tly, as he and Tom got just out of earshot
of the visitor.

"Because I suspect," Reade returned, "that he and his crowd want
to steal our assaying outfit."

"And you're leaving the coast clear for that purpose?" Hazelton
gasped in high dudgeon.

"Now, Harry, is that all you know about me?" questioned his partner,
reproachfully. "Listen. Around here you'll find plenty of stones
of a throwing size. Just fill your pockets, your hands---your
hat. Creep in close to camp and hide. If you see 'Mr. Sulky'
poking his nose into anything in our camp---the furnace, for instance,
or the assay balance, then just drop a stone so near to him that
it will make him jump. Be careful that you don't drop a stone
on that balance. You used to be a pretty fair pitcher, and I
believe you can drop a stone where you want."

"And what will you be doing?" asked Harry curiously.

"Oh, I'll be keeping out of harm's way, I promise you," laughed
Tom Reade.

"Humph! Yes, it would be like you to put me into danger and to
leave yourself out of it, wouldn't it?" mocked Harry Hazelton,
unbelievingly.

"Well, I'll try to make good use of my time, Harry, old fellow.
For one thing, if you haunt camp and keep Gage's crowd busy,
then you'll keep them from following or watching me. Don't you
see?"

"No; I don't see," grunted Hazelton. "But what I do suspect is
that you have something up your sleeve that I may not find out
for two or three days to come. Yet, whatever it is, it will be
for our mutual good. I can depend upon you, Tom Reade! Go ahead;
go as far as you like."

"Get the stones gathered up, then, and get back to camp," counseled
Reade. "Don't lose too much time about it, for Gage's rascal
may be able to do a lot of harm in the two or three minutes that
you might be late in getting back."

Harry industriously picked up stones. Hardly had he started when
Tom Reade silently vanished.

"Well, I'm glad, anyway, that Tom doesn't want us both away from
camp while he's doing something," reflected Hazelton, as he began
to move cautiously back. "There wouldn't be any camp by noon
if we were both away."

Even before he secured his first glimpse of camp, Harry heard
some one moving about there.

"The rascal must feel pretty sure that we're both fools enough
to be away," quivered Hazelton indignantly. "What on earth is
he doing, anyway?"

Then the young engineer crawled in close enough to get an excellent
view of what was goin