panion.

"That's the first thing I've heard that made me feel better," declared
the prospector, as he swung one of the burro's heads back into the
trail and hit the beast a friendly slap on the haunches to start it
forward. "Whenever a man, like this old feller seems to be, gives me
that kind of advice, I sit up and take notice."

"Why--why, what do you know about him?" Dick asked, falling into the
trail behind the pack animals, which had started forward with their
slow jog trot, and ears swaying backward and forward as they went.

"While you was gone," Mathews answered, "I had a long talk with a boy
that came along and got friendly. You can believe boys, most of 'em.
They know a heap more than men. They think out things that men don't.
Kids are always friends with me; you know that. I reckon, from what I
gathered, that this Presby man is about as hard and grasping an old
cuss as ever worked the last ounce of gold out of a waste dump. He
makes the men save the fags of the candles and the drips, so's he can
melt 'em over again. He runs a company store, and if they don't buy
boots and grub from him, they have to tear out mighty quick. He fired
a fireman because the safety-valve in the boiler-house let go one day
twenty minutes before the noon shift went back to work. If he says,
'Let the Cross alone,' I think it's because he wants it."

"You couldn't guess who he is," Dick said, preparing to move.

"Why? Do I know him?"

"In a way. He's the man we saw the mob tackle, back there at the road
house."

Bill gave a long whistle.

"So that's the chap, eh? Bully Presby! Well, if we ever run foul of
him, we've got our work cut out for us. Things are beginnin' to get
interestin'. 'I like the place,' as Daniel said when he went to sleep
in the lion's den."

They opened the gate through the barricade without any formality, and
were well started up the inclined road of the Croix d'Or before they
encountered the watchman who had given them so much trouble. As he
came toward them, frowning, they observed that he had buckled a pistol
round him as if to resist any intrusion in case it should be attempted
without instructions. Dick handed him Presby's order, and the man read
it through in surly silence; then his entire attitude underwent a
swift change. He became almost obsequiously respectful.

"I'll have to go down and have a talk with Mr. Presby," he said, and
would have ventured a further remark, but was cut short by the