t, and the way
Braden talked, he seemed to be mighty sure about it. If I was you I'd go
and see Judge Riley."

Angus did so the next day.

"If you had come in yesterday instead of going off half-cocked," the
judge told him severely, "I could have shown you the deeds. They came
back some days ago. The only thing to do is to get Barnes or somebody to
make a survey and see what its boundaries are."

Angus hunted up Barnes, the local surveyor, and drove him out to Faith's
ranch. The place of beginning named in the deed was with reference to
the eastern corner of the large block owned by Braden. Thence Barnes ran
his line west until according to the wording of the deed he reached the
spot which should be the easterly corner of Faith's property. Planting a
post there he continued to work west. Reaching the spot which according
to the description was the southwest corner, he turned off his angle to
work north. Angus peered through the instrument, noting where the
cross-hairs notched upon the landscape.

"Are you sure this is right?" he asked.

"Of course I'm sure," Barnes replied somewhat tartly. "If you think I
don't know my business you can get somebody else."

"Then," said Angus, "this survey won't take in that round mountain at
all?"

"Not a foot of it," Barnes replied. "The line will run just by its east
base."

And when the survey was completed it was evident that Faith's deeds gave
her no title whatever to the land claimed by Mr. Braden. The deeds were
conclusive; Barnes' survey accurate. Suspicions amounted to nothing.

CHAPTER XXXV

BRADEN MISSES SOME PAPERS

The discovery of coal coming on top of sudden activity in railway survey
filled the hills with prospectors, amateur and otherwise. But no further
discoveries were made. Indeed, Mr. Braden's discovery had been made by
accident, according to his own account of it, which was more or less
along historic lines. He proceeded serenely with development. He spoke
largely of potential output, refusing to consider tentative proposals.
Later he might organize a company and offer shares to the public, but
just then he preferred to keep the entire ownership himself. He became a
personage of more local importance than ever, deferred to, his opinions
quoted. In this notoriety he basked as in the sun. Almost daily he
visited his prospect.

He was driving back to town one evening when he met Gerald French. Mr.
Braden, who for reasons of his own had rather a