nd dollars," the storekeeper mumbled
doubtfully.

"Good."

"Good?"

"Sure." Bill turned and gazed out of the window. "It needs to be a big
pile. Makes things surer."

"Surer? I don't get you."

"No; that's so." The gambler turned back to the other abruptly. "Say,
you get busy an' gas. Gas till you got the camp yappin' like coyotes.
Tell 'em the stage is sure carryin' sixty thousand dollars' worth o'
good red gold." Then his manner suddenly changed and he laughed. "Say,
I'm jest goin' out to get a peek at my claim. I sure guess I bought a
dandy rich claim o' Zip."

"You orter know," said Minky, with a shake of the head. "I sure don't
seem to understand--"

"Course you don't," cried Bill, with strange good-nature. Then his
eyes became curiously reflective. "Wher's Zip?"

"Zip? Guess he's around with the kids. Y'see, the Bird's helpin' him
fix things. Maybe they're back in the dinin'-room."

Bill stood for a moment in deep thought. Then he turned suddenly, and
his fierce little eyes fixed themselves on his friend's face.

"Them kids," he said sharply. "Maybe I'll get you to kep 'em safe
right here fer three days an' more. After that we'll see." Then in a
moment his expression lightened and he laughed. "Guess I'll get Zip
to come along an' show me the claim."

* * * * *

Half-an-hour later the gambler was striding down the river bank, with
Scipio hurrying along at his side. Several times the little man had
endeavored to engage his companion in amiable conversation. He wanted
to talk about the episode at the river, but Bill would have none of
it. Nor was it until he was nearly half-way to their destination,
where Sandy Joyce was already at work, that he broke the silence in
which he had wrapped himself.

They had just emerged from a narrow cattle-track where they had been
forced to walk in single file on account of the bush which grew in
such abundance on either side of it. Bill was leading, and as the path
widened into a clearing, in which lay several fallen trees rooted out
of the ground by some long-passed flood of the creek, he suddenly
turned about and faced his diminutive friend.

"Here," he said, "we'll set here a piece. Guess we need to talk some."
He glanced quickly about, and finally flung himself upon the nearest
tree-trunk. "Set," he cried, pointing at another trunk lying opposite
to him.

Scipio wonderingly complied. He stood in considerable awe of t