it," he replied, "but it would involve
considerable extra time and expense for me, and I would want extra
compensation."

"Oh, of course," responded Mr. Blaisdell, readily, "I understand that;
indeed, I was going to remark that you have already accomplished so
much work, and your methods seem to be so exact and, at the same time,
expeditious, that we will consider your term of probation here at an
end; we agreed to raise your salary at the end of the month, if your
services were satisfactory; they are eminently so, and I will take the
responsibility of paying you one hundred and twenty-five dollars for
this first month also. As to your fare back and forth between here and
Silver City, of course we will pay that."

"Then," said Houston, smiling and inwardly congratulating himself, "I
do not see but that it is settled that I go to Silver City whenever
you are ready."

"Very well," said Mr. Blaisdell, "you will not need to go down there
for ten days or so, as the time will make no appreciable difference in
the state of affairs there, and I shall need you here during that
time, as some parties are coming out from the east to look at some
mining properties, and both Morgan and myself will probably have to
spend most of our time at the mines."

That evening, at the boarding house, Houston sat apparently interested
in a game of chess between Miss Gladden and Rutherford, but in
reality, paying close attention to a conversation carried on in low
tones between Mr. Blaisdell and Morgan. Only an occasional sentence
was audible, but he could gather enough to satisfy himself regarding
the nature of their plans.

"Clean the rubbish out of the shaft, and set a couple of men to work
there for a day or two," Mr. Blaisdell was saying; a few words were
lost, and then he said, "Whenever I hear what day they are coming up,
we'll put on a good force."

"They'll have their own expert with them, I suppose?" asked Morgan.

"Yes," answered Mr. Blaisdell, "but if he's like the most of those
eastern experts, Haight and I can fix him very easily."

A little later the conversation ended, Mr. Blaisdell saying, as he
rose to go to his room:

"It is a confoundedly poor property, but I think a few tons of ore
from the Yankee Boy will sell it all right."

This remark gave Houston considerable food for reflection, as the
Yankee Boy was one of the richest properties owned by the New York
company. He had that day received his first letter from