“My dear Mr. Sangerly, you are utterly in error. You don’t seem to view the situation from the right angle. In much the same way, not being a railroad man, I myself cannot fully appreciate your method of reasoning. Just for instance, what would you say if I told you that the Lucky Boy group is perhaps one of the richest placer-gold deposits discovered in California in the last twenty years?”
He had risen and was standing before his visitor, his hands thrust into his pockets, his shrewd eyes fixed on Lex.
“Of course,” he qualified impressively, “when I say richest, please don’t mistake my meaning. Indications on the surface are such as to leave no doubt that gold is present in enormous quantities. This, Mr. Sangerly, is an actual fact. Moreover, I will prove the truth of my statement whenever it suits your convenience.”
Lex regarded him in silence for some seconds. “How long since you made this discovery?” he asked at last.
“About two weeks ago. We’ve been keeping it quiet—which is a hard thing to do in a mining camp. We’ve had men looking up the records to be certain that we were not going up against a hang-fire title and subsequent litigation. To-morrow we intend to plaster the front pages of the newspapers with the story. Armed guards will be placed on the property to protect it from claim jumpers.” He paused, dropped back into his chair, and nursed one knee in his hands. “So, Mr. Sangerly, you surely must appreciate our reluctance in complying with your company’s request for permission to lay tracks across this ground. It is far too valuable, we believe. Frankly, it is a question of money with us, and you can scarcely criticize us if we regard the matter from a purely financial standpoint. But to say that we are deliberately trying to hold your people up, that statement, Mr. Sangerly, is both uncalled for and unkind.”
Lex lit his cigar thoughtfully. He frowned at the elaborate rug at his feet. Quintell watched him intently.
“Of course, if my company desired a right of way over the Lucky Boy group badly enough you would grant it the privilege of purchase—for a reasonable figure?” said Lex presently. “You just stated that the railroad would prove a big asset to the camp.”
“In view of the fact that my partners and myself have interests here that would be indirectly benefited by better transportation facilities, yes, we would be glad to consider such a purchase. You must understand, Mr. Sangerly, that we have no fight with your company. The whole thing is a cold business proposition. If you know the difference between lode and placer mining you must realize that the latter’s workable area is strictly surface. Such being the case, a railroad bed passing over gold-bearing gravel——”
“Approximately, what would it stand us to get a single-track right of way over this ground, Mr. Quintell? I would like to wire immediate word to my people,” broke in Lex.
The other rubbed his heavy chin thoughtfully. “The price would have to be based on the valuation per cubic yard of pay dirt over which the roadbed must of necessity have to pass. This strip, as you can readily see, would be lost to development; we could not work it. Samples of the gravel would be taken and a thorough assayer’s test made to ascertain its average gold-bearing value. On the whole, Mr. Sangerly, we want only what is legitimately coming to us—no more, no less.”