de."

In fact the only means of determining the actual boundaries were the
deeds themselves, which were temporarily inaccessible.

"I'll go over the ground to-morrow anyway," Angus said, "and look for a
line. And I'll see what these fellows are doing."

"Oh, I forgot! This Garland told me nobody was to be allowed on the
ground. Those were his instructions."

"They were, were they. It's easy to give instructions. I believe Garland
and Poole had something to do with my ditch. They're just the sort
Braden could hire to do a thing like that. And now they're in charge of
this coal prospect! There's something queer about it. I wonder if that
was why your uncle was trying to buy you out?"

"Why," she exclaimed, startled, "surely you don't think he knew of this
coal! Oh, he couldn't!"

"It looks to me like a reasonable explanation."

"But if it is my land, how can Mr. Braden say it's his?"

"I don't know," Angus replied, "but I do know that Braden will do
anything he thinks he can get away with."

Early the following morning Angus and Rennie rode away. The latter, to
Angus' surprise, was wearing a gun.

"What do you want that for?" Angus asked.

"I don't know," Rennie replied, "but I know if I need her she's going to
be there. This claim-jumpin' is as risky as foolin' with another man's
wife. You never can tell."

"But we're not going to jump them."

"All right. But maybe they'll take a notion to jump us. I don't aim to
be crowded by no dam' rock-gang like Braden 'd hire for a job he thought
there might be trouble about."

They found the boundaries of the old Tetreau holding without difficulty,
and with these for a base began to prospect for others. After a long
search they found what appeared to be an old line which had been cut
through brush, but new growth had almost choked it.

"She was run a long time ago," Rennie decided. "Longer 'n when your
wife's pa bought all this scenery. It looks to me like she might be the
line of the block Braden owns."

"We can take a sight and see where the line hits the mountain," Angus
suggested.

They took a rough sight, with stakes set as nearly as possible in the
center of the old line, and they found that the line, produced, would
strike to the northwest of the round mountain. Therefore if this line
was the northwestern boundary of Faith's land, it would include the coal
deposit claimed by Braden.

"Braden skins his hand mighty close before he puts down a bet," said