ined a deadly anger
against the man who sat at his desk, and as they entered looked up
with a sharp stare of surprise.

Something in the attitude of the two appeared to render him more
alert, more hard, more uncompromising and he frowned, as Dick had seen
him frown before when angry men made way for him and his dominant
mastery. His daughter had stopped in front of the closed door, and
eyed him with eyes no less determined than his own.

"Your men are working under the Croix d'Or," she said coldly, without
wasting words in preliminary.

His face hardened instantly, and his eyes flamed, dull and defiant.
The lines of his heavy jaw appeared to deepen, his shoulders lifted a
trifle, as if the muscles of him had suddenly tensed for combat, and
his lips had a trace of the imperious sneer.

"Oh, you're certain of that, are you, my girl?"

"I am," she retorted. "I was in their lower level when the Rattler's
shots were fired. I heard them."

For an instant he seemed about to leap from his chair, and then,
recovering himself, said with sarcastic emphasis, and a deadly
calmness: "And pray what were you doing there? Was the young mine
owner, Townsend, there with you? Was he so kind----?"

"Is there any need for an exchange of insults?" Dick demanded, taking
a step toward him, and prevented from going farther only by
recollection of his previous loss of temper.

For an instant the mine owner defiantly met his look, and then
half-rose from his chair, and stared more coldly across the litter of
papers, plans, and impedimenta on his desk.

"Then why are you here together?" he demanded. "Weren't you man enough
to come yourself, instead of taking my daughter underground? Did you
want to compel her to be the chief witness in your claim? What right
had you to--?"

"Father!" admonished Joan's voice.

It served a double purpose, for had she not interrupted Dick might
have answered with a heat that he would have regretted, and Bully
Presby dropped back into his chair, and drummed with his fingers on
the desk.

"You took the ore. You must pay. You must!" went on the dull voice of
his daughter.

"But how should I know how much it amounts to, even if I do find out
that some of my men drove into the Cross pay?" he answered, fixing her
with his flaming eyes.

"But you must know," she insisted dully. "I know you know. I know you
knew where the ore was coming from. It must be paid back."

For an instant they eyed each other def