e Lost Burro. A party came up yesterday and took one look at it and
grabbed it right off the bat, and as soon as old Murray gets in to his
ore they're going to capitalize the Burro for a million. Fine name that,
for stock-selling--known all over the world, in England, Paris and
everywhere--but I made 'em come through with a thousand dollars cash, so
Drusilla could have a good stake. She's thinking of going East, soon."

"'S that so?" said Denver, trying to take it all in, "are these parties
going to do any work?"

"Well, that's an unfair question, as Pecos Edwards used to say when they
asked him if all Texans was cow-thieves; but you know how these
promoters work. There'll be lots of work done; but mostly by lawyers,
and publicity men and such. There's a whole lot of water in the workings
of the Lost Burro that'll have to be pumped out first, and then there's
a little job of timbering that'll cost a world of money. No, I sold them
that mine on the ore in your tunnel--I will say, it shows up splendid.
If you'd've been here yesterday you might have made a deal that
would----"

"Not on your life!" broke in Denver, "I don't sell to anybody. But say,
but what did they think of my mine?"

"Think!" exclaimed Bunker, "they stopped thinking right here, when I
showed 'em that big vein of copper! They went crazy, just like lunatics;
because it ain't often, I'm telling you, that you find sixty-per-cent
copper on the surface."

"Not in a fissure vein--no," agreed Denver emphatically, "I wouldn't
sell out for a million. Did those promoters take away any samples?"

"Well, yes; a few," responded Bunker apologetically, "I didn't think
you'd object."

"Why, of course not," answered Denver, "it'll advertise the district and
bring in some outside people. And now that I've got another stake I'm
going to sack my ore and make a trial shipment to the smelter. But you
bet your boots, after what Murray put over on me, I'm going to have some
assaying done first."

"Yes, and keep some samples," advised Bunker wisely. "Keep a sample out
of every bag."

"I'll just mix that ore up," said Denver cautiously, "and cut it down,
the way they do at the mill. Throw out every tenth shovel and mix 'em up
again and then cut the pile down smaller until you've got a control,
like the ore brokers take at the smelter. And then I'll send a sample to
the assayer--say, there's Drusilla over there, trying to call you."

"She's trying to call you," answered