?"

"I reckon they do; but the cashier keeps talkin' about destroyin' one
feller's character to help another, an' the blind fools here swallow all
he says."

"What makes him so down on our crowd?"

"'Cause he had no business to make the arrests, an' if it was proved Gus
an' Tim stole it, he'd be in a bad mess with all hands."

"Look here, Joe"--and Bill spoke very earnestly--"it don't make any
difference how tired you an' Fred are, you must go to Blacktown this
very night. That lawyer will tell us jest what oughter be done, an'
we've got to fight this thing tooth an' nail, now all hands are agin
us."

Joe realized that this was good advice, and went at once to confer with
Mrs. Byram and Fred.

The result of this last interview was that an hour after midnight the
miner and the boy left the house quietly, and walked at a rapid pace
directly across the mountain.

"This is pretty tough, lad," Joe said, when they were some distance from
the town. "It seems as if I'd done nothin' but tramp for the last
month."

"I won't grumble if this matter is straightened out finally, but just
now it looks as though all hands would have been better off to let
things go as they might."

"Don't get downhearted. When our mine is open you can afford to laugh at
this little fracas."

Although Joe spoke so cheerily he was far from feeling comfortable in
mind, as was apparent when they visited the lawyer's house at a very
early hour next morning.

The mental anxiety could be plainly read on his face as he waited to
receive the legal opinion after telling his story.

"I don't think you need fear any serious trouble, although matters may
be very disagreeable for a while," that gentleman said. "It will be well
for us to make complaint against the Dobson boy, and by causing his
arrest be certain of having him here when he is wanted. I will attend to
it at once."

"How much money do you want?"

"We won't speak of that now. When I do business for a firm as rich as
yours, I am not afraid of losing my fees."

"It would be hard to find any poorer concern."

"There's where you make a mistake, Mr. Brace. Your title is clear; an
expert, whom I sent, reports that there can be no question as to the
presence of coal in large quantities, and I shall be only too glad to
purchase stock when the company is formed."

"Do you mean the whole of that?" Joe asked, his eyes glistening with
delight.

"To prove it I will advance on your joint note