e're going to be on neighboring claims you may find it a heap
to your advantage to use us about half-way decent and polite."

Tom didn't answer at once. He was rapidly covering the statement
of location from the paper nailed to the board.

"You fellows picked up a lot of ore stuff around here," continued
Dolph Gage.

"Yes?" Tom inquired. "Did you see us?"

"Yes, and we also saw you making an assay."

"You did."

"Of course we did. Say, friend, how did that assay come out?"

"It came out of the furnace," Tom answered still writing.

"'Course it did. But say, how did that assay read?"

"Read?" repeated Tom. "Why, bless me, I never knew that an assay
could read."

"You know what I meant, younker. How did it figger?"

"To the best of my belief," said Tom, "an assay is as much unable
to figure as it is to read."

"Don't waste any more time on the kid, Dolph," growled another
of the group. "He won't tell you anything that you want to know."

"If he doesn't" rejoined Gage, "maybe he'll miss something. See
here---Reade's your name, isn't it?"

"You've got that much of your information straight," assented
Tom, looking up with a smile.

"Well, Reade, maybe you'd better be a bit more polite and sociable.
You've missed staking this claim, but I think we can fix it to give
you a job here as engineer."

"That would be very kind of you, I'm sure," nodded Tom. "But I
can't undertake any work for you."

"Then you'll lose some money."

"I'm used to losing money," smiled Tom. "As for my partner, he's a
real wonder in the way of losing money. He lost ten cents yesterday."

"We've got a fine claim," asserted Dolph Gage. It's right under
our feet, and there isn't another such claim in Nevada. Now,
if you two want to make any real money you'd better begin to be
decent with us right now. Otherwise, you won't get the job.
Now, what do you say?"

"I vote for 'otherwise,'" laughed Reade, turning on his heel.

"Oh, you run along and be independent, then," called Dolph Gage
after him. "If you're going to stick the winter through on this
Range you'll be hungry once or twice between now and spring, if
you don't take the trouble to get in right with us."

"Why?" questioned Reade, halting and looking squarely back. "Do
you steal food, too?"

Once More Tom turned on his heel. Harry walked along with him.
Jim Ferrers all but walked backward, holding his rifle ready
and keeping a keen eye over the claim stea