." He slapped the papers across his hand, then tore
them up in tiny bits and threw them on the floor."

"Sorry, old man," said the assayer, as before. "Hope you didn't pay
him much for the claim."

"Not much," said Van. "All I had--and some of it borrowed money."

The assayer puckered up his mouth.

"Briggs has skipped--gone East."

"I know. Well--all in a lifetime, I suppose. Pay you, Frank, when I
can."

"That's all right," his friend assured him. "Forget it if you like."

Van started off, but returned.

"Say, Frank," he said, "don't hawk this around. It's bad enough for me
to laugh at myself. I don't want the chorus joining in."

"I'm your clam," said Frank. "So long, and better luck!"

CHAPTER X

THE LAUGHING WATER CLAIM

A man who lives by uncertainties has a singular habit of mind. He is
ever lured forward by hopes and dreams that overlap each other as he
goes. While the scheme in hand is proving hopeless, day by day, he
grasps at another, just ahead, and draws himself onward towards the
gilded goal, forgetful of the trickery of all those other schemes
behind, that were equally bright in their day.

Van had relinquished all hold on the golden dream once dangled before
him by the Monte Cristo mine, to lay strong hands on the promise
vouchsafed by the "See Saw" claim which he had purchased. As he walked
away from the assayer's shop he felt his hands absolutely empty. For
the very first time in at least four years he had no blinding glitter
before his vision to entice him to feverish endeavor. He was a dreamer
with no dreams, a miner without a mine.

He felt chagrined, humiliated. After all his time spent here in the
world's most prodigious laboratory of minerals, he had purchased a
salted mine! A sharper man, that sad-faced, half-sick Selwyn Briggs,
had actually trimmed him like this!

Salted! And he was broke. Well, what was the next thing to do? He
thought of the fine large bill of goods, engaged for himself and
partners to take to the "See Saw" claim. It made him smile. But he
would not rescind the order--for a while. His partners, with his
worldly goods, the Chinese cook and all the household, save Cayuse,
would doubtless arrive by noon. He and they had to eat; they had to
live. Also they had to mine, for they knew nothing else by way of
occupation. They must somehow get hold of some sort of claim, and go
on with their round of hopes and toil. They had never bee