Chapter XXVI
The bookkeeper of the S & M mine had worked for an hour after the miners had quit work, balancing his books for the day. All of the other clerks had left the office. He had closed the big ledger and had drawn a sigh of relief. Just then the office door opened and a tall athletic young man entered. He approached the bookkeeper and extended his hand. "My name is King."
"My name is Watson. Are you stopping in the camp, Mr. King?"
"I expect to be here but a short time. How is the mining business?"
"Not much activity just now in this section. Some of the old mines are shut down and there is but little prospecting being done. Are you interested in the mining business?"
"No, not particularly."
"There is a small mine near here that could be purchased at a bargain. A couple of crooks got the old man who owns it in debt to them and took a mortgage on the mine. The old man is very illiterate and did not understand the contracts that he had with these men. He is forced to sell to save himself. If he loses all that he has in this mine it is quite likely that he will be ruined for life, as he is too old to come back. I would be very sorry to see anything like that happen."
"It's a shame that there are individuals who will stoop to crookedness to beat men who are along in years out of the savings of a lifetime."
"Back in my home town——"