s receipt, George had come to say that he
would be that representative, and within two hours, with at least his
father's full consent, her dream was at an end and her boy was gone.

That night toward ten he and McCrea were spinning away up the west
shore under the lofty, rock-ribbed scarp of Crow Nest and Storm King,
to ferry over to Fishkill from Newburg, and there take the Pacific
express, making its first stop out of New York City. Each had hurriedly
packed such store of clothing as seemed most appropriate to the region
and the business to which he was bound. There was no vestige of uniform
or badge of rank and station. Geordie took with him his favorite rifle,
and in his valise, to be exhumed when they reached the Rockies, was a
revolver he knew, rather better than his classmates, how to use, for he
had learned as a lad on the plains. Each had his ticket for Chicago,
where they were to change for Denver. Each had a money belt and a
modest sum in currency. Each had his hopes of rescuing something if not
all of the imperilled property, and neither had even a vague idea of
the peril, difficulty, and treachery he was destined to encounter.

Everything had promised well when Silver Shield was first exploited.
Its promoters and agents showed high-grade ore, and reports of expert
mining engineers promised abundance of it. All that was needed was
development. "Come in now, on the ground-floor, and you'll be coining
money in a year's time," said Mr. Breifogle, and to the number of seven
the commissioned force at Fort Reynolds had "come." So long as they
remained close to the spot all seemed going well. But Graham had been
ordered to the Point, and the regiment over in the Oklahoma country.
Then came trouble.

It seemed odd that stock held so high should so soon have to be
assessed. But "some expensive machinery was necessary." Then came a
second and larger demand. Silver Shield was so valuable that envious
eyes had been directed to it, and fraudulent claims and claimants were
constantly turning up. Threatened litigation would be long and
expensive. It would be cheaper far to buy off the litigants. So Graham,
with a sigh and sore premonition of trouble, obtained the necessary
amount on his personal note. McCrea, with inward misgiving, borrowed
and sent it. Officers at Reno sent up what they could, but it wasn't
enough, and in May came a third appeal. The secretary wrote that
litigation had begun, and there was reason to bel