approached. "What did you see?"

"A big bear," wheezed Charley. "But we found the mine--the Golden
West. And the long-nosed man took it away from us."

"There are three of 'em," joined in Billy. "They pointed guns at us
and made us get out."

"Where?"

"Up there on top of the ridge. Billy's bullet knocked out a piece of
gold quartz--see?" and Charley extended the fragment that he had been
clutching tightly. "Then Billy found a sign that said 'Golden West'
and is signed by Tom Jones, for a claim; and when we were looking at it
that Jacobs gang surprised us and told us to 'git.' Let's go back up
there. They made Billy leave his gun, too."

The four men uttered exclamations, while looking at each other; Mr.
Grigsby thoughtfully stroked his beard, and gazed at the crest of the
ridge. Charley was certain that the heads of the Jacobs party were
peeking over the brush, there.

The piece of quartz passed around, and was examined. Most excited of
all seemed to be the miner--for he certainly was a miner--who had been
added to the party: a short, heavy-set man, very shaggy and
weather-worn. He carried knife and pistol, and appeared to be good
reinforcement.

"Did you get that up on that hill?" he demanded. "How much more is
there of it? It's gold quartz, sure as shootin'--an' plaguey rich.
Say--I want some o' that, myself. Hooray! Come on, all o' ye, 'fore
the news gets out. You're fust, I'm second."

"You say you found the Golden West mine, and the Jacobs party ran you
out, Charley?" asked Mr. Adams.

"Yes, sir. Didn't we, Billy?" And Billy nodded.

"Are they up there now?"

"Yes, sir. See 'em. They've got guns, too, besides Billy's."

"Looks as though we were in for a fight, then; eh, Grigsby?" remarked
Mr. Adams, flushing. "We'll not stand to be robbed in any such
fashion. Let's go and see what they have to say."

"The way I size those gentry up," said Mr. Grigsby, "they're there and
we're here, and they won't let us get much closer. Maybe we can starve
'em out, though," and he surveyed the ridge.

"I'm with you, in anything you want to do," spoke Mr. Walker. "How
many are there? Three?"

"Jumped yore claim, have they?" asked the miner.

"They certainly have."

"You're shore it's yourn?"

"We can prove it."

"Then best thing you can do is to prove it to the boys at Rough an'
Ready," pursued the miner. "Thar's been too much claim-jumpin', in
this valley; no-one's property is sa