“It stopped a few days before Jake, in his crazy fashion, tossed the bullet and chunk of ore over your back fence, Rick,” answered the miner. “I didn’t tell your folks, Rick, but what happened was this: After my salt holdings were established I looked around for something to invest my money in, and when my former partner, Sam, told me about this claim out here he and I bought it.
“Then there was a good stream of water flowing out of the hole in the side of the mountain, and water is the one thing we need here to make mining in this locality worth while. I came out here, Sam and I established this camp and things were going fine when I left to pay your folks another visit, Rick,” said Uncle Tod. “Then, like lightning out of a clear sky, came the message from Sam and when I got here I found that Lost River had ceased running. Of course that put our mine up the flume.”
“Did it ever stop flowing before?” asked Mr. Campbell.
“Not in a good many years. In fact nobody around here ever remembers when it wasn’t running,” answered Uncle Tod. “But I ought to have suspicioned something, on account of the name—Lost River.”
“Then you didn’t give it that name?”
“Shucks, no! It’s been called that since the earliest days. I reckon, maybe, it had a habit of appearing and disappearing,” said Uncle Tod. “But we didn’t think it would act up this way with us—Sam and I didn’t. However, it has, and unless we can get some water here our mine won’t amount to anything. In fact the stuff is so fine—copper and gold—that it needs water to wash it out of the dirt. And as it is we can barely get enough water to cook with—and wash—once in a while. We have to haul it on Esmerelda’s back in casks from a creek three miles away.”
“No fun in that,” said Mr. Campbell.
“You said it!” exclaimed Uncle Tod heartily. “A dry mine, when it ought to be a wet one is the worst kind. But I’m hoping for the best.”
“No use—grub’s ready,” said Sam, gloomily, and almost in the same breath. “Might as well pull up stakes and quit,” he added.
“Not now—since Rick and Ruddy have come!” laughed Uncle Tod. “I tell you they are going to bring good luck! I’m sure of it!”