Shadow Mountain

by Dane Coolidge

  CHAPTER XII

  THE EXPERT

  Like the way of an eagle in the air or the way of a man with a maid, theways of a mining promoter must be shrouded in mystery and doubt. Forwhen he wants to buy, no man will sell; and when he wants to sell, noman will buy; and when he will neither buy nor sell he is generallysuspected of both. Wiley Holman had two fights and a charge of buckshotto prove that he wanted the Paymaster, and the fact that he had refuseda half interest for nothing to prove that he did not want it. Also hehad sold his tax-title to the property for the sum of one hundreddollars. What then did it signify when he bought Virginia's despisedstock for four hundred dollars, cash down? The man who could answer thatcould explain the way of a man with a maid.

  Samuel J. Blount made the claim--and he had his pile to prove it--thathe could think a little closer than most men. A little closer, and alittle farther; but the Paymaster had been his downfall. He had playedthe long game to get possession of the mine, only to find he had boughta white elephant. Every day that he held it he had thrown good moneyafter bad and he sent out a search party for Wiley Holman. Wiley hadrefused half the mine, but that only proved that half of the mine didnot appeal to him--perhaps he would take it all. Samuel J. had been astudent for a good many years in the school of predatory business and hehad learned the rules of the game. He knew that the buyer always decriedthe goods and magnified each tiny defect, whereas the seller by asnatural a process played up every virtue to the limit. But any man whoinspected the goods was a potential buyer of the same, and Wiley hadshown more than a passing interest in the fate of the unlucky Paymaster.And Wiley was a mining engineer.

  They met in the glassed-in office of Blount in the ornate Bank of Vegasand for a half an hour or more Wiley sat tipped back in his chair whileBlount talked of everything in general. It was a way he had, never toapproach anything directly; but Wiley favored more direct methods.

  "I understood," he remarked, bringing his chair down with a bang, "thatyou wanted to see me on business?"

  "Yes, yes, Wiley," soothed Blount, "now please don't rush off--I wantedto see you about the Paymaster."

  "Well, shoot," returned Wiley, "but don't ask my advice, unless you'reready to pay for it."

  He tipped back his chair and sat waiting patiently while Blountunraveled his thoughts. He could think closer than most men, but notquicker, and the Paymaster was a tangled affair.

  "I have been told," he began at last, "that you are still buyingPaymaster stock. Or at least--well, a check of yours came through hereendorsed by Death Valley Charley, and Virginia Huff. Oh, yes, yes;that's your business, of course; but here's the point I'm coming to; itwon't do you any good to buy in that stock because I've got a majorityof it right here in my vault. If you want to control the Paymaster,don't go to someone else--I'm the man you want to see."

  He tapped himself on the breast and smiled impressively, and Wileynodded his head.

  "All right," he said imperturbably, "when I want the Paymaster Mine I'llknow right where to go."

  "Yes, you come to me," went on Blount after a minute, "and I'll do thebest I can." He paused expectantly, but Wiley did not speak, so he wenton blandly, as before. "The stock, of course, is nonassessable and thetaxes are very small. I intend from now on to keep them paid up, sothere will be no further tax sales. The stock of Mrs. Huff, which I nowhold as collateral security, is practically mine already, as she hasdefaulted on her first month's interest and is preparing to leave thestate. Of course, there is the stock which your father is holding--as Icalculate, something over two hundred thousand shares--and what littleremains outside; but if you are interested in the mine I am the man totalk to, so what would you like to propose?"

  "Well," began Wiley, and then he stopped and seemed to be lost inthought. "I'll tell you," he said, "I was interested in the Paymaster--Ibelieve there's something there; but I've got some other propositionsthat I can handle a little easier, so if you don't mind we'll wait awhile."

  "No, but Wiley," protested Blount as his man rose up to go, "now justsit down; I'm not quite through. Now I know just as well as you do thatyou take a great interest in that mine. Your troubles with Mrs. Huff andStiff Neck George prove conclusively that such is the case; and I amconvinced that, either from your father or some other source, you havevaluable inside information. Now I must admit that I'm not a mining manand my management was not a success; but with your technical educationand all the rest, I am convinced that the results would be different.No, there's no use denying it, because I know myself that you've beenbuying up Paymaster stock."

  "Sure," agreed Wiley, "I bought four hundred dollars worth. That wouldbreak the Bank of Vegas. But you've got lots of money--why don't youhire a competent mining man and go after that lost ore-body yourself?"

  "I may do that," replied Blount easily, "but in the meantime why notmake me a reasonable offer, or take the mine on shares?"

  "If the Paymaster," observed Wiley, "was the only mine in the world, I'dmake you a proposition in a minute. But a man in my position doesn'thave to buy his mines, and I never work anything on shares."

  "Well, now Wiley, I've got another proposition, which you may or may notapprove; but there's no harm, I hope, if I mention it. You know there'sbeen a difference between me and your father since--well, since thePaymaster shut down. I respect him very much and have nothing but thekindliest feelings towards him but he--well, you know how it is. But Ihave been informed, Wiley, that since Colonel Huff's death, your fatherhas been bidding for his stock. In fact, I have seen a letter written toMrs. Huff in which he offers her ten cents a share. Now, of course, ifyou want to gain control of the company, I'm willing to do what's right;and so, after thinking it over, I have come to the conclusion that Iwill accept that offer now."

  "Umm," responded Wiley, squinting his eyes down shrewdly, "how muchwould that come to, in all?"

  "Well, twenty-one thousand, eight hundred dollars, for what I receivedfrom Mrs. Huff; but of course--well, he'd have to buy a little more ofme in order to get positive control."

  "How much more?" asked Wiley, but Blount's crooked mouth pulled down ina crafty smile.

  "We can discuss that later," he suggested mildly. "Do you think he willbuy the stock?"

  "Not if he takes my advice," answered Wiley coldly. "I can buy the wholeblock for eight hundred."

  "How?"

  "Why, by loaning Mrs. Huff the eight hundred dollars with which to takeup her note."

  "I doubt it," replied Blount, and his mild, deceiving eyes took on thefaintest shadow of a threat. "Mrs. Huff has defaulted on her firstmonth's interest and, according to the terms of her note, the collateralautomatically passes to me."

  "Well, keep it, then," burst out Wiley, "and I hope to God you get stuckfor every cent. Your old mine isn't worth a dam'!"

  "Why--Wiley!" gasped Blount, quite shaken for the moment by thisdisastrous piece of news, "what reason have you for thinking that?"

  "Give me a hundred dollars as an advising expert and I'll tell you--andshow you, too."

  "No, I hardly think so," answered Blount at last. "And, Wiley, you don'tthink so, either."

  "No?" challenged Wiley. "Well, you just watch my smoke and see whether Ido or not."

  He had closed the door before Blount dragged him back like a haggling,relentless pawn-broker.

  "Make me a proposition," he clamored desperately, "and if it's anywherein reason I'll accept it."

  "All right," answered Wiley, "but show me what you've got--I don't buyany cat in a bag."

  "And will you make me an offer?" demanded Blount hopefully. "Will youtake the whole thing off my hands?"

  "I will if it's good--but you'll have to show me first that you've got acontrolling share of the stock. And another thing, Mr. Blount, since ourtime is equally valuable, let's cut out this four-flushing stuff. If I'dwanted your mine so awfully bad I'd have held on to it when the titlewas mine; but I turned it back to you, just to let you look it over, andto keep the peace for once. But now, if you'r
e satisfied, I might lookit over; but it'll be under a bond and lease. The parties I representare strictly business, and we make it a rule to tie everything up tightbefore we put out a cent. I'll want an option on every share you have,and I can't offer more than ten per cent royalty; but to compensate forthat I'll agree to pay in full or vacate within six months from date."

  "But how much?" demanded Blount, brushing aside all the details, "howmuch will you pay me a share?"

  "I'll pay you," stated Wiley, "what I paid Death Valley Charley, andthat's five cents a share."

  "Five cents!" shrilled Blount, rising up in protest, yet jumping at theprice like a trout, "five cents--why, that's practically nothing!"

  "Just five cents more than nothing," observed Wiley judicially andwaited for Blount to rave.

  "But your father," suggested Blount with a knowing leer, "is in themarket at ten."

  "No, not in the market. He offered that to the Widow, but now the dealis off, because all of her stock has changed hands."

  "Well, the stock is the same," suggested Blount insinuatingly. "Give meseven and a half and split the profits."

  "Now don't be a crook," rapped out Wiley angrily. "Just because youwould rob your own father doesn't by any means prove that I will."

  "Well, you certainly implied," protested Blount with injured innocence,"that this stock was to be sold to your father. And if it is worth thatto him, why is it worth less to you? You must be working together."

  "No, we're not," declared Wiley. "I'm in on this alone, and have been,from the start. And just to set your mind at rest--he didn't make thatoffer because he wanted the stock, but to kind of help out the Widow."

  "Ah," smiled Blount, and nodded his head wisely, but there was a playfullight in his eyes.

  "Yes--ah!" flashed back Wiley, "and if you think you're so danged smartI'll let you keep your old mine a few months."

  He started for the door again but Blount dragged him back and laid ametal box on the table.

  "Well, let's get down to business," he said with quick decision, andspread a heap of papers before his eyes. "There are all my Paymastershares, and if you'll take them off my hands you can have them for sixcents, cash."

  "I said five," returned Wiley, as he ran through the papers, "and anoption to buy in six months. But this stock of the Widow's--I can't takethat at any price--the Colonel isn't legally dead."

  "What?" yelled Blount, and sat down in a chair while he stared at theinscrutable Wiley.

  "His body was never found and, under the law, he can't be declared deadfor seven years. Mrs. Huff had no right to sell his stock."

  "Oh, but he's dead, Wiley," assured Blount. "Surely there's no doubt ofthat. They found his burro, and his letters and everything; and where hehad run wild through the sand. If that storm hadn't come up they wouldcertainly have found his body--the Indian trailers said so; so why stickon a technicality?"

  "That's the law," said Wiley. "You know it yourself. But of course, ifyou want to vote this stock at a Directors' meeting we can still dobusiness on that lease."

  "Oh, my Lord!" sighed Blount, and after a heavy silence he rose up andpaced the floor. As for Wiley, he ran through the papers, making notesof dates and numbers, and then grimly began to fill out a legal blank.

  "There's the option," he said, passing over a paper, "and I see now howyou double-crossed my father. So you don't need to sign unless you wantto."

  "Why--er--what's that?" exclaimed Blount, coming out of his abstractionas Wiley slapped down the bundle of certificates.

  "I see by these endorsements," replied Wiley, "that you sold out beforethe panic and bought in all this stock afterwards."

  Blount started and a red line mounted up to his eyes as he hastilyglanced over the option.

  "Well, I'll sign it," he mumbled, and reached for the pen, but Wileychecked his hand.

  "No, you ring for a notary," he said. "I want that signatureacknowledged."

  The notary came and ran perfunctorily through his formula, after whichhe left them alone.

  "Now here's the bond and lease," went on Wiley curtly, "so bring on yourBoard of Directors and let's get this business over. By rights I oughtto kill you."

  There was a special meeting then of the Board of Directors of ThePaymaster Mining and Milling Company, and when the bond and lease wasproperly drawn up, they signed it and had it witnessed. Then once morethe tense silence came over the room and Wiley rose to go.

  "Well," he said, "I've been waiting for ten years just to get thesepapers in my hands. And now, you danged crook, just to hit you where youlive, I'm going to make a fortune."

  "A fortune!" echoed Blount, and then he clasped his hands and sankdown weakly in a chair. "I knew it!" he moaned, "I knew it all thetime--you've been trying to get that mine for months. But what is it,Wiley? Have you located the lost vein? Oh, I knew it; all the time!"

  "Yes, you did," jeered Wiley, "you didn't know anything, except how tograb hold of the stock. What good was it to you after you'd got the oldmine--you didn't know what to do with it! All you knew was how to robthe widow and the orphan and deprive better men of their good name. Youwait till I tell my Old Man about this--and how you were selling himout, all the time. If it wasn't for you he'd never been called HonestJohn by a bunch of these tin-horns and crooks. But I'll show you who'shonest--I'm going to skin you alive for what you did to my father. Youwait till I make my clean-up!"

  "But what is it, Wiley?" cried Blount, despairingly. "Have you reallydiscovered the lost vein?"

  "No," grinned Wiley, "but I've consulted an expert and he tells me themine is worth millions!"

  "What--millions?" burst out Blount, struggling up to his feet. "Nowhere, Wiley Holman; I want that option back! You secured it by fraud andmisrepresentation and by concealment of the actual facts. I'll have thelaw on you--I'll break the contract--you came here with intent todefraud!"

  "Don't you think it!" returned Wiley, thrusting out his lip. "Youthought you were trimming me, like taking candy from a baby. Why didn't_you_ get an expert? I offered to hire out to you, myself!"

  "Oh--hell!" choked Blount. "Well, tell me the worst--where was it hetold you to dig?"

  "Why right down the shaft," answered Wiley blandly. "He's a new kind ofmining expert and he locates the gold by electricity."

  "By electricity!" exclaimed Blount, and as he perceived Wiley's smile hestraightened up in a rage. "I don't believe a word of it. Who is thisman, anyway? I never heard of such a thing before!"

  "Oh, yes!" said Wiley, as he stepped out the door, "you know theprofessor well. They call him Death Valley Charley."