for
a few minutes after you had expected to be. I've been waiting to have a
little talk with you, and I simply couldn't let the opportunity go by."
She talked fast, but she was thinking faster, and wondering if this
calm, white-bearded old man thought her a meddlesome fool.

"There's time enough, and it ain't worth much right now," Peaceful said,
sitting down in the beribboned rocker and stroking his beard in his
deliberate fashion. "It seems to be getting the fashion to be anxious,"
he drawled, and waited placidly for her to speak.

"You just about swear by old Baumberger, don't you?" she began
presently, fiddling with her lead pencil and going straight to the heart
of what she wanted to say.

"Well, I dunno. I've kinda learned to fight shy of swearing by anybody,
Miss Georgie." His mild blue eyes settled attentively upon her flushed
face.

"That's some encouragement, anyhow," she sighed. "Because he's the
biggest old blackguard in Idaho and more treacherous than any Indian
ever could be if he tried. I just thought I'd tell you, in case you
didn't know it. I'm certain as I can be of anything, that he's at the
bottom of this placer-claim fraud, and he's just digging your ranch out
from under your feet while he wheedles you into thinking he's looking
after your interests. I'll bet you never got an injunction against those
eight men," she hazarded, leaning toward him with her eyes sparkling as
the subject absorbed all her thoughts. "I'll bet anything he kept you
fiddling around until those fellows all filed on their claims. And now
it's got to go till the case is finally settled in court, because they
are technically within their rights in making lawful improvements on
their claims.

"Grant," she said, and her voice nearly betrayed her when she spoke
his name, "was sure they faked the gold samples they must have used in
filing. We both were sure of it. He and the boys tried to catch them at
some crooked work, but the nights have been too dark, for one thing, and
they were always on the watch, and went up to Shoshone in couples, and
there was no telling which two meant to sneak off next. So they have all
filed, I suppose. I know the whole eight have been up--"

"Yes, they've all filed--twenty acres apiece--the best part of the
ranch. There's a forty runs up over the bluff; the lower line takes
in the house and barn and down into the garden where the man they call
Stanley run his line through the strawberry patch. T