CHAPTER XXVI.
CLAUS HEARS SOMETHING.
Never had a winter appeared so long and so utterly cheerless as thisone did to Solomon Claus. The first thing he did, after he made theacquaintance of Jake and his partner, was to change his place ofabode. Jake was as ready to ask for cigars as Claus had been, and thelatter found that in order to make his money hold out he mustinstitute a different state of affairs. He found lodgings at anothersecond-rate hotel in a distant part of the city, but he foundopportunity to run down now and then to call upon Bob and Jake,--thosewere the only two names he knew them by,--to see how they were comingalong, and gradually lead the way up to talking about the plans he hadin view. It all came about by accident. One day, when discussing thehaunted mine, Claus remarked that he knew the two boys who wereworking it, and hoped they would have a good deal of dust on hand bythe time he got here.
"Then they will freeze to death!" declared Bob. "What made you letthem go there, if you knew the mine was haunted?"
"Oh, they are not working it now," said Claus. "They are in St. Louis,and are coming out as soon as spring opens. They are plucky fellows,and will find out all about those ghosts before they come back."
"Yes, if the ghosts don't run them away," answered Bob. "I understoodyou to say they are boys. Well, now, if they get the better of theghosts, which is something I won't believe until I see it, and weshould get there about a month or two after they do, and find thatthey have dug up dust to the amount of ten or fifteen thousanddollars--eh?"
"But maybe the gentleman is set on those two boys, and it would notpay to rob them," remarked Jake.
"No, I am not set on them," avowed Claus, smiling inwardly when he sawhow readily the miners fell in with his plans. "I tried my level bestto get those boys to stay at home, for I don't want them to dig theirwealth out of the ground, but they hooted at me; and when I saw theywere bound to come, I thought I would get up here before them and seewhat sort of things they had to contend with."
"What sort of relationship do you bear to the two boys?" asked Bob.
"I am their uncle, and I gave them a block of buildings here in Denverworth a hundred thousand dollars and this haunted mine; but, mind you,I did not know it was haunted until after I had given it to them. But,boy like, they determined to come up, brave the ghosts, and takeanother fifty thousand out of it."
Bob and Jake looked at each other, and something told them not tobelieve all that Claus had said to them. If he was worth so much moneythat he was willing to give his nephews a hundred thousand dollars ofit, he did not live in the way his means would allow.
"And another thing," resumed Claus. "I would not mind their losing tenthousand dollars, provided I got my share of it, for then they wouldlearn that a miner's life is as full of dangers as any other. Butremember--if you get ten thousand, I want three thousand of it."
This was all that Claus thought it necessary to say on the subject ofrobbing the boys, and after finishing his cigar he got up and wentout. Jake watched him until he was hidden in the crowd on the street,and then settled back in his chair and looked at Bob.
"There is something wrong with that fellow," he remarked. "His storiesdon't hitch; he has some other reason for wishing to rob those boys.Now, what is it?"
"You tell," retorted Bob. "He has something on his mind, but he has nomore interest in that pit than you or I have. He never owned it, inthe first place."
"Then we will find out about it when we show him the way to the Flat,"said Jake.
"Oh, there will be somebody there working the mine--I don't disputethat. But he is no uncle to them two boys. But say--I have justthought of something. We are not going up there for three dollars aday; and if we don't make something out of the boys, what's the reasonwe can't go to headquarters?"
Jake understood all his companion would have said, for he winked andnodded his head in a way that had a volume of meaning in it. The twomoved their chairs closer together, and for half an hour engaged inearnest conversation. There was only one thing that troubledthem--they did not like the idea of staying at Dutch Flat, among theminers, until they heard how the boys were getting on with their mine.
"You know they did not like us any too well last summer," said Bob,twisting about in his chair. "If we had not come away just when wedid, it is my belief they would have ordered us out."
"Yes; and it was all on your account, too. You were too anxious toknow how much the other fellows had dug out of their mines. You mustkeep still and say nothing."
Claus went away from the hotel feeling very much relieved. Bob andJake had come over to his plans, and they had raised no objection tothem. The next thing was to bring them down to a share in the spoils.He was not going to come out there all the way from St. Louis andpropose that thing to them, and then put up with what they chose togive him.
"I must have a third of the money they make, and that is all there isabout it," said he to himself. "They would not have known a thingabout it if it had not been for me. Who is that? I declare, it isJulian and Jack!"
The boys were coming directly toward him, and this was the first timehe had seen them since his arrival in Denver, although he had kept aclose watch of everybody he had met on the street. He stepped into adoor, and appeared to be looking for some one inside; and when theboys passed him, he turned around to look at them. The latter were ina hurry, for it was a frosty morning, and they felt the need of someexercise to quicken their blood; besides, they were on their way toschool, in the hope of learning something that would fit them forsome useful station in life. They were dressed in brand-new overcoats,had furs around their necks and fur gloves on their hands, and Julianwas bent partly over, laughing at some remark Jack had made. Hewatched them until they were out of sight, and then came out and wenton his way.
"I tell you we are 'some,' now that we have our pockets full ofmoney," soliloquized Claus, who grew angry when he drew a contrastbetween his and their station in life. "Most anybody would feel big ifhe was in their place. But I must look out--I don't want them to seeme here."
Fortunately Claus was not again called upon to dodge the boys in hisrambles about the city. He kept himself in a part of the city remotefrom that which the boys frequented. The winter passed on, and springopened, and he did not again see them; but he heard of them throughBob and Jake, who made frequent visits to the hotel where Mr. Bantawas located.
"I guess we saw your boys to-day," said Bob, who then went on togive a description of them. "They have it all cut and dried withBanta, and he is going to show them the way to their mine. No, theydid not mention your name once. They are going to buy a pack-horse,and load him up with tools and provisions, and are going out as big aslife."
"That is all right," said Claus. "Now, remember--I am to have a thirdof the dust you get."
"Of course; that is understood," answered Jake, who now seemed asanxious to go to Dutch Flat as he had before been to keep away fromit. "It would not be fair for us to take it all. Where are you goingafter you get the money?"
"I haven't got it yet," remarked Claus, with a smile. "Those ghostsmay be too strong for the boys, and perhaps they will come awaywithout anything."
"Then we will pitch in and work the mine, ourselves," said Bob. "Theysay that gold is so thick up there that you can pick it up with yourhands. We won't come away and leave such a vein behind us."
"What about the ghosts?" queried Claus, who could not deny he wasafraid of them. "They may be too strong for you, also."
"If they can get away with cold steel we'll give in to them," saidJake. "But I'll risk that. Where are you going when you get the money?Of course you can't go back to St. Louis."
"No; I think I shall go on to California. I have always wanted to seethat State."
"Well, we will go East. Three thousand dollars, if they succeed indigging out ten thousand, added to what we shall make--humph!" saidBob; and then he stopped before he had gone any further.
It was a wonder that Claus did not suspect something, but his mind
wastoo fully occupied with other matters. Where was he going when he gotthe money? That was something that had not occurred to Claus before,and he found out that he had something yet to worry him.
"You fellows seem to think you will get rich by robbing those boys,"remarked Claus, knowing that he must say something.
"No, we don't," answered Jake; "but that will be enough to keep usuntil we can turn our hands to some other kind of work. Now about ourpack-horse, tools and provisions. You have money enough to pay forthem, I suppose?"
"Oh, yes--that is, I have a little," Claus replied, cautiously, for hewas afraid the miners might want more of it than he felt able tospend. "But I tell you I shall be hard up after I get those things."
"You have other money besides what you gave the boys," said Bob. "Youcan write to St. Louis for more."
"But I don't want to do that. I have with me just what I can spare,for my other funds are all invested."
"Oh, you can get more for the sake of what is coming to you," saidJake, carelessly. "Now, we want to start for Dutch Flat in about aweek. That will give the boys time to fight the ghosts and get to workin their pit. Suppose we go and see about our pack-horse and tools."
Claus would have been glad to have put this thing off for a day ortwo, but he could not see any way to get out of it. He went with theminers, who knew just where they wanted to go, and the horse he boughtwas a perfect rack of bones that did not seem strong enough to carryhimself up to Dutch Flat, let alone a hundredweight of tools andprovisions with him. The tools he bought were to be left in the storeuntil they were called for, and the miners drew a long breath ofrelief, for that much was done. If Claus at any time got sick of hisbargain, and wanted to haul out, he could go and welcome; but theywould hold fast to his tools and provisions, and use them inprospecting somewhere else.
The morning set apart for their departure came at last, and Claus andhis companions put off at the first peep of day. They made the journeyof two hundred miles without any mishap, and finally rode into thecamp of Dutch Flat just as the miners were getting ready to have theirdinner. They all looked up when they heard the newcomers, and someuttered profane ejaculations under their breath, while others greetedthem in a way that Claus did not like, for it showed him how hispartners stood there with the miners.
"Well, if there ain't Bob I'm a Dutchman!" exclaimed one,straightening up and shading his eyes with his hand. "You are on hand,like a bad five-dollar bill--ain't you? I was in hopes you were wellon your way to the States by this time."
"No, sir; I am here yet," answered Bob. "You don't mind if I go andwork my old claim, do you? I don't reckon that anybody has it."
"Mighty clear of anybody taking your claim," said another. "You can gothere and work it, for all of us; but we don't want you snoopingaround us like you did last summer."
"What is the matter with those fellows?" asked Claus, when they wereout of hearing. "What did you men do here last summer?"
"Just nothing at all," replied Jake. "We wanted to know how much goldeverybody was digging, and that made them jealous of us."
"But if you can't mingle with them as you did then, how are you goingto find out about the haunted mine?"
"Oh, we'll mix with them just as we did last year, only we sha'n'thave so much to say to them," said Jake. "Here is our claim, and itdon't look as though anybody had been nigh it."
Claus was both surprised and downhearted. If he had known that theminers were going to extend such a reception as that to him he wouldhave been the last one to go among them. There he was, almost alone,with two hundred brawny fellows around him, each one with a revolverstrapped to his waist, and their looks and actions indicated that ifnecessity required it they would not be at all reluctant to use them.He managed to gather up courage to visit the general camp-fire, whichwas kindled just at dark, where the miners met to smoke their pipesand tell about what had happened in their mines during the day. Thisone had not made anything. The dirt promised fairly, and he hoped in afew days to strike a vein that would pay him and his partnersomething. Another had tapped a little vein, and he believed that bythe time he got a rock out of his way he would stumble onto a depositthat would make him so rich that he would start for the States inshort order.
"Well, partner, how do you come on?" asked the man who was sittingclose to Claus, who was listening with all his ears. "Does your dirtpan out any better than it did last summer?"
"We have not seen the color of anything yet," replied Claus. "I do notbelieve there is any gold there."
"You are a tenderfoot, ain't you?"
"Yes; I never have been in the mines before."
"And you will wish, before you see your friends again, that you hadnever seen them this time. If you get any dust, you hide it where yourpartners can't find it."
There was one man, who did not take any part in the conversation, thatkept a close watch on Claus and listened to every word he said. It wasMr. Banta, who wondered what in the world could have happened to bringso gentlemanly appearing a man up there in company with Bob and Jake.
"He must have money somewhere about his good clothes, and that is whatBob is after," said he to himself. "But if that is the case, why didthey not jump him on the way here? I think he will bear watching."
Three nights passed in this way, Claus always meeting the miners atthe general camp-fire, while his partners stayed at home and waitedfor him to come back and tell them the news, and on the fourth eveningBanta seemed lost in thought. He sat and gazed silently into the fire,unmindful of the tales that were told and the songs that were sung allaround him. At last one of the miners addressed him.
"Well, Banta, I suppose this is your last evening with us," heremarked.
"Yes; I go off to-morrow."
"Don't you wish you had not promised to go up there?"
"No, I don't; I shall find out if the boys are all right, anyway. Thatis what I care the most about. I shall take some provisions with me,and if the boys are above ground I will leave them; otherwise, I shallbring them back."
"Oh, the boys must have the better of the ghosts by this time," saidanother; "they would have been here before this time if they had not.You will find them with more gold stowed away than they know what todo with."
"And didn't they see the ghosts at all?"
"Why, as to that, I can't say. But they have beaten them at their owngame. You will see."
Claus pricked up his ears when he heard this, and when the miners hadall drawn away, one by one, and sought their blankets in theirlean-to's, he asked of the man who sat near him, and who was waitingto smoke his pipe out before he went to bed,
"Where is Banta going?"
"Up to the haunted mine," was the reply. "You see, he went up theretwo weeks ago with the boys, and promised to come back in two weeks tosee how they were coming on. His two weeks are up to-night."
"What is up there, anyway?"
"Well, you can ask somebody else to answer that question," said theminer, getting upon his feet. "I don't know what is up there, and Idon't want to know."
The miner walked off and left Claus sitting there alone. He wascertain that he was on the right track at last. As soon as Banta cameback they would know something about the haunted mine.