t it away, and his heart for the
moment was comforted.

CHAPTER XXIV

COLONEL DODGE

Denver doubted it, himself, for human nature is much the same in man and
woman and Drusilla had been sorely slighted; but the Oraculum had said
that her heart was yearning towards him and the Book of Fate had always
spoken true. Perhaps women _were_ different, but if it had been
done to him, he would have called down black curses instead. Yet women
were different, one could never guess their moods, and perhaps Drusilla
would forgive him. Not right away, of course, but after her blood had
cooled and he had written a proper letter. He would let it go awhile,
until he had framed up some excuse or decided to tell her the truth, and
in the meantime there was plenty of work to do that would help him
forget his sorrow. There was his mine, and McGraw had brought up some
powder.

There was something in the air which seemed to whisper to Denver of
portentous happenings to come, and as he was sharpening up his steel for
a fresh assault upon the ore-body a big automobile came into town. It
stopped and a big man wearing a California sombrero and a pair of
six-buckle boots leapt out and led the way to the Lost Burro. Behind him
followed three men attired as gentlemen miners and as Denver listened he
could hear the big man as he recited the history of the mine.
Undoubtedly it was the buyer of the Lost Burro Mine, with a party of
"experts" and potential backers who had come up to look over the ground;
yet something told Denver that there was more behind it all. He felt
their eyes upon him. They spent a few minutes looking over the old
workings, and then they came stringing up his trail.

"Good afternoon, sir," hailed the promoter, "are you the owner of this
property? Well, I'd like with your permission to show my friends some of
your ore--why, what's this, have you hauled it away?"

"Yes, I shipped it out yesterday," answered Denver briefly and the big
man glanced swiftly at his friends.

"Well, I'm Colonel Dodge--H. Parkinson Dodge--you may have heard the
name. I'm your neighbor here on the south--we've taken over the Lost
Burro property. Yes, glad to know you, Mr. Russell." He shook hands and
introduced his friends all around, after which he came to the point.
"We've been looking at the Lost Burro and one of the gentlemen suggested
that it might be well to enlarge our property. That would make it more
attractive to worth-while buyers