er our own roof."

The young fellow saw the change in Uncle Jim's face and quickly
extended his hand, with an apologetic backward shake of his long hair.
"Hang it all, old man," he said, with a laugh of mingled contrition and
amusement, "you mustn't mind what I said just now. I've been so
worried thinking of things about _myself_ and, maybe, a little about
you, that I quite forgot I hadn't a call to preach to anybody--least of
all to you. So we part friends, Uncle Jim, and you too, Uncle Billy,
and you'll forget what I said. In fact, I don't know why I spoke at
all--only I was passing your claim just now, and wondering how much
longer your old sluice-boxes would hold out, and where in thunder you'd
get others when they caved in! I reckon that sent me off. That's all,
old chap!"

Uncle Billy's face broke into a beaming smile of relief, and it was his
hand that first grasped his guest's; Uncle Jim quickly followed with as
honest a pressure, but with eyes that did not seem to be looking at
Bullen, though all trace of resentment had died out of them. He walked
to the door with him, again shook hands, but remained looking out in
the darkness some time after Dick Bullen's tangled hair and broad
shoulders had disappeared.

Meantime, Uncle Billy had resumed his seat and was chuckling and
reminiscent as he cleaned out his pipe.

"Kinder reminds me of Jo Sharp, when he was cleaned out at poker by his
own partners in his own cabin, comin' up here and bedevilin' us about
it! What was it you lint him?"

But Uncle Jim did not reply; and Uncle Billy, taking up the cards,
began to shuffle them, smiling vaguely, yet at the same time somewhat
painfully. "Arter all, Dick was mighty cut up about what he said, and
I felt kinder sorry for him. And, you know, I rather cotton to a man
that speaks his mind. Sorter clears him out, you know, of all the
slumgullion that's in him. It's just like washin' out a pan o'
prospecting: you pour in the water, and keep slushing it round and
round, and out comes first the mud and dirt, and then the gravel, and
then the black sand, and then--it's all out, and there's a speck o'
gold glistenin' at the bottom!"

"Then you think there _was_ suthin' in what he said?" said Uncle Jim,
facing about slowly.

An odd tone in his voice made Uncle Billy look up. "No," he said
quickly, shying with the instinct of an easy pleasure-loving nature
from a possible grave situation. "No, I don't think he ev