come running back and put your money in my hand you ain't the miner I
think you are. But by the holy, jumping Judas, I'm going to forget
myself some day and knock the soo-preme pip out of this Dutchman!" He
turned abruptly away and went striding back towards the town and the
Professor leered at Denver.

"Vot I told you?" he boasted, "I ain't scared of dat mens--he promised
his vife he von't fight!"

"Good enough," said Denver, "but don't work it too hard. Now come on and
let's look at your mine."

CHAPTER IX

BIBLE-BACK MURRAY

As a matter of form Denver went with the Professor and inspected his
boasted mine but all the time his mind was far away and his heart was
beating fast. The vein of silver that Bunker Hill had shown him was
worth a thousand dollars anywhere; but, situated as it was on the next
claim to the Lost Burro, it was worth incalculably more. It was too good
a claim to let get away and as he listened perfunctorily to the
Professor's patter he planned how he would open it up. First he would
shoot off the face, to be sure there was no salting, and send off some
samples to the assayer; and then he would drive straight in on the vein
as long as his money lasted. And if it widened out, if it dipped and
went down, he would know for a certainty that it was the silver treasure
that good old Mother Trigedgo had prophesied. But to carry out the
prophecy, to choose well between the two, he gazed gravely at the
Professor's strip of gold-ore.

It was a knife-blade stringer, a mere seam of rotten quartz running
along the side of a canyon; and yet not without its elements of promise,
for it was located near another big fault. In geological days the
rim-rock had been rent here as it had at Queen Creek Canyon and this
stringer of quartz might lead to a golden treasure that would far
surpass Bunker's silver. But the signs were all against it and as Denver
turned back the Professor read the answer in his eyes.

"Vell, vat you t'ink?" he demanded insistently, "vas I right or vas I
wrong? Ain't I showed you the golt--and I'll tell you anodder t'ing, dis
mine vill pay from the start. You can pick out dat rich quartz and pack
it down to the crick and vash out the pure quill golt; but dat ore of
Old Bunk's is all mixed oop with lead and zinc, and with antimonia too.
You vil haf to buy the sacks, and pay the freight, and the smelter
charges, too; and dese custom smelters they penalize you for everyt'ing,
and che