ated.

"We'll telegraph to Bill, anyhow," he cried, and straightway the
following message was sent:

"WILLIAM THOMAS, Farley's, Pa.:

"Skip Miller has fixed everything. Sam is free. Hurrah for
Skip.

JOE."

"There," he said, after writing the telegram, a task of no mean
magnitude for him, "that puts the credit jest where it belongs. I ain't
sayin' the lawyer didn't do his share; but he'd been snowed under if Tim
hadn't been brought in the nick of time."

Skip was radiant with delight, as he had every reason to be, since now
he felt certain his past misdeeds were atoned for, and the partners
repeated over and over again that they owed him a debt which could never
be repaid.

Mr. Hunter insisted that the owners of the mine should remain in
Blacktown until he learned whether sufficient money could be raised with
which to defend the suit brought against them; but Joe was bent on going
to the depot for the purpose of witnessing Mr. Wright's departure.

"I want to see how he an' and his precious cashier look after failin' in
convictin' an innocent boy of stealin' what never oughter been put in
his charge."

Fred did not care to indulge in such questionable triumph; but the miner
was so persistent that he could not well refuse, and the three stood on
the platform when their accusers boarded the cars.

Neither of the men glanced toward the little group; but a bystander who
had been present at the trial, said loud enough to be heard by both:

"It looks like pretty poor business for a big corporation to try to send
a boy to jail in order that he may be robbed of his property."

"You're a sensible man," Joe cried, approvingly, as he insisted on
shaking hands with the stranger, "an' if the time ever comes when me or
my mate can do you a good turn we'll be glad."

After this the four walked to the hotel, for Skip was sadly in need of
food, and Joe said, in a tone of satisfaction:

"I'm willin' to bet considerable that when we get back to Farley's we'll
find as how Wright has gone somewhere on business, an' the cashier is
takin' a vacation. Bill will show my telegram to everybody what comes
in, and the whole town will be agin 'em."

"If the company wins the suit, Mr. Wright won't care very much about
what is said, for with two mines he will be the boss of this section,"
Sam replied. "I don't bother with anything at Farley's jest now; the
company can run matte