ave time to be in
Dugout before your time here is up."

"Do you want us to go, Mr. Reade?" asked Tim Walsh."

"Why, no, of course not," Tom smiled. "If we had the money we'd
want to keep you here all winter. But we haven't, and so we've no
right to ask you to stay."

Walsh glanced around him, as though to inquire whether the men were
willing that he be their spokesman. Receiving their nods the big
miner went on:

"Mr. Reade, sir, we've seen this coming, though, of course, we
didn't know just how big your pile was. We've talked it over
some, and I know what the fellows think. If you don't pay us
our wages, but put the money into grub only, you can keep a-going
here some weeks yet."

"Yes," Tom nodded. "But in that case, if the mine didn't pan out,
we wouldn't have a cent left out of which to pay you off. At least,
not until Reade and I had been at work for months, perhaps a year,
on some salaried job. So you see that we can't fairly encourage you
men to remain here."

"Mr. Reade," Walsh declared, this time without glancing at the
other men, and there was a slight huskiness in the big miner's
voice, "we wouldn't feel right if we went anywhere else to work.
We've never worked under men as fair and square as you three
men have been. You've treated all of us white. Now, what kind
of fellows would we be if we cleared out and left you just because
the snow had come and the money had gone. No, sir! By your leave,
gentlemen, we'll stay here as long as you do, and the money can
take care of itself until it shows up again. Mr. Reade, and gentlemen,
we stick as long as you'll let us!"

Tom felt slightly staggered, as his face showed it.

"Men," he protested, "this is magnificent on your part. But it
wouldn't be fair to let you do it. You are all of you working for
your living."

"Well, aren't you three working for your living, too?" grinned Walsh.

"Yes; but we stand to make the big stake here, in case of victory
at last."

"And I reckon we stand a show of having a little extra coming to
us, if we do right by you at this minute," laughed Walsh.

"Yes, you do---if we strike the rich vein for which we're hunting.
Yet have you men any idea a how little chance we may have of
striking that vein? Men, the mine may---perhaps I would better
say probably will---turn out a fizzle. I am afraid you men are
voting for some weeks of wasted work and a hungry tramp back to
Dugout City at the end. As much as we w