Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.) -- Fiction; Western stories
"The largest number of honest men that was ever got together in one
bunch," said Pete, "was just an even eleven. Judas Iscariot was the
twelfth. That's the record. For that reason I've always stuck it out that
we ought to have only ten men on a jury, instead of twelve. It seems more
modest, somehow. But suppose we found ten honest men somewheres. It might
be done. I know where there's two right here in Arizona, and I've got my
suspicions of a third--honest about portable property, that is. With
cattle, and the like, they don't have any hard-and-fast rule; just
consider each case on its individual merits. How the case of automobiles
would strike them elder ethics is one dubious problem. Standing still, or
bein' towed, so it might be considered as a wagon, a car would be safe
enough; but proceedin' from hither to yon under its own power--I dunno.
I'll make a note of it. Well, you get the right idea for the first thing.
Honest men wanted; no questions asked. And then what?"
"Money."
"You've said it, kid! We could quitclaim that hill for a million cash
to-morrow--"
"If we had any claim to quit," interrupted Stanley; "and if we could drag
capital out here and rub its nose in our hill."
"That's the word I was feelin' for--capital. It's capital we want,
Stanley--not money. I could get a little money myself down at Tucson.
Them two honest men of mine live there. We used to steal cattle together
down on the Concho--the sheriff and José Benavides and me. I aim to feed
'em a slice of my share, anyway--but what they could put in wouldn't be a
drop in the bucket. We want to go after capital. There's where you come
in. Got any rich friends back East?"
Stan reflected.
"My cousin, Oscar Mitchell, is well-to-do, but hardly what you would call
rich, in this connection," he said. "But he is in touch with some of the
really big men. We could hardly find a better agent to interest capital."
"Will he take the first steps on your bare word--without even a sample or
an assayer's report?"
"Certainly. Why not?"
"Back you go, then. Here's where you come in. I had this in mind,"
declared Johnson, "when I first throwed in with you. I knew we could find
the mine and you'd be needed for bait to attract capital. I rustled a
little expense money at Tucson. Say, I didn't tell you about that.
Listen!"
He recited at length his joyous financial adventures in Tucson.
"But won't your man Marsh tell Zurich about your unruly behavior?" said
Stan at the finish.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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