to the under part of
the instep, or palm of the foot. They were off like a pack of
bloodhounds, with the old millman in the lead.

Dick started to follow, and then paused. He saw that Bill was standing
aside, as if hesitating what to do.

"Bill, old partner," he said wearily, "if anything can be found they
can find it. I think you and I had better go back and try to think
some way out of this--try to see some opening. It looks pretty
black."

The big fellow took four or five of his long, swinging steps, and
threw an arm over the younger man's shoulder.

"Boy," he said, "they're a-givin' us a right fast run for our money;
but we ain't whipped yet--not by a long way! And if they do, well,
it's a mighty big world, with mighty big mountains, and we'll strike
it yet; but they haven't cleaned us out of the Cross, and can't as
long as you and me are both kickin.' They've got poor old Bells.
They've tried to hand us a strike. They've blown our reservoir so's we
can't work the mill until another spring passes over; and yet we're
still here, and the Croix d'Or is still there, off under the peak
that's holdin' it down."

He waved his arm above in a broad gesture, and Dick took heart as they
turned back toward the mine, calculating whether they could find a
means of opening it underground to pay; whether they would need as
many men as they had, and other troublesome details.

CHAPTER XIII

THE DYNAMITER

The men of the Croix d'Or slowly made their way upward toward the
higher crest of the range, spread out in an impatient fan whose narrow
point was made up of the three experienced men. At times the trail was
almost lost in the carpet of pine needles and heavy growths of
mountain grass, and again it would show plainly over long stretches
where the earth was exposed. It dipped down over a crest and sought a
hollow in which ran a mountain stream, spread out over a rocky bed and
running swiftly. At its bank they paused. It was plain that their man
had taken to the water to retard pursuit, if such came. The millman
threw up his hand and called the others around him.

"Before we go any farther," he said, "let's find out how many shooting
irons are in this crowd. We may need 'em."

The men looked blankly at one another, expressing by their actions the
fact that in all the party there was not one who possessed a weapon.

"Then it seems to me the best thing to do is for one man to go back to
the mine and get some," sa