ay in
camp and work."

"Suppose both of us stay in and work," proposed Reade.

"That'll be all right, too," nodded Harry, pleasantly. "May I
ask, Tom, what you're up to, anyway?"

"Yes," Reade smiled. "If the Bright Hope is a real mine there
must be other good property in this region. I've been looking
about, and making an assay every now and then. Jim, you've prospected
a bit, haven't you?"

"Yes," nodded the guide. "And, gentlemen, in my day I've been
sole owner of three claims, each one of which panned out a fortune."

"Great!" glowed Harry. "But how did you lose your money, Jim!"

"I never got a cent out of any of the mines," rejoined the guide
grimly.

"How did that happen?"

"Did you ever hear of 'square gamblers'?" inquired Ferrers.

"Some," Tom admitted with a grimace. "We ran up against one of
that brood in Arizona, eh, Harry?"

"You didn't play against him, I hope, hinted Jim soberly.

"Yes, we did," admitted Tom. "Not with his own marked cards,
though, nor with any kind of cards. We met him with men's weapons,
and it is necessary to add that our 'square gambler' lost."

"The 'square gamblers' that I met didn't lose," sighed Jim Ferrers.
"They won, and that's why all three of my mines passed out of my
hands before they began to pay."

"You must know something about ore and croppings, and the like,
Jim?", Tom continued.

"In a prospector's way, yes," Ferrers admitted.

"Then we'll take a walk, now. Alf can wash up the dishes."

"It's all the little wretch is fit for," muttered Ferrers
contemptuously.

Jim looked carefully into the magazine of his repeating ride, then
saw to it that his ammunition belt was filled.

"Ready when you gentlemen are," he announced.

"Say, won't you take me with you?" pleaded Alf.

"You wouldn't be of any use to us," Reade answered.

"But I---I am afraid to stay here alone."

"Do you believe yourself to be so valuable that any one will want
to steal you?" Tom laughed.

Alf made a wry face and watched the others depart. Then, filled
with needless alarm, he crawled out into a thicket and hid himself.
He didn't mean to be trapped by prowlers!

Tom led the way for nearly a mile. At last the trio climbed a
slight ascent, halting at the top of the ridge.

"You see, Jim," Tom explained, "this ridge runs southwesterly
from here."

"I see it does?" nodded the guide.

"Now, to the northeastward I don't believe there are any croppings
that look g