He strode into town at a pace that looked slow but it was deceptively mile eating.  He didn't look like he was in a hurry as he headed for the surveyor's.  It was a bi-weekly trip.  The silver mine wasn't a rich one but there was a small vein, just large enough to make the claim worth working for one man.  He'd never get rich but, as long as the vein held out, he would be comfortable and that was all a man like him needed.<br/><br/>He had to duck through the doorway.  The frame hadn't been built with men over six feet tall in mind.  Behind the counter, a thin man with glasses looked up.  "Bringing in more silver, John?" he asked.<br/><br/>"Yeah," the big man said in a low voice.  He didn't meet the surveyor's eyes.  He simply handed over a thick leather bag.<br/><br/>The smaller man's eyes widened as he took the bag, needing two hands to barely support what the larger man hand easily handled with one.  He untied the cord holding it shut and looked inside.  "You've got some prime nuggets in there," he said.  "Let me weigh it up for you."<br/><br/>It didn't take long.  After some careful calculations, the surveyor pulled a key from his vest pocket and unlocked a drawer.  He reached past the revolver in the drawer and picked up a wad of cash.  "Twenty three pounds of raw silver at sixty cents an ounce gives us a total of two hundred and twenty dollars and eight cents.  I'm a little short on change, so I'll round it up to two hundred and twenty one.  That's a lot of money.  Going to put it in the new bank?"<br/><br/>"Nope."<br/><br/>"Suit yourself.  Make your mark here and the money is yours."<br/><br/>The tall man bent down and drew a 'J' on the page.  The smaller man made a notation in a ledger.  "I think that's the most you've brought in in six months," he said.  He didn't expect a response.  Big John wasn't known for talking.  He simply put the money in the leather bag and headed for the general store.<br/><br/><em>Not too bright carrying that much money with no gun.  There's men around here that would kill a fella for that much money.</em>The surveyor shrugged.  As long as John kept bringing in silver, they'd both be making money.  He paid out a little more than the standard rate but will silver selling at almost ninety cents an ounce, he could afford to be generous.<br/><br/><br/><br/>