t together. "I thought at
first," he said, sliding along the floor in search of different articles
of his dress, or stopping gravely to catch them as they were thrown to
him by his partners, "that we'd have it at Boomville, as being handier
to get there; but I've concluded we'd better have it here, a little
higher up the hill, where it could be seen over the whole Black Spur
Range. When we weren't here we could use it as a Hut of Refuge for
broken-down or washed-out miners or weary travelers, like those hospices
in the Alps, you know, and have somebody to keep it for us. You see I've
thought even of THAT, and Van Loo is the very man to take charge of it
for us. You see he's got such good manners and speaks two languages.
Lord! if a German or Frenchman came along, poor and distressed, Van Loo
would just chip in his own language. See? You've got to think of all
these details, you see, boys. And we might call it 'The Rest of the
Three Partners,' or 'Three Partners' Rest.'"

"And you might begin by giving us one," said Stacy. "Dry up and drink
your coffee."

"I'll draw out the plans. I've got it all in my head," continued the
enthusiastic Barker, unheeding the interruption. "I'll just run out and
take a look at the site, it's only right back of the cabin." But here
Stacy caught him by his dangling belt as he was flying out of the door
with one boot on, and thrust him down in a chair with a tin cup of
coffee in his hand.

"Keep the plans in your head, Barker boy," said Demorest, "for here
are the pack mules and packer." This was quite enough to divert the
impressionable young man, who speedily finished his dressing, as a mule
bearing a large pack-saddle and two enormous saddle-bags or pouches
drove up before the door, led by a muleteer on a small horse. The
transfer of the treasure to the saddle-bags was quickly made by their
united efforts, as the first rays of the sun were beginning to paint
the hillside. Shading his keen eyes with his hand, Stacy stood in the
doorway and handed Demorest the two rifles. Demorest hesitated. "Hadn't
YOU better keep one?" he said, looking in his partner's eyes with his
first challenge of curiosity. The sun seemed to put a humorous twinkle
into Stacy's glance as he returned, "Not much! And you'd better take
my revolver with you, too. I'm feeling a little better now," he said,
looking at the saddlebags, "but I'm not fit to be trusted yet with
carnal weapons. When the other mule comes and is