nto hastily constructed cabins on the individual claims.
Wally had always fancied himself as a stage manager for amateur
theatricals. Now he justified his faith by transforming Kamatlah
outwardly from a company camp to a mushroom one settled by wandering
prospectors.

Gideon Holt alone was outside of all these activities and watched them
with suspicion. He was an old-timer, sly but fearless, who hated Colby
Macdonald with a bitter jealousy that could not be placated and he
took no pains to hide the fact. He had happened to be in the vicinity
prospecting when Macdonald had rushed his entries. Partly out of mere
perversity and partly by reason of native shrewdness, old Holt had
slipped in and located one of the best claims in the heart of the
group. Nor had he been moved to a reasonable compromise by any amount
of persuasion, threats, or tentative offers to buy a relinquishment.
He was obstinate. He knew a good thing when he had it, and he meant to
sit tight.

The adherents of the company might charge that Holt was cracked in the
upper story, but none of them denied he was sharp as a street Arab. He
guessed that all this preparation was not for nothing. Kamatlah was
being dressed up to impress somebody who would shortly arrive. The
first thought of Holt was that a group of big capitalists might be
coming to look over their investment. But he rejected this surmise.
There would be no need to try any deception upon them.

Mail from Seattle reached camp once a month. Holt sat down before his
stove to read one of the newspapers he had brought from the office. It
was the "P.-I." On the fifth page was a little boxed story that gave him
his clue.

ELLIOT TO INVESTIGATE MACDONALD COAL CLAIMS

The reopening of the controversy as to the Macdonald claims,
which had been clear-listed for patent by Harold B. Winton,
the Commissioner of the General Land Office, takes on another
phase with the appointment of Gordon Elliot as special field
agent to examine the validity of the holdings. The new field
agent won a reputation by his work in unearthing the Oklahoma
"Gold Brick" land frauds.

Elliot leaves Seattle in the Queen City Thursday for the North,
where he will make a thorough investigation of the whole situation
with a view to clearing up the matter definitely. If his report
is favorable to the claimants, the patents will be granted without
further delay.

This was too good