to his pocket.

"Yes, rich," he said in a deep bass voice, "very rich--it looks like a
mine. But--er--did I understand you to say that Miss Campbell was your
partner? Because really you know----"

"Yes, she's my partner," replied Wunpost. "We hold the controlling
interest. Got a couple more partners that own a third."

"Because really," protested Eells, "under the terms of our contract----"

"Oh, to hell with your contract!" burst out Wunpost scornfully. "Do you
think that will hold over here?"

"Why, undoubtedly!" exclaimed Eells. "I hope you didn't think--but no
matter, I claim half of this mine."

"You won't get it," answered Wunpost. "This is over in California. Your
contract was made for Nevada."

"It was made _in_ Nevada," corrected Judson Eells promptly, "but it
applied to all claims, _wherever found_! Would you like to see a
copy of the contract?" He turned to the automobile, and like a
jack-in-the-box a little lean man popped out.

"No!" roared Wunpost, and looked about wildly, at which Cole Campbell
stepped up beside him.

"What's the trouble?" he asked, and as Wunpost shouted into his ear
Campbell shook his head and smiled dubiously.

"Let's look at the contract," he suggested, and Wunpost, all unstrung,
consented. Then he grabbed him back and yelled into his ear:

"_That's_ no good now--he's used it once already!"

"How do you mean?" queried Campbell, still reaching for the contract;
and the jack-in-the-box thrust it into his hands.

"Why, he used that same paper to claim the Wunpost--he can't claim every
mine I find!"

"Well, we'll see," returned Campbell, putting on his glasses, and
Wunpost flew into a fury.

"Git out of here!" he yelled, making a kick at Pisen-face Lynch; "git
out, or I'll be the death of ye!"

But Pisen-face Lynch recoiled like a rattlesnake and stood set with a
gun in each hand.

"Don't you think it," he rasped, and Wunpost turned away from him with a
groan of mortal agony.

"What does it say?" he demanded of Campbell. "Can he claim this mine,
too? But say, listen; I wasn't _working_ for him! I was working for
myself, and furnishing my own grub--and I've never been through here
before! He can't claim I found it when I was under his grubstake,
because I've never been into this country!"

He stopped, all a-tremble, and looked on helplessly while Cole Campbell
read on through the "fine print"; and, not being able to read the words,
he watched the face of the deaf m