Derelicts of the hills

A weather‑worn prospector named Harper greets a stranger, Frederick Norwood, in the dry hills of a remote copper country. Their conversation drifts between colorful slang, a mysterious “Magpie” who seems to be in a trance, and the elusive Tellurium Woods, whose name hints at hidden mineral wealth. The dialogue crackles with frontier humor, giving a vivid sense of the rugged landscape and the oddball personalities that inhabit it.

As Norwood searches for his quarry, the reader is drawn into a world where superstition mixes with mining ambition, and where a simple request for a cabin can spiral into talk of ghosts and “suspenders‑button” sensitivities. The opening sets a lively, slightly absurd tone, promising a tale of strange encounters and the thin line between practical prospecting and the uncanny in the American frontier.