y fooling there. And, being as I had to locate it somewhere--well, the
chances are Eells was correct."

"Oh, that's just the way you talk!" she burst out incredulously; "did
you honestly do it on purpose?"

"Well, I guess I did!" boasted Wunpost. "I just stopped over in
Blackwater and told Mr. Eells all about it. So don't be worried on
_my_ account--and he built you a mighty good road."

"Yes, but do you think it was quite right," began Billy indignantly, "to
make Father seem a party to a fraud? It's what some people would call a
very shady transaction; but I suppose, of course, you're proud of it!"

"Why, sure I am!" returned Wunpost warmly, "and you don't need to be so
high and mighty. I guess I'm just as good as your old man or anybody,
and I notice he's using the road!"

"He won't though," answered Billy, "if I tell him what's happened! My
father is honest, he works for what he gets, and that road is just the
same as stolen!"

"Well, go ahead and tell him!" challenged Wunpost angrily. "We'll come
to a show-down, right now. And anybody that's too good to use my road is
too good to associate with _me_!" He brought down his big fist into
the palm of his hand and Wilhelmina jumped at the smack. "Didn't I tell
you," he demanded rising and pointing at her accusingly, "didn't I say I
was going to build that road? Well, why didn't you kick about it
_then_? You were game to follow me up and jump my mine so your
father could build him a road; but the minute I trim old Eells, who has
robbed you of a million, by grab, all of a sudden you get _good_!
You can't bear to use a road that that old skinflint built, thinking
he'd robbed me of another rich mine! No, that wouldn't be right, that's
a shady transaction! All right then, don't use the doggoned road!"

He smashed his fist into his hand in a final sweeping gesture of disdain
and Wilhelmina gazed at him fixedly.

"I thought you were just talking," she said at last, "but don't you ever
tell Father what's happened. If you do he'll never use the road--or if
he does, he'll pay Mr. Eells for it. He tries to be honest in
everything."

"Yes, and look what it gets him!" cried Wunpost passionately, "he's
spent half his life in this hell-hole of a canyon and you're chasing
around here in overalls! And then when some _crook_ like me comes
along and gives him a ten thousand dollar road this is all the thanks he
gets! I'm through--you can rustle for yourself!"

"Very well!" retu