t Molly had a banking-account, he
knew. It might mean her staying west. The principal used on the Three
Star was intact and would be turned over to her, if they could make her
accept it, but it began to look as if Molly might remain, all things
considered.

"I figger you're right about Keith trailin' over here to see if you've
showed," Sandy went on. "That's the way I'd play him. As you say, he's
got to git rid of his shares quietly an' he can't do it in a rush. I
don't want to tell Molly she's bu'sted until we're plumb certain. An'
Keith's got money of hers. We want to git that out of the pot befo' we
break with Keith. He'll give us an openin' fo' a general understandin',
I reckon. If he don't show inside of a couple of days I'll take a pasear
over to Casey Town an' have a li'l' chat with him.

"Young Keith sabe his father's play?" asked Sandy.

"No." Westlake spoke decidedly. "He's not interested in mining. He's on
the trip because his father holds the purse strings. He's a good deal of
a cub, at present. I mean he don't show much inclination to use his
brains. He's having a good time on easy money. He doesn't know the
difference between an adit and an air-drill. Doesn't want to. Makes a
show of interest, naturally, to stand in with his old man, but he puts
in a good deal of time scooting round the hills in that big car of
theirs, or going hunting. I heard he was trying to buck a poker game,
but Keith's secretary heard that too and I imagine attended to it. It
was not my province. He's a likable kid in many ways but he's just a
kid."

"'Tw'udn't be fair to hold anythin' ag'in' him, 'count of his breedin',"
said Sandy, "but colts that ain't bred right bear watchin'. Men an'
hawsses, there's a sight of difference between thoroughbred an' _well_
bred. I've known a heap of folks mighty well bred who didn't have much
pedigree. So long's the blood's pure, names don't amount to shucks. Now
tell us some about that South American berth of yours, Westlake."

Westlake rather marveled at the ease with which Sandy and his chums
dismissed a matter that meant a material loss of money to them, but he
had seen the light in Sandy's eyes and he knew his capacity for action
when the moment arrived. The four sat up late, talking of mining in
various ways and places.

"This Westlake hombre'll go a long ways," summed up Sam to Sandy after
Westlake had turned in and Mormon had yawned himself off to bed. "He
sure knows a heap, he don't