“I don’t quite know what is usual,” said Weston, with a smile. “Still, I’ve been round this city with a bag of what people admit are rather promising specimens of milling ore, and I certainly haven’t succeeded in selling the mine yet.”
“The trouble is that the specimens might have been obtained from anywhere,” said Stirling, dryly.
“There’s one concern anyway in whose case the objection does not apply. I got a telegram from my partner, the storekeeper, to the effect that the Hogarth Combine had sent up Van Staten from Vancouver to inspect the lode. I gather that one of the boys spotted him, though he meant to do it quietly. The fact that he didn’t announce his name is rather suggestive. You can read the message.”
He took it from his pocket and handed it to Stirling, who wrinkled his brows.
“Well,” he observed, “what Van Staten says goes. Very few of the big concerns would hesitate to purchase when he was satisfied with the thing. That storekeeper seems quite a smart man. The Hogarth people have, no doubt, made you an offer since then?”
“Four thousand dollars, all rights, and they’ll meet expenses while I put in the assessment work and do all that’s necessary to get title from the Crown. They were kind enough to say that it was rather a hazardous venture, but they wanted another workable reef to round up their mineral properties. The reason seemed a little vague.”
Stirling smiled rather grimly. “They want everything they can get their hands on in the shape of a mineral property, as long as it costs them ’most nothing. What did you tell them?”
“That they’d have to go up six times, anyway, before I considered the thing, and then I’d want half payment in ordinary stock. They asked if I meant to stick to that, and I said I did.”
“Then,” asserted Stirling, “you’re going to have some trouble in keeping that mine. The Hogarth people have frozen out more than one little man who didn’t want to part with his property. They’re said to be quite smart at it, and there are various ways of getting hold of you.”
He studied Weston’s face and saw it harden, which, as a matter of fact, rather pleased him. The stubbornness which had sent this young man back up the range, aching in every limb, with one boot full of blood—and Stirling had heard that story—was now, it seemed, impelling him into a struggle with a group of remarkably clever and powerful mining financiers. The successful contractor appreciated ability, especially when it was of the practical order, but perhaps he was right in rating character higher.