face burned by sun and wind and his
machine weighed down with sacks of samples, but when he saw the crowd,
and Blount in the middle of it, he threw on his brakes with a jerk.

"Hello!" he hailed. "What's all the excitement? Has the Paymaster made a
strike?"

All eyes turned to Blount, who stepped down ponderously and waddled out
to the auto. He was a very heavy man, with his mouth on one side and a
mild, deceiving smile; and as he shook hands perfunctorily he glanced
uneasily at Wiley, for he had heard about the tax-sale.

"Why, no," he replied, "no strike as yet. How's everything with you, Mr.
Holman?"

"Fine and dandy, I guess," returned Wiley civilly. "Where did all these
men jump up from?"

"Oh, they just dropped in, or stopped over in passing. Do you still take
an interest in mines?"

"Well, yes," responded Wiley. "I'm a mining engineer, and so naturally I
do take quite an interest. And by the way, Mr. Blount, did it ever occur
to you that the Paymaster has been sold for taxes? Oh, that's all right,
that's all right; I didn't know whether you'd heard about it--do you
recognize my title to the mine?"

"Well," began Blount, and then he smiled appeasingly, "I didn't just
know where to reach you. Of course, according to law, you do hold the
title; but I suppose you know that the stockholders of the company have
five years in which to buy back the mine. Yes, that is the law; but I
thought under the circumstances--the mine lying idle and all--you might
be willing to waive your strict rights in the interests of, well,
harmony."

"I get you," answered Wiley, glancing at the staring onlookers, "and
of course these gentlemen are our witnesses. You acknowledge my title,
and that every bit of your work is being done on another man's ground;
but, of course, if you make a strike I won't put any obstacles in your
way. I'm for harmony, Mr. Blount, as big as a wolf; but there's one
thing I want to ask you. Did you or did you not employ this Stiff Neck
George to act as guard on the mine? Because two months ago, after I'd
bought in the Paymaster for taxes, I went over to inspect the ground
and Stiff Neck George----"

"Oh, no! Oh dear, no!" protested Blount vigorously. "He was acting for
himself. I heard about his actions, but I had nothing to do with
them--I never even knew about it till lately."

"But was he in your employ at the time of the shooting, and did you tell
him to drive off all comers? Because----"

"No! M