Stewart Edward White

“ The Gaynes boys, two years before, had been in debt for their groceries. Now they were said to have shipped out something like three or four hundred thousand dollars' worth of gold. Their friends used to wander down for the regular clean-up, just to rejoice over the youngsters' deserved good luck. The little five-stamp-mill crunched away steadily; the water flowed; and in the riffles the heavy gold dust accumulated.
"Why don't you-all put up a big mill, throw in a crew of men, and get busy?" ”

“ California John summed up their investigations. "There's the man's tracks leadin' his hoss. The hoss had on new shoes, and the robber did his own shoeing. So we ain't got any blacksmiths to help us."
"How do you know he shod the horse himself?" asked Jimmy Gaynes.
"Shoes just alike on front and back feet. Shows he must just have tacked on ready-made shoes. A blacksmith shapes 'em different. Those tracks leads right up to this rock: and here they quit. If you can figger how a horse, a man, and nigh four hundredweight of gold dust got off this rock, I'll be obleeged." ”

“ Between the hold-up and the sheet of rock was one set of tracks going one way: elsewhere, nothing.
II NEARLY a year passed. If it had not been for the very tangible loss of a hundred and fifty thousand dollars, the little community at Bright's Cove might almost have come to doubt the evidence of their senses and the accuracy of their memories, so fantastic on sober reflection did all the circumstances become. Even the indisputable four hundred pounds of gold could not quite avert an unconfessed suspicion of the uncanny. Miners are superstitious folk. ”

“ Two months after this conventionalist, the Babes drifted into camp to announce that the expected pinch had come. "We're going," said Jimmy. "We have a heap plenty dust salted away; and there's not a color left in the Lost Dog. The mill machinery is for sale cheap. Any one can have the Lost Dog who wants it. We're going out to see what makes the wheels go 'round. You boys have a first claim on us wherever you find us. ”

“ Here's yore old express crawlin' up the road. Here I am behind this little old rock. You know what happened next, I reckon—from experience.'
" 'I reckon I know that,' says I; 'but how did you get behind that rock without leavin' no tracks?'
"'I climbed up the cliff out of the cañon, and I just walked up the cañon from the Lost Dog through the brush.'
" 'Yes.' says I, 'that might be: a man could make out to shinny up. But how—'
" 'One thing to a time. Then I ordered them dust sacks throwed out, and the driver to 'bout-face and retreat.'
" 'Sure,' says I, 'simple as a wart on a kid's nose. ”

“ Nor did any other man. It remained a mystery, a single bizarre anomaly in the life of the camp. For some time thereafter the express went heavily guarded. The road was patrolled. Jimmy or George Gaynes in person accompanied each shipment of dust. Their pay streak held out, increased steadily in value. They would hire no assistance for the actual mining in the shaft, although they had several hands to work at the mill. One month they cleaned up twelve thousand dollars.
"You bet I'm going," said Jimmy; "I don't care if it is only a little compared to what Bright and you fellows are sending. ”

“ Not from camp. They's no tracks whatsomever on the road below, except our'n and the stage outfit's."
"Are you sure of that?" asked Jimmy, his eyes shining with interest.
"Sartin sure," replied California John positively. "We didn't take no chances on that."
"Then he must have come into the road from up the mountain or down the mountain."
"Where?" demanded California John. "A man afoot might scramble down in one or two places; but not a hoss. They ain't no tracks either side of the muss-up where the express was stopped. ”

“ Several even glanced in apprehension at the sky.
In a perfunctory manner, for the sake of doing something, those skilled in trail-reading went back over the ground. Nothing was added to the first experience. ”