"Couldn't you come down a bit in your price, old dear? Your figure
seems deuced steep where mines seem to be so beastly plentiful," Phil
heard Hannington say.

At the door Dalton stopped.

"One thousand for the mine, and just to show you that I'm a real sport
and playin' fair, I'll throw the white mare in for luck."

Hannington gasped, then slapped Dalton on the shoulder and grabbed
his hand in ecstasy at the overflow of generosity on the part of the
mine owner.

"Done,--done! It's a bally go!"

And the two disappeared outside in head-to-head conversation, to the
accompaniment of a round of loud laughter from some old timers in the
saloon who had overheard part of the talk and who knew that once more
a sheep was about to be shorn of its wool.

Phil swung round with his back and elbows on the counter. He surveyed
the crowd dimly through the haze of smoke in the bar-room.

Just then Jim Langford came in by the swinging doors.

Phil went over to him directly, led him to a table in the corner, and
told him in a few, quick sentences of the thieving visit that had been
made to his room at Mrs. Clunie's.

"There's more in this than you think," said Langford, after Phil had
concluded. "Haven't you heard the news of the other thieving in
town?"

"No,--where was it?"

"A gang must have been working on the O.K. Supply Company's premises
last night. Three days ago, Morrison unloaded two carloads of feed and
flour in his No. 1 Warehouse. They haven't sold a nickel's worth, and
this morning there aren't fifty sacks left."

"Was the place broken into?" asked Phil.

"Must have been, but every bolt and bar is secure, so are all the
padlocks. It's a mighty queer thing.

"I had it on the inside that the Pioneer Traders were shy last week,
but they gave out no report; and Mayor Brenchfield, whose Warehouse
and stables lie between the Pioneer Traders and the O.K. Supply Co.
lodged a complaint with Chief Palmer this morning that he had lost
forty bags of bran and oats from his place. Of course, his loss isn't
a patch on the loss of the other two.

"You know, this darned thing has been going on for several years.
Somebody is getting fat on it. The O.K. Supply Company have lost sixty
thousand dollars' worth in four or five years. They have put new locks
and bolts on, but all to no purpose. The Pioneer Traders must be
considerably shy, too.

"The Police don't do a thing, and everybody seems scared to act for
fear of bein