at everything is in first-class order. Houston, are those
statements and tracings all ready?"

"They are," replied Houston.

"Very well, put them up as quick as you can, I'll take them to the
city with me, and the team will be here in half a minute; I want to
catch that six o'clock train. I didn't expect to have to go to-night,
but that telegram has hurried up matters. Morgan, you keep everything
straight to-morrow, and be ready for us Friday morning."

"Shall I send a team down?" asked Morgan.

"No, no matter about that, I'll take Joe Hunt's team there at the Y,
it will be a rather more stylish turnout than one of the mining teams.
Everything is here O.K. I suppose," as Houston handed him the papers
he had requested, "all right, there's my team; well, so long, boys,
don't get into any more fights while I'm gone," and he was soon
rattling down the canyon toward the Y, while Houston and Morgan began
to make preparations for closing the office.

"Well," said Morgan, as he stood looking out of the window, and
waiting for Houston to put away his books and papers for the night, "I
can just imagine the little scene that will be enacted down there at
the main office to-morrow, it would be as good as a play just to watch
it. There will be old Wilson, with his diamonds and palaver,
expatiating on the country and the mines; and Blaisdell, with that
dignified way of his, talking of nitrates and sulphides, and so many
milligrams equaling so many grains troy, and so many gramestons in so
many pounds avoirdupois, and all that razzle-dazzle, and Rivers, not
saying much of anything, but smiling, and calculating how many
thousands he is going to put in his own pockets."

Houston laughed, and was about to reply, when Rutherford came in, as
he often walked down to meet Houston and accompany him to the house.

"Come in, Ned," said Houston, "you should have been here a minute ago;
Morgan has been giving some verbal portraits of the mining company.
Your descriptive powers are excellent, Morgan, and you seem to know
these men pretty well."

"Know them," said Morgan, swinging himself astride a chair and folding
his arms upon the back, while Rutherford perched upon a large writing
table, and Houston leaned against his long desk, with his arms folded,
"Know them, I should think I ought to. I worked in the Silver City
office as bookkeeper for a year before coming out here, and six months
of that time I boarded in Blaisdell's family; and