THE JUMPERS
The sun was rising when Joe Thorpe made a hasty breakfast with his two
companions in their camp beside the lode. He was a logger by
profession, though he had an extensive experience in prospecting for
timber-rights and minerals. Big Joe was known as an honest man; that
was why Frobisher had selected him to stake off a claim, and he had
arrived late on the previous night after a forced march.
"We ought to have a clear day or two before the first of the crowd
that's following us comes in, but that's all," he said. "We want to
get our prospecting done and the best locations picked before the rush
begins, and we'll start as soon as you've finished."
"I'll be through in a minute," said one of the others with his mouth
full. "It's a pretty fair deal Frobisher made with us and he's not the
man to go back on one."
"That's more than I'd say of Mappin," remarked the third of the party.
"He's in this somehow, isn't he? What was it Carnally said to you when
we were getting ready to start, Joe?"
"Told me to watch out for the Mappin crowd. It seems Mappin's put
Scaith, who made the trouble over the Newark timber-rights, on to the
job. The fellow's a crook, and two of the others have been mixed up in
jumping rows. Now we like Carnally, and he allowed he was on to a good
thing in the Allinson claims. Anyhow, Watkins, you've had enough for
one man. Let up on the pork and bring along the drill."
They set to work, and it was late in the afternoon when, stripped to
shirt and trousers and dripping with perspiration, Joe stopped for a
few moments to look about. Thirty feet behind him the creek swirled
furiously around a rocky head, the steep face of which was fumed and
scarred by giant-powder. A stake was driven into the crest of the
promontory, another could be seen a short distance back, and
straggling jack-pines and spruces followed the edge of the bank. The
ground had been disturbed all round and was strewn with piles of soil
and stones.
"I guess the Allinson outfit know their business," he observed. "It
looks a curious way to pitch a claim, but if you come to figure out
the thing, it gives them the best frontage they could get. This corner
post's just where I'd have put it. If they'd located it a bit to the
right, it would have swung their line off the richest stuff. There's
no room for us here on pay dirt: we'll move higher up."
He took a few steps forward but stopped suddenly at a sharp crash
followed by a puff of vapor that curled up among the rocks ahead.
Great fragments leaped out of it, and Joe ran for his life as one
large piece that turned over as it sped came toward him. It fell short
with a heavy thud and he swung around angrily.
"What in thunder are you firing two sticks for where you weren't
told?" he cried.
"Watkins likes a big charge," grinned his companion. "He's surely
rough on giant-powder."
The third man came toward them and explained.
"That blamed Allinson corner post shoves us back, and I wanted to see
if we could squeeze in a block beside them and keep on the ore,
though I guess there's not much use in it. If I was a jumper, I'd
shift that stake."
"You can't do it!" Joe replied promptly. "We're acting square! But
when the fumes have cleared, we'll look at what you've got."
The examination confirmed his opinion that they were shut out by the
Allinson claim, which must be respected, and they moved farther up the
lode. It was dusk when they stopped work, and they spent the following
morning digging holes and firing shots before deciding on their
locations. These they roughly marked with piles of stones, but there
were distances to be carefully measured and bearings verified before
their stakes were driven, and while they were getting dinner another
party arrived. The men were ragged and weary, and the appearance of
several was far from prepossessing.
"There's Scaith and Nepigon Jim," Watkins exclaimed. "Brought four
other fellows with them. They're a tough-looking crowd."
The newcomers lighted a fire, and while they prepared a meal their
leader strolled across to the other camp. He was a short, wiry man,
with keen eyes.
"Well, Joe," he said, "you've been over the ground; what's it like?"
"Pretty good," Joe answered. "The Allinson gang got first pick and
we've had the next, but there's plenty pay dirt left. I suppose you're
up here for Mappin? You want to keep off our blocks."
"Sure we will," said the other genially. "We'll take a look round
after grub and see where we can begin. You got away from the Landing
mighty smart."
"We wanted to keep ahead of the crowd. I suppose the boys were getting
ready when you left?"
"They were quitting work all round the settlement; one or two outfits
would get off soon after us. We made pretty good time over the
Allinson trail. But I guess our dinner's ready."
He moved away and Joe turned to his companions with a meaning glance.
"That's a man who'll want some watching," he warned them.
During the afternoon he and the others drove in their stakes, and
there was apparently nothing to prevent their return to record the
claims, but Joe declared that he was tired and they would not get far
enough before dark to make it worth while to start. Accordingly, they
lounged in camp while the newcomers wandered about the neighborhood,
testing the ground. It struck Joe as suspicious that they seemed to
find it necessary to cross the Allinson claims very frequently. Toward
evening the sky grew overcast and rain began to fall, but Joe's camp
was sheltered, and when it grew cold after supper they made a bigger
fire.
"Some of the boys from the settlement should get through by morning,
and they're a straight crowd," Joe said. "We'll take the trail first
thing after breakfast."
A raw wind sprang up, the rain got heavier, and dusk fell early; but
when the others went to sleep Joe sat up a while. He had done what he
had been sent to do and would receive a good reward for it, besides
retaining an interest in the claims when Frobisher took them over
after the development work had been done. The thought of it excited
him, but after a while he laid his blanket in a hollow and went to
sleep.
It was, however, not sound sleep, for every now and then he opened his
eyes, and at last raised himself to a sitting position and looked
about. The fire had burned very low, so that its light did not dazzle
him, and he could see the shadowy trunks that ran up into the gloom.
Heavy drops fell among the red embers, the wind wailed dolefully about
the branches, and he could hear the rain beat upon the stones. Though
it was darker than usual, the sky was visible and rocks and trees
stood out black against the surrounding obscurity. Knowing that he had
a long march before him, Joe felt irritated because of his
restlessness; but as he did not feel at all sleepy he lighted his pipe
and began to think of his return journey.
Presently Scaith's camp-fire caught his eye. It was burning brightly,
which seemed to indicate that the party had sat up very late or that
somebody had risen and thrown on fresh fuel. This struck him as
curious, and he watched the flickering glow. Before he had smoked out
his pipe he imagined that he saw a blurred figure among the smoke. It
vanished, though he did not think the fellow had left the camp. He sat
for a few minutes, pondering the matter. Although they had given him
no reason for doing so, he suspected Scaith's party and felt uneasy,
wishing that the night were clearer. Large objects were faintly
distinguishable, but Joe did not think he could see a man except at a
very short distance, and the wind among the spruce tops would prevent
his hearing footsteps. It was raining very hard, trickles of water ran
down the trunks, and cold draughts eddied about him. He would be more
comfortable lying down under his blanket but he was troubled by vague
suspicions and felt that he must keep watch.
At last he got up and picked his way toward the newly staked claims.
The ground was rough and he fell over a heap of stones, but he
reflected that the darkness which prevented his seeing anything would
also prevent his being seen. He had flung his blanket over his
shoulders, and though it impeded his movements it kept him drier. He
wandered about for some time before he could find the first stake, but
it was easier afterward because he knew the line and had only to count
his paces. The other posts were all in their proper positions; it
looked as if he had wasted his pains, for no attempt had been made to
tamper with the boundaries.
This was satisfactory, but Joe did not feel quite at ease. He wished
that some of the other parties from the Landing had arrived, because
he knew the men, and knew that they would keep a keen lookout for any
trickery. Claim-jumping is sternly discountenanced by honest miners,
who are apt to deal with the jumpers in a drastic manner. Joe,
however, could not delay his departure. The filing of an application
form in the recorder's office is the first proof a discoverer of
minerals can advance of his right to them.
He stopped a few moments by the last stake, feeling that he could now
return to camp, but still irresolute. It would be dark for some time
yet and mischief might be on foot. Then it dawned on him that the
Allinson claims would be better worth attacking than his, and he moved
toward the corner post, which was the key to their position. Their
safety was no direct concern of his, and he was getting wet; but
Carnally was his friend and Allinson was held in much esteem at the
Landing as a just and considerate employer. With difficulty he found
the post, which seemed to have been undisturbed; but he felt
suspicious and reluctant to leave the spot. Finding a hollow to lee of
a rock, he sat down.
For a while nothing disturbed him. He could hear the creek roaring
among the stones below, for the steep edge of the bank was only a few
yards away. Scaith's fire glowed in the distance, and the rain blew in
sheets past the edge of his shelter. Joe thought he was foolish for
waiting, but he stayed. Then all at once a dim figure was outlined
against the sky only a few paces from him.
Joe had heard nobody approach and he was startled; but the next moment
he became cool and intent. A man was moving toward the Allinson corner
post. He had his hands on it when Joe sprang forward. But he was too
late to surprise the fellow. Joe closed with him in a savage grapple;
but he could not throw him, and glancing sideways at a sound, he saw
that he would shortly have to deal with a second enemy. Another man
was running hard toward them.
It was obvious that he would be overpowered unless he could disable
the fellow he had seized before his confederate arrived; and with a
tense effort he drove him backward. Clutching each other, they
staggered a few yards through the darkness, until Joe felt the ground
slant sharply beneath his feet. Then, using all his force, he flung
off his adversary. The man disappeared and there was a splash in the
creek below. Then Joe turned breathlessly to meet the other man.
He was near at hand, but, instead of attacking him, the fellow stopped
and cried out. This, however, did not trouble Joe, because the shout
would bring his companions upon the scene as well as the other party.
Moving cautiously in search of clearer ground on which to meet the
rush he expected, his foot caught in his blanket, which had fallen
off, and he swiftly picked it up. He had hardly done so when the
fellow ran at him, and Joe, meeting him with a staggering blow, flung
the heavy blanket over his head. He stumbled, unable to see, and Joe,
leaping upon him, bore him to the ground. There he had the advantage
of being uppermost; and, getting his knee on the other's chest,
managed to hold him down. This was satisfactory, so far as it went,
but he did not know what to do with his captive, and shouts now broke
out in the darkness. The rest of Scaith's friends were evidently
coming to the rescue, but he could hear Watkins' voice, and wondered
anxiously which would arrive first.
He spent a minute or two holding the fellow down and thumping him as a
hint to keep still, while hurrying footsteps rapidly drew nearer. A
voice he did not know reached him, and he remembered that although
there was a rifle in camp he was unarmed and, if he stuck to his
prisoner, there would be two of his friends to four of Scaith's. That
was long odds; it looked as if he must be driven off the field, but he
determined to give the other side all the trouble he could.
A moment or two later a man appeared.
"Scaith!" he called, and the fellow under the blanket struggled as if
he had heard.
"Quit it!" warned Joe, striking him hard; and then shouted: "Stand off
before you get hurt!"
The newcomer stopped, no doubt trying to make out the meaning of what
he indistinctly saw, and Joe, hearing two or three more running, did
not get up. If the fellow attacked him, he would resist, but he wished
to keep his captive out of action as long as possible. They waited,
both expecting help, until Watkins and the third of Joe's party came
upon the scene. Behind them appeared three others, and both parties
paused. In the darkness it was difficult to discover what was going
on.
"Where's our boss?" the first of the strangers asked.
"I can't say," Joe answered. "One of your crowd's in the gulch, and
I've another here who'll sure get damaged if he don't keep still. I
don't know which is which."
Scaith's friends seemed disconcerted at the news.
"What's to be done about it, Joe?" Watkins broke in.
"Well," said Joe coolly, "I guess we'll give them a chance to quit."
He addressed the opposite party. "You had better look for your
partner, boys. There'll be no stakes pulled up to-night."
"We can wipe you out!" was the answer. "We've got a gun!"
"So've we," replied Watkins. "I've got something else that will fix
you as quick. Get a hustle on; we've no use for jumpers!"
Nobody stirred. Joe knew that he must confine himself to a defensive
course; Scaith's was the stronger party, but they were apparently
daunted by the loss of their leader.
"You want to be reasonable," argued one. "What we're out for has
nothing to do with you. This isn't your claim."
"We're going to watch it," Joe said.
"Run them off!" cried one of the others. "We've talked enough!"
They seemed ready for a rush, and Watkins quickly struck a match in
the shelter of his jacket. The next moment a slight hissing became
audible and he held up something which emitted small red sparks.
"I guess you know what this is," he remarked. "The fuse is pretty
short and there's a stick of giant-powder at the end of it. You had
better quit before I pitch it into the midst of you." He added
sharply: "Get up, Joe!"
They were startled by his cold-blooded daring, and though it may have
been discharged by accident, a pistol flashed. Then, as Joe sprang to
his feet, Watkins yelled in mockery and flung the dynamite cartridge
into the air. A train of sparks marked its flight, but the others did
not wait, and while Joe and his comrades ran off there was a flash and
a detonation.
It was followed by a shout some distance off and a sound of men
running hard. Joe called his friends back. It was not Scaith's party
he heard: the footsteps were too numerous.
"What's the trouble?" somebody shouted.
"Jumpers!" Joe answered, and turned to his companions. "It's the first
of the boys up from the settlement."
In a minute or two the newcomers arrived and Joe explained the matter.
"We were making for your fire when we heard the shot and hastened on
our fastest hustle," said one. "Now we'll go along and bounce the
blamed jumpers out."
Dawn was breaking when they reached Scaith's camp. They found several
men very busy, but they stopped a moment when the party came up.
"You have to get off the ground!" ordered one of the men from the
Landing. "The sooner you quit the better for you!"
"We're going," was the sullen answer. "I reckon we know when you've
got the best of us."
"Then," said the other man, "we'll wait till you start--and we won't
wait long!"
Shortly afterward Scaith's party took the trail to the south, and as
there were six of them Joe concluded that his first assailant had not
been seriously damaged by his fall into the ravine. When they had
gone, one of the new arrivals turned to Joe.
"Carnally and Graham should be here before night," he said. "They were
getting ready to come up when we left. Jake allowed he wanted to be on
the ground."