the story of a mine-第7部分

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mines　and　flood　the　market　with　quicksilver　to　the　great　detriment

of　the　〃Blue　Mass　Company；〃　which　thoughtful　suggestion；　offered　by

a　man　frequently　alluded　to　as　one　of　〃California's　great　mining

princes；〃　and　as　one　who　had　〃done　much　to　develop　the　resources　of

the　State；〃　was　not　to　be　lightly　considered；　and　so；　after　a

cautious　non…consultation　with　the　Company；　and　a　commendable

secrecy；　the　stockholder　sold　out。　　Whereat　it　was　speedily　spread

abroad　that　the　great　Capitalist　had　taken　hold　of　〃Blue　Mass；〃　and

the　stock　went　up；　and　the　other　stockholders　rejoiceduntil　the

great　Capitalist　found　that　it　was　necessary　to　put　up　expensive

mills；　to　employ　a　high　salaried　Superintendent；　in　fact；　to

develop　the　mine　by　the　spending　of　its　earnings；　so　that　the　stock

quoted　at　112　was　finally　saddled　with　an　assessment　of　50　per

share。　　Another　assessment　of　50　to　enable　the　Superintendent　to

proceed　to　Russia　and　Spain　and　examine　into　the　workings　of　the

quicksilver　mines　there；　and　also　a　general　commission　to　the

gifted　and　scientific　Pillageman　to　examine　into　the　various

component　parts　of　quicksilver；　and　report　if　it　could　not　be

manufactured　from　ordinary　sand…stone　by　steam　or　electricity；

speedily　brought　the　other　stockholders　to　their　senses。　　It　was　at

this　time　the　good　fellow　〃Tom；〃　the　serious…minded　〃Dick；〃　and　the

speculative　but　fortunate　〃Harry；〃　brokers　of　the　Great　Capitalist；

found　it　convenient　to　buy　up；　for　the　Great　Capitalist　aforesaid；

the　various　other　shares　at　great　sacrifice。



I　fear　that　I　have　bored　my　readers　in　thus　giving　the　tiresome

details　of　that　ingenuous　American　pastime　which　my　countrymen

dismiss　in　their　epigrammatic　way　as　the　〃freezing…out　process。〃

And　lest　any　reader　should　question　the　ethics　of　the　proceeding；　I

beg　him　to　remember　that　one　gentleman　accomplished　in　this　art　was

always　a　sincere　and　direct　opponent　of　the　late　Mr。　John　Oakhurst；

gambler。



But　for　once　the　Great　Master　of　Avarice　had　not　taken　into

sufficient　account　the　avarice　of　others；　and　was　suddenly　and

virtuously　shocked　to　learn　that　an　application　for　a　patent　for

certain　lands；　known　as　the　〃Red…Rock　Rancho；〃　was　about　to　be

offered　before　the　United　States　Land　Commission。　　This　claim

covered　his　mining　property。　　But　the　information　came　quietly　and

secretly；　as　all　of　the　Great　Master's　information　was　obtained；

and　he　took　the　opportunity　to　sell　out　his　clouded　title　and　his

proprietorship　to　the　only　remaining　member　of　the　original　〃Blue

Mass　Company；〃　a　young　fellow　of　pith；　before　many…tongued　rumor

had　voiced　the　news　far　and　wide。　　The　blow　was　a　heavy　one　to　the

party　left　in　possession。　　Saddled　by　the　enormous　debts　and

expenses　of　the　Great　Capitalist；　with　a　credit　now　further　injured

by　the　defection　of　this　lucky　magnate；　who　was　admired　for　his

skill　in　anticipating　a　loss；　and　whose　relinquishment　of　any

project　meant　ruin　to　it；　the　single…handed；　impoverished　possessor

of　the　mine；　whose　title　was　contested；　and　whose　reputation　was

yet　to　be　made；poor　Biggs；　first　secretary　and　only　remaining

officer　of　the　〃Blue　Mass　Company；〃　looked　ruefully　over　his　books

and　his　last　transfer；　and　sighed。　　But　I　have　before　intimated

that　he　was　built　of　good　stuff；　and　that　he　believed　in　his　work；

which　was　well；and　in　himself；　which　was　better；　and　so；　having

faith　even　as　a　grain　of　mustard　seed；　I　doubt　not　he　would　have

been　able　to　remove　that　mountain　of　quicksilver　beyond　the

overlapping　of　fraudulent　grants。　　And；　again；　Providencehaving

disposed　of　these　several　scampsraised　up　to　him　a　friend。　　But

that　friend　is　of　sufficient　importance　to　this　veracious　history

to　deserve　a　paragraph　to　himself。



The　Pylades　of　this　Orestes　was　known　of　ordinary　mortals　as　Royal

Thatcher。　　His　genealogy；　birth；　and　education　are；　I　take　it；　of

little　account　to　this　chronicle；　which　is　only　concerned　with　his

friendship　for　Biggs　and　the　result　thereof。　　He　had　known　Biggs　a

year　or　two　previously；　they　had　shared　each　other's　purses；　bunks；

cabins；　provisions；　and　often　friends；　with　that　perfect　freedom

from　obligation　which　belonged　to　the　pioneer　life。　　The　varying

tide　of　fortune　had　just　then　stranded　Thatcher　on　a　desert　sand

hill　in　San　Francisco；　with　an　uninsured　cargo　of　Expectations；

while　to　Thatcher's　active　but　not　curious　fancy　it　had　apparently

lifted　his　friend's　bark　over　the　bar　in　the　Monterey　mountains

into　an　open　quicksilver　sea。　　So　that　he　was　considerably

surprised　on　receiving　a　note　from　Biggs　to　this　purport：





〃DEAR　ROYRun　down　here　and　help　a　fellow。　　I've　too　much　of　a

load　for　one。　　Maybe　we　can　make　a　team　and　pull　'Blue　Mass'　out

yet。　　BIGGSEY。〃





Thatcher；　sitting　in　his　scantily　furnished　lodgings；　doubtful　of

his　next　meal　and　in　arrears　for　rent；　heard　this　Macedonian　cry　as

St。　Paul　did。　　He　wrote　a　promissory　and　soothing　note　to　his

landlady；　but　fearing　the　〃sweet　sorrow〃　of　personal　parting；　let

his　collapsed　valise　down　from　his　window　by　a　cord；　and；　by　means

of　an　economical　combination　of　stage　riding　and　pedestrianism；　he

presented　himself；　at　the　close　of　the　third　day；　at　Biggs's　door。

In　a　few　moments　he　was　in　possession　of　the　story；　half　an　hour

later　in　possession　of　half　the　mine；　its　infelix　past　and　its

doubtful　future；　equally　with　his　friend。



Business　over；　Biggs　turned　to　look　at　his　partner。　　〃You've　aged

some　since　I　saw　you　last；〃　he　said。　　〃Starvation　luck；　I　s'pose。

I'd　know　your　eyes；　old　fellow；　if　I　saw　them　among　ten　thousand；

but　your　lips　are　parched；　and　your　mouth's　grimmer　than　it　used　to

be。〃　　Thatcher　smiled　to　show　that　he　could　still　do　so；　but　did

not　say；　as　he　might　have　said；　that　self…control；　suppressed

resentment；　disappointment；　and　occasional　hunger　had　done

something　in　the　way　of　correcting　Nature's　obvious　mistakes；　and

shutting　up　a　kindly　mouth。　　He　only　took　off　his　threadbare　coat；

rolled　up　his　sleeves；　and　saying；　〃We've　got　lots　of　work　and　some

fighting　before　us；〃　pitched　into　the　〃affairs〃　of　the　〃Blue　Mass

Company〃　on　the　instant。





CHAPTER　VIII



OF　COUNSEL　FOR　IT





Meanwhile　Roscommon　had　waited。　　Then；　in　Garcia's　name；　and　backed

by　him；　he　laid　his　case　before　the　Land　Commissioner；　filing　the

application　（with　forged　indorsements）　to　Governor　Micheltorena；

and　alleging　that　the　original　grant　was　destroyed　by　fire。　　And

why？



It　seemed　there　was　a　limit　to　Miss　Carmen's　imitative　talent。

Admirable　as　it　was；　it　did　not　reach　to　the　reproduction　of　that

official　seal；　which　would　have　been　a　necessary　appendage　to　the

Governor's　grant。　　But　there　were　letters　written　on　stamped　paper

by　Governor　Micheltorena　to　himself；　Garcia；　and　to　Miguel；　and　to

Manuel's　father；　all　of　which　were　duly　signed　by　the　sign　manual

and　rubric　of　Mrs。…Governor…Micheltorena…Carmen…de…Haro。　　And　then

there　was　〃parol〃　evidence；　and　plenty　of　it；　witnesses　who

remembered　everything　about　it；namely；　Manuel；　Miguel；　and　the

all…recollecting　De　Haro；　here　were　details；　poetical　and

suggestive；　and　Dame…Quicklyish；　as　when　his　late　Excellency；

sitting　not　〃by　a　sea…coal　fire；〃　but　with　aguardiente　and

cigarros；　had　sworn　to　him；　the　ex…ecclesiastic　Miguel；　that　he

should　grant；　and　had　granted；　Garcia's　request。　　There　were　clouds

of　witnesses；　conversations；　letters；　and　records；　glib　and　pat　to

the　occasion。　　In　brief；　there　was　nothing　wanted　but　the　seal　of

his　Excellency。　　The　only　copy　of　that　was　in　the　possession　of　a

rival　school　of　renaissant　art　and　the　restoration　of　antiques；

then　doing　business　before　the　Land　Commission。



And　yet　the　claim　was　rejected！　　Having　lately　recommended　two

separate　claimants　to　a　patent　for　the　same　land；　the　Land

Commission　became　cautious　and　conservative。



Roscommon　was　at　first　astounded；　then　indignant；　and　then

warlike；he　was　for　an　〃appale　to　onst！〃



With　the　reader's　previous　knowledge　of　Roscommon's　disposition

this　may　seem　somewhat　inconsistent；　but　there　are　certain　natures

to　whom　litigation　has　all　the　excitement　of　gambling；　and　it

should　be　borne　in　mind　that　this　was　his　first　lawsuit。　　So　that

his　lawyer；　Mr。　Saponaceous　Wood；　found　him　in　that　belligerent

mood　to　which　counsel　are　obliged　to　hypocritically　bring　all　the

sophistries　of　their　profession。



〃Of　course　you　have　your　right　to　an　appeal；　but　calm　yourself；　my

dear　sir；　and　consider。　　The　case　was　presented　strongly；　the

evidence　overwhelming　on　our　side；　but　we　happened　to　be　fighting

previous　decisions　of　the　Land　Commission　that　had　brought　them

into　trouble；　so　that　if　Micheltorena　had　himself　appeared　in　Court

and　testified　to　his　giving　you　the　grant；　it　would　have　made　no

difference；no　Spanish　grant　had　a　show　then；　nor　will　it　have　for

the　next　six　months。　　You　see；　my　dear　sir；　the　Government　sent　out

one　of　its　big　Washington　lawyers　to　look　into　this　business；　and

he　reported　frauds；　sir；　frauds；　in　a　majority　of　the　Spanish

claims。　　And　why；　sir？　why？　　He　was　bought；　sir；　boughtbody　and

soulby　the　Ring！〃



〃And　fwhot's　the　Ring？〃　asked　his　client　sharply。



〃The　Ring　isahem！　a　combination　of　unprincipled　but　wealthy

persons　to　defeat　the　ends　of　justice。〃



〃And　sure；　fwhot's　the　Ring　to　do　wid　me　grant　as　that　thaving

Mexican　gave　me　as　the　collatherals　for　the　bourd　he　was　owin'　me？

Eh；　mind　that　now！〃



〃The　Ring；　my　dear　sir；　is　the　other　side。　　It　isahem！　always　the

Other　Side。〃



〃And　why　the　divel　haven't　we　a　Ring　too？　　And　ain't　I　payin'　ye

five　hundred　dollars；and　the　divel　of　Ring　ye　have；　at　all；　at

all？　　Fwhot　am　I　payin'　ye　fur；　eh？〃



〃That　a　judicious　expenditure　of　money；〃　began　Mr。　Wood；　〃outside

of　actual　disbursements；　may　not　be　of　infinite　service　to　you　I　am

not　prepared　to　deny；but〃



〃Look　ye；　Mr。　Sappy　Wood；　it's　the