cur such expense with any prospect of paying it, and when he
left the house it was to discuss the matter in all it's bearings with a
select few of his particular friends.

The superintendent did not consider it worth his while to call; but on
the following morning Joe received a note to the effect that if he
intended to return to the mine, it would be to his advantage to resume
his work at once.

"Tell Mr. Wright that I've got through with his company, an' he can put
a man in my place whenever it suits him," the miner said to the
messenger, and the latter had hardly reached the store before a workman
from Blacktown arrived with the startling intelligence that the four who
had been accused of the robbery had purchased a large tract of land on
the mountain, and were about to open a mine.

This news was so wonderful that one of the loungers volunteered to walk
to the town for the sole and only purpose of learning if it was really
true.

An hour later it was rumored that Fred received the following telegram
from Blacktown:

"Have opened books for subscriptions, and already received
pledges to the full amount necessary for beginning the work.

ARTHUR HUNTER."

The lounger returned in hot haste with information that the people there
were in the highest state of excitement regarding the new company which
was being formed by some of the most influential men in the county, and
related with many embellishments of his own, the story of how the vein
had been discovered by Sam and Fred.

This was sufficient to cause another stream of callers to Mrs. Byram's
house, and, learning that the secret had been made known, the four
owners had no hesitation in giving all the particulars.

Now the cashier was more unpopular than ever. Even those who refrained
from censuring him on the day previous, had nothing but hard words for
the man who could make such an error as to charge with theft those who
were wealthy in the possession of such a rich vein as the new one was
reported to be.

Fully one-third of all those in the company's works took a half holiday
to see the new mine, and some of the most sanguine started out to
prospect for other evidences of coal.

In six hours land in the immediate vicinity of the mountain increased in
price, until it would hardly have paid to buy it, unless gold could be
found in large quantities, and the entire county was in a ferment of
exciteme