up, my leetle friend." He took from the
same drawer a clasped portfolio, and unlocked it, producing half a dozen
prospectuses and certificates of mining shares. I stood aghast as I
recognized the names of one or two extravagant failures of the last ten
years,--"played-out" mines that had been galvanized into deceptive life
in London, Paris, and New York, to the grief of shareholders abroad
and the laughter of the initiated at home. I could scarcely keep my
equanimity. "You do not mean to say that you have any belief or interest
in this rubbish?" I said quickly.

"What you call 'rubbish,' my good Pancho, ees the rubbish that the
American speculator have dump himself upon them in the shaft, the
rubbish of the advertisement, of the extravagant expense, of the salary,
of the assessment, of the 'freeze-out.' For thees, look you, is the old
Mexican mine. My grandfather and hees father have both seen them work
before you were born, and the American knew not there was gold in
California."

I knew he spoke truly. One or two were original silver mines in the
south, worked by peons and Indian slaves, a rope windlass, and a
venerable donkey.

"But those were silver mines," I said suspiciously, "and these are gold
specimens."

"They are from the same mother," said the imperturbable Enriquez,--"the
same mine. The old peons worked him for SILVER, the precious dollar that
buy everything, that he send in the galleon to the Philippines for
the silk and spice! THAT is good enough for HIM! For the gold he made
nothing, even as my leetle wife Urania. And regard me here! There ees a
proverb of my father's which say that 'it shall take a gold mine to
work a silver mine,' so mooch more he cost. You work him, you are lost!
Naturalmente, if you turn him round, if it take you only a silver mine
to work a gold mine, you are gain. Thees ees logic!"

The intense gravity of his face at this extraordinary deduction upset
my own. But as I was never certain that Enriquez was not purposely
mystifying me, with some ulterior object, I could not help saying a
little wickedly:--

"Yes, I understand all that; but how about this geologian? Will he not
tell your wife? You know he was a great admirer of hers."

"That shall show the great intelligence of him, my Pancho. He will have
the four S's,' especially the secreto!"

There could be no serious discussion in his present mood. I gathered up
the pages of his wife's manuscript, said lightly that, as s