stand now why he didn't want me to come on this trip. A coward is
always suspicious. I never would have put the two together in the wide
world if he hadn't made such a fuss about my coming. One thing is
absolutely certain--my Uncle Williams is crooked, and that isn't all,
either. My Uncle Williams owns that cabin, and we'll never get it for our
use in this wide world. What will the fellows say when they know it
belongs to my uncle and we can't get it? The cabin is ideal, and it could
be repaired with very little cost. It is isolated and in a beautiful
spot, and is the only thing we have found. Don't tell the fellows about
it, please, until I see what I can do. I'll do my very best."

"Now, look here, my boy; don't let that bother you," replied Mr. Allen.
"Wait. Don't trouble trouble till trouble troubles you. He hasn't
troubled you yet, he's just getting ready to. Let's beat him at his own
game. There are more ways than one to skin a cat."

"But how?" inquired Willis.

"Well, the first thing to do is to get the exact location of the cabin,
then go to the county recorder's office and see to whom the property
belongs. If it ever belonged to your father, as you are now disposed to
believe--"

"Yes, I'd bet my hat, Mr. Allen, that this is the very cabin that my
father and Tad Kieser built. O, how I 'd like to have it all for my very
own!" Mr. Allen interrupted him. "As I was saying, the records will show
very plainly if it was ever transferred or if it was anything but a lode
claim. If your father owned it, that settles it. Williams has nothing to
say about it. Placer claims can't be taken on deeded property. However,
let's not worry about it, but let's count it ours and work toward that
end."

"O my, if Tad were only here, we'd soon know a thing or two!" exclaimed
Willis.

"Now, boy, listen! Don't go home and spoil all this business. Keep still
about it until to-morrow, when we can get at the records and find out for
certain just what is what. Will you do that?" questioned Mr. Allen.

"I'll tell my mother," replied Willis, "and to-morrow I'll go with you."

The trail was winding back and forth through a great park of aspens. On
every side were prospect holes, remains of old cabins, and places where
the wilderness was again reclaiming her own after men had spent their
time, money, and energy attempting to force her to give up her gold.

At the top of the hogsback that over-looked Bruin Inn the fellows sat
down to