hundred
dollars is nothing. Why the great vocal teachers, who can use their
influence to get their pupils a hearing, charge ten dollars for a
half-hour lesson; and if I don't go to them then every door is
closed--unless I'm willing to pay the price."

"Well, I take it all back then," spoke up Denver at last, "there are
different kinds of bravery. But you go on back there and do your best
and maybe we can make a raise. I'll just take my gun and go up to your
father's claims and jump out that bunch of bad-men----"

"No! No, Denver!" she broke in very earnestly, "I don't want you to do
that again. I heard last night that Dave said he would get you--and if
he did, why then I'd be to blame. You'd be doing it for me, and if one
of those men killed you--well, it would be just the same as me."

"Nope!" denied Denver, "there was no figure of speech about that. It
said: 'at the _hands_ of your dearest friend.' These jumpers ain't
my friends and never was--come on, let's take a chance. I'll run 'em off
the claims if your father will give you half of 'em, and then you can
turn around and sell out for cash and go back to New York like a queen.
You stand off the tenors and I'll stand off the jumpers; and then,
perhaps--but we won't talk about that now. Come on, will you shake hands
on the deal?"

She looked at him questioningly, his powerful hand reached out to help
her, the old, boyish laughter in his eyes, and then she smiled back as
bravely.

"All right," she said, "but you'll have to be careful--because now I'm
your dearest friend."

"I'm game," he cried, "and you don't have to kiss me either. But if some
Dago tenor----"

"No," she promised looking up at him wistfully. "I'll--I'll save the
kiss for you."

CHAPTER XXI

BROKE AGAIN

The industry of four jumpers, digging in like gophers on the best of
Bunker Hill's claims, was brought to an abrupt termination by the
appearance of one man with a gun. He came on unconcernedly, Dave's
six-shooter at his hip and the strength of a lion in his stride; and the
first of the gun-men, after looking him over, jumped out of his hole and
made off. Denver tore down his notice and posted the old one, with a
copy of his original affidavit that the annual work had been done; and
when he toiled up to the remaining three claims the jumpers had fled
before him. They knew him all too well, and the gun at his hip; and they
counted it no disgrace to give way before the man who had co