Show I I t- t I I i n rai n nI ren rai n n fc t f TAe h l EAGLES L. L E S ING I r G O 0 v By BY B B. U. U BOWER l 4 e V i U COP Copyright 1924 by y Little Lt Brown Bown Co V f t p f from yesterday i Looks oo s like ike Im I'm Im dr driving you off Ep r remarked after aCer a bit bit But I tc l i merely bringing up the rear Jess ess is not hot all al there Ill I'll IU tell tel lr- lr y oU o all al about it it i now hes he's told so t h. h k I 1 had half a mind to any any- t pp j y if i I 1 could get et him and Young I l 53 s to agree agee Youre You're a mining en- en r. r r feer 1 I kind lend of wanted your i. i neer 1 and advice It I i is out of your our 1 but technical train train- 0 probably J 1 la g helps I 1 never had any myself 1 r Ud less Jess is a slave slave driver all al right right and amI andi i f flan hes he's half crazy I. I d now hal 1 1 lan a. want to go off ot and leave the women omen If I Ia a stranger 1 A along and roused his susn sus- sus what sus-I sus 1 p n theres there's no 10 prophesying M feht happen ight I t sounds pretty prett wid wild to me an all alI f a. a 3 H talk k Rawley returned after a am 1 m n te I I 1 can easily believe beleve the I craz crazy I cant can't seem scent to tofa I It t fa any ny sense out of it millions of and t and all aU that that Uncle Peter oland stringing him along ero jero you OU Just 1 because he's hes crazy craZ cant can't t Peter ter laughed queerly I I 1 can I iwonder onder at your thinking so he SId Sit down here dand Ill I'll Il tell ten 7 7 Fj fi t u tho straight of it I i it was a the flat fat rock roee which they reached readied The shouts of the Jj children l the barking of the dogs f a l the crying of the baby came ito uto them in one Indistinguishable the small flat kg horus from across smal fat 1 the deepening dusk the they would I not Jn t be noticed and interrupted Away Awa b back teck ck before I was born i peter began Jess had mining I c claims alms here Placer and he was well vell at it it I imagine doing doIng pretty Jle le Ie here beside the river liver and and an idea came cae to him one day I I IV V that t has stuck to hin like a burr I th ever since That idea boy has I 1 ruled this bunch has driven us like dogs Its It's Is I's a big one the one the only big i J idea ea he ever had so far as rs I know I JV Old Od Jess got to thinking how Auch uch gold must lie le at the bottom bottomS S- S t. l bf t the river washed down through i v alt the centuries of time through s. s ah 11 Colorado even cven through Wyoming where Fi X where here its is main tributaries tributaries rise I 0 1 When you think of it i it the thing And the more i gets hold of you you ou think the str stronger nger it i holds He lie h thought how tremendously rich and hed he'd be if he be could just I f I powerful i T 1 get it et at that gold out there But you ou V see e ethe the old river she holds what i h phe's she's s 's got And in a flood food time time time- i Wel it i wasn't long before he ii began to figure out how he could get at that gold And he ho got the 4 idea get of throwing a dam darn across the iH canyon here and backing up the he eVer told water ater I dont don't think i any one but he lie kind of quizzed 4 around and decided finally that tha t it i and would v uld cost a lot of mone money A milr mil mil- ml- ml r lion llon dollars we e made it at a rough r r guess RUess ess So he began to saTe save his bis instead of gambling and caS ca- ca S rousing Jt Jd with wih it i down in El EI Dorado oSand and at the fort For that matter mater I IV Ii V r i 1 believe beleve the old man always was a grasping avaricious individual Its It's Is I's it K his nature nature nature-I've Ive I've seen life me all taU my V j t p Were We're Were We're all aU living fairly decently decenty now son But until I was ws old assert myself a bit he her r enough nou h to bi r almost starved us he was so keen keea keen s on saving that million Even now 1 1 I have to have a with wih him ft c every so often ofen about the money t. t il y- y 1 that erY goes for living expenses But l lI I he can afford it Hes He's got his mil mil- mi- mi Ki i 1 lon ton and then some l I r What K KS P f Hes Ires been saving sa every grain he hei j 4 scrape together for fifty i I years l Rale Rawley tawley And its it's is i's a good rather No Xo Nofle Noone i grOUP group laimi-group of claims one in the country has ever dreamed than scratch that t weve we've done more r rIving Ta living Iving here Some day when f I your arm Is well wel Ill I'll Il show you Yes r he has his million a For a long time now several now now se several r 3 years weve we've wee rs weve we've been getting ready for forthe 1 J the he dam That tunnel you ou saw is Ue tart rt of the work worle When youre you're bet bet- 1 ter ero Id I'd Id like to take yO you yott through our t and see what weve we've done nd what we expect to do Maybe can give us some advice Weve We've I ad to use our own wits wis because ad o cant can't consult with experts in ine e very nature of things We Ve are I said cynically the only it he c in the tho world The country I Ild ild 6 ld b be black with them And And Jion l alls all's said and done we have haver r sl st right Vh Why look at El l Dora- Dora if f Men cn sat down own there and cursed r luck and and looked looked straight at t richest gold mine In the world i a canyon was here everything rI i here ready for them to go to toi 0 i l IW kand and get the gold just as we i going to do o. o But nobody of it Sheep Sheep that's wh what t ti i Sheep fn eji are No Xo one in a thousand i es S any thinking outside the beaten 13 dammed the 11 Nobody had t j g r to get the gold Sold the they r had no noto pf r ce ent to follow follow no no no bell bel wether weter t them the way So nobody thought of the possibility of Ag g it i. i Old Od Jess ess I must say shot d and shoulders above the Je ck Jewhen when he conceived the Idea fe and on top one thought all al these years has bim him a mental twist Hed He'd any ar man who seemed to be in his way Hes He's gone to too 7 pw he he has lived with that air all Jet too o long But my God think I f a castle hes he's buit built Peters Peter's Tee was with em emotion o I J re c as with Old Od Jess was wai the theof t of a me lifetime ime revealed revEaled Us U's a tremendous scheme i ley guardedly Im Im t 1 aId Id it i wont won't work Uncle Peter somehow seem I Kr i not Peters Peter's voice oice chal- chal Ws W's ged him Merely because you ou f thou thought ht of its is feasibility thought of t. t Wh Why youre you're 4 iY the rest son You cant can't 11 c k 1 constructively Y You u must have have fe dent to hang onto with wih one fore you think out into the I of achievements I t years ago they would ha have hae e I IU jou j i U ou oU up in an asylum it if you vou youit ou red it possible to t tele- tele tele 1 le-I le v 4 VJ 1 ph Vh without wires How was as 5 telephone hooted And Andr I I r t x tor tells us that a large faction facton people declared that I were contrary to the Will iU ill of God Cod who meant that men suffer I When I show you ou the ba back bak here and explain ellain to you OU how hO 1 j w we mean to do it it you'll youl have to ad admit admit ad- ad I mit the simplicity of 01 the thing An Ansi And 1 that's it The ver very simplicity of 01 it I I j 1 has prevented men mep from grasping mep it ft t. t He laughed scornful scornfully What I do ato to-do to about building dam a a they male malke T They must have mae eY government government govern govern- ment backing and political wire wire- pulling and they must fiddle around for years with hundreds of 01 men 1 building a dam up from rom bedrock g with cement and stone stoie Want Vant Until until un Un- til tl I I Show you rou W what t we mean un-I un to todo todo do o. o Simplest thing in the world world- since sine we dont don't want waat canals for irrigation ili- ili gation and only want to get at the river below Even if i we wo did want to divert dhert the water instead of restraInIng restraining restraining re re- re- re straining it only oaly We ve e build lour our canals Just the same and at It our ourI I r I leisure I But Iut ut its it's all al desert e abo and be be- be i low Already lv Iv Ive I've bought on any ony little rancher out that might have his land flooded when wo vc build our ou dam Peter laughed again tri tri- I Ill Ill arrange to get possession before before were we're ready to toI back baek up the water water- Will Wi the the r government go allow alow I that Rawley's tono tone tono was troubled So great a hold hol had Peters Peter's argument argument ment taken upon him that he found I himself fearing that the government might object object I Peter I gave a contemptuous start Give us a chance to rake the gold told out of the river bed below here and we can pay py whatever fine or inI indemnity in in- I the government may see fit ft to lev levy he lie retorted But wh why should it i object Well We'll Wel be saving the folks away down below here nere a alor alot lot lor of trouble and loss from high water They've been howling for flood control ever since the Imperial ImperialI I valley aHey began to td be settled The dams clams th they've y e got got dont don't dont answer the problem Sooner or later the government gov gov- or somebody will have to put a dam in the river rl er up this way say The They will wi be mighty might grateful I should sa say If Jf we do It i at at atour our own f expense while they're talking about lt It Then if IL 1 the they want to they can I pay us for our trouble and go ahead I and build their canals or power plants or whatever they want want All Al we want is the gold that has has been ben washed down during a few thou- thou send years He lifted his arm and pointed down to where the river could dimly be seen moiling and I grumbling over its is rocky bed You see how rocky it is FIgUre FigUre Figure Fig FIg- ure for tor yourself what a perfect trap I for gold every bowlder makes maes And there Is gold You ou dont don't deny that do you ou Why hy no no I cant can't deny the very vey very probable presence of gold in in considerable considerable con con- quantity This being rather in the nature of a a. professional question queston Hawley Rawley ly leaned toward conservatism in I his rell reply Well Wel that's thal s our our- our object We Ve feel feelis its it's is i's going to be worth the expense of building the dam da Other people ma may possibly want to make make- use of our dam when they see it it In that i case we should be po e able to get back a at least east what mone money thoney we are gol going g I to put into It Well We'll know knowS to a adolar dolar dollar Nevada e has got the education education edu edu- cation caton and training the rest of us I lack and nd can tell tel us tS at a e minutes minute's notice just what the work worl Is costing costing costing cost cost- ing us That's her job And Old less ieee has signed a a a contract for forus us three The Idea was yas his In the first pi place ace and the claims that produced the he gold to ta to do do dothe the work win with are his most his most of ot them He lie le gets halt halt ofal of all al the world we take out We repay repay re- re pay pay out of our share one-half one the expense of building the dam darn and the three of us share equal equally in inthe inthe inthe the rest In other words words I I suppose suppose suppose sup sup- pose Ive I've Ive put it i clumsily clumsily he he he takes akes half the net proceeds we divide the theother theother theother other half haI And since we inherit at his death we we are all al satisfied He stood up and smiled down at Rawley Hawley in the half halt darkness o of oC early night So Sc So you ou see son wh why I wont won't need any of that gold you ou and the Injun are looking for I expect to tobe tobe tobe be pretty well wel fixed led m myself before so very long CHAPTER FIFTEEN The Land of Splendid Dreams For days Rawley watched the I might of the rushing Colorado Colorado and wondered at the temerity of ot men who would calmly plan to check its is headlong progress to the sea A splendid dream he was compelled to own awn a dream worthy a better betterman betterman betterman man than old Jess ess Cramer But I every man must have one vision of great things durIn during his life else he would lack Jack the spark of Immortal Immortal- I i ity He ma may o distort the vision to based depths but to each life is given n one dream one glimpse Into I the realm relm of beautiful possibilities So Jess Cramer had dreamed his dream had seen his vision and h had d held aside the curtain so that others might see It Interested Hawley Rawley in his hs days days' of helplessness to observe e the re reactions re- re actions of that dream upon the di diverse diverse dl- dl verse natures that dwelt within the basin Old Od Jess Cramer had be- be beI I tome rome a vulture in human form forn his his' I whole soul saul enslaved by the greed I fostered D by his individual con conception concep- concep eption ep- ep i tion ton of the vi vision ion Hawley Rawley could look at the river and ana ant picture Old Jess down in its is slimy bed of mud nud Dud I Ibars bars rocks and groping streamlets wildly scrabbling amongst gravel graveland graveland graveland and stones for the gold his in insatiable insatiable In- In satiable soul craved He pictured Old Od Jess gloating over his gold weighing it in his hands stupidly goggling without the wit i to give it for what hat pleasures his spent old life le could still sti enjoy Young Jess too had pulled the I splendid vision down to his dull dul un un- un- un Young Jess low sullen would like to throw the gold gol with both hands into the I I lap of brutish gratifications Young Jess was a gambler by by- by nature Rawley Rw Raw Raw- ley gleaned He must never be let loose in jn a town because he would have to be hauled out In a drunken torpor his is pockets empty his credit strain U his soul fresh blot blotted tea by vice Young Jess had sprees ess from Gladys Gadys Hawley Rawley learned that So Young Jess was as kept on a leash of ot family watchfulness When we make our big cleanup Glad Gladys s 's conf d from the bench on an I Ithe the screened porch her bab baby nursing nurs- nurs nurs-I nurs trig ing InA desultorily in its sleep Jess Tess has gotta gota give gle me mc half of af his share fast I as he rakes it in in Im I'm Im going to I ha have V Peter Petel see t he lie does that that that-or that that-or or orwell well we'll wel be broke agin agm in no time timp Im I'm Im going to put it I it where he cant can't git I his fingers on It to gamble you bet And And he he runs with wih women women- women women-I that sure makes the money fly fb I But I guess they'll be two t two of us at that she tittered I aint so old 1 j yet I cant can't git gt up some speed speed give speed g gP P me some decent clothes clothEs and dia- dia i monds Im I'm Im Im going to Salt Lake rake an anIm I Im I'm Im going to have m me the biggest I Icar car they is on the market My Iy folks folts jis j is got gat a car down at Needles Needles- I IAnita Anita Anit Hawley Anita Rawley was as long bug in learning learning learning learn learn- ing what was Anitas Anita's AnIt's bright particular particular par par- vision One da day he asked her outright since he could not nat lead her to talk about her expectations tons in a genera general way ay And straightway he was humbled and ashamed Anita looked at him stolidly turned her great bulk and stared down at tho the river hurrying by Inthe in inthe inthe the midday sunlight She lifted a hand to her eyes an and stared out from beneath the flat of ot her brown palm Gol if Gol I Gol if it can bu buy me back back back- bae- bae I have love tings love tings I have havelos' havelos havelos' havelos havelos' havelos los' los long time ago she ebe murmured Gol i Gor it it dont don't buy bUy young bod body |