Chapter 31 Chapter 16 The original plot reappears

Will Ben Lado's depression last long?Unlikely, because he is not of this character.In any case, circumstances did not allow him to react instinctively. Just as the lamps were going on in Dawson City Street, the servant came again to report that a stranger had asked to speak to Mr. Sammy Skin. It was none other than Neruto who came.He did not bring any important news.He just thought Mr. Skin should be informed that Patrick and he could no longer live in the suburban house.The house was closed and Lorrick had been away for more than a month. Lorik is gone, Ben Rado is not surprised.It can be considered that the Canadian foreman has discovered a great opportunity to use his talents.Perhaps he is now prospecting for the original owner.

However, the arrival of Neruto is enough to shatter this rosy idea.Ben Rado rose to his feet, again ready to make quick decisions and take forceful actions. "Neruto!" When the man finished speaking and was about to leave, Ben Rado stopped him. "Mr. Ben?" "Neruto, let's go to Lot 129 tomorrow." "Go to No. 129!" the Indian repeated in amazement. "Yes. It doesn't matter that the houses in the suburbs are closed, because you don't have to sleep tonight." Ben Rado grabbed a handful of bills from the table. "Here's two thousand dollars," said he, "and I'll give you as much as you want. Don't save money, and we'll have a carriage by our door early tomorrow morning in which we can both sit."

"Tomorrow morning!" cried Neruto, "but it's already dark, Mr. Rado!" "To stress, to beg, to threaten, and above all to throw dollars in fistfuls. That's the way to go." Besides, the engineer concluded, "Do whatever you want, as long as the vehicle is ready on time That's it." Neruto sighed. "Let me try, Mr. Rado," he said, running out the door. The Indian had just gone out when Dr. Pilcox came again.Jane told him the news of the two brothers' return.The doctor was still so enthusiastic and funny, and came to express his sincere friendship to them.

As a doctor, he asks about health first. "How are you?..." he asked. "Didn't you see it?" Sammy Skinn answered. "satisfied?" "What do you think!" "I think so," exclaimed the doctor, "what a wonderful trip!" "You are wrong, you are satisfied because you are back..." At this time, Dr. Piercox learned of the twists and turns of the expedition.Knowing the disappointment and suffering.They told the doctor about the arrival of the Texans, their attack, and the engineers who made the volcano erupt, and how all that effort was in vain, because now all but one nugget of gold lay in the Gold Volcano The bottom of the Arctic Ocean.

"Look," said the doctor, "this volcano doesn't know how to vomit in the right direction! . . . Really, it should be given something to induce vomiting!" The emetic the doctor was talking about meant that the Rube River, which fed water into the Gold Volcano, should be diverted. To comfort them, the doctor could only repeat what Sammy Skin had already said to Ben Rado, using a few different medical terms.Sammy said to Ben: "Please think in a philosophical way. Philosophy is the most hygienic thing in the world. Hygiene is health. Health is the best gold nugget!"

Ben Rado wouldn't let him go without asking the doctor about Edith Edgerton.He got nothing.The doctor had told Jane all that he knew, and very little, besides. One day, Edith left suddenly, only promising her to come back before winter.The doctor had no choice but to be content with this assurance, and Ben Rado had to imitate the doctor with a sigh. Before dawn the next morning, a carriage stopped at the door of the hotel.Neruto overachieved.Food, weapons, luggage, everything; not to mention the very comfortable cart and the two strong horses that draw it.When it was daylight, they set off.

If spending a lot of money can temporarily obtain transportation, then money cannot shorten the distance.Last year, it took 3 days to reach plot 129. Today, running this slightly increased distance will certainly not reduce the time. They crossed the Forty Mile River near its confluence at Kudashi Fortress.According to locals, the right bank of the river, near the border, has been absolutely impassable for more than a month.Following these trusted opinions, the four of them decided to cross the river and proceed up the river from the left bank. Along the way, especially in the Kudaxi Fortress, the local people only talked about one topic, which was the land in the upper reaches of the Forty Mile River.Listen to them, recently, there have been major discoveries.The gold mines there are unimaginably rich, and no miner has ever seen such gold mines.

Ben Rado was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot after hearing these miraculous stories, but he could do nothing: the horses were indifferent to his anxiety and did not take a step. At around 1 pm on September 6, they arrived near the border. The area has changed beyond recognition. For the most part, they didn't notice any significant changes.Hitherto they had only admired these views from the right bank; now they were viewing them from the left bank, and nothing seemed to have changed except the angle of observation.Everything is where it was before the disaster of August 5th. However, to Lot 1272 on the right bank that used to be run by Jane Egerton, and across the ridge of the plateau (the mountains come from the northwest and turn opposite Lot 1272, towards the lower reaches of the river, from where they form the After the left bank), the carriage began to descend, and at this time, the situation was very different.They thought that under their feet was the enlarged riverbed that plagued Lot 129, but in front of them was a vast and solid land stretching from both sides of the border, with a total length of about 1 kilometer.On this piece of land, there are densely packed people working everywhere.

The water surface only starts from the south of this piece of land, and it seems that it will be completely restricted to the north and south ends of the original No. 129 plot in the future.The hill that formerly separated the two brothers' property from Jane Egerton's was no longer an obstacle to the river, its front end had disappeared, and the river flowed past it to divide Lot 1272. There are two stone barriers, and then fall from the upper layer to the lower layer, forming a waterfall, and then flow out for about 100 meters, enter the original river bed and flow down until it merges into the Yukon River.

It seemed that only a very limited area had changed: stretching out from either side of the border, the section of the Forty Mile River that had formerly bordered Uncle Josias's land apparently occupied the center of this area. The carriage continued to go downhill along the winding road, and the people in the carriage looked at the scene in front of them in amazement.Is this Lot 129?The ground being developed extends well beyond the accepted boundaries of a lot.Besides, if this is number 129 (they know better than anyone the lucrative payoffs), who does it belong to?Why are the products here recorded on the accounts of Sammy Skin and Ben Rado?Through whom and why?Who recruited and commanded this army of labor?These questions are clamoring and churning up and down in their minds.

Objects became clearer as they approached the lower side of the hill.Ben Rado soon saw four shakers, placed in two groups about 300 meters apart; water was supplied by a steam water pump below.Some 250 workers were at work: busy around the shaker, digging or washing dishes and basins, and they didn't seem to notice the arrival of visitors. When the carriage entered the working face, one of them left his post and politely asked the visitor what he wanted to do. "Talk to your master," Ben Rado replied on behalf of all. "Come with me, gentlemen," said the worker. Sammy Skinner, Ben Rado and Jane Edgerton got out of the car, and under the guidance of this guide, they began to climb up the new bank of the Forty Mile River. After walking 500 steps, the guide stopped in front of a small house.The house was built at the foot of the mountain on the west side of the plateau that the carriage had just crossed.The guide knocked on the door with his fist. The door opened immediately.A young woman appeared at the door, greeted by startled cheers. "Edith!" Jane, who recognized her, yelled, and at the same time rushed to throw herself into her arms. Edith Egerton kept stroking her cousin, and at the same time, cast her eyes on Ben Rado who came up next. "Miss Edith!" cried the astonished engineer. "Mr. Rado!" Edith replied in the same tone. To any observer who is keen enough, there is no doubt that a flustered emotion flashed across the girl's clear eyes, and a blush appeared on her fresh face, oh, the color was very pale, as if soon Disappearing red reflections.However, these are small changes that are intangible, should not be noticed, and no one will notice. After fully expressing the joy of the reunion of old friends, after shaking hands one by one in a chaotic voice (because everyone was talking), Ben Rado first said: "Can you explain to us? . . . " "In a moment," interrupted Edith, "but you go first. I think I have room enough to receive you with dignity." They entered the hut, and the simple furniture in the interior fully fit the adjective austere and austere.A chest for a wardrobe, a mattress made of hay, a table and chairs, the sharpest eye would not have found anything else.But the humble furniture was so clean and shining that it almost seemed luxurious. "My explanation couldn't be simpler," said Jane, after everyone had sat down, "on the night of July 24th, Loric learned quite by accident that the upper Forty Mile River area had undergone greater changes than last year. Mainly Said that most of the land that was flooded this time last year has been seen again. How did the news spread so fast? How did it only take 24 hours to cross it. Using the fastest means of transportation, it will take at least 3 days to travel How far? I don't know. It flew from one mouth to the other and spread like oil on the sea. Hours after Lorrick got the news, everyone in Dawson knew about it. .” "What did Lorik do at that time?" Ben Rado asked. "He came to me that very evening," replied Edith, "and told me about it. I made up my mind at once. Since Mr. Rado and Mr. Skin were away, I should take their place and do what they were about to do here. I can do this because there are almost no patients in the hospital during the summer." "We took the funds obtained from Mr. Inrador's authorization of Lorrick's agency, and the two of them set off early the next morning. For the sake of caution, we did not disclose the purpose of our trip to anyone." "Have you been here since then?" "Yes, from July 27th. We saw the same conditions then as you see now. The public rumors tell the truth, but it is a little distorted. You can see for yourselves that the original plots have no On the contrary, they were flooded once due to the elevation of the river bed of the Sishili River, and then were severely flooded once again due to the rise of the ground again. We are working in the river bed of the Sishili River now. The river was diverted and only flowed over the original plot." "So," Ben Rado said, "I'm getting more and more confused..." "Wait a minute," replied Edith, "you'll see in a minute. When we got here, no one had been here. You know, the river parcel concession includes the right to develop the river next to it. Exposure The old bed of the river naturally belongs to the concessionaire on the bank. These legal regulations, which are known to the whole district, make everyone give up the place. We are not so worried. The part belonging to No. 1272 and No. 129, the part belonging to No. 127 to the east, and the part belonging to Lot 131 on the other side of the border to the west are all included. After this matter was completed, we conducted a survey on this virgin land." "I already know the results of these surveys," Ben Rado interrupted her. "Some things are far beyond people's imagination." "I will not go into the details," went on Edith Egerton, "but I will tell you the results of our quick survey. We immediately found that the whole area that was flooded in the past was surprisingly rich in gold. mines, although not very evenly distributed. Over the centuries, gold was deposited everywhere in large quantities, but this deposition must have taken place in the same way. We can easily see that: development further confirms the original In conclusion, the content of gold sand, which has always been high, gradually decreases from the center to the edge marked by the boundary markers. In the center, exactly opposite to the original plot No. 129, our initial attempts dazzled us. This place What happened? I don't have enough knowledge to answer. Maybe the depression in the ground formed a vortex in the water of the Sishili River, which is conducive to the long-term deposition of floating gold sand? I don't know. One thing is certain: we are in this place We were faced with a heap of almost pure gold dust, and the ground above this heap was an oval about 35 yards long and 21 yards wide, the depth of which is not at all clear, but, I think, quite deep." Edith Edgerton's audience listened as if in a dream to a fairy tale that was fiction rather than reality.What surprised them most, they could not say, was nature's free will?Or is it the foresight and extraordinary abilities of a girl who is good at using nature?Their surprises were not over yet. "Faced with such a discovery," Edith went on, "I seized the time to consolidate the development rights. One parcel was named Mr. Rado, another parcel was named Mr. Stowe, and the other parcels were under my name. Cousin's name, Lorrick's and mine were registered. To get these concessions, and most of them absent, I dare not say I did nothing wrong... But in such matters, The main thing is success." "Of course!" Ben Rado agreed. "Needless to say that I have been following the reality of the situation closely. The sites have been developed with the funds of Mr. Ben Rado and Mr. Sammy Skin. Therefore, the sites belong to them. I have only Acting as their agent, doing the agent's work. Today, everything is in place. I received the last signed papers for a parcel on American soil." As she spoke, Edith walked to the box that occupied a corner of the room, and took out a stack of papers. "Here's the deed of property. It's mine and Lorrick's pledge to make no demands on the real owner. Only Jane's is missing, though I think I can vouch for her not to refuse." In reply, Jane kissed her cousin. As for Ben Rado, he admired such a noble character with admiration. "It's wonderful! It's wonderful!" he said, smacking his lips. Edith stood up. "Now," she said, "if you want to take a tour of your estate, I will be your guide; and on this occasion, Mr. Ben Rado can also say hello to Lorrick." They got out of the little house and ran around the development site.It was a busy scene, and the engineer was more sensitive to it than to the daring diplomacy he had just heard. Everything is going on in an orderly manner like a timer. At either end of the gold-sand-rich belt (one in Canada, the other in Alaska) two shakers were in operation, fed by a steam-pump placed on the new bank, almost opposite the central location; Most workers work with plates or basins in this position. "The pump cost nothing," Edith explained, "and I found it in the old riverbed after the water receded. Presumably it came from a field upstream that was discarded when the flood last year .It's a marvelous miracle that it's intact. We just have to clean it up, set it up, and find the coal, which is not easy to find, though. That's a digression." Ben Rado couldn't bear it any longer. "But," he asked aloud, "please tell me who directed all this, who organized the work, who installed the machinery?" "It's me, Mr. Rado, with the help of Lorrick." Edith replied in a tone that was neither pretentious nor overly modest. "It's you!" cried the engineer, who seemed lost in thought from then on. Edith went on to explain.She led her companions all the way to the last parcel of Alaskan land registered in Loric's name.They happened to bump into him on the land that officially belonged to the foreman; he seemed very excited to see Ben Rado.However, the engineer, who was thinking hard, responded to the loyal servant's friendly expression with a somewhat strange demeanor. Accompanied by the foreman, these people returned to the center of the development zone. "This place is richest in gold dust," said Edith. "There's often $1,000 worth of gold dust on a plate here!" the foreman added proudly. After watching some of the workmen do the washing (which turned out exactly as the foreman had said), they started towards the hut. Just as he was about to cross the threshold, Ben Rado had a sudden idea and stopped Edith with an action. "Didn't you just say," he asked, "that you left Dawson on July 25th?" "That's right," Edith replied. "Which day did the riverbed of the Shishili River rise?" "July 23." "I am sure," exclaimed Ben Rado, "that our volcano owes all our wealth!" "What volcano?" Edith said in an inquiring voice. At this time, Ben Rado told her about his adventures in finding the Gold Volcano.After he finished his story, no one doubted that the eruption so audaciously caused was the cause of the crustal shaking in this part of the Klondike in the first place.Everyone understood: the subterranean vibrations gradually spread outward, determining a series of symmetrical uplifts and depressions. The Great Rift Valley, which stretches for hundreds of kilometers, clearly shows the direction of this force, which ends here.The site had been disintegrated by previous earthquakes, and this force ended here by raising the ground by another two meters as compensation, and the former massif on the right bank collapsed correspondingly; thus creating an approximately 50-meter-wide and 1,000-meter-long plot. These conclusions fit Jane Edgerton's way of looking at life, and she was therefore particularly excited.No, action always counts.This expedition is a new example.When they thought their efforts were in vain, the energy released had an unexpected response hundreds of kilometers away, allowing them to return triumphantly. Edith calmed the agitated cousin with a smile, and then said: There is one more thing to do, and that is to review the operating books. When everyone was in the room, she spread out the books and explained them in a way that culminated in Bin Lado's admiration.In order to calculate costs and expenses, to supervise the entry and exit of gold, and to prevent theft (in such an industry, such accidents should be especially guarded against), she used her ingenuity to invent some very simple, but extremely rigorous, There is no tolerance for mistakes and loopholes. "I just finished my work this morning," she concluded, "and if you don't come, I intend to return to Dawson with a copy of the file. Lorik is here to stay and lead development until the winter, as you can see This work can be done completely remotely.” Hearing these words, Ben Rado left the house.He felt suffocated.The little girl taught him a lesson.She left him nothing to do.Everything is flawless and better than him. A worried Sammy Skin followed his cousin out.Why did Ben Lado go out suddenly?Does he feel sick occasionally? No, Ben Lado is not sick.His eyes stared blankly at the distant horizon, and he took a deep breath of air, like a person who has been violently shaken trying to regain his calm. "Well! Ben," said Sammy, approaching him, "now that you have achieved your purpose, I think you are satisfied. You'll have millions to fiddle with. Naturally, I'll give you my share, too, I Just don't care!..." Sammy snapped his fingers between his strong teeth. Ben Radeau took his cousin's arm. "What do you think of Miss Edith, Sammy?" he asked frankly. "She's lovely, very lovely," Sammy replied enthusiastically. "Isn't it? ... But that's not enough, she's a wonder, this girl, Sammy, a real wonder!" said Ben Rado thoughtfully.