ld
for each twenty-four hours at work.

This news, when it "leaked," begot another rush, and men by the
hundreds swarmed again upon the hills, in all that neighborhood,
panning the gravel for their lives. Wild-catting started with an
impetus that shook the State itself. And Van could only grit his teeth
and continue, apparently, to smile.

All this and more came duly to the ears of Glenmore Kent and Beth. The
girl was in despair as the days went by and nothing had been
accomplished. The meager fact that Lawrence had run and corrected the
reservation line, at Searle's behest, was all that Glen had learned.

But of all the men in Goldite he was doubtless best equipped with
knowledge concerning Bostwick's Eastern standing. He knew that Searle
had never had the slightest Government authority to order the survey
made--and therein lay the crux of all the matter. It was all he had to
go upon, but he felt it was almost enough.

The wires to New York were tapped again, and Beth was presently a local
bank depositor with a credit of twenty thousand dollars. In a quiet,
effective manner, Glen then went to work to secure a surveyor on his
own account, or rather at Beth's suggestion.

With the fact of young Kent's advent in the town Van was early made
acquainted. When Beth procured the transfer of her money from New York
to Goldite, Rickart promptly reported the news. It appeared to Van a
confirmation of all his previous suspicions. He could not fight a
woman, and Bostwick and McCoppet remained upon the claim. Searle wrote
nearly every day to Beth, excusing his absence, relating his success,
and declaring the increase of his love.

On a Wednesday morning Glenmore's man arrived by stage from Starlight,
instruments and all. His name was Pratt. He was a tall, slow-moving,
blue-eyed man, nearly sixty years of age, but able still to carry a
thirty-pound transit over the steepest mountain ever built. Glen met
him by appointment at the transportation office and escorted him at
once to Mrs. Dick's.

Already informed as to what would be required, the surveyor was
provided with all the data possible concerning the reservation limits.

Beth was tremendously excited. "I'm glad you've come," she told him
candidly. "Can you start the work to-day?"

"You will want to keep this quiet," he said. "I need two men we can
trust, and then I'm ready to start."

"Two?" said Glen. "That's awkward. I thought perhaps you could ge