e; Ford's
were hard, and there was a steely light in them. It was Alicia who spoke
first.

"I know it is not true, of course--what Uncle Sidney accused you of,"
she offered. "But tell me how it happened?"

"I don't know--unless the devil planned it," said Ford bitterly. "I
bought the mine one day last summer when I was in Copah, without
premeditation, without seeing it--without knowing where it was situated,
just as I have told you. Some little time afterward, Frisbie came to me
with the plan for the change of route. I had considered it before, but
had made no estimates. Frisbie had made the estimates, and we decided
upon it at once. I haven't been over here since: it wasn't necessary,
and I had other things to do."

"Did Mr. Frisbie know about your purchase of the mine?"

"No. I don't think he knows of it yet. To tell the truth, I was a little
ashamed: it was a touch of the mining fever that everybody gets now and
then in a mining country. Dick would have guyed me."

"But Mr. Frisbie must have been over the line a great many times: how
could he miss seeing that enormous sign?" she persisted.

Ford shook his head.

"I venture to say that the paint isn't yet dry on that sign. It was put
there for a purpose, and your uncle was told to look for it. Grigsby is
just the sort of fool to jump at the chance to advertise the mine, and
somebody suggested it and gave him the tip that the president of the
railroad was coming in this way. Mr. North is a very careful man. He
doesn't neglect any of the little details."

The high valley was falling away into a broken gulch, and the
railway-grade driving-path clung closer to the hillsides. At the next
turn the town of Copah came into view, and the road became a shelf on
the slope two hundred feet above the main street and paralleling it.
Alicia was looking down upon the town when she said:

"What shall you do?"

Ford's laugh was not mirthful.

"I have already done it. I shall perhaps be permitted to see you all
safely back to the Nadia, and over the rough track to Saint's Rest. More
than that I fancy Mr. Colbrith will not allow--and possibly not that
much."

Miss Adair was still looking down upon the town; and now Ford looked.
Instantly he saw that something unusual was going on. Notwithstanding
the number of men afield on the hills, the main street of the camp was
restlessly alive. Horsemen were galloping back and forth; in front of
the outfitting stores freighters were