t can, lad, but your mother has. At one
time they were very valuable, and I have no doubt that even now that can
contains a small fortune for you--"

"But--" interrupted Willis. Tad paid no attention to him, and went on:

"The contents of that tube will place your father among the greatest of
mining engineers and give his name the honor it has always been entitled
to--"

"But Tad--"

"When your father conceived that idea it was impractical. He was too far
ahead of the times. But to-day, lad, it means that every mine dump in the
Cripple Creek region will be worked over again and the gold removed at a
trifling expense, for in that tube are the blueprints of the greatest
electrical ore-roasting machine in the world." He took his knife from his
pocket and slowly and carefully pried off the rusty lid. The blue roll
slid out into his hand. The moisture had not penetrated the can, and the
sketches were as good as the day they were made. Willis took them in his
hand and proudly turned them over and over, then he placed them again in
the can with the remark, "Tad, these things all belong to mother. I
wonder what she'll say?"

Tad broke into a pleased little laugh, and the old smile that had made
him so many friends in the years gone by came back to his grizzled face.

"Lad, you're rich to-day, and I am better satisfied. Those plans will
bring you and your mother a goodly sum. It lifts a great burden from a
poor, worthless prospector's mind." Willis did not know the true meaning
of the words, but Old Ben did, and it was now his turn to talk.

"Tad, I've knowed ye for a tarnal lot o' years, hain't I? An', Tad, they
ain't a soul on earth as would do fer ye as me. I've lived a life myself,
Tad, an' I ain't so big a fool as ye are about some things." Ben pulled a
piece of the ore from his pocket and held it up for inspection. "Tad,
there's a twenty-inch vein of that rock in yonder, an' finer gold quartz
ye never seed in all yer days." He turned to Willis: "Boy, ye'r tarnal
lucky. Them plans may be valuable, but I have my doubts about it; but
it's certain that that mine is valuable. Jist how much gold they is
there, I don't know, but they is lots of it. Two or three more weeks an'
Williams would have struck it from the other side. Now listen, lad: sell
out, do you hear me, sell out. It'll bring a handsome price on assay; but
sell now, or Williams--" and his voice dropped to a mysterious whisper
and he looked suspiciously about