozen
half a dozen and you can have the
rest." be squalled. "Just half a dozen,"
he wailed. "Just half a dozen. 1 was
going to turn them over to yon to
morrow. Yes. tomorrow. That, was my
idea. They're life! They're lifer Just
talf a dozen P
"Where's the other sack?" Smoke
bluffed.
"1 ate it up." was the reply, onlm
peacbably fconest. "That sack's all
that's left. Give me a few. You can
have the rest."
"Ate 'em upT Shorty screamed. "A
whole sack! An' them geezers dyin
for want of 'em: This for you! An'
this! An" this! An" this: You swine!
You bog!"
There was no sleep In camp that
night. Hour after hour Smoke and
Shorty went the rounds, doling the
life renewing potato juice, a quarter
of a spoonful at a dose, into the poor
ruined mouths of the population. And
through the following day while one
slept the other kept up the work.
There were no more deaths. The
most awful cases began to mend with
an immediacy that was startling.
"Nary a potato." Shorty told the
whining, begging Wentworth. "Yon
ain't even touched with scurvy. You
got outside a whole sack, nn you're
loaded against scurvy tor twenty years.
Knowin you. I've come t understand
God. I alwsys wondered why lie let
Satan live. Now I know. lie let him
live just as 1 let you live. But It's a
cryin' shame, just the same."
"A word of advice." Smoke told
Wenrwortb. "These men are getting
C5-
welF fast. SbortVnnd 1 nre leaving in
a week, and there will be nobody to
protect you when these men go after
you. There's the trail. . Dawsoa's eight-
j een days travel."
"Gentlemen. I beg of you. listen to
me." Wentworth whined. "I'm a stran
ger In this country. I don't know the
trail. Let me travel with you. I'll give
you $1,000 if -fou'll let me travel with
you."
"Sure," Smoke grinned maliciously,
"if Shorty agrees."
"Wbo? Me?" Shorty stiffened for a
supreme effort. "1 ain't nobody. Wood
ticks ain't got no thin' on me when it
comes to humility. I'm a worm, a
maggot, brother to the pollywog an'
child of the blowfly. 1 ain't afraid
or ashamed of nothin' that creeps or
cmwls. But travel with that mistake
of creation go way. inanl 1 ain't
proud, but you turn my stomach."
And Amos Wentworth went away,
alone, dragging a sled loaded with pro
visions sutlicient to last him to Daw
son. A mile down tbe trail Shorty
overhauled him.
"Come here to me," was Shorty's
greeting. "Come across. Fork over
Cough up."
"I don't understand," Wentworth
quavered, shivering from recollection
of the two beatings, hand and foot, be
had already received from Shorty.
"That thousand dollars, d'ye under
stand that? That thousand dollars
gold Smoke bought that measly potato
with. Come through."
And Amos Wentworth passed the
gold sack over.
"Hope a skunk bites yon on you get
howlin hydrophoby." were the term!
of Shorty's farewell.
CHAPTER XIX.
A Flutter In Eggs.
TTT was In the A. C company's big
J store at Dawson that Lucille Ar
rj ral beckoned Smoke Bellew over
to the dry goods counter.
Smoke obeyed ber call with alacrity
The man did not exist in Dawson who
would not have been flattered by tbe
notice of Lucille Arral. the singing
soubrette of the tiny stock company
that performed nightly, at the Palace
Opera House.
"Things are dead." she complained.
with pretty petulance. "There hasn't
been a stampede for a week. There's
no dust in circulation. There's always
standing room now at the opera house.
And there hasn't been a mail from
tbe outside for two whole weeks. In
short, this burg has crawled into its
cave and gone to sleep. We've got to
do something. It needs livening, and
you and 1 can do lt I've broken with
Wild Water, you know."
Smoke caught two almost slmulta
neous visions. One was of Joy Gas
tell, the other was of himself, in the
midst of a bleak snow stretch under
a cold arctic moon, being pot shotted
with accurateness and dispatch by the
aforesaid Wild Water. Smoke's re
luctance at raising excitement with tbe
aid of Lucille Arral was too patent for
her to inLss.
"I'm not thinking what you are
thinking at all. thank you." she chided.
with a laugh and a pout. "Take it
from roe. Mr. Smoke Bellew, I'm not
going to make love to you. and if you
dare to make love to rue Wild Water
will tafce care of your case. You know
him. Besides. I I haven't really bro
ken with him. Wild Water thinks I've
broken with him. don't you see?"
"Well, have you. or haven't you?"
"I haven't there! But It's betweeD
you and me In confidence."
"Where do I come in. stalking horse
or fall guy?"
"Neither. Too make a pot of money,
we put across the laugh on Wild Wa
ter and cheer Dawson up. and. best of
all and tbe reason for it all. be gets
disciplined Ele needs it. lie's well,
tbe best way to put it is he's too turbu
lent, lie broke out last night again.
Sowed the floor of the M. & M. with
gold dust all ot a thousand dollars.
You've heard of it, of course."
"Yes; this morning. But still I don't
get you."
"Listen. lie was too turbulent. I
broke our engagement, and he's going
around making a noise like a broken
heart. Now we come to It, 1 like
eggs."
"But what bave eggs and appetite
got to do with It?" Smoke demanded
"Everything. I like eggs. There's
only a limited supply of eggs In Daw
son."
"Sure. Slavovitcb's restaurant has
most of them. Ham and one egg. JK5;
ham and two eggs. $f. That means
an egg. retail."
"lie Hkes eggs too." sbe continued
"But that's not the point. I like them
t have breakfast every morning at 11
o'clock at Slavovitcb's. 1 invariably
at two eggs." She paused Impressive
ly. "Suppose, Just suppose, somebody
corners eggs."
She waited, and Smoke regarded her
with admiring eyes, while in his bean
he backed with approval Wild Water's
choice of her.
"You're not following." she said.
"Go on." he replied. "1 give up
What's the answer?"
"Stupid! You know Wild Water.
When he sees I'm languishing for
egg, and I know his mind like a book
and 1 know bow to languish, what
will be do? Why. he'll just start
stampeding for th man that's got the
corner in eggs. Fle'll buy the corner,
no matter what It costs.
"Picture: I come int Slavovitcb's nt
II o'clock ViV.l WctiT will be at the
next table. Fle'll make it his business
to be there. 'Two eggs, shirred. I'll
say to the waiter. "Sorry. .Miss Arra!.'
the waiter will say. 'they nln't no
more egg.' Then up spefks Wild Wa
ter In that hig bear voice f hl. 'Wal
ler, six eggs, sort boiled.' And the
waiter say. 'Yes. sir.' and the eggs
are brought. 'Picture: Wild Water
looks sideways at me. and I look tike
a particularly Indignant icicle and
summon the waiter. 'Sorry, iliss Ar
GlL he says, 'but them eggs Is Mr.
Wild waters. Ton see. ml.. he owns
'em.' Picture: Wild Water, trium
phant, doing his best to loot: uncon
scious while he eats his six eggs.
"Another picture: Slavovitcb himself
bringing two shirred eggs to me and
saying: 'Compliments of Mr. Wild Wa
ter, miss.' What can I do? What can
1 possibly do but smile at Wild Water?
And then we make up. of course, and
he'll consider it cheap if he bas been
compelled to pay $10 for each and ev
ery egg In the corner."
"Go on. go on!" Smoke urged. "At
what station do I climb on to tbecboo
choo cars or 8t what water tank do 1
get thrown off?"
"Ninny! You make that corner In
;ggs. lou start in Immediately, to
day. Yoo can buy every egg In Daw
son for $3 and sell out to Wild Water
at almost any advance. And then
afterward, we'll let the inside history
come out. Tbe lar.gh will be on Wild
Water. Ills turbulence will be some
fcubdued. You and 1 6hare tbe glory
of It, You make a pile of money. And
Dawson wakes up with a grand ha
bar
"Oey, ShortyT Smoke called across
tbe main street to hit partner and
crossed over. "I want you to do me a
favor."
"Sure." Shorty said gallantly. "What
is It? Let ber rip."
"1 want you to buy eggs for me"
"Sure, an' Floridy water an talcum
powder. If you say tbe word. lxok
here. Smoke. If you want to go In for
high livin you go an' buy your own
eggs."
"I am going to buy, but 1 want yon
to help me to buy. Yon go right
straight to Slavovitcb's. Pay as high
as &J. but buy all he's got."
"Three dollars!" Shorty groaned
"An" I beard tell only yesterday that
he's got all of TOO Ir. stock! Twenty
one hundred dollars Tor hen fruit. Say
Smoke. I'd sure do anything for you
I" you bad u cold In the head an' wa
layin' with both arms broke I'd set Ly
your bedside day- an' night an' wipe
your nose for you. but I'll be evtrlast
In'Iy d d If I'll squander twenty-one
hundred good iron dollars on hen fruit
for you or any other two legged man '
"They're not your dollars, but mine.
Shorty. It's a deal I have on. What
I'm after Is to corner every blessed
egg in Dawson, in the Klondike, on the
Yukon. You've got to help me out. 1
haven't the time to tell you of the in
vvardness of the deal. 1 will after
ward and let you go half on it If you
want to. But the thing riglit now is
to get the eggs. Now. you hustle up to
Slavovitcb's and buy all he's got. And
then keep on. Nose out every egg in
Dawson and buy it. Understand?
Buy It!"
Never was a market cornered more
quickly. In three days every known
egg in Dawson with the exception ot
several dozeu was In the bands ot
Smoke and Shorty.
The several dozen not yet gathered
in were in the hands of two persons
One, with whom Shorty was dealing,
was an Indian woman wbo lived in a
cabin on the bill back of the hospital.
"I'll get her today." Shorty announc
ed next morning. "I'll be back In a
jiffy. If I don't bust myself a-shovin
dust nt her."
In the afternoon when Smoke re
turned to the cabin be fouud Shorty.
"What luckT Shorty asked careless
ly after several minutes had passed.
"Nothing doing." Smoke answered
"How did you get on with the squaw?"
Shorty cocked bis bead triumphant
ly towacd a tin pail of eggs on the ta
ble, "Seven dollars a clatter, though."
he confessed
"I offered $10 finally." Smoke said,
"and then the fellow told me ne'd al
ready sold his eggs. Now that looks
bad. Shorty. Somebody else Is In the
market. Those tweuty-elgnt eggs are
liable to cause us trouble. You see.
the success of the corner consists in
holding every last"
Qe broke off to stare at his partner.
A pronounced change was coming over
Shorty one of agitation masked by
extreme deliberation. "Do you mind
kindly Just repeatin' over how many
eggs you said the man didn't sell to
you?" he asked.
"Twenty -eight."
"II urn!" Shorty communed to hlm
selL "They's Just exactly, precisely
nor nothin" more or anything less'n
twenty-eight eggs In that there pail
settln' on the table, an' tbey cost, every
dinged last one of 'em. Just exactly
seven groat big round iron dollars a
throw. If you stand in cryin' need ot
any further items of information I'm
willin and free 'to impart."
'"Go on," Smoke requested.
"Well, that geezer you was dlckerin'
with is a big buck Indian. Am 1
right r
Smoke nodded and continued to nod
to each question.
"lie's got one cheek half gone, where
a bald face grizzly swatted blm. Am I
right? He's a dog trader right, eh?
His name is Sear Face Jim. That's so.
ain't it? D'ye get my drirtr
"Y'on mean we've been bidding"
"Against each other? Sure thing.
That squaw's his wife, an' tbey keep
bouse on the hill back of the bospitaL
I could 'a" got them eggs for two a
throw ir you hadn't butted In."
"And so could 1." Smoke laughed, "it
you'd kept out- But it doesn't amount
tc mything. VL'e that we've got
the corner. That's the big thing."
Shorty spent the next hour wrestling
with a stub of a pencil on the margin
of n three-year-old newspaper. .
"There she stands." he said at Inst
"pmme give yon the totals. You an'
tue has right now in our possession ex
actly 073 eggs. They ctts us exactly
S.7G0. If we stick up Wild Water tor
$10 an egg we stand to win, clf.-m net
an' al! to the good, just exactly Si.
070"
At 11 that night Smoke was routed
from sound sleep by Shorty.
"1 just seen Siavovitca. He says to
me: 'Shorty. 1 want to speiT. to yoa
about them eggs. I've kept it quiet.
Nobody Kuows l sold 'eui to you. Hut
if you're speculatin' 1 can put you wise
to a good thing.' An' be did, too.
Smoke.
"Well, maybe it sounds v-cre.Mhle.
but that good thing was Wild Water
Charley. He's lookin' to buy eggs.
goes around to Slavovitcb an' otTers
him $5 an egg. an before be quits u s
offeriu $S. An' Slavovitcb ain't got no
eggs. Last thing Wild Water says to
Slavovitcb is that he'll beat tbe heac
off en him if be ever finds out Slavo
vitcb bas eggs cached away t-oui--wberes.
Slavovitcb nad to tell tn ne'd
sold the eggs, but that tbe buyer was
secret.
"Slavovitcb says to let him say the
word to Wild Water, who's got the
eggs. 'Shorty. be says to me. 'Wild
Water!! come a-runuin . You can bold
him up for $S. 'Light dollars your
grandmother,' I says. "He'll tall for
$10 before I'm done with bim.' Any
way, 1 told Slavovitcb I d th:nk It over
and let him know in the mornm'. Ot
course we'll let 'm pass the word to
Wild Water. Am I right?"
"You certainly are. Shorty. First
tbing in the morning tip off Slavovitcti.
nave him tell Wild Water that you
and I are partners in the deaL"
In the morning Smoke chanced upon
Lucille Arral 'again at the dry goods
counter of the A. C. store.
"It's working!" be Jubilated. "If
working! Wild Water's been c round
to Slavovitcb. trying to buy ot bully
eggs out of bim. And by this ti:nf
Slavovitcb has told him that Shorty
and 1 own tbe corner."
Lucille A mil's eyes sparkled with de
light. "I'm going to breakfast right
now." she cried. "And I'll ask the
waiter for eggs and be so plaintive
when there aren't any as to melt a
heart of stone. And you know Wild
Water's heart H anything but stone
He'll buy the corner if it costs him on..
of his mines. Hold out for a stiff fig
ure. Nothing less than $10 will satisfy
me. and if you sell for anything less.
Smoke. I'll never forgive you."
That noon, up In their cabin. Shorty
placed on tbe table a pot of beans, a
not of coffee, a smoking platter of
moose meat and ba'-on. n plate of
stewed dried peacnes and called.
"Grub's ready."
Smoke opened tbe door for a breath
of frosty air atid saw something that
made him close the door hurriedly r.'xl
dash to the stove. The frying ir.m, still
hot from the moose meat and !.t on.
lie put ba' i; n t lie from ii.l. Into the
frying pan be put a generous dab of
butter, then reached for an egg. which
be broke and dropped spluttering into
the pan. As he reached for a send
egg Shorty gained bis side and clutched
his arm lu an excited grip.
"Hey. what you doiu'?" be demar.ded.
"Frying eggs." Smoke informed Mm.
breaking the second one and throwing
off Shorty's detaining band. "Get out
"Shorty and I own the corner,
of the way. Shorty. Wild Water's com
ing up the bill, and he'll be bere in five
minutes."
Shorty sat down at the table. By the
time tbe exacted knock came at the
door Smoke was facing blm across the
table, and before caili was a plate con
taining three hot fried eggs.
"C ome in!" Smoke called.
Wild Water Charley, a strapping
young glaut, entered and shoon band-.
"Set down an' have a bite. Wild Wa
ter." Shorty invited. "Smoke, fry Mm
some eggs. I'll bet be ain't Bcoffed au
egg in a coon's age."
Smoke broke three more eggs into
tbe hot pan and in several minutes
placed them before his guest, who look
ed at them with so strange and strabi
ed an expression that Shorty confessed
afterward his fear that Wild Water
would slip them iuto rvcket and
tarry them away.
"Say. them swells down In the states
ain't got nothin' over us in the matter
of eats." Shorty gloated. "Here's you
an' me an" Smoke gettin' outside $90
worth of eggs an' not bartin an eye."
Wild Water stared at the rapidly dis
appearing eggs and seemed petrified.
"Tbey they ain't worth no $10."
Wild Water said slowly.
Sherty accepted the challenge. "A
thing's worth what you can get for it,
ain't it?" he demanded.
r I'd
"Tes. lit you Van't eat egg like
that." Wild Water objeeted. "It-it
ain't right."
"We just t'oi." on rc-i, S;tc!.c an"
me." was Shorty's excuse,
j Wild Water finished his own plate In
, a half hearied way. "Say. y..ij fdiow
i ciin do me a great favor." he began
: tentatively. "Sell r.n-. or lend tne. or
j five- mo. :il;ut a dn.cu f thciu egirs."
"Sure." Saioke ere 1. "I know
what a ve ining for i:ie!f.
I But we're ; ot so poor tint we have to
sell our hospitality. They'll cost you
i nothing. Go ahead. Shorty. Cook
i
j them up for him.
Put WiM Water laid n restraining
l;.:i:i on the e.'tcr Shorty as b ex
plained. "I don't mean cooLci. I wart
them with the shells on "
"So that you can carry "em away?"
"That's the idea."
"But that ain't hospitality." Shorty
Objected. "It's It's traiiu'."
Smoke Drilled concurrence. "That's
different. Wild Water. I thoug'.t you
j'.:st wanted to eat them. Yoo see. we
went into this for a specu' ition.''
The dangerous blue of WiM Water's
eyes began to grow mi-re danrerous.
"I'll pay you for thc:a." lie said sh.:rj
ly. "Hew much;"
"Oh. not n d'-zen." Sn-'i - replied.
"We couldn't sell a doon. We're i."t
retailers; we're sneeul-.tor. We can't
uwik our own market- We've g"t a
hard and fast corner, ami vhvri we sell
out it's the whole coin- r or nothing."
"How many have joti :: t ai,,l hjiv
much do you wci.t fT them';"
"How many have vc. Short V"
Smoke inquired
Shorty cleared his throit nrd per-forux-i
mental arithmetic uloud. "I-m-me
see. Nine humlred an' M-venty-three
minus r:int. that leave; nine hun
dred an' sixty-tw.i. An' ihe w lie!,,
shootin" match at Sin : t:in-v wi'l
tote up just about i.ine t mas.-rnl s:
L;:::Jrcd an' tv.-cnty iron .1 liars, nf
cjur: e. WiM Water, vv'i" pl.iyiu" fair,
r.n' it's iconey bac : for I ad o: . s.
though 1h-y ain't none. That's or e
thing I i.ever s;cn In the Klot !;... i
bad egg."
Wild Water f hook l is her d sadly r, I
helped Muise!' t. the U;:ns. -Tint
would be too expensive. Sh'Tty. 1 only
want a few. I'll give y on for a
couple of d jzen. I'll give you S'J". but
I can't buy 'em all."
"All or none." was Stroke's ultiii.a
tum. "Look here, you two." WiM Water
said in a burst of conlidenec "I'll l.o
inrfcctly honest with ou, an" don't I' t
it go any further. Yen know Min Ar
ral an' I was etigrned. We'!. sl: -s
broken everything off. It's for ber I
want them eggs. I v.-ant t" t'te them
to ber vu a platter shirred. That's the
way she lilies 'em."
"Ik you want 'em ninety six hundred
an twenty dollars' worth?" Shorty
queried.
"Aw. listen to reason." Wild Water
pleaded. "I only want a couple i f
dozen. 111 give yon apiece for Vmi.
What do I want with nil the rest of
them eggs?"
"I should say Mis Arrays wurili tl
price of th egg." Smoke- put l:i
quietly.
"Worih if;" Wild Water st 1 up !n
the heat of his eio.piela e. "She's wTili
a million iloilai Slip's m ttli t!f
dm-t i:i Ulon!i!;e. !l::i t:.at ;:iti't n
call for me to ganiMe 1 '.'; i ri a
breakfast f r Imr Nov.. Fie got a
proposition. I.l-lnl me a rut-p!;- cf !oe;i
of them eggs. I'll i.:rn ' m er f
Slavovitcb. He'll fed "cm to her with
my eomplimei.'s. sir- ;:::i'l srail.il to
n;e for a hnm'.-cl yv: is. If th.ni egg-
get a smile for im- I'll ta'.e- the wholu
boiling oT yorr hands. "'
"Will you sign a co-.iract f that ef
fect?" S:no!"e q-MfUly, for !j trnew
that Lucille Airal had a greet 1 to smiie.
Wild Wa'er g-isj) d. "You're ::!:nihry
swift with business up li'ie en th
Li'.!." he sa'd. with a h t.t of snarl.
"We're only accepting your own
proposition." S:n !; ar.sv. red.
"All right: bring n the p.vper; taa!:
It out hard and fast." WPd Water crio.l
in the auger of surrender.
(To Be Continued.
FRECKLE-FACE
"ow Is the Tiir.c Ij Get Ifid cf T!i;sc
Ugly Spots.
Do you know how c-u-y it i . t i -n.ove
those ugly fpots .,o tl.:.t :ij ..
v'Al call you f ckle-fiit-e ?
Sirr.nly get an utcc cf w - n
double' sttcngth, from yo-r !ru-i i
rnd a few applications ihc.J.,1 . h . v
.-ou how easy it is to ri.l your.--Y '
freckles anJ :ct a beau.iilul -oro
plcxicn. Ike ;un and v.m.'s of (cm
luaty and March have a slryn;.- t !.
cency to bring- cul freckles, an-1 -: .
:eftii!t more chine i .-old in tb;-;
months. He sure to a ,'; for the !
strength othino, as this is o!il v.r.i.
gua:antec of money back if it fa.i.. to
ltmove the freckles.
I OUM).
FOUND I'eiv. een I'laltsmowth Wa
gon and Juio brit!-g: an 1 thi , city,
an auto lamp. Owner may ,v.v
same by calling' at tl.i- oJlicc at: 1
paying for ai crti scmcnt,
L'-L'I-tfl
FOR .SALE Four fic-roo:n, -nv
re e:i-roc:r coitarcc.", on c;:sy pay
ments. Acreage cb-se-iu for rcn'
an-i sale. Windham Investment !w
Loan Co. 2-25-diw-tf
