On March 19, the penultimate year of the last century, the postman delivered a letter to Jacques-Cartier Avenue in Montreal, and sent a letter to Mr. Sammy Skin to No. 29. The letter said: Mr. Snabbing greeted Mr. Sammy Skinning and asked him to come to his office at once to discuss a matter concerning him. For what purpose did the notary want to see Mr. Sammy Skinner?Mr. Skinn knew Snabin as well as everyone in Montreal, and he was a good man, a reliable and prudent adviser.Born in Canada, he leads the best firms in the city.The firm was owned 60 years ago by Nick the Notary of Chico, whose real name was Nicolas Sagamore.The ancestral notary was so patriotic that he was involved in a terrible incident which caused great repercussions in 1837.

Mr. Sammy Skin was surprised when he received the letter from Snabbing the notary.He immediately left for the appointment.Half an hour later he was in the Good Relief Market and was ushered into the notary's office. "Good day, Mr. Skin," said the notary, rising, "permit me to greet you..." "My regards to you, too," replied Sammy Skin, sitting down near the desk. "Mr. Skinner, you are the first to come to the appointment..." "The first one, Mr. Snabbing? . . . I was not the only one, then, to be summoned to your office?" "Your cousin, Mr. Ben Rado," replied the notary, "must have received a letter exactly as you have received."

"Then, instead of saying 'certainly received', say 'will receive'," Sammy Skinn stated, "Ben Rado is not in Montreal at all at the moment." "Will he be back soon?" asked Mr. Snabbing. "Come back in three or four days." "Oops!" "Is what you want to communicate to us urgent?" "In a certain sense, yes," replied the notary; "in any case, I will tell you the matter, and I beg you to convey it to Mr. Ben Rado as soon as he returns." The notary put on his spectacles, rummaged through the papers spread out on the table, took out a letter from an envelope, and before reading its contents he asked:

"Mr. Skin, Mr. Rado and you, are you really the nephews of Josiah Lacoste?" "It is true that my mother and Ben Rado's mother were both his sisters. However, after their deaths seven or eight years ago, all contact with my uncle was cut off. Questions of interest separated us, He left Canada and went to Europe... To put it simply, we haven't heard from him since then, and we don't know how he is now..." "He is dead," announced Mr. Snabin. "I have just received word that he died on the 16th of February." Although Josiah Lacoste had been cut off from all relations with the family for a long time, the news still touched Sammy Skin.Both his cousin Ben Rado and he had lost their parents, and they were only children, so there was only this cousin relationship that was strengthened by brotherhood.Now, Sammy Skin thought, it was just him and Ben Rado in the family.They tried many times to find out the whereabouts of their uncle, and expressed regret that his uncle had cut off contact with them.They hoped to see him again in the future, and his death solved the problem in a negative way.

Josiah Lacoste was born emotionally withdrawn, but had always been very adventurous.It's been 20 years since he left Canada to travel the world and make his fortune.He was single and had a little inheritance which he hoped to increase in speculative business.Has his wish come true?Maybe broke because of his notorious risk-taking?His sole heir: will his nephews inherit a sliver of his inheritance? In truth, Sammy Skine had never thought of such things, much less now that he was mourning the loss of the last of his relatives. Mr. Snabbing left his visitor alone for a while, waiting for the latter to ask the questions he was about to answer.

"Mr. Snabbing," asked Sammy Skinning, "did our uncle die on the 16th of February?" "It's February 16th, Mr Skinner." "It's been 29 days?..." "Twenty-nine days indeed. That's how long it took me to get the news." "So our uncle is in Europe... somewhere far away deep in Europe?" asked Sammy Skin. "That is not the case," replied the notary. He handed over the envelope with the head of the Canadian on the postage stamp. "You and Mr. Ben Rado have inherited an American uncle, a very American uncle, as the Europeans say. Now, does the American uncle have all the traditional features of the role? That Need clarification!"

"So," said Sammy Skin, "he's in Canada and we don't know anything about it?" "Yes, he's in Canada. But in the most remote places, on the border that separates our country from Alaska, the commute there is slow and inconvenient." "Mr. Snabbin, Klondike, I suppose?" "Yes, the Klondike. Your uncle made his home there about ten months ago." "Ten months," Sammy Skin repeated, "he crossed America to go to that mine without even thinking of going to Montreal to see his nephews!  …" "What do you want?" replied the notary, "probably like thousands of people, Mr. Josiah Lacoste is anxious to get to the Klondike... I mean like thousands of people." Burned sick with gold, the gold rush has taken and will take countless victims! From all corners of the world to the gold placers. After Australia comes California, after California, after the Transvaal It's the Klondike, and after the Klondike there are other gold fields, and so on until the Last Judgment... I mean the day the last deposits are exhausted!"

Mr. Snabbin now told Sammy Skinner all he knew.It was early 1897, and Josiah Lacoste landed in Dawson City, the capital of the Klondike, with the essential equipment of a prospector.Attention has been drawn to the area since gold was discovered in July 1896 in the Gold End River, a tributary of the Hunter River.In the second year, Josiah Lacoste came to the area where miners had flocked, intending to use the little money he had left to buy a plot for mining.Sure enough, a few days after his arrival, Lot 129 on the Forty Mile River, a tributary of the Yukon, the great river that flows through Canada and Alaska, came to him.

Mr Snabin added: "Besides, according to a letter from the governor of the Klondike to me, that land does not seem to have endowed Josiah Lacoste with the fortune he had hoped to this day. He does not seem, however, to be discouraged if he had not He died suddenly, and your uncle may finally get the wealth he hoped for?" "So my uncle didn't die of poverty?" asked Sammy Skin. "No," replied the notary, "there is nothing in the letter to say that he has reached this state. He died of typhoid fever, which is so terrible in that climate, and which has killed many people." Lakos Mr. Tet had left that place after contracting the disease, and he died in Dawson City. As it was known that his origin was in Montreal, the Governor wrote to me asking me to search for his family and send Inform them of his death. Mr. Ben Rado and you--Mr. Skin, are so well-known, I mean so famous, in Montreal, that I venture to invite you both to my office to inform Your rights from the dead."

right!Sammy Skin gave an unhappy, slightly sarcastic smile.He thought of what life Josiah Lacoste must have been like in the course of such a hard and toilful development... Maybe he bought the lot at a high price and invested the last of his money in it, like so many imprudent What about the prospectors? ... Did he die with a lot of debts and couldn't get out of it? . . . After thinking this way, Sammy Skinn said to the notary: "Mr. Snabbing, our uncle may have left a debt... Then I can assure you on my cousin's behalf that he will not disagree with me and that we will not tarnish the honor of my mother's family. We Will not hesitate to make any sacrifice...so make a list ASAP..."

"My dear sir, I am interrupting you here," interposed the notary, "I know you as a person, and this feeling of yours does not surprise me. I do not think, however, that you should be expected. Although your uncle died without making a fortune, please don't forget that he was the owner of the land in Shishilihe, the value of which can meet all the expenses necessary for inheritance, if there are such expenses .Since you and your cousin Ben Rado are the only relations of succession to Josiah Lacoste, the land belongs to you and is inseparable between you and your cousin .” Mr Snabin added: "Caution should be exercised.Inheritance is only accepted if it is listed.To make a list of assets and liabilities, the heir should have a good idea of ​​what to do. "I'll take care of the matter, Mr. Skinn," said the notary at last, "and get the most reliable information... After all, who knows? . . . A plot is a plot! Even if it has nothing yet Or produce almost nothing... as the prospectors say: a lucky pick can bring big wallets..." "Well, Mr. Snabbing," replied Sammy Skinning, "if there is any value in Uncle's land, we'll get the best price we can get off of it." "Perhaps," agreed the notary; "I hope you and your cousin agree on this." "I believe so," replied Sammy Skin. "I don't think it would have occurred to Ben Rado to run his own business..." "Hey! Who knows? Mr. Skinner, Ben Rado is an engineer, a daring, adventurous fellow... He might be tempted! . . . If, for example, he learns that your uncle's plot is in On a good lode..." "I assure you, Mr. Snabbing, he won't go there! Besides, he's back here in three or four days. . . . The first is to sell the Forty Mile River parcel to the highest bidder, and the second is to repay the debt left by our uncle Josiah Lacoste, and I think the second is more likely." Having reached this pessimistic conclusion, Sammy Skin left the notary's office, postponed his next visit for two or three days, and then returned to the apartment he shared with his cousin in the Rue Jacques-Cartier. Sammy Skinn's father was Anglo-Saxon and his mother was French-Canadian.His family, dating back to the time of the 1759 conquest, settled in the Montreal region of Lower Canada, where they owned a large estate: woods, land and pastures, which made up the vast majority of the family estate. Sammy Skin was thirty-two years old, above average height, with good features, dark blue eyes, a fair beard, a strong physique accustomed to the clean air of the fields, and inherited from his mother a very personal French-Canadian style. , very friendly features.He lived on his property, without cares or ambitions; he lived the life of a gentleman-lander in the privileged district of Dominion.His modest fortune enabled him to gratify his modest interests, and he never felt any desire or need to enlarge it.He was an avid fisherman, and owned a network of areas, including the tributaries and sub-tributaries of the Saint-Laurent, not counting the numerous lakes of northern America.He was also a keen hunter, and could hunt freely on the vast plains and game-infested forests; the great part of this part of Canada is plains and forests. The modest home owned by the two cousins ​​is located in one of Montreal's quietest neighborhoods, away from the heart of industry and commerce.There the two spent Canada's harsh winters (despite its latitude being the same as southern Europe's) while anxiously awaiting the start of the better season. However, the terrible winds, unobstructed by any mountains, carry the bitter cold of the Arctic region, and here they rage with extraordinary ferocity and freedom. The city of Montreal, the seat of government since 1843, would have provided Sammy Skin with an opportunity to dabble in public service.However, he is very independent in character, looks down on officials, has little contact with the high society composed of officials, and hates politics very much.In addition, he was willing to submit to the rule of the British Empire more than it was in reality, and never took a position in the parties that divided Dominion.All in all, he is a philosopher who is happy with the situation and has no ambitions. From his point of view, any changes in his life can only bring about worry, annoyance, and a decrease in the quality of life. It will be understood: the philosopher never considered marriage, and will continue to do so, despite his thirty-two years of age.Perhaps, had his mother been alive—and you know how women like to see the continuation of their lives in their grandchildren—perhaps he would have made the necessary effort to find a wife for her.If so, there can be no doubt that Sammy Skin's wife has the same tastes as he does.In many Canadian families there were often more than two dozen children; he could find an ordinary, healthy young girl in town or in the country that suited him.But Mrs Skinn died five years ago, three years after her husband died.Since then, we can safely bet that the desire to marry never crossed his mind again. When the earlier sun heralded the beginning of the better season and the frigid weather was just warming up, Sammy Skin couldn't wait to leave his home on the Rue Jacques-Cartier for the 20 miles north of Montreal to St. —A farm in the Green Valley on the left bank of the Laurent River.There he resumed the country life which had been interrupted by the severe winter which froze all the streams and carpeted the plains with a thick blanket of snow.There he lived again among his farm workers, honest men who had worked for the family for half a century.Their true love and devotion to their good master endured every test; for the master was gentle and helpful, even if he had to do it himself.Therefore they expressed unreserved joy when he came, and great regret when he left. The annual income of Green Valley's property is 30,000 francs, which is divided equally between the two brothers. This property is as indivisible as the house in Montreal.Most of the land here is very fertile, growing forage and grain; in addition to the income in the field, there is also income in the lush woods.There are forests everywhere in Dominion, especially in the east.The farm has a complete set of well-equipped and well-maintained buildings: stables, barns, cattle pens, chicken pens, warehouses, and complete and advanced agricultural machinery that can meet all the needs of modern agriculture.At the entrance to a large fenced-in lawn and tree-lined grounds stood a large house, simple and comfortable, which was the master's dwelling. In this house Sammy Skinn lived the best years of his life, and Ben Rado came only for a few days in the good season.The former at least would not have traded it for whichever of America's most capacious, seigneurial castles.Austere as it is, it is enough for him; he desires neither to enlarge nor beautify it, but to be content with the convenience which nature affords.Here he hunts by day and sleeps well at night, and the days go by. "Content with happiness", that's how the motto advises.Sammy Skin was quite rich from the income of the land, and he had a cleverness and a way of making it work.But if he didn't want his property to dwindle, he didn't think about increasing its value at all.He had no desire to get involved in any one of the businesses which, in the bustle of the American continent, were innumerable and endless: commercial and industrial speculation, railroads, banks, mining, shipping companies, or other things.This reasonable man dreads all danger, even chance.Having to weigh good or bad luck, feeling swayed by possibilities that you can neither stop nor predict, waking up in the morning thinking: Am I richer or poorer than I was yesterday? ... He finds all of the above repulsive, and he would rather: either, never fall asleep, or never wake up. This is the very obvious difference between the two cousins.They were born of two sisters, and the blood of the French nation was in their veins, there can be no doubt about it.But Sammy Skinn's father was Anglo-Saxon, Ben Rado's father was American; there is certainly a difference between the Brit and the Yankee, which has grown over time .If Jonathan and John Bull were related, they were already close relatives.And, it seems that this kinship will eventually disappear entirely. Whether the reason for their distinct characters was different origins or some other reason, it is certain that they were very united and determined never to part; notwithstanding their divergent interests and temperaments. Ben Radow was four years younger than Skinn and a little shorter.He is black-haired, black-bearded, and has a completely different outlook on life than Skinn.One was content with the life of a wealthy landowner, overseeing his harvest; the other was enthusiastic about the industrial movement of the time.Rado has completed his studies as an engineer and has already taken part in several ambitious projects.The Americans attempted to lead the way with these engineering darings and daring in their implementation.At the same time, he also longed for wealth.Not the well-off of our millionaires, but the flowing gold of American billionaires.The immense wealth of the Goulds, the Astors, the Vanderbilts, the Rockefellers, the Carnegies, the Morgans, and many others stimulated his mind greatly.He dreamed of these strange chances that would get you into the temple of God in a few days and knock you out of it sometimes in a few hours; so Sammy Skinn only went out to get to the Green Valley, Ben Ra Traveled around America a few times, crossed the Atlantic, visited parts of Europe, but never took the slightest chance.He has just returned from a trip abroad recently.When he got back, he didn't rest for a minute, tirelessly spying on the big deals he could be a part of. This disparity in interest was a serious problem with Sammy Skin.He was always worried that Bin Lado would walk away from him, or at least drown the few fortunes that ensured the freedom and independence of the two of them in risky ventures. This is the subject of constant debate between the two brothers. "But, Ben," said Sammy, "what's the use of racking your brains about what you'd call grand business?" "It can make a man rich, very rich, Sammy," Ben Rado replied. "Hey, cousin, what's the use of being so rich? You don't need so much money to live a happy life in Green Valley. What do you use so much money for?" "A new career, a more important career, cousin." "What is the purpose?……" "Make more money and invest it in bigger things." "Is this going on?" "continue on." "Perhaps till death?" said Sammy Skin, sarcastically. "Until death, Sammy," concluded Ben Rado coolly.Meanwhile, his cousin was speechless, throwing his arms up in frustration.

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