ped dancing and came forward to see the new arrivals.

The mackinaw man was congratulating the Colonel on "gettin' back to
civilization."

"See that plate-glass mirror?" He pointed behind the bar, below the
moose antlers. "See them ladies? You've got to a place where you can
rake in the dust all day, and dance all night, and go buckin' the tiger
between whiles. Great place, Minook. Here's luck!" He took up the last
of the gin slings set in a row before the party.

"Have you got some property here?" asked the Boy.

The man, without putting down his glass, simply closed one eye over the
rim.

"We've heard some bad accounts of these diggin's," said the Colonel.

"I ain't sayin' there's millions for _every_body. You've got to get the
inside track. See that feller talkin' to the girl? Billy Nebrasky
tipped him the wink in time to git the inside track, just before the
Fall Stampede up the gulch."

"Which gulch?"

He only motioned with his head. "Through havin' that tip, he got there
in time to stake number three Below Discovery. He's had to hang up
drinks all winter, but he's a millionaire all right. He's got a hundred
thousand dollars _in sight,_ only waitin' for runnin' water to wash it
out."

"Then there _is_ gold about here?"

"There is gold? Say, Maudie," he remarked in a humourous half-aside to
the young woman who was passing with No--thumb-Jack, "this fellow wants
to know if there is gold here."

She laughed. "Guess he ain't been here long."

Now it is not to be denied that this rejoinder was susceptible of more
than one interpretation, but the mackinaw man seemed satisfied, so much
so that he offered Maudie the second gin-sling which the Colonel had
ordered "all round." She eyed the strangers over the glass. On the hand
that held it a fine diamond sparkled. You would say she was twenty-six,
but you wouldn't have been sure. She had seemed at least that at a
distance. Now she looked rather younger. The face wore an impudent
look, yet it was delicate, too. Her skin showed very white and fine
under the dabs of rouge. The blueness was not yet faded out of her
restless eyes.

"Minook's all right. No josh about that," she said, setting down her
glass. Then to the Boy, "Have a dance?"

"Not much," he replied rather roughly, and turned away to talk about
the diggin's to two men on the other side.

Maudie laid her hand on the Colonel's arm, and the diamond twitched the
light. "_You_ will," she said.

"Well