for a good price, if he'll make the Professor talk and help get you a
pardon from the Governor? You know the Governor, he'll pardon most
anybody, but you've got to give him some excuse. Well, the Professor has
got the evidence to get you out to-morrow--if Murray will just tell him
to talk."

"What d'ye call a good price?" inquired Denver suspiciously. "Did Murray
put you up to this?"

"No!" snapped Bunker, "but he named ten thousand dollars as the most he
could possibly give. He owns the Colonel Dodge's interest in the Lost
Burro Mining Company now."

"Your pardner, eh?" sneered Denver. "Well, where would I get off if I
took this friendly tip? I'd lose my mine, that's worth a million, at
least; and get ten thousand dollars and a parole. A paroled man can't
locate a claim--nor an ex-convict, neither. The Silver Treasure is the
last claim that I'll ever get; and I'm going to hold onto it, by grab!"

"You're crazy," declared Bunker, "didn't I say we'd get you a pardon?
Well, a pardon restores you to citizenship--you can locate all the
claims you want."

"Yes, sure; _if_ I'm pardoned! But I know that danged Dutchman--he
wouldn't turn a hand to get me out of the Pen' if you'd give him a
hundred thousand dollars. He's got it in for me, for not buying his
claim when I took the Silver Treasure from you; and more'n that, he's
afraid of me, because if I ever get out----"

"Oh, don't be a dammed fool all the rest of your life," burst out Bunker
Hill impatiently. "If you'd quiet down a little and quit fighting your
head, maybe your friends would be able to help you. I might as well tell
you that I've been to the Governor and told him the facts of the case;
and he's practically promised, if the Professor will come through, to
give you a full pardon with citizenship. Now be reasonable, Denver, and
quit trying to whip the world, and we'll get you out of this jack-pot.
Give old Murray your mine--you can never law it away from him--and take
your ten thousand dollars; then move to another camp and make a fresh
start where there's nobody working against you. Of course I'm Murray's
pardner--he put one over on me--but at the same time I reckon I'm your
friend. Now there's the proposition and you can take it or leave it--I
ain't going to bother you again."

"Nope, it don't look good to me," answered Denver promptly, "there's too
many ifs and ands. And I'll stay here till I rot before Bible-Back
Murray will ever get that mine from _me