CHAPTER VI
CINCHED
Having established his rights beyond the peradventure of a doubt, theimperious Wunpost left Old Whiskers to recoup his losses and turned tothe wide-eyed Wilhelmina. She had been standing, rooted to the earth,while he assaulted Old Whiskers and Rhodes; and as she glanced up at himdoubtfully he winked and grinned back at her and spoke from behind thecover of his hand.
"That's the system!" he said. "Git the jump on 'em--treat 'em rough!Come on, let's go look at our mine!"
He led the way to Black Point, where the bonanza vein of quartz camedown and was buried in the sand; and while the crowd gazed from afarthey looked over their property, though Billy moved like one in a dream.Her father was engaged in placating Dusty Rhodes and in explaining theiragreement to the rest, and she still felt surprised that she had everconsented to accompany so desperate a ruffian. Yet as he knocked off achunk of ore and showed her the specks of gold, scattered through itwith such prodigal richness, she felt her old sense of security return;for he had never been rough with her. It was only with Old Whiskers, thegrasping Blackwater saloon-keeper, and with the equally avaricious DustyRhodes--who had been trying to steal more than their share of theprospect and to beat her out of her third. They had thought to ignoreher, to brush her aside and usurp her share in the claim; but Wunposthad defended her and protected her rights and put them back where theybelonged. And it was for this that he had seized Dusty Rhodes by thethroat and kicked down the saloon-keeper's bar. But she wondered whatwould happen if, at some future time, she should venture to oppose hiswill.
The vein of quartz which had caught Wunpost's eye was enclosed withinanother, not so rich, and a third mighty ledge of low-grade ore encasedthe two of them within its walls. This big dyke it was which formed thebackbone of the point, thrusting up through the half-eroded porphyry;and as it ran up towards its apex it was swallowed and overcapped by thelava from the old volcanic cone.
"Look at that!" exclaimed Wunpost, knocking off chunk after chunk; andas a crowd began to gather he dug down on the richest streak, giving thespecimens to the first person who asked. The heat beat down upon themand Campbell called Wilhelmina to the shelter of his makeshift tent, buton the ledge Wunpost dug on untiringly while the pocket-miners gatheredabout. They knew, if he did not, the value of those rocks which hedispensed like so much dirt, and when he was not looking they gatheredup the leavings and even knocked off more for themselves. There had beenhungry times in the Blackwater district, and some of this quartz washalf gold.
An Indian wood-hauler came down from Wild Rose Spring with his wagonfilled with casks of water, and as he peddled his load at two-bits abucket the camp took on a new lease of life. Old Whiskers served achaser with each drink of whiskey; coffee was boiled and cooking began;and all the drooping horses were banded together and driven up thecanyon to the spring. It was only nine miles, and the Indians would keepon hauling, but already Wunpost had planned to put in a pipe-line andmake Willie Meena a town. He stood by Campbell's tent while the crowdgathered about and related the history of his strike, and then he wenton with his plans for the mine and his predictions of boom times tocome.
"Just you wait," he said, bulking big in the moonlight; "you wait tillthem Nevada boomers come. Things are dead over there--Keno and Wunpostare worked out; they'll hit for this camp to a man. And when they come,gentlemen, you want to be on your ground, because they'll jump anythingthat ain't held down. Just wait till they see this ore and then watchtheir dust--they'll stake the whole country for miles--but I've only gotone claim, and I'm going to stay on it, and the first man that jumps itwill get this."
He slapped the big pistol that he had borrowed from Wilhelmina andnodded impressively to the crowd; and the next morning early he was overat the hole, getting ready for the rush that was to come. For the newsof the strike had gone out from Blackwater on the stage of the eveningbefore, and the moment it reached the railroad it would be wired to Kenoand to Tonopah and Goldfield beyond. Then the stampede would begin, overthe hills and down into Death Valley and up Emigrant Wash to thesprings; and from there the first automobiles would burn up the groundtill they struck Wild Rose Canyon and came down. Wunpost got out ahammer and drill, and as he watched for the rush he dug out morespecimens to show. Wilhelmina stood beside him, putting the best of theminto an ore-sack and piling the rest on the dump; and as he met her gladsmile he laid down his tools and nodded at her wisely.
"Big doings, kid," he said. "There's some rock that'll make 'em scream.D'ye remember what I said about Dusty Rhodes? Well, maybe I didn't callthe turn--he did just exactly what I said. When he got to Blackwater heclaimed the strike was his and framed it up with Whiskers to freeze usout. They thought they had us jumped--somebody knocked down my monument,and that's a State Prison offense--but I came back at 'em so quick theywere whipped before they knew it. They acknowledged that the claim wasmine. Well, all right, kid, let's keep it; you tag right along with meand back up any play that I make, and if any of these boomers fromNevada get funny we'll give 'em the gate, the gate!"
He did a little dance and Billy smiled back feebly, for it was all verybewildering to her. She had expected, of course, a certain amount oflawless conduct; but that Dusty Rhodes, an old friend of their family,should conspire to deprive her of her claim was almost inconceivable.And that Wunpost should instantly seize him by the throat and force himto renounce his claims was even more surprising. But of course he hadwarned her, he had told her all about it, and predicted even bolderattempts; and yet here he was, digging out the best of his ore to giveto these same Nevada burglars.
"What do you give them all the ore for?" she asked at last. "Why don'tyou keep it, and we can pound out the gold?"
"We have to play the game, kid," he answered with a shrug. "That's theway they always do."
"Yes, but I should think it would only make them worse. When they seehow rich it is maybe someone will try to jump us--do you think JudsonEells will come?"
"Sure he'll come," answered Wunpost. "He'll be one of the first."
"And will you give him a specimen?"
"Surest thing--I'll give him a good one. I believe that's a machine, upthe wash."
He shaded his eyes, and as they gazed up the winding canyon a monsterautomobile swung around the curve. A flash and it was gone, only to rushinto view a second time and come bubbling and thundering down the wash.It drew up before the point and four men leapt out and headed straightfor the hole; not a word was said, but they seemed to know by instinctjust where to find the mine. Wunpost strode to meet them and greetedthem by name, they came up and looked at the ground; and then, asanother machine came around the point, they asked him his price, forcash.
"Nothing doing, gentlemen," answered Wunpost. "It's too good to sell.It'll pay from the first day it's worked."
He went down to meet the second car of stampeders, and his answer tothem was the same. And each time he said it he turned to Wilhelmina, whogravely nodded her head. It was his mine; he had found it and only givenher a share of it, and of course they must stand together; but asmachine after machine came whirling down the canyon and the bids mountedhigher and higher a wistful look came into Wilhelmina's eye and she wentdown and sat with her father. It was for him that she wanted the moneythat was offered her--to help him finish the road he had been working onso long--but she did not speak, and he too sat silent, looking on withbrooding eyes. Something seemed to tell them both that trouble was athand, and when, after the first rush, a single auto rumbled in, Billyrose to her feet apprehensively. A big man with red cheeks, attired in along linen duster, descended from the curtained machine, and she flew tothe side of Wunpost.
It was Judson Eells; she would know him anywhere from the descriptionthat Wunpost had given, and as he came towards the hole she took inevery detail of this man who was predestined to be her enemy. He was bigand fat, with a high George the Third nose and the florid smugness of acountry squire, and as he returned Wunpost's greeting his pendulouslower lip was thr
ust up in arrogant scorn. He came on confidently, andbehind him like a shadow there followed a mysterious second person. Hisnose was high and thin, his cheeks gaunt and furrowed, and his eyesseemed brooding over some terrible wrong which had turned him againstall mankind. At first glance his face was terrifying in its fierceness,and then the very badness of it gave the effect of a caricature. Hiseyebrows were too black, his lips too grim, his jaw too firmly set; andhis haggard eyes looked like those of a woman who is about to burst intohysterical tears. It was Pisen-face Lynch, and as Wunpost caught his eyehe gave way to a mocking smirk.
"Ah, good morning, Mr. Eells," he called out cordially, "good morning,good morning Mr. Lynch! Well, well, glad to see you--how's the bad manfrom Bodie? Meet my partner, Miss Wilhelmina Campbell!"
He presented her gallantly and as Wilhelmina bowed she felt theirhostile eyes upon her.
"Like to look at our mine?" rattled on Wunpost affably. "Well, here itis, and she's a world-beater. Take a squint at that rock--you won't needno glasses--how's that, Mr. Eells, for the pure quill?"
Eells looked at the specimen, then looked at it again, and slipped itinto his pocket.
"Yes, rich," he said in a deep bass voice, "very rich--it looks like amine. But--er--did I understand you to say that Miss Campbell was yourpartner? Because really you know----"
"Yes, she's my partner," replied Wunpost. "We hold the controllinginterest. Got a couple more partners that own a third."
"Because really," protested Eells, "under the terms of our contract----"
"Oh, to hell with your contract!" burst out Wunpost scornfully. "Do youthink that will hold over here?"
"Why, undoubtedly!" exclaimed Eells. "I hope you didn't think--but nomatter, I claim half of this mine."
"You won't get it," answered Wunpost. "This is over in California. Yourcontract was made for Nevada."
"It was made _in_ Nevada," corrected Judson Eells promptly, "but itapplied to all claims, _wherever found_! Would you like to see acopy of the contract?" He turned to the automobile, and like ajack-in-the-box a little lean man popped out.
"No!" roared Wunpost, and looked about wildly, at which Cole Campbellstepped up beside him.
"What's the trouble?" he asked, and as Wunpost shouted into his earCampbell shook his head and smiled dubiously.
"Let's look at the contract," he suggested, and Wunpost, all unstrung,consented. Then he grabbed him back and yelled into his ear:
"_That's_ no good now--he's used it once already!"
"How do you mean?" queried Campbell, still reaching for the contract;and the jack-in-the-box thrust it into his hands.
"Why, he used that same paper to claim the Wunpost--he can't claim everymine I find!"
"Well, we'll see," returned Campbell, putting on his glasses, andWunpost flew into a fury.
"Git out of here!" he yelled, making a kick at Pisen-face Lynch; "gitout, or I'll be the death of ye!"
But Pisen-face Lynch recoiled like a rattlesnake and stood set with agun in each hand.
"Don't you think it," he rasped, and Wunpost turned away from him with agroan of mortal agony.
"What does it say?" he demanded of Campbell. "Can he claim this mine,too? But say, listen; I wasn't _working_ for him! I was working formyself, and furnishing my own grub--and I've never been through herebefore! He can't claim I found it when I was under his grubstake,because I've never been into this country!"
He stopped, all a-tremble, and looked on helplessly while Cole Campbellread on through the "fine print"; and, not being able to read the words,he watched the face of the deaf man like a criminal who hopes for areprieve. But there was no reprieve for Wunpost, for the paper he hadsigned made provision against every possible contingency; and the manwho had drawn it stood there smiling triumphantly--the jack-in-the-boxwas none other than Lapham. Wunpost watched till he saw his last hopeflicker out, then whirled on the gloating lawyer. Phillip F. Lapham wastall and thin, with the bloodless pallor of a lunger, but as Wunpostbegan to curse him a red spot mounted to each cheek-bone and he pointedhis lanky forefinger like a weapon.
"Don't you threaten me!" he cried out vindictively, "or I'll have youput under bond. The fault is your own if you failed to read thiscontract, or failed to understand its intent. But there it stands, apaper of record and unbeatable in any court in the land. I challenge youto break it--every provision is reciprocal--it is sound both in law andequity! And under clause seven my client, Mr. Eells, is entitled toone-half of this claim!"
"But I only own one-third of it!" protested Wunpost desperately. "Ilocated it for myself and Wilhelmina Campbell, and then we gave DustyRhodes a third."
"That's beside the point," answered Lapham briefly. "If you were theoriginal and sole discoverer, Mr. Eells is entitled to one-half, and anyagreements which you have made with others will have to be modifiedaccordingly."
"What do you mean?" yelled a voice, and Dusty Rhodes, who had beenlistening, now jumped into the center of the arena. "I'll have you tounderstand," he cried in a fury, "that I'm entitled to a full half inthis claim. I was with this man Wunpost when he made the discovery, andaccording to mining law I'm entitled to one-half of it--I don't give_that_ for you and your contract!"
He snapped his fingers under the lawyer's nose and Lapham drew back,startled.
"Then in that case," stated Wunpost, "I don't get _anything_--andI'm the man that discovered it! But I'll tell you, my merry men, there'sanother law yet, when a man is sure he's right!"
He tapped his six-shooter and even Lynch blenched, for the fightinglight had come into his eyes. "No," went on Wunpost, "you can't workthat on me. I found this mine and I'm going to have half of it or shootit out with the bunch of ye!"
"You can have my share," interposed Wilhelmina tremulously, and heflinched as if struck by a whip.
"I don't want it!" he snarled. "It's these high-binders I'm after. You,Dusty, you don't get anything now. If this big fat slob is going toclaim half my mine, you can _law_ us--he'll have to pay the bills.Now git, you old dastard, and if you horn in here again I'll show youwhere you head _out_!" He waved him away, and Dusty Rhodes slunkoff, for a guilty conscience makes cowards of us all; but Judson Eellsstood solid as adamant, though his lawyer was whispering in his ear.
"Go and see him," nodded Eells, and as Lapham followed Rhodes he turnedto the excited Wunpost.
"Mr. Calhoun," he began, "I see no reason to withdraw from my positionin regard to this claim. This contract is legal and was made in goodfaith, and moreover I can prove that I paid out two thousand dollarsbefore you ever located a claim. But all that can be settled in court.If you have given Miss Campbell a third, her share is now a sixth,because only half of the mine was yours to give; and so on with therest, though if Mr. Rhodes' claim is valid we will allow him hisoriginal one-third. Now what would you say if I should allow _you_one-third, of which you can give Miss Campbell what you wish, and I willkeep the other, allowing Mr. Rhodes the last--each one of us to hold athird interest?"
"I would say----" burst out Wunpost, and then he stopped, for Wilhelminawas tugging at his arm. She spoke quickly into his ear, he flared up andthen subsided, and at last he turned sulkily to Eells.
"All right," he said, "I'll take the third. I see you've got mecinched."
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