the three partners-第3章

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grew　purple；　but　he　could　not　lift　it。



〃Thar　useter　be　a　little　game　in　the　'Frisco　Mint；〃　said　Dick；

restored　to　fluency　by　his　liquor；　〃when　thar　war　ladies　visiting

it；　and　that　was　to　offer　to　give　'em　any　of　those　little　boxes　of

gold　coin；　that　contained　five　thousand　dollars；　ef　they　would

kindly　lift　it　from　the　counter　and　take　it　away！　　It　wasn't　no

bigger　than　one　of　these　chunks；　but　Jiminy！　you　oughter　have　seed

them　gals　grip　and　heave　on　it；　and　then　hev　to　give　it　up！　　You

see　they　didn't　know　anything　about　the　paci（hic）　the　speshif〃

He　stopped　with　great　dignity；　and　added　with　painful　precision；

〃the　specific　gravity　of　gold。〃



〃Dry　up！〃　said　Steptoe　roughly。　　Then　turning　to　Stacy　he　said

abruptly；　〃But　where's　the　rest　of　it？　　You've　got　more　than　that。〃



〃We　sent　it　to　Boomville　this　morning。　　You　see　we've　sold　out　our

claim　to　a　company　who　take　it　up　to…morrow；　and　put　up　a　mill　and

stamps。　　In　fact；　it's　under　their　charge　now。　　They've　got　a　gang

of　men　on　the　claim　already。〃



〃And　what　mout　ye　hev　got　for　it；　if　it's　a　fair　question？〃　said

Steptoe；　with　a　forced　smile。



Stacy　smiled　also。　　〃I　don't　know　that　it's　a　business　question；〃

he　said。



〃Five　hundred　thousand　dollars；〃　said　Demorest　abruptly　from　the

doorway；　〃and　a　treble　interest。〃



The　eyes　of　the　two　men　met。　　There　was　no　mistaking　the　dull　fire

of　envy　in　Steptoe's　glance；　but　Demorest　received　it　with　a

certain　cold　curiosity；　and　turned　away　as　the　sound　of　arriving

voices　came　from　without。



〃Five　hundred　thousand's　a　big　figger；〃　said　Steptoe；　with　a　coarse

laugh；　〃and　I　don't　wonder　it　makes　you　feel　so　dd　sassy。　　But

it　WAS　a　fair　question。〃



Unfortunately　it　here　occurred　to　the　whiskey…stimulated　brain　of

Dick　that　the　friend　he　had　introduced　was　being　treated　with　scant

courtesy；　and　he　forgot　his　own　treatment　by　Steptoe。　　Leaning

against　the　wall　he　waved　a　dignified　rebuke。　　〃I'm　sashified　my

ole　frien'　is　akshuated　by　only　businesh　principles。〃　　He　paused；

recollected　himself；　and　added　with　great　precision：　〃When　I　say　he

himself　has　a　valuable　claim　in　Red　Gulch；　and　to　my　shertain

knowledge　has　received　offersI　have　said　enough。〃



The　laugh　that　broke　from　Stacy　and　Barker；　to　whom　the　infelicitous

reputation　of　Red　Gulch　was　notorious；　did　not　allay　Steptoe's

irritation。　　He　darted　a　vindictive　glance　at　the　unfortunate　Dick；

but　joined　in　the　laugh。　　〃And　what　was　ye　goin'　to　do　with　that？〃

he　said；　pointing　to　the　treasure。



〃Oh；　we're　taking　that　with　us。　　There's　a　chunk　for　each　of　us　as

a　memento。　　We　cast　lots　for　the　choice；　and　Demorest　won；that

one　which　you　couldn't　lift　with　one　hand；　you　know；〃　said　Stacy。



〃Oh；　couldn't　I？　　I　reckon　you　ain't　goin'　to　give　me　the　same

chance　that　they　did　at　the　Mint；　eh？〃



Although　the　remark　was　accompanied　with　his　usual　coarse；　familiar

laugh；　there　was　a　look　in　his　eye　so　inconsequent　in　its

significance　that　Stacy　would　have　made　some　reply；　but　at　this

moment　Demorest　re…entered　the　cabin；　ushering　in　a　half　dozen

miners　from　the　Bar　below。　　They　were；　although　youngish　men；　some

of　the　older　locators　in　the　vicinity；　yet；　through　years　of

seclusion　and　uneventful　labors；　they　had　acquired　a　certain

childish　simplicity　of　thought　and　manner　that　was　alternately

amusing　and　pathetic。　　They　had　never　intruded　upon　the　reserve　of

the　three　partners　of　Heavy　Tree　Hill　before；　nothing　but　an

infantine　curiosity；　a　shy　recognition　of　the　partners'　courtesy　in

inviting　them　with　the　whole　population　of　Heavy　Tree　to　the　dinner

the　next　day；　and　the　never…to…be…resisted　temptation　of　an　evening

of　〃free　liquor〃　and　forgetfulness　of　the　past　had　brought　them

there　now。　　Among　them；　and　yet　not　of　them；　was　a　young　man　who；

although　speaking　English　without　accent；　was　distinctly　of　a

different　nationality　and　race。　　This；　with　a　certain　neatness　of

dress　and　artificial　suavity　of　address；　had　gained　him　the

nickname　of　〃the　Count〃　and　〃Frenchy；〃　although　he　was　really　of

Flemish　extraction。　　He　was　the　Union　Ditch　Company's　agent　on　the

Bar；　by　virtue　of　his　knowledge　of　languages。



Barker　uttered　an　exclamation　of　pleasure　when　he　saw　him。　　Himself

the　incarnation　of　naturalness；　he　had　always　secretly　admired　this

young　foreigner；　with　his　lacquered　smoothness；　although　a　vague

consciousness　that　neither　Stacy　nor　Demorest　shared　his　feelings

had　restricted　their　acquaintance。　　Nevertheless；　he　was　proud　now

to　see　the　bow　with　which　Paul　Van　Loo　entered　the　cabin　as　if　it

were　a　drawing…room；　and　perhaps　did　not　reflect　upon　that　want　of

real　feeling　in　an　act　which　made　the　others　uncomfortable。



The　slight　awkwardness　their　entrance　produced；　however；　was

quickly　forgotten　when　the　blanket　was　again　lifted　from　the　pan　of

treasure。　　Singularly　enough；　too；　the　same　feverish　light　came

into　the　eyes　of　each　as　they　all　gathered　around　this　yellow

shrine。　　Even　the　polite　Paul　rudely　elbowed　his　way　between　the

others；　though　his　artificial　〃Pardon〃　seemed　to　Barker　to　condone

this　act　of　brutal　instinct。　　But　it　was　more　instructive　to

observe　the　manner　in　which　the　older　locators　received　this

confirmation　of　the　fickle　Fortune　that　had　overlooked　their　weary

labors　and　years　of　waiting　to　lavish　her　favors　on　the　new　and

inexperienced　amateurs。　　Yet　as　they　turned　their　dazzled　eyes　upon

the　three　partners　there　was　no　envy　or　malice　in　their　depths；　no

reproach　on　their　lips；　no　insincerity　in　their　wondering

satisfaction。　　Rather　there　was　a　touching；　almost　childlike

resumption　of　hope　as　they　gazed　at　this　conclusive　evidence　of

Nature's　bounty。　　The　gold　had　been　thereTHEY　had　only　missed　it！

And　if　there；　more　could　be　found！　　Was　it　not　a　proof　of　the

richness　of　Heavy　Tree　Hill？　　So　strongly　was　this　reflected　on

their　faces　that　a　casual　observer；　contrasting　them　with　the

thoughtful　countenances　of　the　real　owners；　would　have　thought　them

the　lucky　ones。　　It　touched　Barker's　quick　sympathies；　it　puzzled

Stacy；　it　made　Demorest　more　serious；　it　aroused　Steptoe's　active

contempt。　　Whiskey　Dick　alone　remained　stolid　and　impassive　in　a

desperate　attempt　to　pull　himself　once　more　together。　　Eventually

he　succeeded；　even　to　the　ambitious　achievement　of　mounting　a　chair

and　lifting　his　tin　cup　with　a　dangerously　unsteady　hand；　which　did

not；　however；　affect　his　precision　of　utterance；　and　said：



〃Order；　gentlemen！　　We'll　drink　success　toto〃



〃The　next　strike！〃　said　Barker；　leaping　impetuously　on　another

chair　and　beaming　upon　the　old　locators〃and　may　it　come　to　those

who　have　so　long　deserved　it！〃



His　sincere　and　generous　enthusiasm　seemed　to　break　the　spell　of

silence　that　had　fallen　upon　them。　　Other　toasts　quickly　followed。

In　the　general　good　feeling　Barker　attached　himself　to　Van　Loo　with

his　usual　boyish　effusion；　and　in　a　burst　of　confidence　imparted

the　secret　of　his　engagement　to　Kitty　Carter。　　Van　Loo　listened

with　polite　attention；　formal　congratulations；　but　inscrutable

eyes；　that　occasionally　wandered　to　Stacy　and　again　to　the

treasure。　　A　slight　chill　of　disappointment　came　over　Barker's

quick　sensitiveness。　　Perhaps　his　enthusiasm　had　bored　this

superior　man　of　the　world。　　Perhaps　his　confidences　were　in　bad

taste！　　With　a　new　sense　of　his　inexperience　he　turned　sadly　away。

Van　Loo　took　that　opportunity　to　approach　Stacy。



〃What's　all　this　I　hear　of　Barker　being　engaged　to　Miss　Carter？〃　he

said；　with　a　faintly　superior　smile。　　〃Is　it　really　true？〃



〃Yes。　　Why　shouldn't　it　be？〃　returned　Stacy　bluntly。



Van　Loo　was　instantly　deprecating　and　smiling。　　〃Why　not；　of

course？　　But　isn't　it　sudden？〃



〃They　have　known　each　other　ever　since　he's　been　on　Heavy　Tree

Hill；〃　responded　Stacy。



〃Ah；　yes！　　True；〃　said　Van　Loo。　　〃But　now〃



〃Wellhe's　got　money　enough　to　marry；　and　he's　going　to　marry。〃



〃Rather　young