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explainin' it gin'rally。 Do you sabe？〃
The master nodded； and Uncle Ben drew from his desk a rude
portfolio made from the two covers of a dilapidated atlas； and took
from between them a piece of blotting…paper； which through
inordinate application had acquired the color and consistency of a
slate； and a few pages of copy…book paper； that to the casual
glance looked like sheets of exceedingly difficult music。
Surveying them with a blending of chirographic pride； orthographic
doubt； and the bashful consciousness of a literary amateur； he
traced each line with a forefinger inked to the second joint； and
slowly read aloud as follows：
〃'Mr。 Ford； Teacher。
〃'DEAR SIR；Yours of the 12th rec'd and contents noted。'〃 （〃I
did'nt；〃 explained Uncle Ben parenthetically； 〃receive any letter
of yours； but I thought I might heave in that beginning from copy
for practice。 The rest is ME。〃） 〃'In refference to my having
munney；〃' continued Uncle Ben reading and pointing each word as he
read； 〃'and being able to buy Ditch Stocks an' Land'〃
〃One moment；〃 said Mr。 Ford interrupting； 〃I thought you were going
to leave out copy。 Come to what you have to say。〃
〃But I HEVthis is all real now。 Hold on and you'll see；〃 said
Uncle Ben。 He resumed with triumphant emphasis：
〃'When it were gin'rally allowed that I haddent a red cent； I want
to explain to you Mister Ford for the first time a secret。 This
here is how it was done。 When I first came to Injian Spring； I
settled down into the old Palmetto claim； near a heap of old
taillings。 Knowin' it were against rools； and reg'lar Chinyman's
bizness to work them I diddn't let on to enyboddy what I didwitch
wos to turn over some of the quarts what I thought was likely and
Orrifferus。 Doing this I kem uppon some pay ore which them
Palmetto fellers had overlookt； or more likely had kaved in uppon
them from the bank onknown。 Workin' at it in od times by and
large； sometimes afore sun up and sometimes after sundown； and all
the time keeping up a day's work on the clame for a show to the
boys； I emassed a honist fortun in 2 years of 50；000 dolers and
still am。 But it will be askd by the incredjulos Reeder How did
you never let out anything to Injian Spring； and How did you get
rid of your yeald？ Mister Ford； the Anser is I took it twist a
month on hoss back over to La Port and sent it by express to a bank
in Sacramento； givin' the name of Daubigny； witch no one in La Port
took for me。 The Ditch Stok and the Land was all took in the same
name； hens the secret was onreviled to the General Eyestop a
minit；'〃 he interrupted himself quickly as the master in an
accession of impatient scepticism was about to break in upon him；
〃it ain't all。〃 Then dropping his voice to a tremulous and almost
funereal climax； he went on：
〃'Thus we see that pashent indurstry is Rewarded in Spite of Mining
Rools and Reggylashuns； and Predgudisses agin Furrin Labor is
played out and fleeth like a shad…or contenueyeth not long in One
Spot； and that a Man may apear to be off no Account and yet Emass
that witch is far abov rubles and Fadith not Away。
〃'Hoppin' for a continneyance
〃'of your fevors I remain；
〃'Yours to command；
〃'BENJ D'AUBIGNY。〃'
The gloomy satisfaction with which Uncle Ben regarded this
perorationa satisfaction that actually appeared to be equal to
the revelation itselfonly corroborated the master's indignant
doubts。
〃Come；〃 he said； impulsively taking the paper from Uncle Ben's
reluctant hand； 〃how much of this is a concoction of yours and
Rupe'sand how much is a true story？ Do you really mean？〃
〃Hold on； Mr。 Ford！〃 interrupted Uncle Ben； suddenly fumbling in
the breast…pocket of his red shirt； 〃I reckoned on your being a
little hard with me； remembering our first talk 'bout these things
so I allowed I'd bring you some proof。〃 Slowly extracting a long
legal envelope from his pocket； he opened it； and drew out two or
three crisp certificates of stock； and handed them to the master。
〃Ther's one hundred shares made out to Benj Daubigny。 I'd hev
brought you over the deed of the land too； but ez it's rather hard
to read off…hand； on account of the law palaver； I've left it up at
the shanty to tackle at odd times by way of practising。 But ef you
like we'll go up thar； and I'll show it to you。〃
Still haunted by his belief in Uncle Ben's small duplicities； Mr。
Ford hesitated。 These were certainly bona fide certificates of
stock made out to 〃Daubigny。〃 But he had never actually accepted
Uncle Ben's statement of his identity with that person； and now it
was offered as a corroboration of a still more improbable story。
He looked at Uncle Ben's simple face slightly deepening in color
under his scrutinyperhaps with conscious guilt。
〃Have you made anybody your confidant？ Rupe； for instance？〃 he
asked significantly。
〃In course not；〃 replied Uncle Ben with a slight stiffening of
wounded pride。 〃On'y yourself； Mr。 Ford； and the young feller
Stacey from the bankez was obligated to know it。 In fact； I wos
kalkilatin' to ask you to help me talk to him about that yer
boundary land。〃
Mr。 Ford's scepticism was at last staggered。 Any practical joke or
foolish complicity between the agent of the bank and a man like
Uncle Ben was out of the question； and if the story were his own
sole invention； he would have scarcely dared to risk so accessible
and uncompromising a denial as the agent had it in his power to
give。
He held out his hand to Uncle Ben。 〃Let me congratulate you；〃 he
said heartily； 〃and forgive me if your story really sounded so
wonderful I couldn't quite grasp it。 Now let me ask you something
more。 Have you had any reason for keeping this a secret； other
than your fear of confessing that you violated a few bigoted and
idiotic mining ruleswhich； after all； are binding only upon
sentimentand which your success has proved to be utterly
impractical？〃
〃There WAS another reason； Mr。 Ford；〃 said Uncle Ben； wiping away
an embarrassed smile with the back of his hand； 〃that is； to be
square with you； WHY I thought of consultin' you。 I didn't keer to
have McKinstry； and〃he added hurriedly； 〃in course Harrison； too；
know that I bought up the title to thur boundary。〃
〃I understand；〃 nodded the master。 〃I shouldn't think you would。〃
〃Why shouldn't ye？〃 asked Uncle Ben quickly。
〃WellI don't suppose you care to quarrel with two passionate
men。〃
Uncle Ben's face changed。 Presently； however； with his hand to his
face； he managed to manipulate another smile； only it appeared for
the purpose of being as awkwardly wiped away。
〃Say ONE passionate man； Mr。 Ford。〃
〃Well； one if you like；〃 returned the master cheerfully。 〃But for
the matter of that； why any？ Comedo you mind telling me why you
bought the land at all？ You know it's of little value to any but
McKinstry and Harrison。〃
〃Soppose；〃 said Uncle Ben slowly； with a great affectation of
wiping his ink…spotted desk with his sleeve； 〃soppose that I had
got kinder tired of seein' McKinstry and Harrison allus fightin'
and scrimmagin' over their boundary line。 Soppose I kalkilated
that it warn't the sort o' thing to induce folks to settle here。
Soppose I reckoned that by gettin' the real title in my hands I'd
have the deadwood on both o' them； and settle the thing my own way；
eh？〃
〃That certainly was a very laudable intention；〃 returned Mr。 Ford；
observing Uncle Ben curiously； 〃and from what you said just now
about one passionate man； I suppose you have determined already WHO
to favor。 I hope your public spirit will be appreciated by Indian
Spring at leastif it isn't by those two men。〃
〃You lay low and keep dark and you'll see；〃 returned his companion
with a hopefulness of speech which his somewhat anxious eagerness
however did not quite bear out。 〃But you're not goin' yet；
surely；〃 he added； as the master again absently consulted his
watch。 〃It's on'y half past four。 It's true thar ain't any more
to tell；〃 he added simply； 〃but I had an idea that you might hev
took to this yer little story of mine more than you 'pear to be；
and might be askin' questions and kinder bedevlin' me with jokes ez
to what I was goin' to doand all that。 But p'raps it don't seem
so wonderful to you arter all。 Come to think of itsquarely now；〃
he said； with a singular despondency； 〃I'm rather sick of it
myselfeh？〃
〃My dear old boy；〃 said Ford； grasping both his hands； with a swift
revulsion of shame at his own utterly selfish abstraction； 〃I am
overjoyed at your good luck。 More than that； I can say honestly；
old fellow； that it couldn't have fallen in more worthy hands； or
to any one whose good fortune would have pleased me more。 There！
And if I've been slow and stupid in taking it in； it is because
it's so w