eat discovery. Zirconium, which is exceedingly dense
and practically irreducible by wear, is supplanting iridium for the
pointing of gold pens, and its value for that purpose is far in excess
of any other known substance."

"But Colonel Craigmiles never ships anything from his mine, so far as
any one can see," Ballard cut in.

"No? It isn't necessary. He showed us his reduction-plant--run by
water-power from the little dam in the upper canyon. It is quite
perfect. You will understand that the actual quantity of zirconium
obtained is almost microscopic; but since it is worth much more than
diamonds, weight for weight, the plant needn't be very extensive. And
the fortunate miner in this instance is wholly independent of the
transportation lines. He can carry his output to market in his vest
pocket."

After this, the talk, resolutely shunted by Ballard, veered aside from
Arcadian matters. Later on, when Bromley was making up a shake-down bed
in the rear room for the guest, the Kentuckian went out on the porch to
smoke. It was here that Bromley found him after the Bostonian had been
put to bed.

"Now, then, I want to know where you got that sample, Breckenridge?" he
demanded, without preface.

Ballard's laugh was quite cheerful.

"I stole it out of one of the colonel's ore bins at the entrance of the
mine over yonder."

"I thought so. And the shots?"

"They were fired at me by one of the Mexican night guards, of course.
One of them hit the hat as I was running away, and I was scared stiff
for fear Gardiner's sharp old eyes would discover the hole. I'm right
glad for one thing, Loudon; and that is that the mine is really a mine.
Sometimes I've been tempted to suspect that it was merely a hole in the
ground, designed and maintained purely for the purpose of cinching the
Arcadia Company for damages."

Bromley sat up straight and his teeth came together with a little click.
He was remembering the professor's talk about the underlying shales, and
a possible breach into them above the dam when he said: "Or to--" but
the sentence was left unfinished. Instead, he fell to reproaching
Ballard for his foolhardiness.

"Confound you, Breckenridge! you haven't sense enough to stay in the
house when it's raining out-of-doors! The idea of your taking such
reckless chances on a mere whiff of curiosity! Let me have a pipeful of
that tobacco--unless you mean to hog that, too--along with all the other
risky things."

XXI