the three partners-第31节

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years　ago。　　That's　what　you　ARE；　gentlemen；　that's　what　you'll

continue　TO　BE　until　the　job's　finished；　and；〃　he　added；　with　a

sudden　dominance　that　they　all　felt；　〃the　man　who　forgets　it　will

have　to　reckon　with　me。　　Now；〃　he　continued；　resuming　his　former

ironical　manner；　〃now；　what　are　the　cold　facts　of　the　case？　　The

Marshalls　worked　this　claim　ever　since　'49；　and　never　got　anything

out　of　it；　then　they　dropped　off　or　died　out；　leaving　only　one

brother；　Tom　Marshall；　to　work　what　was　left　of　it。　　Well；　a　few

days　ago　HE　found　indications　of　a　big　lead　in　the　rock；　and

instead　of　rushin'　out　and　yellin'　like　an　honest　man；　and　callin'

in　the　boys　to　drink；　he　sneaks　off　to　'Frisco；　and　goes　to　the

bank　to　get　'em　to　take　a　hand　in　it。　　Well；　you　know；　when　Jim

Stacy　takes　a　hand　in　anything；　IT'S　BOTH　HANDS；　and　the　bank

wouldn't　see　it　until　he　promised　to　guarantee　possession　of　the

whole　abandoned　claim；'dips；　spurs；　and　angles；'and　let　them

work　the　whole　thing；　which　the　dd　fool　DID；　and　the　bank

agreed　to　send　an　expert　down　there　to…morrow　to　report。　　But　while

he　was　away　some　one　on　our　side；　who　was　an　expert　also；　got　wind

of　it；　and　made　an　examination　all　by　himself；　and　found　it　was　a

vein　sure　enough　and　a　big　thing；　and　some　one　else　on　our　side

found　out；　too；　all　that　Marshall　had　promised　the　bank　and　what

the　bank　had　promised　him。　　Now；　gentlemen；　when　the　bank　sends

down　that　expert　to…morrow　I　expect　that　he　will　find　YOU　IN

POSSESSION　of　every　part　of　the　deserted　claim　except　the　spot

where　Tom　is　still　working。〃



〃And　what　good　is　that　to　us？〃　asked　one　of　the　men　contemptuously。



〃Good？〃　repeated　Steptoe　harshly。　　〃Well；　if　you're　not　as　dd　a

fool　as　Marshall；　you'll　see　that　if　he　has　struck　a　lead　or　vein

it's　bound　to　run　across　OUR　CLAIMS；　and　what's　to　keep　us　from

sinking　for　it　as　long　as　Marshall　hasn't　worked　the　other　claims

for　years　nor　pre…empted　them　for　this　lead？〃



〃What'll　keep　him　from　pre…empting　now？〃



〃Our　possession。〃



〃But　if　he　can　prove　that　the　brothers　left　their　claims　to　him　to

keep；　he'll　just　send　the　sheriff　and　his　posse　down　upon　us；〃

persisted　the　first　speaker。



〃It　will　take　him　three　months　to　do　that　by　law；　and　the　sheriff

and　his　posse　can't　do　it　before　as　long　as　we're　in　peaceable

possession　of　it。　　And　by　the　time　that　expert　and　Marshall　return

they'll　find　us　in　peaceful　possession；　unless　we're　such　blasted

fools　as　to　stay　talking　about　it　here！〃



〃But　what's　to　prevent　Marshall　from　getting　a　gang　of　his　own　to

drive　us　off？〃



〃Now　your　talkin'　and　not　yelpin'；〃　said　Steptoe；　with　slow

insolence。　　〃Dd　if　I　didn't　begin　to　think　you　kalkilated　I　was

goin'　to　employ　you　as　lawyers！　　Nothing　is　to　prevent　him　from

gettin'　up　HIS　gang；　and　we　hope　he'll　do　it；　for　you　see　it　puts

us　both　on　the　same　level　before　the　law；　for　we're　both　BREAKIN'

IT。　　And　we　kalkilate　that　we're　as　good　as　any　roughs　they　can

pick　up　at　Heavy　Tree。〃



〃I　reckon！〃　　〃Ye　can　count　us　in！〃　said　half　a　dozen　voices

eagerly。



〃But　what's　the　job　goin'　to　pay　us？〃　persisted　a　Sydney　man。　　〃An'

arter　we've　beat　off　this　other　gang；　are　we　going　to　scrub　along

on　grub　wages　until　we're　yanked　out　by　process…sarvers　three

months　later？　　If　that's　the　ticket　I'm　not　in　it。　　I　aren't　no

by　quartz　miner。〃



〃We　ain't　going　to　do　no　more　MINING　there　than　the　bank；〃　said

Steptoe　fiercely。　　〃And　the　bank　ain't　going　to　wait　no　three

months　for　the　end　of　the　lawsuit。　　They'll　float　the　stock　of　that

mine　for　a　couple　of　millions；　and　get　out　of　it　with　a　million

before　a　month。　　And　they'll　have　to　buy　us　off　to　do　that。　　What

they'll　pay　will　depend　upon　the　lead；　but　we　don't　move　off　those

claims　for　less　than　five　thousand　dollars；　which　will　be　two

hundred　and　fifty　dollars　to　each　man。　　But；〃　said　Steptoe　in　a

lower　but　perfectly　distinct　voice；　〃if　there　should　be　a　row；and

they　BEGIN　it；and　in　the　scuffle　Tom　Marshall；　their　only

witness；　should　happen　to　get　in　the　way　of　a　revolver　or　have　his

head　caved　in；　there　might　be　some　difficulty　in　their　holdin'　ANY

OF　THE　MINE　against　honest；　hardworking　miners　in　possession。　　You

hear　me？〃



There　was　a　breathless　silence　for　the　moment；　and　a　slight

movement　of　the　men　in　their　chairs；　but　never　in　fear　or　protest。

Every　one　had　heard　the　speaker　distinctly；　and　every　man

distinctly　understood　him。　　Some　of　them　were　criminals；　one　or　two

had　already　the　stain　of　blood　on　their　hands；　but　even　the　most

timid；　who　at　other　times　might　have　shrunk　from　suggested

assassination；　saw　in　the　speaker's　words　only　the　fair　removal　of

a　natural　enemy。



〃All　right；　boys。　　I'm　ready　to　wade　in　at　once。　　Why　ain't　we　on

the　road　now？　　We　might　have　been　but　for　foolin'　our　time　away　on

that　man　Van　Loo。〃



〃Van　Loo！〃　repeated　Hall　eagerly；〃Van　Loo！　　Was　he　here？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Steptoe　shortly；　administering　a　kick　under　the　table

to　Hall；　as　he　had　no　wish　to　revive　the　previous　irritability　of

his　comrades。　　〃He's　gone；　but；〃　turning　to　the　others；　〃you'd　have

had　to　wait　for　Mr。　Hall's　arrival；　anyhow。　　And　now　you've　got

your　order　you　can　start。　　Go　in　two　parties　by　different　roads；

and　meet　on　the　other　side　of　the　hotel　at　Hymettus。　　I'll　be　there

before　you。　　Pick　up　some　shovels　and　drills　as　you　go；　remember

you're　honest　miners；　but　don't　forget　your　shootin'…irons　for　all

that。　　Now　scatter。〃



It　was　well　that　they　did；　vacating　the　room　more　cheerfully　and

sympathetically　than　they　had　entered　it；　or　Hall's　manifest

disturbance　over　Van　Loo's　visit　would　have　been　noticed。　　When　the

last　man　had　disappeared　Hall　turned　quickly　to　Steptoe。　　〃Well；

what　did　he　say？　　Where　has　he　gone？〃



〃Don't　know；〃　said　Steptoe；　with　uneasy　curtness。　　〃He　was　running

away　with　a　womanwell；　Mrs。　Barker；　if　you　want　to　know；〃　he

added；　with　rising　anger；　〃the　wife　of　one　of　those　cursed

partners。　　Jack　Hamlin　was　here；　and　was　jockeying　to　stop　him；　and

interfered。　　But　what　the　devil　has　that　job　to　do　with　our　job？〃

He　was　losing　his　temper；　everything　seemed　to　turn　upon　this

infernal　Van　Loo！



〃He　wasn't　running　away　with　Mrs。　Barker；〃　gasped　Hall；〃it　was

with　her　MONEY！　and　the　fear　of　being　connected　with　the　Wheat

Trust　swindle　which　he　organized；　and　with　our　money　which　I　lent

him　for　the　same　purpose。　　And　he　knows　all　about　that　job；　for　I

wanted　to　get　him　to　go　into　it　with　us。　　Your　name　and　mine　ain't

any　too　sweet…smelling　for　the　bank；　and　we　ought　to　have　a

middleman　who　knows　business　to　arrange　with　them。　　The　bank

daren't　object　to　him；　for　they've　employed　him　in　even　shadier

transactions　than　this　when　THEY　didn't　wish　to　appear。　　I　knew　he

was　in　difficulties　along　with　Mrs。　Barker's　speculations；　but　I

never　thought　him　up　to　this。　　And；〃　he　added；　with　sudden

desperation；　〃YOU　trusted　him；　too。〃



In　an　instant　Steptoe　caught　the　frightened　man　by　the　shoulders

and　was　bearing　him　down　on　the　table。　　〃Are　you　a　traitor；　a　liar；

or　a　besotted　fool？〃　he　said　hoarsely。　　〃Speak。　　WHEN　and　WHERE　did

I　trust　him？〃



〃You　said　in　your　noteI　wastohelp　him；〃　gasped　Hall。



〃My　note；〃　repeated　Steptoe；　releasing　Hall　with　astonished　eyes。



〃Yes；〃　said　Hall；　tremblingly　searching　in　his　vest　pocket。　　〃I

brought　it　with　me。　　It　isn't　much　of　a　note；　but　there's　your

signature　plain　enough。〃



He　handed　Steptoe　a　torn　piece　of　paper　folded　in　a　three…cornered

shape。　　Steptoe　opened　it。　　He　instantly　recognized　the　paper　on

which　he　had　written　his　name　and　sent　up　to　his　wife　at　the

Boomville　Hotel。　　But；　added　to　it；　in　apparently　the　same　hand；　in

smaller　characters；　were　the　words；　〃Help　Van　Loo　all　you　can。〃



The　blood　rushed　into　his　face。　　But　he　quickly　collected　himself；

and　said　hurriedly；　〃All　right；　I　had　forgotten　it。　　Let　the　dd

sneak　go。　　We've　got　what's　a　thousand　times　better　in　this　claim

at　Marshall's；　and　it's　well　that　he　isn't　in　it　to　scoop　the

lion's　share。　　Only　we　must　not　waste　time　getting　there　now。　　You

go　there　first；　and　at　once；　and　set　those　rascals　to　work。　　I'll

follow　you　before　Marshall　comes　up。　　Get；　I'll　settle　up　here。〃



His　face　darkened　once　more　as　Hall　hurried　away；　leaving　him

alone。　　He　drew　out　the　piece　of　paper　from　his　pocket　and　stared

at　it　again。　　Yes；　it　was　the　one　he　had　sent　to　his　wife。　　How　did

Van　Loo　get　hold　of　it？　　Was　he　at　the　hotel　that　night？　　Had　he

picked　it　up　in　the　hall　or　passage　when　the　servant　dropped　it？

When　Hall　handed　him　the　paper　and　he　first　recognized　it　a

fiendish　thought；　followed　by　a　spasm　of　more　fiendish　rage；　had

sent　the　blood　to　his　face。　　But　his　crude　common　sense　quickly

dismissed　that　suggestion　of　his　wife's　complicity　with　Van　Loo。

But　had　she　seen　him　passing　through　the　hotel　that　night；　and　had

sought　to　draw　from　him　some　knowledge　of　his　early