dirt.'
'A handful?' Paul cried. 'I expect to take those pack animals to Deadwood piled with it, and to come back for more, eh, Phil?'
'We'll load every hoss we got an' walk ourselves,' the prospector wrinkled.
'No walking for me, thank you,' Lora said, and with a sly glance at the cowboy, 'My legs are simply-- ornamental.'
'Then we'll have to leave you behind,' her brother laughed. 'In the Black Hills gold comes first.' When the journey was resumed, Sudden found that his companion had lost her high spirits. She rode listlessly, head drooping, for some distance. On several occasions he had to warnher of spots requiring care and once he grabbed her bridle just in time to save her a nasty tumble.
The hours crept by, spent in laborious riding, mostly at a walking pace. Only at infrequent intervals, when a level space offered, could they shake a little life into the heels of their mounts. Tedium was beginning to take hold of them all when at length their guide paused and waited for Snowy to catch up. 'Guess this is it. Do yu recognize her?' he asked.
'Shore, there's the of shack,' was the reply. 'Hey, Paul, we've made it.' The men whooped as they hustled their horses and trotted into the ravine. Husky, dismounting, stood studying the place. When Snowy inquired what he thought of it, his answer was blunt enough:
'Never seed an onlikelier prospect.'
'Any experienced digger'll tell you them's often the richest,' the old man snapped.
Preparations were begun for pitching camp. The ladies inspected the shack and promptly elected to use the tent which had been brought for them, as being less suggestive of spiders, scorpions, and other horrors. The 'bar- scourin's,' however, decided it was good enough for them. Some hundred yards along the ravine was a tiny grass plateau, shaded by birch and cottonwoods, and here the tent was erected and a rough lean-to shelter put together for Lesurge and Snowy. The puncher, for reasons of his own, announced that he preferred to sleep in the open; his blanket and saddle were all he needed. Lesurge was superintending these arrangements when Sudden strolled up.
'It won't be dark yet awhile,' he said. 'I'm goin' to see if I can scare up a deer--fresh meat'll be an improvement on sow-belly. Like to come along, Ducane?'
'Shore would--I ain't no use here,' came the prompt reply. 'That's a good idea, Green; we'll make you hunter to the party,' Lesurge laughed.
The two men got their mounts and loped off. When they were a safe distance away, Snowy chuckled and said: 'Yo're a clever cuss, Jim. I was wonderin' what excuse we could make to git away times. How fur do you make it? I never was no good at measurin'.'
'Not much more'n a couple o' miles in a straight line but yu gotta twist about some. See the belt o' firs over there with a point o' rock peepin' above it? That's the Rock in' Stone.'
'Burn my whiskers if it ain't. I never looked at her from here.' They were threading a thicket when Sudden held up a warning hand, grabbed his rifle, and disappeared on foot into the bushes. Ten minutes later Snowy heard a report, and then the puncher reappeared, carrying the carcase of a young buck, which he proceeded to secure to his saddle.
'There's a pool, an' by the tracks it's a regular drinkin' place,' he said. 'Worth rememberin'.' They hurried on and presently, penetrating the circle of trees, reached the rampart of rock. Tying their mounts, they slipped through the concealed opening. At the other end of the hollow, five men were busily at work. Sudden uttered a low Cowboy call and one of the stooping figures straightened up, let out an answering whoop, and came charging towards them.
'Jim?' he cried. 'Yu got here then?'
'No, I'm still on the way,' Sudden said ironically.
Snowy was already among the workers. 'How's she pannin' out?' he asked excitedly.
It was Rogers who replied. 'Mister Ducane, she's lousy with gold; I never see the like of it.'
'Good,' the little man said, 'but cut out the `mister'--we're all pardners here.' Rogers nodded. 'We ain't losin' no time--sca'cely stoppin' to feed; Jim said we might be disturbed,' he went on, and as Sudden came up, 'I'm buryin' the stuff under the big tree yu picked out.'
'What's that?' Snowy wanted to know.
'I told him to cache the dust in the brush; no sense in losin' that as well as the claim if we get druv out,' the puncher explained. 'I'll show yu the spot.'
'Jim, I'm liftin' my lid to you,' Snowy said warmly. 'You got savvy. Well, Mister Jacob, what d'you think of her?'
'It's the most remarkable alluvial deposit I ever heard of,' was the reply.
'You figure it's just a pocket?'
'Certainly. Under the sand and gravel, there is a thin layer of almost pure gold on the bed-rock. Somewhere up there'-- he pointed to the great cliff with its swinging stone--'is the mother-lode, but you'd need dynamite and a crushing plant to get at it.'
'Guess yo're right,' the prospector agreed. 'Well, cleanin' this hole out will give us enough to do--an' to spend, but ...' He gazed regretfully at the mountain, his mind on the hidden wealth it contained.
Mason accompanied them to the entrance. 'Get out all yucan, Gerry,' Sudden told him. 'It won't take Paul's party long to find they're workin' a dead hoss an' then somethin's liable to break loose.'
'How's--everybody?' the boy asked.
'She's lookin' fine,' Sudden grinned. 'Rode all the way with dear Paul, an' seemed to be enjoyin' herself.' He waited while Gerry expressed a few fervent wishes respecting dear Paul, and added, 'I'm beginnin' to doubt if yu like the fella.'
'Mixin' so much with Miss Lesurge is shorely sharpenin' yore wits,' the boy came back, and asked how many men Paul had brought.
'Husky?' Gerry said, when he had heard the names. 'Ain't he the joker who wanted to string yu up?'
'Yeah, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's sorta white.'
'On'y seven, countin' Paul hisself; that ain't so many,' Gerry reflected aloud.
'He isn't expectin' opposition, an' would reckon on me an' Snowy--as yet,' Sudden argued. 'There's six of 'em anyway who'd admire to bump me off. I'd feel like Daniel in the lions den on'y they's just coyotes.' He closed with a word of comfort: 'Keep a-smilin'; she looked real disappointed when yu didn't show up. Adios.'
CHAPTER XX
The next morning brought feverish activity to the camp in the ravine, and the washing of the first pan of dirt was witnessed by the whole company. When Snowy--who himself officiated --triumphantly pointed to the resulting pinch of yellow particles, a chorus of satisfaction greeted him, and no further spur was needed. Blinded by the golden gleam, the men snatched up tools and began to dig with eager energy. But as the day waned so did the enthusiasm. Gold was found in trifling amounts only. Husky, the most experienced miner, save Snowy, put the matter plainly:
'We're findin' plenty `colour' an' that's all.' Lesurge took the disappointment badly. 'You appear to brought us on a fool's errand, Phil,' he said irritably, as they sat over the evening meal.
'If you knowed as much as I do 'bout gold-minin'--which you never will--you'd talk different,' Snowy returned calmly.
'The stuff is there, you've seen it, but we ain't just struck when. it's thickest. Did you expect to put a spade in an' fetch it out loaded with nuggets? That on'y happens in the story-books-an' dreams. Mebbe we'll have better luck to-morrow.'
'I hope so,' Paul replied. 'Where's Green--and Lora?'
'Jim's gone for meat, an' Miss Lesurge elected to go along.'
'She said she was tired of doing nothing,' Mary explained.
'You don't feel like that?'
'No, I think it is all very interesting and exciting.' He stooped over her and whispered, 'I want you always to be contented when we're together, Mary.' The warmth in his tone stirred her, brought the blood to her cheeks, but
