"
"But surely the mines must have been worked out ages ago."
"Only on the surface."
Kirk laughed.
"How do you mean, only on the surface? Explain. I don't know a thing
about gold, except that getting it out of picture-dealers is like
getting blood out of a turnip."
"It's simple enough. The earth hoards its gold in two ways. There's
auriferous rock and auriferous dirt. If the stuff is in the rock, you
crush it. If it's in the dirt, you wash it."
"It sounds simple."
"It is. The difficult part is finding it."
"And you have done that?"
"I have. Or I'm practically certain I have. At any rate, I know that I
have discovered the ditches made by the Spaniards three hundred years
ago. If there was gold there in those days there is apt to be gold
there now. Only it isn't on the surface any longer. They cleaned up as
far as the surface is concerned, so I have to sink shafts and dig
tunnels."
"I see. It isn't so simple as it used to be."
"It is, practically, if you have any knowledge of mining."
"Well, what's your trouble?" asked Kirk. "Why did you come back? Why
aren't you out there grabbing it with both hands and getting yourself
into shape to be a walking gold-mine to your friends? I don't like to
see this idle spirit in you, Hank."
Hank smoked long and thoughtfully.
"Kirk," he said suddenly.
Pages:
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156