other corner a second
sack containing nuggets. When I went about the walls, and pushed my
way into some of the tunnels, I was made certain that I was in one of
the richest placer-mines that I had ever set eyes on. Then I went up
to consider what all this meant.

"Here was I, a man fleeing for his life, and here was this old man, a
pioneer in an unexplored region, who, for some reason of his own, was
keeping secret the knowledge of his bonanza, yet taking the gold out
all the while. Couldn't I, by making the world a present of his
knowledge, buy back my life? Soon I recognised that that was folly;
the world would accept the present, but it would also demand my life.
There was nothing for it but to act by stealth. If I could once get
out of Keewatin with all these riches, I would be able to purchase my
escape; especially if I should remain in hiding for a year or so,
until the search had been abandoned, and I had been given up for dead.
Then I could sneak out and get to South America, where I was not
known, and commence life afresh. The thought of South America brought
El Dorado to my mind, and then I remembered you, two hundred miles'
distant at Murder Point. 'Why shouldn't I tell Granger?' I said. 'Then
we could both escape, and go in search of El Dorado together, as we
have always planned.'"

He paused and looked at his companion to see what effect his words had
had. Granger was sitting with his head bent forward, his knees drawn
up and his arms about them, all attention, with a strange look of
hunger in his eyes. "Well, for God's sake don't keep me waiting,
Druce. Go on," he said.

It was the second time that Granger had called him "Druce" in less
than two hours; he was now certain of his ground.

"If you are willing to help me, I think we can do as we have always
planned. What do you think about it?"

"I'm willing to the death. But after you'd discovered the mine, what
did you do then? Did the old man come back?"

"The next few days I kept a careful lookout, in case I should be
surprised. When nothing happened, I commenced to prospect for myself.
I could not do much as the ground was frozen; but I thawed out some of
the dirt, and gathered a few nuggets of pretty fair size. Then the
river broke up, and I thought that I was safe for at least a time. But
soon my provisions began to run low, so that it became necessary for
me to turn back to the Last Chance River to break open the cache. I
postponed the journey a