Part 23 (1/2)
There are many technicalities to be observed before a claim belongs indubitably and for all time to the man who occupies it. A ”discovery”
of certain specification must be made; the measurements and stakes must conform to definite regulations; the development work must be carried on and reported according to the letter of the law; and so in a dozen other trivialities which the miner is like to honor only in the most general fas.h.i.+on. But Billy's requirements were all fulfilled. The claims were undoubtedly his in the fullest sense of the word. At present he could not be deprived of them legally; and as it was no part of Lafond's scheme to allow Billy even the smallest comfort of self-pity when his humiliation came, he did not care even to consider the possibilities of chicanery.
The only glimmer of light he could discern lay in the chance that something might offer at the time of the transference of the property from Billy to the Eastern capitalists. This was the inspiration that had occurred to him in Durand's cabin. He had come to know Billy's sanguine temperament, his enthusiastic predilection for seeing things rose-hued, and he thought it very possible that the Westerner's representations to the capitalists might not bear too searching a.n.a.lysis. Overpraise of property might easily be construed as false representation. Too graphic a description of natural advantages might easily be twisted into an attempt to obtain money under false pretences. A skilful man might be able to discredit Billy so far that the transaction would fall through; and with the failure of this sale, on which the hopes of Billy's companions were built, the promoter's prestige would collapse entirely.
With this sketch of a plan in mind, Lafond applied himself diligently to acquiring a thorough knowledge of the property. That, at least, was not difficult. All he had to do was to go to Billy, and say, ”Look here, Knapp, they tell me you've got quite an outfit here. Show me around, won't you?” The Westerner was only too glad of the opportunity to expatiate. He took Lafond down every prospect shaft, over every surface indication. He explained them all minutely. When he had finished, he gave Lafond carefully selected samples from all of the vein fillings. The half-breed told him he wanted them for the purposes of exhibition.
”I got a first cla.s.s shelf down in the Nugget,” he said; ”an' I think if we'd jest put a line of samples along it from all the claims, and label 'em, it would be a pretty good 'ad,' don't you?”
Billy did. So the two ”sampled” as carefully as for an a.s.say test in the School of Mines at Rapid. About half of the result Lafond exhibited as he had suggested, but the rest he preserved carefully for a.s.say tests of his own.
To be sure, Billy had quite freely shown him his own official tests made at the School of Mines, but Lafond wanted his information more direct. He could not doubt the accuracy of the reports. But there was always a possibility that the sampling had not been fairly done. He was sure of these other ”averages,” for he had helped take them. He liked to have things under his own eye, and it was for this reason he had first suggested to Durand that he would like to take lessons in the art of a.s.saying.
At first he had intended to use the old entomologist merely as a convenience, but later, as he became more intimate with the man through his work, he actually began to entertain for him a friends.h.i.+p--his first in over fifteen years. With all men he had been friendly; with none had he been friends. Here he proved a really generous emotion, opening his heart to the soft influences of affection and memory, allowing himself in this one instance an intimacy absolutely without ulterior motive. It all dated from the first day, when a chance question of Durand's touched the springs of the half-breed's youth.
They had adjourned that afternoon to the workshop, where Durand built a charcoal fire in a little furnace and gathered about him a choice a.s.sortment of curious implements. After the furnace was well heated, he roasted the ore Lafond had brought with him, heating it through and through, until finally the fumes of sulphur, antimony and a.r.s.enic ceased to arise from the chalk-lined iron basin. While the process was going forward Durand explained pleasantly the various steps of the chemical change, interspersing much extraneous information--as, for instance, how Winkler, Tcheffkin and Merrick claim that there is here a loss of gold, which Crookes denies--to all of which Michal Lafond lent but an inattentive ear. He was little interested in theory; but observing the old man's delight in the scientific aspect of the experiment, he feigned corresponding pleasure on his own part.
Then they spread a flux of granulated lead over a crucible, in appropriate juxtaposition with the roasted ore. For nearly two hours it was fused; and as there was nothing to do until the slag of impurities had formed about the bright metal in the centre, the men talked much to each other while waiting.
When the ore was completely fused, Durand seized the result in a pair of forceps. With a small hammer he broke away the great ma.s.ses of clotted slag. A small bright metal b.u.t.ton remained.
”This is the lead, the silver and the gold,” explained Durand, ”and it is here that we exercise care. All else is as child's play.”
He flattened the b.u.t.ton on an anvil, and cut it into several pieces.
These he placed in the little porous vessels made of compressed bone ash, called cupels, which had been slowly heating in the furnace. The surface of the lead filmed over. In a moment it turned bright. Then fumes began to arise.
Durand's attention became fixed. His hand was constantly at the furnace valve, admitting or excluding more air according as he desired the temperature to rise or fall.
”It is this which is difficult,” he explained from the corner of his mouth. ”If the heat is too great, some precious metal escapes with the lead. If the heat is too little, the lead is not all driven away.”
Lafond was attentive enough to this. He desired above all the practical knowledge.
”Observe the fumes,” said Durand; ”that is the true test. When they whirl above the molten metal, then is everything well. When the fumes do creep slowly like the mist on a stream, then the heat is not sufficient. If, on the other hand, they do rise straight upward, then it is necessary to reduce the heat at once.”
After a time the remaining impurities, under Durand's skilful manipulation, were absorbed by the cupels. The little vessels were drawn from the furnace and placed to one side to cool. A small yellow b.u.t.ton was finally detached with pincers.
”That then is the gold!” cried Lafond.
”And silver,” corrected Durand gently. He weighed the b.u.t.ton with great care. Then with nitric acid he ate out the silver. The result was weighed. The a.s.say was finished. By comparing the weights of the original ore, the cupelled b.u.t.ton and the final product, statistics were obtained.
The men drew a long sigh of relief now that the task was quite finished.
”It is hard work,” observed Durand.
”It is very good of you to take so much trouble for me,” replied Lafond, for the sake of politeness.
”I like you,” explained the old man simply, ”because you speak French and because there is something in your face that shows that you too have been wronged, and that perhaps, like myself, in your youth you have been light-hearted and were loved by maid and man with the love that is given the reckless--and foolish,” he concluded with a little bitterness.
Inexplicably this appealed to Lafond, so that he almost wept with the sheer joy of it.