"That's why you can never
hope to come out on top in a row with Mr. Reade. While you may
be a bad man, he's a good man---and ALL MAN! You don't stand
any show with that kind. Hang up your hat, Leon. Here's your
apron. Put it on and stay with us. When you cool down you can
stay right along here and take lessons in the art of being a real
man!"

Jim Ferrers strolled out of the shack, leaving the vanquished
cook in a towering rage. By degrees the expression on the fellow's
face altered. Ten minutes later he was at work---at cook's duties.

CHAPTER XV

WHY READE WANTED GOLD

Four weeks moved on rapidly. All too rapidly, in some respects,
to please Engineer Harry Hazelton.

Sheriff's officers had ridden into camp, and had scoured that
part of the country, in an effort to locate Dolph Gage and that
worthy's friends. Just where the four vagabonds were now no man
knew, save themselves.

However, another spectre had settled down over the camp. The
truth was that the young engineers were now using up the last
thousand dollars of their combined savings.

By way of income, less than fifty dollars' worth of gold and silver
had been mined. Every few days some promising-looking ore was
turned out, but it never came in sufficient quantities. None
of this ore had yet been moved toward Dugout City. There wasn't
enough of it to insure good results. Brilliant in streaks, still
the mine looked like a commercial fizzle.

"Hang it, the gold is down there!" grunted Tom, staring gloomily
at the big cut that had been blasted and dug out along the top
of the ridge.

"I'll be tremendously happy when you show me a little more of it,"
smiled Hazelton weakly.

"It's lower down," argued Tom. "We've got to dig deeper---and then
a lot deeper."

"On the capital that we have left?" ventured Harry.

"Oh, we may strike enough, any day, to stake us for a few weeks
longer," urged Tom.

"We'll soon have to be working in covered outs, where the frost
won't put up trouble for us, you know," Hazelton hinted.

"Yes; I know that, of course. What we must begin to do, soon, is to
sink the shaft deeper and then tunnel."

"That will cost a few thousand dollars, Tom."

"I know it. Come on, Harry. Get a shovel."

Tom himself snatched up a pick.

"What are you going to do, Tom?"

"Work. You and I are strong and enduring. We can save the wages of
two workmen."

Both young engineers worked furiously that afternoon