THE "VIRGINIA CONSOLIDATED"
"According to miners' law of this gulch or any other district," was
declaring Sol, "when a party can't work a lode claim by reason of lack
of water or proper machinery, they've a right to let it lie a certain
length of time; can go out, and come back to it again, in the
meanwhile."
"Yes, mebbe so," returned the giant. "But they got to give their
intentions to the recorder, an' there ain't any such intentions on
file."
"There are, too--or there ought to be," contradicted Terry, freshly
excited. "I told the recorder myself--didn't I, George? I told him what
was the matter, and that we were going away, and I told him to record
the claims, and he said he would till we got back."
"Oh, you did, did you!" rasped the giant. "That'll do for talk, but
whar's the proof?"
"When did you see the recorder, Terry?" asked his father.
"The very night before we left. He said the books were locked up, but
he'd remember."
"Sure he was the recorder?"
"Of course he was. He'd just been elected. He's the 'Root Hog or Die'
professor. I know him and so does Harry."
"That's the man!" exclaimed Harry. "I'll go and get him." And away sped
Harry.
"Furthermore and besides and notwithstanding, we've regularly bought
this hyar property, and thar's the witness to the transaction,"
continued the giant, pointing to George. "We paid the price and it's
been accepted, and when money has changed hands, that settles things."
Attracted by the dispute, other gulch people had begun to gather.
"That's right," pronounced two or three.
Terry felt his heart sink. Had he made a botch of the matter, with his
hurry? George also was frightened, for he had paled.
"What property do you think you've bought, then?" demanded Sol.
"Everything: cabin and sluice and all. And you can't touch 'em."
"Where's the bill of sale?"
"We don't need any bill o' sale to put us in possession. We've paid the
money, an' hyar we air," replied Pine Knot Ike. "An' we're bad when
we're riled. Nothin' riles us like bein' robbed, an' thar's nobody as
bad as a man o' peace when once he's riled, stranger."
"But you couldn't buy that True Blue prospect," rapped Sol.
"Why not? We took what was offered. The two claims go together. Nothin'
was said different."
"Why not? Because the Golden Prize and the True Blue aren't owned by the
same party; that's why. The True Blue's the property of this girl
here--has been transferred to her in due legal form, and her father
holds it in trust for her, and these boys couldn't have sold it if
they'd wanted to!"
"It _is_ mine," piped Virgie. "It's been given to me and it's written
down and those mean men sha'n't touch it. They're getting it all wet!"
"Whar are your papers an' whar are your witnesses?" challenged the
giant.
"There's one witness," and Mr. Stanton pointed at George. "You heard the
words when the claim was given to Virgie, didn't you?" he asked.
"Yes, I did," affirmed George.
"And that other boy was one of the owners who agreed, and here comes the
second former owner who signed the transfer for both."
"Down at Denver, before a notary public," panted Harry, arriving with
the "Root Hog or Die" professor. "And it's been recorded."
"That is true," nodded the "Root Hog or Die" professor. "And I do
acknowledge that I was asked to record this other claim also, and that I
was told of the intentions and reasons when it was temporarily left
unoccupied. I am responsible for there being no official memorandum, but
I entirely forgot. However, the verbal agreement is sufficient. I
remember perfectly."
"That remains to be seen," growled the giant--who seemed to be the
spokesman for the Pine Knot Ike party. "As for that other prospect, we
don't fight gals. It's a dry claim, anyhow; hasn't any water of its own
an' never will have. As for this claim we're standin' on, we'll keep it.
It's been duly bought, paid for, an' it's workable, an' that's enough.
Ain't I right, boys?" he appealed to the gathering crowd. "When money's
passed an' accepted, that binds the sale."
[Illustration: "YOU DARE TO LAY HAND ON THIS OR INTERFERE IN ANY WAY AND
I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT A CALIFORNY FORTY-NINER KNOWS ABOUT PROTECTING
PROPERTY"]
The crowd shifted and murmured. Plainly, they were not very approving of
the Pine Knot Ike party methods, but they had a strong sense of legal
rights.
"'Pears like it was a deal in good faith," remarked somebody.
"You claim that cabin and everything in it, do you?" inquired Sol.
"Yes, sir! Everything on this hyar ground--fixtures an' improvements,
an' don't you touch a finger to 'em," boomed the giant. "You an' your
gal have got that dry prospect. Go over an' mine. Mebbe you can mine an'
mebbe you can't, for you'll be drier'n ever as soon as we move that
sluice to whar it belongs."
"Haw, haw!" gibed Ike and the other man. "You can wait for a dew."
"No! You can wait for that sluice!" retorted Sol. He spurred his horse
and in a jiffy was beside it. "You dare to lay hand on this or interfere
in any way and I'll show you what a Californy Forty-niner knows about
protecting property."
"Ain't that our sluice?"
"Not an inch, now. You claim the cabin and all improvements on that
other prospect--we claim the sluice and all improvements on this
prospect. I reckon what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
This sluice is all on the True Blue ground."
"Hooray!" cheered the willing crowd.
"You'll have a sluice without water. Mebbe that's how they mine in
Californy!" jeered Pine Knot Ike. "That thar water's ourn as soon as it
comes down the leetle draw ag'in. So we'll jest natterly turn it off on
you."
"Not by a jugful!" objected Sol. "That girl's filed on her water rights
in this little draw, when her claim was recorded." He ran rapid eye
along the Golden Prize surface. "And I reckon there doesn't any water go
with that other prospect, anyhow! I've an idee the hundred feet ends
short of the water."
"So have I," asserted Harry. "Give me room, gentlemen. Just to prove
that my notion's correct I'll measure. That claim was only stepped off,
in the beginning."
Harry fished a surveyor's tape from his pocket (evidently he had come
prepared) and from the first claim stake, near the cabin, measured the
length of the Golden Prize ground. The one hundred feet ended three
yards away from the little stream course!
"The two properties join, so that puts the natural water on the True
Blue ground," triumphantly proclaimed Sol.
"Mebbe, when thar is water; but thar won't be any after we've started to
use again on our other workin's up at the head," retorted the giant.
"You tried that once, but you can't do it a second time. We've filed our
rights on the water coming down this draw, and here it is, and by
miners' law we're entitled to our share."
"So are we, then, by thunder!" shouted the giant. "As long as there's
water flowin' past, we're goin' to have some of it. That's miners' law,
too. We can ditch some of it over----"
"No, you can't!" A new voice struck in, and a new figure appeared.
Archie Smith! He held his side and panted for breath.
"What _you_ got to do with it? Why can't we?"
"Because you couldn't have bought this claim even if you paid over the
money. Do you want to sell? Do you want them for neighbors?" demanded
Archie of Harry.
"We should say not!"
"Well, then," resumed Archie, panting, and addressing the Pine Knot Ike
party, "you didn't buy the Golden Prize, because you couldn't. The boys
didn't own it. They wouldn't take it from me; they said they'd work it
while I was gone, and now I'm back and I won't sell--to _you_. And I
order you to get off."
Terry looked blankly at Harry, Harry smiled at Terry.
"That's so." And it was so, now that they thought.
"B' gorry, the same thing happened to me," announced the voice of Pat
Casey, "an' Oi lost me diggin's. Sure, it doesn't seem fair play--though
Oi'm a friend to the boys."
"It is fair play, in this case," asserted Sol. "You see, gentlemen," he
said to the crowd, "these two boys, Harry and Terry, came in here and
proceeded to work this ground. They had the water and they hustled to
put in a sluice, and were beginning to wash out pay dirt, when those
mean whelps, suspecting these prospects were richer than they looked to
be, turned off the water to which this ground naturally was
entitled--just hogged it, made the waste run the other way, to render
these claims useless so they might either be jumped or bought for a
song. The same whelps sneaked around, prospecting, until they located
some of the richest gold quartz you ever laid your eyes on; then they
told the boys the ground was no good, anyway--mostly pockets and barren
bed-rock, had no water, and all that sort of thing--and tried to get 'em
to move, for $100. But the boys stuck, so as to pay off a debt. One of
them sold pies and the other worked for a dollar and a half a day. Then,
while they were temporarily absent, these whelps jumped both claims--and
look at the rock they've already taken out!"
"B' gorry, they ought to be hanged!" declared Pat Casey. "The lads are
honest lads, Oi'll say that for 'em. An' if somebody'll fetch a
rope----"
"No, no, gentlemen," appealed Sol, as the crowd began to surge angrily.
"When the dirty deal was started there was no law in the camp; but you
have laws now, and if those fellows want to fight we'll fight them with
law. But they're licked, and they know it."
"Waal," conceded Pine Knot Ike, "if we're licked I reckon we're licked,
an' no hard feelin's. We air men o' peace. We bought this hyar property
in good faith, but bein' as the other party ain't satisfied we'll take
our hundred dollars in dust an' move off."
"Where's their dust, Terry?" asked Harry.
"Hold on a bit," objected Mr. Richards. "Hold on! How much gold have
they taken out already, since they jumped these prospects? They've been
running that sluice for at least a couple of days."
"We'll leave you that thar pile o' sluice tailin's; it's too coarse for
washin'," replied the giant. "And thar's a clean-up waitin', in the
sluice. But you got to give us back the hundred dollars' purchase price,
an' do it mighty quick."
"Don't rile us," warned Ike.
"I'll tell you what I'll do, Ike," spoke Harry. "We'll be fair. I'll
wrestle you for that $100. If you throw me, you can have it, and if I
throw you we can keep it. You've already got more than that out of this
ground--but we want to be fair."
"Don't you do it, Harry!" protested Father Richards. "There's no need of
such foolishness."
"That's what I say," added Mr. Stanton. "We won't allow it."
"I know what I'm about," replied Harry, with a wink at Terry and George
and the breathless Archie.
"Young feller," solemnly said Ike, "I ekcept, ketch as ketch can, but
keep back your dog. I air a tough proposition in a wrestle, but I don't
aim to come to grips with man and dog at the same time."
Harry alertly threw aside his hat and stepped forward; Ike did the like.
"David an' Goliath!" cheered the crowd; and indeed the match did
resemble that, with Harry so slight and slim and the shaggy Ike
appearing to be a foot taller and a foot broader.
"Has he any show? Do you think he _can_ throw him?" whispered
Archie--referring, of course, to Harry.
"Sure he can," asserted Terry. "Can't he, George?"
"He usually does what he sets out to do," agreed George.
Now, arms half out-stretched and shoulders forward, Harry and Ike were
circling each other, in watchful, eager fashion. Ike rushed--"Look out,
Harry!"--but Harry dodged. Ike rushed again; this time, quick as light,
Harry darted to meet him, and they were locked--locked with arms and
legs, while they tugged and swayed and Ike grunted, and their boots
crunched upon the rocks and gravel.
"Harry's got the under hold!" gasped Terry.
"Yes, but Ike'll break him in two!" gasped George.
Virgie was crying and calling, Shep was barking, the spectators were
shouting all sorts of advice. And swallowed in Ike's great arms, Harry
seemed quite helpless, simply clinging to Ike's waist, with his face
pressed against Ike's shirt, and letting Ike dash him hither-thither,
trying to upset him.
But somehow, Harry always landed on his feet. Once he was lifted clear
in air--only to come down again with a thump. Twice he was lifted--this
time actually by the seat of the trousers! Ike tried to pull him in and
bend him backwards, but Harry stiffened and bowed his back. Then
suddenly he did come in--but lightning fast, he side-stepped a little,
thrust himself part way past Ike, stopped farther, and, shifting his
grip to Ike's thighs, tilted and heaved.
Up rose Ike, pawing and kicking--up, a foot off the ground, and over
Harry he shot, almost horizontal, like a diver from a spring-board, to
plough the ground beyond with his shoulder.
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
"That war a trick!" scolded Ike, sitting up and rubbing his tousled
head.
"All right," answered Harry, panting and laughing. "We'll make it two
falls out of three, then. I've a couple more tricks."
"No, young feller," grumbled Ike, still rubbing his head. "I can wrestle
a b'ar, but I ain't built for wrestlin' ary combination of eel an'
alligator tail. If you're a schoolmaster, what'll you take to teach me
that holt?"
"That's not for sale, either," laughed Harry. "But here's your sack of
dust. We don't want it, after all." Thus saying, he tossed over the
buckskin sack, and limped to get his hat from Terry.
So the result was that the Pine Knot Ike party left good-naturedly, and
the crowd dispersed good-naturedly, and the Golden Prize and the True
Blue claims remained in undisputed possession of the victors; all of
which was better than threats of further row.
Harry shook hands with Archie. It was his first opportunity.
"Have you come back to stay? Hope so. It's your mine, you know--and it's
going to be a rich one; richer than you ever imagined, if that vein from
the True Blue extends through. We'll help you work it while we're
working the True Blue, but the True Blue's enough for us."
"I don't care. It's yours, just the same. I gave it to you once and I
give it to you again," insisted Archie. "This time I'll make out a
regular transfer. I'm here just for a little visit, and then I'm going
back East to stay a while."
"Where'd you find Sol, Harry?" asked George.
"Down in Denver and Auraria. While I was dickering for Duke he turned
up. He'd been at Pike's Peak, and everywhere else. He turned up just in
time."
"Isn't Mother coming? Don't I see Mother?" queried Terry of his father.
"We may send for her and George's mother after we get things
straightened out here. But you'll see her in Denver, anyway. You and
Harry'll have to go down there for some clothes pretty soon. She wants
to see _you_ mighty bad."
"Is this rock gold rock? Doesn't look so. How do you know?"
"Sol says it is. Some of it, I mean. He knew as soon as he saw that
piece Virgie brought down. And we're lucky that he's with us. He's an
expert."
Sol had been tramping about with a spade, scraping here and there on
both claims, and examining. He joined the group.
"There's considerable rotten quartz that can be sluiced, and probably
some loose dirt to be washed; but there's a thundering fine vein or lode
running right across. The best surface showing is on the True Blue,
where that piece of rock came from, but I reckon that when we get down
into what those fellows pretended was the bed-rock on the Golden Prize
we'll find it just as rich. So part of us can be sluicing, while the
rest of us rig some sort of a contrivance to crush the quartz and wash
it with mercury, till a regular quartz mill is 'stablished near us." And
Sol continued, using words and terms that only the men understood.
"Shucks!" acknowledged Terry. "We were looking for dirt; we didn't count
the rock." So he turned to George, who was lifting Virgie from her pony.
"You did it, Virgie, with your piece of quartz. Now you're going to be
rich."
"I don't want to be rich all alone," objected Virgie. "I don't want to
be any richer than you or George or Harry or Sol or--or anybody of us."
She looked as if she were about to weep over it!
"Of course not, Virgie," called Harry. "You won't have to be rich all
alone. That's a miserable state. But you can share with your father and
Sol, and Terry and Father Richards and I have a mine, too, you know; and
just to make sure that nobody'll be any richer than anybody else in the
crowd, we'll all join together and we'll name the company the Virginia
Consolidated!"
THE END
* * * * *
THE BAR B SERIES
By EDWIN L. SABIN
BAR B BOYS;
OR, THE YOUNG COW-PUNCHERS
A picturesque story of Western ranch life. Illustrated by Charles
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RANGE AND TRAIL
The Bar B Boys in winter and on the long trail from New Mexico to the
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CIRCLE K;
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OLD FOUR-TOES;
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TREASURE MOUNTAIN;
OR, THE YOUNG PROSPECTORS
Tells of the locating of an old gold mine near the top of a mountain
peak. One of the liveliest books in the series. Illustrated by Clarence
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SCARFACE RANCH;
OR, THE YOUNG HOMESTEADERS
Two young heroes here take up some government land and engage most
successfully in cattle raising on their own account. Illustrated by
Clarence Rowe.
Each Volume 8vo, cloth, 75 cents.
* * * * *
Also by MR. SABIN
PLUCK ON THE LONG TRAIL;
OR, BOY SCOUTS IN THE ROCKIES
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* * * * *
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BY JAMES OTIS
THE WIRELESS STATION AT SILVER FOX FARM.
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AIRSHIP CRUISING FROM SILVER FOX FARM.
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* * * * *
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BOY SCOUTS IN THE MAINE WOODS.
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