The Claim Jumpers: A Romance | Page 6

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 young man's
understanding of his duties was very simple. Bennington imagined he
was expected to see certain assessment work done (whatever that was),
and was to find out what he could about the value of the property.
As a matter of sedulously concealed truth, he was really expected to do
nothing at all. The place had been made for him through Mr. de Laney's
influence, because he wanted to go West.
"Now, my boy," Bishop, the mining capitalist, had said, when
Bennington had visited him in his New York office, "do you know
anything about mining?"

"No, sir," Bennington replied.
"Well, that doesn't matter much. We don't expect to do anything in the
way of development. The case, briefly, is this: We've bought this
busted proposition of the people who were handling it, and have
assumed their debt. They didn't run it right. 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
financially at that end of the line. That means paying the local debts as
we send you the money, and looking after whatever expenditures may
become necessary. Then you'll have to attend to the assessment work.
Do you know what assessment work is?"
"No, sir."
"Well, in order to hold the various claims legally, the owners have to
do one hundred dollars' worth of work a year on each claim. If the work
isn't done, the claims can 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'll help you out in
all practical matters. He's a good enough practical miner, but he's
useless in bossing a job or handling money. Between you, you ought to
get along."
"I'll try, anyway."
"That's right. Then, another thing. You can put in your spare time
investigating what the thing is worth. I don't expect much from you in
that respect, 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 the lead runs, and how it holds out; get samples
and ship them to me; investigate everything you can, and don't be
afraid to write when you're stuck."
In other words, Bennington was to hold the ends of the reins while
some one else drove. But he did not know that. He felt his
responsibility.

As to the assessment work, Old Mizzou had already assured him there
was no immediate hurry; men were cheaper in the fall. As to
investigating, he started in on that at once. He and Davidson climbed
down shafts, and broke off ore, and worked the gold pan. It was fun.
In the morning Bennington decided to work from seven until ten on
Aliris. Then for three hours he and Old Mizzou prospected. In the
afternoon the young man took a vacation and hunted Wild Western
adventures.
It may as well be remarked here that Bennington knew all about the
West before he left home. Until this excursion he had never even
crossed the Alleghanies, but he thought he appreciated the conditions
thoroughly. 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 knew how the cowboys looked, because he had seen
Buffalo Bill's show; and he knew how they talked, because he had read
accurate authors of the school of Bret Harte. He could even imagine the
romantic mountain maidens.
With his preconceived notions the country, in most particulars, tallied
interestingly. At first Bennington frequented the little town down the
draw. It answered fairly well to the story-book descriptions, but proved
a bit lively for him. The first day they lent him a horse. The horse
looked sleepy. It took him twenty minutes to get on the animal and
twenty seconds to fall off. There was an audience. They made him
purchase strange 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,