, sipped the rest of the stuff in
her tumbler through a straw, and in the shelter of her arms set the
straw in a knot-hole near the table-leg, and spirited the bad liquor
down under the board. "Don't give me away," she said.

The Colonel knew she got a commission on the drinks, and was there to
bring custom. He nodded.

"I hoped I'd see you in time," she went on hurriedly--"in time to warn
you that McGinty was givin' you a song and dance."

"Hey?"

"Tellin" you a ghost story."

"You mean--"

"Can't you understand plain English?" she said, irritated at such
obtuseness. "I got worried thinkin' it over, for it was me told that
pardner o' yours--" She smiled wickedly. "I expected McGinty'd have
some fun with the young feller, but I didn't expect you'd be such a
Hatter." She wound up with the popular reference to lunacy.

The Colonel pulled up his great figure with some pomposity. "I don't
understand."

"Any feller can see that. You're just the kind the McGintys are layin'
for." She looked round to see that nobody was within earshot. "Si's
been layin' round all winter waitin' for the spring crop o' suckers."

"If you mean there isn't gold out at McGinty's gulch, you're wrong;
I've seen it."

"Course you have."

He paused. She, sweeping the Gold Nugget with vigilant eye, went on in
a voice of indulgent contempt.

"Some of 'em load up an old shot-gun with a little charge o' powder and
a quarter of an ounce of gold-dust on top, fire that into the prospect
hole a dozen times or so, and then take a sucker out to pan the stuff.
But I bet Si didn't take any more trouble with you than to have some
colours in his mouth, to spit in the shovel or the pan, when you wasn't
lookin'--just enough to drive you crazy, and get you to boost him into
a Recordership. Why, he's cleaned up a tub o' money in fees since you
struck the town."

The Colonel moved uneasily, but faith with him died hard.

"McGinty strikes me as a very decent sort of man, with a knowledge of
practical mining and of mining law--"

Maudie made a low sound of impatience, and pushed her empty glass
aside.

"Oh, very well, go your own way! Waste the whole spring doin' Si's
assessment for him. And when the bottom drops out o' recordin', you'll
see Si gettin' some cheechalko to buy an interest in that rottin' hole
o' his--"

Her jaw fell as she saw the Colonel's expression.

"He's got you too!" she exclaimed.

"Well, didn't you say yourself that night y