aim that this strip has been claimed
by one, Pringle?"
"I do," scowled Gage, "and Pringle is our partner. We're going
to work this claim with him, and you're trespassing."
"Is that Pringle's own signature?" Tom insisted.
"None of your business!"
"You've given me that same kind of an answer before," Tom smiled.
"As it happens, this is our business. Gage, the writing of that
notice looks exactly like your writing, and Pringle's alleged
signature is in the same hand-writing. If you've signed Pringle's
name---and I charge that you have---then that notice has no legal
value whatever. Recollect, I have a photograph of the notice
and signature, and that this notice in turn, so that you may remember
that the writing throughout is the same that my photograph is going
to reveal."
Jim Ferrers quickly came forward. Gage stepped squarely in front
of the board holding the notice. But Tom took a swift step forward.
Gage, shaking, drew back out of possible reach of Reade's fists.
Then, one after the other, the other members of Tom's party inspected
the writing.
"Much good may it do you!" jeered Dolph Gage harshly. "You'll
find that this claim is ours!"
"Look at what that cub is doing!" broke in Eb excitedly, pointing
to Harry.
Unobserved at first by others, Hazelton had slipped back of the
crowd. Now he was placing a board in position, and that board
announced the fact that Jim Ferrers had staked out this strip
for himself.
"Take that down!" raged Gage, as soon as he saw the new board
and paper. "It won't do you any good."
"We'll take a chance on it, anyway, and watch it for a few days,"
Jim declared. "Are you through with me now, Mr. Reade?"
"Certainly," nodded Tom.
Mounting his horse, Jim Ferrers rode away at an easy gait.
"This is a mean trick to try to play on us, Reade," snarled Gage.
"If you hadn't played a mean trick on us, and staked this place
off while you knew we were making the assay of ore taken from
here," rejoined Tom, "then we might be inclined to waive the purely
legal side of the case and give you a fair chance to get your
friend Pringle here. But you must remember that you tricked us
out of this claim in the first place, and now you have no right
at all to complain. This claim now stands in Jim Ferrers's name,
and so it will continue to stand."
"Go ahead," snarled Gage. "Try to take ore out of here. No man
shall be a partner in this claim and live to spend any of t
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