he corners unrolled, disclosing the
red-brown mass, even her unskilled eyes could see the gleaming grains of
pure metal. She fell on her knees and crossed herself.

"Praise be to Mary! Where did ye find ut--and how?"

"Not a word about that. I'm scared. If any one should find it while I am
away they could steal thousands of dollars. Why, it's like a pocket in a
placer! Get me every sack you can. Give me grub--and hide this. There
are tons of it! This is the best of it. We are rich--rich as Jews,
Maggie!"

They worked swiftly. The widow emptied a cracker-barrel and put the ore
at the bottom, and then tumbled the crackers in on top of the ore. She
set out some cold meat and bread and butter, and while Bidwell ate she
brought out every rag that could serve as a sack.

"I'll have more for ye to-morrow. I wish I c'u'd go wid ye, Sherm. I'd
like to set me claws at work at that dirt."

"I need help, but I am afraid to have a man. Well, I must be off.
Good-by. I'll be back to-night with another load. I guess old Sherm is
worth a kiss yet--eh--Maggie!"

"Be off wid ye. Can't ye see the dawn is comin'?" A moment later she ran
up to him and gave him a great hug. "There--now haste ye!"

"Be silent!"

"As the grave itself!" she replied, and turned to brush up the
cracker-crumbs. "That Chinese divil has sharp eyes," she muttered.

IV

It was inevitable that the golden secret should escape. Others besides
the Chinese cook had sharp eyes, and the Widow Delaney grew paler and
more irritable as the days wore on. She had a hunted look. She hardly
ever left her kitchen, it was observed, and her bedroom door had a new
lock. Every second night Bidwell, gaunt and ragged, and furtive as a
burglar, brought a staggering mule-load of the richest ore and stowed it
away under the shanty floor and in the widow's bedroom. Luckily miners
are sound sleepers, or the two midnight marauders would have been
discovered on the second night.

One day John, the cook, seized the cracker-barrel, intending to put it
into a different corner. He gave it a slight wrench, looked a little
surprised, and lifted a little stronger. It did not budge. He remarked:

"Klackels belly hebby. No sabbe klackels allee same deese."

"_Let that alone!_" screamed Mrs. Delaney. "Phwat will ye be doin' nixt,
ye squint-eyed monkey? I'll tell ye whin to stir things about."

The startled Chinaman gave way in profound dismay. "Me goin' s'eep lound
klackel-ballell, you s