Jim Cale rides into the town of Digger.  His brother Charley told Jim of the location of a cache of gold, but Charley is now dead.

Jim sells some gold and tells the town’s people that he has a mine.

Jim then makes a deal with some local Amerinds.  Four men try to follow Jim back to his camp.  The Amerinds shoot down the men, but Jim claims that he did the deed, one on four.

Adventures follow.

 

Extract:

The man rode into the town of Digger.  He was mounted on a large black mule and trailing a very large Percheron pack horse.  The man carried a Winchester rifle, in his hands.  He looked all around, as if he might be expecting trouble.  The man rode to the hitching post in front of the general store.  He dismounted and hitched his animals to the hitching post.  He then removed a saddlebag from the Percheron and walked into the general store.

 

The man walks up to the counter and says, “The sign says that you buy gold.”

 

The man behind the counter says, “If I like what you show me, I can buy gold.  However, you don’t need that rifle in here.”

 

The man says, “The people here, killed my brother.  I’m a careful man.”

 

The man behind the counter asks, “What’s your name”

 

The man says, “Jim Cale.  My brother was Charley Cale.”

 

The man behind the counter says, “I’m Caleb Coulter.  I had no part in the killing of Charley Cale.  Did you come to town to avenge the killing?”

 

Jim states, “I came to town to sell some gold, buy some supplies and go back to my mine.  If I’m left alone, that should do it.  If there are those who want trouble, they’ll find out why I carry a Winchester.”

 

Caleb says, “Well, there’s a law against carrying a gun, here in town.”

 

Jim says, “Well, if that’s a problem, then the Sheriff can take my rifle, right after he pries my cold dead fingers off my Winchester.”

 

Caleb snorts, “A peace loving man, who carries a Winchester and also carries a pistol in an underarm rig.”

 

Jim, steps back from the counter and draws the pistol.  The draw is with such speed that the Peacemaker seems to just appear in his hand.”

 

Caleb sighs, “God created all men equal.  Sam Colt made sure that they stayed that way.”

 

Jim holsters the revolver and laughs, “Some of us are more equal.”

 

Caleb asks, “The way that you handle that Colt, marks you as a gun fighter.”

 

Jim, says, “I’ve done a bit of that.  In self defense, of course.  Now, if I’m left alone, I just run my mine”

 

Caleb says, “There are still a few mines in operation, around here.  However, you aint no miner.”

 

Jim says, “My brother, Charley, sent me a letter telling me where to find a mine that he found, what he called a lost mine.  He said that he discovered an abandoned mine, rich with gold.  He also said that there were those who were after him.  If those who murdered my brother want to find me, they will find me a tougher target than Charley was.”

 

Caleb nods yes and asks, “You have gold to sell?”

 

Jim removes a nugget, from his sack and lays the nugget on the counter.  The nugget is at least the size of a hen’s egg.”

 

Caleb hefts the nugget and says, “Hoo, a nice sized nugget.  Juanita, come out here and watch the counter.  I have some gold to buy.”  Caleb then leads the stranger over to the end of the counter, where he has scales and a small, tin bucket.  Caleb weighs the nugget and writes down the weight.  He then pours water into the tin bucket.  Caleb then drops the nugget into the tin bucket.  The water rises a bit.  Caleb lectures, “The nugget that you have weighs what I would expect a gold nugget of that size to weigh.  The little bucket that I have here has scribes on the inside. The nugget displaces the amount of water that a gold nugget, of that weight should show.  What you have is a genuine gold nugget.  I can tell gold, having weighed, I don’t know how many nuggets or dust.  However, I always make sure.”

 

Jim laughs, “Sounds like a good way to stay in business.”