lead one to suspect that he had a
child concealed upon his premises, and he had even furnished what
he called an alibi when he bought the candy, professing to own an
inordinately sweet tooth.

Cash cast his eyes over the stock of baby clothes which Bud gleefully
unwrapped on his bunk, and pinched out a smile under his beard.

"Well, if the kid stays till he wears out all them clothes, we'll just
about have to give him a share in the company," he said drily.

Bud looked up in quick jealousy. "What's mine's his, and I own a half
interest in both claims. I guess that'll feed him--if they pan out
anything," he retorted. "Come here, Boy, and let's try this suit on.
Looks pretty small to me--marked three year, but I reckon they don't
grow 'em as husky as you, back where they make all these clothes."

"Yeah. But you ought to put it in writing, Bud. S'pose anything happened
to us both--and it might. Mining's always got its risky side, even
cutting out sickness, which we've had a big sample of right this winter.
Well, the kid oughta have some security in case anything did happen.
Now--"

Bud looked thoughtfully down at the fuzzy yellow head that did not come
much above his knee.

"Well, how yuh going to do anything like that without giving it away
that we've got him? Besides, what name'd we give him in the company? No,
sir, Cash, he gets what I've got, and I'll smash any damn man that tries
to get it away from him. But we can't get out any legal papers--"

"Yeah. But we can make our wills, can't we? And I don't know where
you get the idea, Bud, that you've got the whole say about him.
We're pardners, ain't we? Share and share alike. Mines, mules,
grub--kids--equal shares goes."

"That's where you're dead wrong. Mines and mules and grub is all right,
but when it comes to this old Lovin Man, why--who was it found him, for
gosh sake?"

"Aw, git out!" Cash growled. "Don't you reckon I'd have grabbed him off
that squaw as quick as you did? I've humored you along, Bud, and let you
hog him nights, and feed him and wash his clothes, and I ain't kicked
none, have I? But when it comes to prope'ty--"

"You ain't goin' to horn in there, neither. Anyway, we ain't got so darn
much the kid'll miss your share, Cash."

"Yeah. All the more reason why he'll need it I don't see how you're
going to stop me from willing my share where I please. And when you come
down to facts, Bud, why--you want to recollect that I plumb forgot to
repo