The Blue Goose

by Frank Lewis Nason

  CHAPTER V

  _Bennie Opens the Pot and Firmstone Comes in_

  Firmstone was late to breakfast the day of Zephyr's departure, andBennie was doing his best to restrain his impatience. When at last thelate breakfaster appeared, Bennie's manner was noticeably different fromthe ordinary. He was a stanch defender of the rights of the Americancitizen, an uncompromising opponent of companies and trusts, a fearlessand aggressive exponent of his own views; but withal a sincere admirerand loyal friend of Firmstone. Bennie knew that in his hands were verystrong cards, and he was casting about in his mind for the mosteffective mode of playing them.

  "Good morning, Bennie," Firmstone called out, on entering thedining-room.

  Bennie returned the greeting with a silent nod. Firmstone glanced at theclock.

  "It is pretty late for good morning and breakfast, that's a fact."

  Bennie disappeared in the kitchen. He returned and placed Firmstone'sbreakfast before him.

  "What's the matter, Bennie?" Firmstone thought he knew, but events weresoon to show him his mistake.

  "Matter enough, Mr. Firmstone, as you'll soon find." Bennie was gettingalarming.

  Firmstone ate in silence. Bennie watched with impassive dignity.

  "Is your breakfast all right?" he finally asked, unbendingly.

  "All right, Bennie. Better than I deserve, pouncing on you at thishour." He again looked up at the clock.

  "Come when you like, late or early, you'll get the best I can give you."Bennie was still rigid.

  Firmstone was growing more puzzled. Bennie judged it time to support hisopening.

  "I'm an outspoken man, Mr. Firmstone, as becomes an American citizen. IfI take an honest dollar, I'll give an honest return."

  "No one doubts that, Bennie." Firmstone leaned back in his chair. He wasgoing to see it out.

  Bennie's support was rapidly advancing.

  "You know, Mr. Firmstone, that I have my opinions and speak my mindabout the oppression of the poor by the rich. I left my home in the Eastto come out here where it was less crowded and where there was morefreedom. It's only change about, I find. In the East the rich weremostly Americans who oppressed the dagoes, being for their own good; buthere it's the other way. Here's Mike the Finn, and Jansen the Swede, andHansen the Dane, and Giuseppe the dago, and Pat the Irishman the boss ofthe whole dirty gang. Before God I take shame to myself for being anhonest man and American born, and having this thieving gang to tell mehow long I can work, and where I can buy, with a swat in the jaw and aknife in my back for daring to say my soul is my own and sticking to itagainst orders from the union."

  "Thunder and Mars, Bennie! What's the matter?"

  Bennie's reserves came up with a rush. He thrust open the door of hisroom and jerked a blanket from the sacks which Zephyr had left there.

  Firmstone gave a low whistle of surprise.

  "There's matter for you, Mr. Firmstone."

  "Where under the sun did you get these?" Firmstone had opened one of thesacks and was looking at the ore.

  "I didn't get them. Zephyr got them and asked me to see that you hadthem. There's a man for you! 'Twas little white paint the Lord had whenhe came West, but he put two good coats of it on Zephyr's back."

  Firmstone made no reply to Bennie's eulogy of Zephyr. He closed andretied the opened sacks.

  "There's mighty interesting reading in these sacks, Bennie."

  "Those were Zephyr's words, sir."

  "That ore was taken from the mill last night. Luna was on shift, Longwas sick, and Luna put Morrison in his place." Firmstone looked atBennie inquisitively. He was trying his facts on the cook.

  "That's so, sir," remarked Bennie. "But you'll never make a hen out of arooster by pulling out his tail-feathers."

  Firmstone laughed.

  "Well, Bennie, that's about the way I sized it up myself. Keep quietabout this. I want to get these sacks down to the office some timeto-day." He left the room and went to the office.

  Luna reported to the office that night as usual before going on shift.Firmstone gave a few directions, and then turned to his work.

  Shortly after twelve Luna was surprised at seeing the superintendententer the mill.

  "Cut off the feed in the batteries."

  The order was curt, and Luna, much bewildered, hastened to obey.

  Firmstone followed him around back of the batteries, where automaticmachines dropped the ore under the stamps. Firmstone waited until therebegan to come the sound of dropping stamps pounding on the naked dies,then he gave orders to hang up the stamps and shut down the mill. Thiswas done. The rhythmic cadence of the falling stamps was broken intoirregular blows as one by one the stamps were propped up above therevolving cams, till finally only the hum of pulleys and the click ofbelts were heard. These sounds also ceased as the engine slowed andfinally stopped.

  "Shall I lay off the men?" asked the foreman.

  "No. Have them take out the screens."

  This also was done, and then Firmstone, accompanied by Luna, went frombattery to battery. They first scraped out the loose rock, andafterward, with a long steel spoon, took samples of the crushed ore frombetween the dies. The operation was a long one; but at length the lastbattery was sampled. Firmstone put the last sample in a sack with theothers.

  "Shall I carry the sack for you?" asked Luna.

  "No. Start up the mill, and then come to the office." Firmstone turned,and, with the heavy sack on his shoulder, left the mill.

  There were a hundred stamps in the mill. The stamps were divided intobatteries of ten each. Each battery was driven separately by a belt fromthe main shaft. There was a man in attendance on every twenty stamps.Firmstone had taken samples from each battery, and each sample bore thenumber of the battery. He had taken especial care to call this to Luna'sattention.

  The foreman saw to replacing the screens, and, when the mill was againstarted, he went to the superintendent's office. He knew very well thatan unpleasant time awaited him; but, like the superintendent, he had hiscourse of action mapped out. The foreman was a very wise man within arestricted circle. He knew that the battle was his, if he fought withinits circumference. Outside of the circle he did not propose to betempted. Firmstone could not force him out. Those who could, would notattempt it for very obvious and personal reasons. Luna was aware thatFirmstone knew that there was thieving, and was morally certain as towho were the thieves, but lacked convincing proof. This was hisprotecting circle. Firmstone could not force him out of it. Morrison andPierre knew not only of the thieving, but the thieves. They could forcehim out, but they would not. Luna was tranquil.

  Luna saw Firmstone in the laboratory as he entered the railed enclosure.He opened the railing gate, passed through the office, and entered thelaboratory. Firmstone glanced at the foreman, but he met only a stolidface with no sign of confusion.

  "Pan these samples down."

  Without a word Luna emptied the sacks into little pans and carefullywashed off the crushed rock, leaving the grains of gold in the pans.Eight of the pans showed rich in gold, the last two hardly a trace.

  Firmstone placed the pans in order.

  "What do you make of that?" he asked, sharply.

  Luna shook his head.

  "That's too much for me."

  "What batteries did these two come from?" Firmstone pointed to the twoplates.

  "Nine and Ten," the foreman answered, promptly.

  "Who works on Nine and Ten?"

  "Clancy day and Long night," was the ready answer.

  "Did Long work last night?"

  "No. He was sick. I told you that, and I asked you if I should put onMorrison. You didn't say nothing against it."

  "Did Nine and Ten run all night?"

  "Except for an hour or two, maybe. Nine worked a shoe loose and Tenburst a screen. That's likely to happen any time. We had to hang up forthat."

  "You say you can give no explanation of this?" Firmstone pointed to theempty pans.

  "No, sir."

 
"Look this over." Firmstone went to his desk in the office and Lunafollowed him. He picked up a paper covered with figures marked "MineAssays, May," and handed it to the foreman.

  Luna glanced over the sheet, then looked inquiringly at Firmstone.

  "Well?" he finally ventured.

  "What do you make of it?" Firmstone asked.

  Luna turned to the assay sheet.

  "The average of two hundred assays taken twice a week, twenty-fiveassays each time, gives twenty-five dollars a ton for the month of May."Luna read the summary.

  Firmstone wrote the number on a slip of paper, then took the sheet fromthe foreman.

  "You understand, then, that the ore taken from the mine and sent to themill in May averaged twenty-five dollars a ton?"

  "Yes, that's right." Luna was getting puzzled.

  "Very good. You're doing well. Now look at this sheet." Firmstone handedhim another paper. "Now read the summary."

  Luna read aloud:

  "Average loss in tailings, daily samples, May, two dollars andseventy-five cents a ton."

  "You understand from this, do you not, that the gold recovered from theplates should then be twenty-two dollars and twenty-five cents a ton?"

  "Yes, sir." Luna's face was reddening; beads of perspiration were oozingfrom his forehead.

  "Well, then," pursued Firmstone, "just look over this statement. Read itout loud."

  Luna took the paper offered him, and began to read.

  "What do you make out of that?" Firmstone was looking straight into theforeman's eyes.

  Luna tried his best to return the look, but his eyes dropped.

  "I don't know," he stammered.

  "Then I'll tell you. Not that I need to, but I want you to understandthat I know. It means that out of every ton of ore that was delivered tothis mill in May thirteen dollars and forty-five cents have beenstolen."

  Luna fairly gasped. He was startled by the statement to a cent of theamount stolen. He and his confederates had been compelled to takePierre's unvouched statements. Therefore he could not controvert thefigures, had he chosen. He did not know the amount.

  "There must have been a mistake, sir."

  "Mistake!" Firmstone blazed out. "What do you say to this?"

  He pulled a canvas from the sacks of ore that had been brought to theoffice. He expected to see Luna collapse entirely. Instead, a look ofastonishment spread over the foreman's face.

  "I'll give up!" he exclaimed. He looked Firmstone squarely in the face.He saw his way clearly now. "You're right," he said. "There has beenstealing. It's up to me. I'll fire anyone you say, or I'll quit myself,or you can fire me. But, before God, I never stole a dollar from theRainbow mill." He spoke the literal truth. The spirit of it did nottrouble him.

  Firmstone was astonished at the man's affirmations, but they did notdeceive him, nor divert him from his purpose.

  "I'm not going to tell you whom to let out or take in," he replied. "I'mholding you responsible. I've told you a good deal, but not all, by agood long measure. This stealing has got to stop, and you can stop it.You would better stop it. Now go back to your work."

  That very night Firmstone wrote a full account of the recovery of thestolen ore, the evils which he found on taking charge of the property,the steps which he proposed for their elimination. He closed with thesewords:

  "It must be remembered that these conditions have had a long time inwhich to develop. At the very least, an equal time must be allowed fortheir elimination; but I believe that I shall be successful."