ce the size
it was when I saw it first, an' many times more people. There's a lot
of these people, riffraff, that work these minin' towns. Gamblers,
sharks, claim jumpers, outlaws, adventurers, tramps, an' of course the
kind of women that go along with them. A good many cow outfits make
this their headquarters now. An' last, this horse tradin', an' wild
horse catchin'. Sellin' an' shippin' has attracted lots of men. Every
day or so a new fellar, like you, drops in from east of the Rockies.
There are some big mining men investigatin' the claims. An' if good
mineral is found Marco will be solid, an' not just a mushroom town."

"Any law?" inquired Pan thoughtfully.

"Not so you'd notice it much, especially when you need it," asserted
Brown grimly. "Matthews is the town marshal. Self-elected so far as I
could see. An' he's hand an' glove with Hardman. He's mayor,
magistrate, sheriff, an' the whole caboodle, includin' the court. But
there are substantial men here, who sooner or later will organize an'
do things. They're too darned busy now workin', gettin' on their feet."

"Ah-uh. I savvy. I reckon you're giving me a hunch that in your
private opinion Matthews isn't exactly straight where some interests
are concerned. Hardman's for instance. I've run across that sort of
deal in half a dozen towns."

"You got me," replied Brown, soberly. "But please regard that as my
confidential opinion. I couldn't prove it. This town hasn't grown up
to political corruption an' graft. But it's headed that way."

"Well, I was lucky to run into you," said Pan with satisfaction. "I'll
tell you why some other time. I'm pretty sure to stick here.... Now
let's go out and see the town, especially the Yellow Mine."

Pan had not strolled the length of the main street before he realized
that there was an atmosphere here strangely unfamiliar to him. Yet he
had visited some fairly wild and wide-open towns. But they had owed
their wildness and excitement and atmosphere to the range and the
omnipresent cowboy. Old-timers had told him stories of Abilene and
Dodge, when they were in their heyday. He had gambled in the hells of
Juarez, across the Texas border where there was no law. Some of the
Montana cattle towns were far from slow, in cowboy vernacular. But
here he sensed a new element. And soon he grasped it as the fever of
the rush for gold. The excitement of it took hold of him, so that he
had to reason with himsel