The Claim Jumpers

t in reading, and is thrown into new and, to him, romantic surroundings-when all these stars of chance cross their orbits, he begins to write a novel. The novel never has any

phrase after phrase, down the long arc of rhetoric, without a pause, without a quiver, until they rushed unhasting up the other slope to end in beautiful words, polysyllabic, but with just the right number of syllables. Interspersed were short sentences. He counted the words in one or the other of these two sorts, carefully noting the relations they bore to each other. On occasions he despaired because they did not bear the righ

as it was, counted as nothing in c

uth. One department, the more impersonal, of Bennington's critical faculty, assured him that the Idea would take rank with the Ideas of Plato and Emerson. Emerson, Bennington worshipped. Plato he also worshipped-becaus

e in Arabia and decided to call it Aliris: A Romance of all T

experiences, which otherwise might have been a little disagreeable. He cou

nington was accredited, he found to consist of a hole in the ground, of unsounded depth, two log structures, and a chicken coop. The log structures resembled those he had read about. In one of them lived Arthur and his wife. The wife did the cooking. Arthur did not

pany's business without having proved the necessity of stirring foot on his own behalf. The claims were not worth much, according to Old Mizzou. The company had been cheated. They would find it out some day. None of the ore assayed very high. For his part he did not see why they even did assessment work. Bennington was to look after the latter? All in

y, not enough to keep one man busy, and surely Old Mizzou considered himself quite competent to attend to that.

d him in the impression that de Laney was sent to spy on him. But why de Laney? Old Mizzou wagged his gray beard. And why spy on him? What could the company want to know? He gave it up. One thing alone was clear: this

cted to do nothing at all. The place had been made for him th

said, when Bennington had visited him in his New

Benningto

. They had a sort of a wildcat individual in charge of the thing, and he got contracts for sinking shafts with all the turtlebacks out there, and then didn't pay for them. Now, what we want you to do is this: First of all, you're to take charge

, s

n be 'jumped.' You'll have to hire the men, buy the supplies, and see that the full amount is done. We have a man out there named Davidson. You can rely on him, and he'

try, a

for you haven't had enough experience; but do the best you can. It'll be good practice, anyway. Hunt up Davidson; go over all the claims; find out how

of the reins while some one else drove. But he

ry; men were cheaper in the fall. As to investigating, he started in on that at once. He

ris. Then for three hours he and Old Mizzou prospected. In the aftern

This was because he was young. He could close his eyes and see the cowboys scouring the plain. As a parenthesis it should be noted that cowboys always scour the plain, just as sailors always scan the horizon. He kn

nge drinks at outlandish prices. After that they shot holes all around his feet to induce him to dance. He had inherited an obstinate streak from some of his forebears, and declined when it went that far. They then did other things to him which were not pleasant. Most of these pranks seemed to have been instigated by a laughing, curly-haired young man named Fay. Fay had clear blue eyes, which seemed always to mock you. He coul

ld shriek joyously, and bear

he loafers. It all had

is performance would cea

e modified his first views, and permitted Old Miz

sits were the proper thing. He would not have had them different-to look back on. They were inspiring-to write home about. He recognised all the types-the miner, the gambler, the saloon-keeper, the bad man, the cowboy,

healthy youngster he was. But had he seen it all? On reflection, he acknowledged he could not make this statement to himself with a full consciousness

d skin, bright eyes, and curly hair. She wears a Tam o' Shanter. She rides a horse. Also, she

ure, encountered a number of girls. But they were red-handed, big-boned, freckled-faced, rough-skinned, and there wasn't a Tam o' Shanter in the lot. Plainl