ims you'd better do a little assessment work.
There's going to be a rush, when this strike of mine gets out, that'll
make your ground worth millions."

Old Bunk smiled indulgently and took a chew of tobacco and Denver came
back to earth.

"I'll tell you what I'll do," proposed Denver after a silence, "I'll
take a contract to do your assessment work for ten dollars a claim, in
trade. I'll make an open cut that's four by six by ten, and that's held
to be legal work anywhere. Come on now, I'm tired of beans."

"Well, come down to supper," replied Bunker at last, "and we'll talk it
over there."

"No, I don't want any supper," returned Denver resentfully, "you've got
enough hoboes to feed. You can give me an answer, right now."

"All right--I won't do it," replied Bunker promptly and turned to go out
the door; but it had opened behind them and Drusilla stood there
smiling, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"What are you two men quarreling about?" she demanded reprovingly, "we
could hear you clear over to the house."

"Well, I asked him over to supper," began Bunker in a rage, "and----"

"That's got nothing to do with it," broke in Denver hotly, "I'm making
him a business proposition. But he's so danged bull-headed he'd rather
kill some jumper than comply with the law as it stands. He's been
holding down these claims with a lead-pencil and a six-shooter just
about as long as he can and----"

"Oh, have you made another strike?" asked Drusilla eagerly and when she
heard the news she turned to her father with a sudden note of gladness
in her voice. "Then you'll have to do the work," she said, "because I'll
never be happy till you do. Ever since you sold your claim I've been
sorry for my selfishness but now I'm going to pay you back. I'm going to
take my five hundred dollars and hire this assessment work done and
then----"

"It won't cost any five hundred," put in Denver hastily. "I'm kinder
short, right now, and I offered to do it for ten dollars a claim, in
trade."

"Ten dollars? Why, how can you do it for that? I thought the law
required a ten foot hole, or the same amount of work in a tunnel."

"Or an open cut," hinted Denver. "Leave it to me--I can do it and make
money, to boot."

"Well, you're hired, then!" cried Drusilla with a rush of enthusiasm,
"but you have to go to work to-morrow."

"Well--ll," qualified Denver, "I wanted to look over my strike and
finish sacking that ore. Wouldn't the next day do