So Mac works him up to sign a
contract--before witnesses too; trust Mac for that--exchanging his
half-interest in the claim for five hundred dollars in cash and Mac's
no-'count lease on Frenchman Creek. Inside of a week Mac and Strong
struck a big pay streak. They took over two hundred thousand from the
spring clean-up."
"It was nothing better than robbery."
"Call it what you want to. Anyhow, it stuck. O'Neill kicked, and that's
all the good it did him. He consulted lawyers at Dawson. Finally he got
so discouraged that he plumb went to pieces--got on a long bat and
stayed there till his money ran out. Then one bitter night he starts up
to Bonanza to have it out with Mac. The mercury was so low it had run
into the ground a foot. Farrell slept in a deserted cabin without a fire
and not enough bedding. He caught pneumony. By the time he reached the
claim he was a mighty sick man. Next week he died. That's all Mac done
to O'Neill. Not a thing that wasn't legal either."
Gordon thought of Sheba O'Neill as she sat listening to the tales of
Macdonald in Diane's parlor and his gorge rose at the man.
"But Mac had fell on his feet all right," continued Holt. "He got his
start off that claim.
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