, me lad?"

"It does."

"Then you shall have something more. In fact, Mr. Merriwell, I fancy I
can give you all you require. What do you want?"

"Proof."

"Felipe can establish his relationship beyond the doubt of the most
skeptical."

"But the old land grant to Felipe's great grandfather----"

"Is in me possession!" cried Bantry Hagan, as he dramatically produced a
yellow parchment-like document and waved it triumphantly above his head.

He laughed aloud as he surveyed the men before him, but never a smile
came to the dusky face of Felipe Jalisco, his companion.

"Gentlemen," he said, "before you set about building any railroads
through that part of Sonora I advise you to transact a little business
with me. It will save you lots of trouble later on."

"Will you permit us to examine that document?" asked Frank, still with
perfect self-possession.

"On your word of honor as a gentleman--which I know ye are--to return it
as soon as you have made the examination."

"You have the pledge," said Merry, stepping forward.

Hagan unhesitatingly handed the document over to Frank, who immediately
spread it out upon the table.

The others pressed about Merry to obtain a look at the paper.

"The dashed thing is in Spanish!" gurgled Sudbury Bragg, in disgust.

"Of course it is," nodded Hagan.

"I can't read it," admitted Bragg.

"But I can," said Frank.

He hurriedly yet keenly scanned it through, inspecting the signature and
seal, and finally straightened up with it in his hand.

"Gentlemen," he said quietly, "the document seems to be genuine."

"Seems to be?" said Old Gripper. "Then you think there may be a doubt
about it?"

"There may be."

"But there isn't!" cried Hagan. "It's all right. Now, Merriwell, me boy,
perhaps you'll not disdain to do a bit of business with Bantry Hagan."

Frank refolded the paper and returned it to the Irishman.

"What are you after?" he asked.

"Money, me lad--money. Of course Felipe Jalisco might raise a fuss and
make you no end of trouble; but I have talked the matter over with him,
and he is willing to surrender his claim to the concession made to his
great grandfather in case he is well paid. You are rich, Merriwell; you
have been making a fat thing out of your mines, and you can afford to
pay. We have settled on a price, and we'll take not a dollar less.
Either you'll come to our terms, or we'll cut the ground from under yer
and leave you nothing but empty air to st