quite certain to tie up the property for an
indefinite period. Besides, lawsuits in this country cost money. The
man who has been making the greater part of the existing trouble, a
drunken, quarrelsome old mountain shell-back, named Hicks, came in here
to see me this afternoon. He was in blamed bad humor, and threatened
to blow my brains out unless I came to his terms. No doubt he meant
it, and consequently I got rid of him the easiest way I could, and that
was by lying. I 've always preferred to lie rather than get shot.
Hard to account for tastes, you know. However among other things the
fellow chanced to mention while here was that you had been employed to
look after their interests. I presume that statement was merely a
bluff?"

"Well, not precisely," admitted Winston, when the other paused. "I
agreed to go out there, and look over the ground."

Farnham smiled deprecatingly, his cigar gripped tightly between his
white teeth.

"Just about as I supposed. No particular harm done as yet, and no
contract made; time enough left to draw out of a bad bargain. Well,
Winston, I am here to tell you that outfit is not the kind you want to
associate yourself with if you desire to stand well in this camp. That
's the straight goods. They 're simply a lot of blackmailers and
irresponsible thieves. Why, damn it, man, the actual fact is, they
can't get a single reputable mining engineer in all this whole district
to take hold of their dirty work. That 's why they 've had to hunt up
a new man, and got track of you."

"So Hicks admitted," interposed the younger man gravely, "although he
put it in rather different form. He said it was because you had the
money, and your crowd bought them all up."

"Oh, he did, did he?" and the gambler laughed outright. "Well, that
sort of a job would n't be very costly--to outbid that measly outfit.
It would be a sight cheaper than litigation, I reckon. What did he
offer you, by the way?"

The young engineer hesitated slightly, his cheeks flushing at the cool
impudence of the other's direct question.

"I do not recall that any positive offer was made," he replied finally.
"At least, the question of payment was not broached."

"The old cuss proved more honest than I had supposed," and Farnham
dropped his clinched hand on the table. "Now, see here, Winston, I
propose giving you this thing right out from the shoulder. There is no
use beating around the bush. Those fellows ha