Newspapers / The Robesonian (Lumberton, N.C.) / June 3, 1915, edition 1 / Page 2
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PAGE TWO THE RORESO V M.THURSDAY, JUNB 3. 1915. SMOKE BELLEW By JACK LONDON Copyright. 1914. by the Wheeler Syndicate CHAPTER XIX. A Flutter In Eggs. BT was In the A. C. company's big store ut Dawson tbat Lucille Ar rnl beckoned Smoke Bellew over to the dry goods counter. Smoke obeyed her call with alacrity. The man did not exist In Dawson who would not hare been tiattered by the 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 the 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 It I've broken with Wild Water, you know." Smoke caught two almost simulta 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 nccurateuess and dispatch by the aforesaid Wild Water. Smoke's re luctance at ralsinsexcltement with the aid of Lucille Arral was too patent for her to miss. , "I'm not thinking what you a thinking at all. thank you." she cbided, with a laugh and a pout "Take It from me, Mr. Smoke Bellew, I'm not going to make love to you, and if you dare to make love to me Wild Water will take care of your case. Cou 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 between yon and me In confidence." "Where do I come In, stalking horse or fall guy?" "Neither. You make a pot of money, we put across the laugh on Wild Wa ter and cheer Dawson up. and. best of all and the reason for it all. he gets disciplined. lie needs it lie's well, the best way to.put it 19 he's too turbu lent He broke out last night again. Sowed the floor of the M. & M. with gold dust all of a thousand dollars. You've beard of it of course." "Yes; this morning. But still I don't get you." "Listen. He was too turbulent 1 broke our engagement and he's going around making a noise like a broken heart Now we come to It 1 like eggs." "But r.hat have eggs and appetite got to do with it?" Smoke demanded. "Everything. I likikggs. There's only a limited supply or eggs In Daw son." "Sure. Slavovltch's restaurant has most of them. II am and one-egg. $3; ham and two eggs, That means S2 an egg, retail." "He likes eggs too." she continued. "But that's not the point I like them. I have breakfast every morning at 11 o'clock at Slavovitch's. 1 invariably eat two eggs." She paused Impressive ly. "Suppose, just suppose, somebody corners eggs." She waited, and Smoke regarded her with admiring eyes, while in his heart he backed with approval Wild Water's choice of her. "You're not following." she said. "Co on." he replied. "1 give up What's the answer?" "Stupid: You know Wild Water. When he sees I'm languishing for i tggs. and I know his mind like a book , and I know how to languish, what; will be do? Why. he'll Just start ! stampeding for the man that's got the corner In eggs. He'll buy the corner, no matter what It costs. "Picture: I come into Slavovltch's at 11 o'clock. Wlid Water will be at the nert table. Oo'll make it his business to be there. 'Two eggs, shirred. I'll say to the waiter. 'Sorry. Miss Arral,' the waiter will say. "they ain't no more eggs.' TheD up speaks Wild Wa ter In that big bear voice of his, 'Wal ter, six eggs, soft boiled.' ADd the waiter says. 'Yes. 6ir.' and the eggs are brought. Picture: Wil Water looks sideways at me. and I look like a particularly indignant Icicle and summon the waiter. 'Sorry, Miss Ar ral he says, 'but them eggs is Mr. Wild Water's. Yon see. miss, he owns 'em.' Picture: Wild Water, trium phant doing his best to Took nncon sclous while be eats his six eggs. "Another picture: Slavovitch himself bringing two 6hirred eggs to me and saying: 'Compliments of r Mr. Wild Wa do? What cai it Wild WaterY ter. miss. What can I do? I possibly do but smile a And then we make up, of course, nnl he'll consider it cheap if be has been compelled to pay $10 for each and ev ery egg Id the corner." "Go on. go on!" Smoke urged. "At what station do 1 climb on to tbecboo choo cars or at what water tank do I get thrown off T "Ninny! You make that comer iu eggs. You start In immediately, to day. You can buy every egg In Daw son for 13 and sell out to Wild Water at almost any advance. ADd then. afterward, we'll let the Inside history come out The laugh will be on Wild Water. Ilia turbulence will be some subdued. You and I share the glory of it. You make u pile or money. And Dawsou wakes up with a grand ha. ha!" "Iley, Shorty!" Smoke called across the main street to uLs partner and ! crossed over. "I want you to do 0)e a i favor." j "Sure." Shorty said gallantly. "What j is It? Let her rip." "1 want you to buy eggs for me" j "Sure, an' Floridy water an' talcum powder, if you say the word. Look j here. Smoke. If you want to go in for high livin' you go an' buy your own eggs." "1 am going to buy. but I want you to help me to buy. You go right straight to Slavovltch's. Pay as high as $3, but buy all he's got" "Three dollars!" Shorty groaned. "An' I heard tell only yesterday thai he's got all of 700 1l stockl Twenty one hundred dollars for hen fruit Say, Smoke, I'd sure do anything for you. If you had a cold in the head an' was layln' with both arms broke I'd set by your bedside day an' night an' wipe your nose for you, but I'll be everlnst In'ly d d if I'll squander twenty-one hundred good iron dollars on ben 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 wardness of the deal. I will after ward and let you go half on It If you want to. But the thing right now is to get the eggs. Now, you hustle up to Slavovitch'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 of several dozen was in the bands of 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 who lived In a cabin on the hill back of the hospital. "I'll get her today," Shorty announc ed nest morning. "I'll be back In a Jiffy, if I don't bust myself a-shovin' dust at her." In the afternoon when Smoke re turned to the cabin he found Shorty. "What luck?" Shorty asked careless ly after several minutes had passed. "Nothing doing." Smoke answered. "How did you get on with the squaw?" Shorty cocked his bead triumphant ly toward a tin pall 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 be'd al ready sold bis eggs. Now tbat looks bad. Shanty. Somebody else Is In the market Those twenty-eight eggs are Uable: to cause us trouble. You see. the success of the corner consists In holding every last" lie 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" "Hum!" Shorty communed to him self. "They's' just exactly, precisely nor nothin' more or anything less'n twenty-eight eggs in that there pail settln' on the table, an' they cost every dinged last one of 'em. just exactly seven great big round Iron dollars a throw. If you stand In cryin" need of any further Items of information I'm willin' and free to impart" "Go on." Smoke requested. "Well, that geezer you was dickerin' with is a big buck Indian. Am 1 right?" Smoke nodded and continued to nod to each question. "lie's got one cheek half gone, where a bald face grizzly swatted him. Am I right? He's a dog trader right eh? Ills name is Scar Face Jim. That's so. ain't it? D'ye get my drift?" . "Yon mean we've been bidding" "Against each other? Sure thing. That squaw's his wife, an' they keep bouse on the hill back of the hospital. I could 'a' got tliein eggs for two a Irow if you hadn't butted In " "And so could 1," Smoke Inughed, "if you'd kept out But it doesn't amount to anything. We know that we've got the corner. That's the big thing." Shorty spent the nex,t hour wrestling with a stub of a pencil on the margin of a three-year-old newspaper. "There she 6tands." he said at last "Lemme give you the totals. You an' me has right now in our i obsession ex actly 973 eggs. They costs us exactly $2."G0. If we 6tick up Wild Water for $10 an egg we stand to win, cleaD net an' all to the good. Just exactly $6, 970." At 11 that night Smoke was routed from sound steep by Shorty. "I Just seen Slavovitch. Oe says to me: "Shorty, 1 want to speak to you about them eggs. I've kept it quiet Nobody knows 1 sold 'em to you. But If you're speculatJn' 1 can put you wise to a good thing. An' he did. too, Smoke. . "Well, maybe it sounds uncredlble, but that good thing was Wild Water Charley. He's lookln to buy eggs. Ue goes around to Slavovitch an' offers him $5 an egg, an' before be quits be's offerln' $S. An' Slavovitch ain't got no eggs. Last thing Wild Water says to Slavovitch Is that he'll beat the head offen him if.be ever finds out Slavo vitch has-eggs caobed away sotne wheres. Slavovitch bad to tell m he'd sold the eggs, but that the buyer was secret "Slavovitch says to let Jdm say the word to Wild Vater. who's got tbe eggs. Shorty.' he says to me. 'Wild Water'll come a-ruunln . you can bold him up for $8. "tight dollars your grandmother,' 1 says. 'He'll fall tor $10 before I'm doue with tjlm.' Any way, 1 told Slavovitch I'd think It oer and let blm know In the tuornln'. Of course we'll let 'm pass the word on to Wild Water Am 1 right?" "You certainly are. Shorty. First thing in the morning tip off Slavovitch. Have him tell Wild Water that you and 1 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!" he Jubilated. "It's working! Wild Water's been around to Slavovitch, trying to buy or bully eggs out of blm. And by this time Slavovitch has told him that Shorty and I own the corner." Lucille Arral'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 mjelt a heart of stone. And you know Wild Water's heart Is anything but stone, ne'll buy the corner if it costs him one of his mines, nold out for a stiff fig ure. Nothing less thau $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 the table a pot of beans, a pot of coffee, a smoking platter of moose meat and bacon, a plate of stewed dried peaches and called. "Grub's ready!" Smoke opened tbe door for a breath of frosty air and saw something that made bim close the door hurriedly and dash to the stove. The frying tnn. still hot from the moose meat and bacon, he put back on tbe front lid. Into the frying pan be put a generous dab of butter, then reached for an egg, which he broke and dropped spluttering into the pan. As be reached for a second egg Shorty gained bis side and clutched his arm in an excited grip. "Hey. what you doin'?" he demanded. "Frying eggs." .Smoke informed him. breaking tbeecond one and browing off Shorty's uetalning hand. "Get out "Shorty and I own the corner." of the way, Shorty. Wild Water's com ing up tbe hill, and he'll be here In five minutes." Shorty sat down at the table. By tbe time the expected knock came at the door Smoke was facing him across the table, and before each was a plate con taining three hot fried eggs. "Come in!" Smoke called. Wild Water Charley, a strapping young giant entered and shook hands. "Set down an' have a bite. Wild Wa ter." Shorty invited. "Smoke, fry him some eggs. I'll bet he ain't scoffed an egg In a coon's age." Smoke broke three more eggs Into tbe hot pan and in several minutes placed them before bis guest who look td at them with so strange and strain s: an expression that Shorty confessed afterward his fear that WildVater would slip them Into bis pocket and carry them away. "Say, them swells down in the states ain't got nothin' over ns In the matter of eats," Shorty gloated. "Here's you an' me an' Smoke gettln' outside $90 worth of eggs an' not battln an eye," Wild Water stared at the rapidly dis appearing eggs and seemed petrified. "They they ain't worth no $10," Wild Water said slowly. Shorty accepted the challenge, "A thing's worth what you can get for It ain't it?" he demanded. "Yes, but you can't eat eggs like that" Wild Water objected. "It-it ain't right" "We Just dote on eggs. Smoke an' me," was Shorty's excuse. Wild Water finished his own plate In a half hearted way. "Say, you fellows can do me a great favor," be began tentatively. 'I me. or lend me, or give me, about . -oen of them eggs." "Sure," Smoke answered. "I know what a yearning for eggs is myself. But we're not so poor that we have to sell our hospitality. They'll cost you nothing. Go ahead. Shorty. Cook them up for him." But Wild Water laid a restraining band on the -eager Shorty as he ex plained. "I don't mean cooked. I want them with the shells on. "So that-yon can carry 'em away?" """-it's the idea." Jglsj III "Bnt that nln't hospitality." Shorty objected. "It's-Jt's tradin'." Smoke nodded concurrence. "That's different. Wild Water. I thought you Just wanted to eat them. Yon see. we went into this for a speculation." The dangerous blue of Wild Water's eyes began to grow more dangerous. "I'll pay you for them." he said sharp ly, "now much?" "Oh. not a dozen." Smoke replied. "We, couldn't sell a dozen. We're not retailers; we're speculators. We can't break our own market We've got a bard and fast corner, and when we sell out It's the whole corner or nothing." "How many have you got and how much do you want for them?" "How many have we. Shorty?" Smoke inquired. Shorty cleared his throat and per formed mentii arithmetic aloud. "Lem me see. Nine hundred an' seventy three minus nine, that leaves nine hun dred an' sixty-two. An' the whole sbootin' match at $10 a throw will tote up Just about nine thousand six hundred an' twenty iron dollars. Of course, Wild Water, we're playln' fair, an" It's money back for bad ones, though they ain't none. That's one thing 1 never seen In the Klondike a bad egg." Wild Water shook his bead sadly and helped himself to the beans. "That would be too expensive, Shorty. 1 only want a few. I'll give you $10 for a couple of dozen. I'll give you $20. but I can't buy 'em all." "All or none," was Smoke's ultima tum. "Look here, you two," Wild Water said in a burst of confidence. "I'll be perfectly bonest with you, an' don't let it go any further.- You know Miss Ar ral an' 1 was engaged. Well, she's broken everything off. It's for her 1 want them eggs. 1 want to give them to her on a platter shirred. That's the way she likes 'em." "Do you want 'em ninety-six hundred an' twenty dollars' worth?" Shorty queried. - "Awr listen to reason;" Wild Water pleaded. "1 only want a couple of dozen. I'll give you $20 apiece for em. What do 1 want with all the rest of them eggs?" "1 should say Miss Arral's worth the price of the eggs," Smoke put in quietly. "Worth It?" Wild Water stood up In the heat of his eloquence, "She's worth a million dollars. She's worth all the dust In Klondike. But that ain't no call for me to gamble $10,000 on a breakfast for her.. Now, I've got a proposition. Lend me a couple of dozen of them eggs. I'll turn 'em over to Slavovitch. He'll feed 'em to her with my compliments. She ain't smiled to me for a hundred years. If them eggs get a smile for me I'll take the whole boiling off your hands." "Will you sign a contract to that ef fect?" Smoke said quickly, for he knew that Lucille Arral had agreed to smile. Wild Water gasped. "You're almighty swift with business up here on the hill." he said, with a hint of a snarl. "We're only accepting your own proposition." Smoke answered. "All right: bring on the paper; make It out hard and fast" Wild Water cried In, the anger of surrender. CHAPTER XX. Four Years Old. . SMOKE wrote the document wherein Wild Water agreed to take every egg delivered to him at $10 per egg. provided that the two dozen advanced to him brought about a reconciliation with Lucille Arral. Wild Water paused with uplifted pen as he was about to 6ign. "Hold on." he said. "When I buy eggs I buy good eggs. If I find one bad egg you've got to come back with the $10 I paid for it" "That's all right" Smoke placated. "It's only fair." Smoke Inserted the word "good" in the contract, and Wild Water sullenly signed, received the trial two dozen In a tin pail, pulled on his mittens and opened the door. "Goodby. you robbers," he growled back at them and slammed the door. Smoke was a witness to the play next morning at Slavovitch's. lie sat ns Wild Water's guest at the table ad Joining Lucille Arral's. Almost to the letter, as she had forecast it, did the scene come off. "Haven't you found any eggs yet?" she murmured plaintively to the waiter. "No. ma'am," came the answer. "They say somebody's cornered every egg In Dawson. Mr. Slavovitch is try ing to buy a few Just especially for you. But the fellow that's got the cor ner won't let loose." It was at this Juncture that Wild Water beckoned tbe proprietor to him, and, with one band on bis shoulder, drew his head down. "Look here, Slavovitch," Wild Water whispered hoarsely, "I turned over a couple of dozen eggs to you last night Where are they?" "In the safe, all but that six I have all thawed and ready for you any time you sing out." "I don't want 'cm for myself," Wild Water breathed in a still lower voice. "Shirr 'em up and present 'em to Miss Arral there." "I'll attend to it personally myself," Slavovitch assured him. "An' don't forget compliments of me," Wild Water concluded, relaxing his detaining clutch on the proprietor's 6houlder. Pretty Lucille Arral was gazing for lornly at the strip of breakfast bacon and tbe tinned mashed potatoes on her plate when Slavovitch placed before her two shirred eggs. -'Compliments of Mr. VTM Water," they at the next table beard him say. Smoke acknowledged to himself that It was a fine bit of actlng-tbe quick, joyous flash In tbe face of her, the Im pulsive turn of the bead, the spontane- ous forerunner of a smile that was only checked by a superb self control which resolutely drew her face back so that she could say something to tbe restaurant proprietor. 1 Smoke felt the kick of Wild Water's ; moccasined foot under the table. "Will she eat 'em that'B the ques-! tlon will she eat 'em?' the latter j whispered agonizingly. And with sidelong glances they saw ; Lucille Ami hesitate, almost push the dish from her, then surrender to Its lure. "I'll take them eggs," Wild Water said to Smoke. "The contract holds. ! Did you see her? Did you see her? She almost smiled. I know her. It's all fixed. Two more eggs tomorrow an" she'll forgive an' make up. If she wasn't here I'd shake hands. Smoke. ! I'm that graterul. You ain't a robber: ' you're a philanthropist." Smoke returned Jubilantly up the hill to the cabin only to find Shorty In black despair. "It's all off with the big Swede." he groaned. "The corner's busted What d'ye think 1 run into? A geezer with three thousan' eggs d'ye get uieV ( three thousan' an Just freighted In from Forty Mile." "Gautereaux's his name, a whackin ! big, blue eyed French Canadian husky. It was our cornerin' eggs that got him j started. He knowed about them three ! thousan at Forty Mile an' Just went! an' got 'em. 'Show em to me,' I says. An' he did. Thpro wns hta Hno tonn-w an a couple of Indian drivers restin' dewn the bank where they'd Just pulled in from Forty Mile. An" on the sleds was soap boxes teeny wooden soap boxes. "We took one out behind a ice Jam In the middle of tbe river an' busted It : open. Kggs full of 'em, all packed in sawdust Smoke, you an' me lost We've been gamblin. D'ye know what he had the gall to say to me? That they was all ourn at $10 a egg. D'ye know what he was doln'-when 'l left his cabin? Drawin' a sign of eggs for sale. Said .he'd give us first choice at ten a throw till 2 p. m.. and hfteF tbaf if we didn't come across he'd bust tbe market higher 'n a kite." i "It's nil right," Smoke said cheer- fully. "Quick action and team play is j all that's needed. I'll get Wild Water j here at 2 o'clock to take delivery of i eggs. You buy that Gautereaux's ! eggs. Even if you pay $10 apiece for ! them, Wild Water will take them off j our hands at the same price. If you ; can get them cheaper why. we mnke i a profit as well. Have them here by j not later than 2 o'clock. Rorrow Colo nel Bowie's dogs nnd take our team ' Smoke found Wild Water at the M. & M., and a stormy half hour ensued. "1 warn you we've picked up some more eggs." Smoke said after Wild Water had agreed to bring his dust ti the cabin at 2 ocIock and pay on ilellv ery. I "You're lucklrt at finding eggs than me." Wild Flower admitted. "Now j hnxv ninny ears have you got now an' how much dust do I tote up the bill?" Smiike i-nnsnlti'il his notebook. "As i: stands now. accord I nir to Shorty's tig res, we've 3.1H52 eggs Multiply by j ten " "Forty thousand dollars!" Wild Wa j ter bellowed "You said there was only : something like OfH) eggs It's a stick up. 1 won't stand for it!" Smoke drew tbe contract from his pocket and pointed to the pay on deliv ery "No mention is made of the num ber of eggs to be delivered. You agreed to pay $10 for ever' egg we delivered to you. Well, we've got the eg-'s. and a signed contract is a signed contract Honestly, though. Wild Water, we didn't know about thoe until afterward. Then 'An them in order to make good." For five long minutes. other eggs had to buy our corner In choking silence. Wild Water fought a battle with himself, then reluctantly gave in. "I'm in bad." he said brokenly. "I'll be there at 2 o'clock. But $40,000!" At 1:30 Shorty arrived with Gaute reaux's eggs. "We pretty near double our winnings," Shorty told Smoke as they piled the soap boxes Inside the cabin. "I holds 'era down to $8, and aft er he cussed loco in French he falls for it Now.that's $2 clear profit to us for each egg." Promptly at 2 o'clock Shorty, peep ing, saw Wild Water coming up the hill. When he entered he was brisk and businesslike. "Bring on them eggs, you pirates," he commenced "An after this day, If you know what's good for you, never mention eggs to me again." They began on the miscellaneous as sortment of the original corner, all three men counting. When 200 had been reached Wild Water suddenly cracked an egg on the edge of the table and opened it deftly with his thumbs. "Hey, hold-i!" Shorty objected. "It's my egg. ain't it?" Wild Water snarled. "I'm payin' $10 for it ain't I? But 1 ain't buyin' no pig in a poke. When I cough up ten bucks an egg I want to know what I'm gettln'." Wild Water looked and smiled. "That's a good egg. Gimme a pall. I'm goin to eat it myself for supper." Thrice again Wild Water cracked good eggs experimentally and put them In the pall beside him. "Two more than you figured. Shorty," he said at the eDd of the count "Nine hundred an' sixty-four, not sixty -two." "My mistake," Shorty acknowledged handsomely. "We'll throw 'em in for good measure." "Guess you can afford to," Wild Water accepted grimly. "Pass tbe batch $9,(520. I'll pay for it now. Write a receipt Smoke." Going to his fur coat, from each of the-side pockets he drew forth two sacks of dust so rotund and long that they resembled bologna sausages. When the first batch had been paid for there remained In the gold sacks not more than several hundred dollars. A,8oap box was carried to the table, and the count of the $3,000 began. At the end of 100 Wild Water struck ao egg'sharply against the edge of the ta ble. The resultant sound was like that of tbe striking of a sphere of solid) marble. "Frozen solid," he remarked. "Huh!" said Sborty.JTt ought to be solid, seeln' it has just beenTrelght ed up from Forty Mile, It'll take a ax to bust it" moke brought the ax and Wild Wa ter split the egg cleanly In half. Tbe appearance of the egg's interior was anything but satisfactory. Smoke felt a premonitory chill. Shorty was more valiant He held one of tbe halves to his nose. "Smells all right" he said. "But it looks all wrong," Wild Wa ter contended. "An how can It smell when the smell's frozen along with the rest of it? Wait a minute," He put the two halves Into a frying pan and placed the latter on the front lid of the hot stove. Then the three men. with distended, questing nostrils, waited In silence. Slowly an unmis takable odor began to drift through the room. "Throw It outP Smoke cried. gasp-J lng. "What's the good?" asked Wild Wa ter. "We've got to sample the rest" "Not In this cabin." Smoke cough- I ed and conquered a qualm. "Chop them open, and we can test by look- lug at them. Throw It out, Shortyl Throw It out! And leave the door open!" Cox after box was opened; egg after egg. chosen at random, was chopped la two, and every egg carried the same message of hopeless, irremediable de cay. "I won't ask you to eat 'em. Shorty," Wild Water jeered, "an', if yqu don't mind, I can't get ouw here too quick. My contract called for good eggs. If you'll loan me a sled an' team I'll haul them good ones away before they get contaminated." Smoke Helped Jn. loading the sled. "Say, bow long you been boldin that corner?" was Wild Water's parting gibe. Smoke made no reply, and. with one glance at his partner, proceeded to fling the soap boxes out into the snow. "Say, Shorty, how much did you say you paid for that three thousand?" Smoke queried gently. "Eight dollars. Don't talk to me. I can Agger as well as you. We lose seventeen thousan on the flutter, if anybody should ride up on a dog sled an' ask you. 1 figgered that out while wait in' for tbe first egg to smell." Smoke pondered a few minutes, then again broke silence. "Say. Shorty, $40,000 gold weighs 200 pounds. Wild Water borrowed our sled nnd team to haul away his eggs. He came up the hill without a sled. Thoso two sacks of dust In his coat pockets weighed about twenty pounds each. The un derstanding was cash on delivery. Ho brought enough dust to pay for the good eggs. He never expected to pay for those three thousand, ne knew they were bad. Now. bow did he know tbey were bad? What do you make of It anyway?" "Huh! That ain't nothin'. A child could answer It We lose seventeen thousan". Wild Water wins seven teen thousan'. Them eggs of Gaute reaux's was Wild Water's all the time. Anything else you're curious to know?" "Yes. Why in the name of common sense didn't you find out whether those eggs were good before you paid for them?" "Just as easy as the first question. Wild Water swung the bunko game timed to seconds. I hadn't, no time to examine them eggs. 1 had to hustle to get 'em here for delivery. An' now. Smoke, lemme ask you one civil ques tion. What did you say was tbe par ty's name that put this egg corner Idea into your head?" Smoke was casting about to begin the preparation for supper when Colo nel Bowie knocked at the door, handed Smoke a letter and went on to his own cabin. "Did yon see his face?" Shorty raved. "He was almost bustin' to keep it straight It's the big ba-ha for yon an' me. Smoke. We won't never dast 6how our faces again in Dawson." The letter was from Wild Water, and Smoke read it aloud: "Dear Smoke and Shorty I write to ask, with compliment of the season, your presence at a supper tonight at Slavo vitch's Joint Miss Arral will be there and so will Gautereaux. Him and me was pardners down at Circle five years ago. He Is all right and Is going to be best man. About them eggs. They come Into the country four years back. They was all bad when they come in. They was bad when they left California. They always was bad. They stopped at Carluk one winter, and one winter at Nutllk, and last winter at Forty Mile, where they was sold for storage. And this winter I guess they stop at Dawson. Don't keep them In a hot room. Lucille says to say you and her and me has sure made some excitement in Dawson. And 1 say the drinks Is on you. and that goes. "Respectfully your friend, W. W." (TO BE CONTINUED.) Advertised Letters. J. Otho Bradley, Harrison Branch, W. J. Bell, WUIie Cr0wder, E. P. Douglass, Rev. EW. Dunagon, W. M. Moulee, J. II. l&it, Edgar B. Richards, M. J. Roge. Junius Rob eson, Walter Thomas, 5 C. Wat son, Miss Sarah Beatie. Niss Dell ah Bell, Mrs. L. Belan, Bessie L. Britt, Miss Ida Britt, Misfc Corman, Mrs. Laura Davis, Miss Clara Da vis, Miss Lucy Gilaspie, Mrs. E. A-. McNeill, Mrs. J. E. Newby, Miss Ida Pope, Mrs. I. P. Pope, Miss Lula Thompson, Mrs, Rachel Toon, Mrs. F. W.. Wilkerson. , ' HE ORIGINAL LAXATIVE COUGH SYRUP , KENNEDY'S LAXATIVE H0NEY4AB' 2m! CloTir Bl.." - uJ BtMf Bm m Cvtry BottJ V
The Robesonian (Lumberton, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 3, 1915, edition 1
2
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