t' of the whole business," said Parkinson;
he added: "You say he can give me some 'tips' on the Ajax?"

"He can if he chooses to," laughed Whitcomb, "but you'd better not let
him know that I said so. He'll be more likely to give you information if
you ask him offhand."

"Well," continued Parkinson, "when we get to Ophir, I'll know whether or
not I can stop over. I've heard there's another fellow out here on this
Ajax business; whether he's ahead of me I don't know. I'll make
inquiries when we reach Ophir, and if he hasn't come on the scene yet I
can afford to lay off; if he has, I must lose no time in getting out to
the mine." Parkinson glanced at Hunter, who nodded almost imperceptibly.

"I guess that's the best arrangement we can make at present," said
Parkinson, rising from his seat. "Come and have a smoke with us, Mr.
Whitcomb?"

Whitcomb declined the invitation, and, after Hunter and Parkinson had
left, sat idly turning over the specimens of ore, until, happening to
catch Darrell's eye, he inquired, pleasantly,--

"Are you interested in this sort of thing?"

"In a way, yes," said Darrell, crossing over and taking the seat vacated
by Parkinson. "I'm not what you call a mining man; that is, I've never
owned or operated a mine, but I take a great interest in examining the
different ores and always try to get as much information regarding them
as possible."

Whitcomb at once launched forth enthusiastically upon a description of
the various samples. Darrell, while careful not to show too great
familiarity with the subject, or too thorough a knowledge of ores in
general, yet was so keenly appreciative of their remarkable richness and
beauty that he soon won the boy's heart.

"Say!" he exclaimed, "you had better stop off at Ophir with us; we would
make a mining man of you in less than no time! By the way, how far west
are you travelling?"

"Ophir is my destination at present, though it is uncertain how long I
remain there."

"Long enough, that we'll get well acquainted, I hope. Going into any
particular line of business?"

"No, only looking the country over, for the present."

To divert the conversation from himself, Darrell, by a judicious
question or two, led Whitcomb to speak of the expert.

"Parkinson?" he said with a merry laugh. "Oh, yes, he's one of those
eastern know-it-alls who come out here occasionally to give us fellows a
few points on mines. They're all right, of course, for the men who
emplo