visit a lot of places. Truly, I had never planned so far ahead as to
get to the place where I wouldn't be doing anything excepting clipping
coupons."

"Yes, the mine is a fine thing," Davy said earnestly. "Why, there is
enough gold there to make a great fortune. But what's the use in
taking it all out at once? It will keep. You can work awhile, rest
awhile, play awhile, and still be just as rich as if you had worked
yourself to death. You are young, strong, and healthy, just right to
enjoy life. Why work so hard now?"

"Yes, I am healthy, feel pretty strong, but not so young. Right now, I
would like to take a few thousand dollars out of that gulch before
snow flies, for we are going to have a lot of enforced loafing. We are
in good shape to loaf however, all bills are paid and I still have
thirty-five dollars of your money!"

"That's fine. I have been wondering how I would pay for the colt, in
the event we bought him. The B-line folks might not want to take my
check, and it might take more cash than I have on me."

"Mrs. Gillis will take care of that, she has money, plenty of it. She
will tell Landy what to do, and Landy's word is like a bond. They do a
lot of trading with the B-line. Buy cows, sell calves, and trade paper
back and forth. Mrs. Gillis is better than a bank. Since the banking
situation went bad, she has been accumulating government bonds. She
hardly ever comes back from town without at least a hundred-dollar
bond. She's a wonder, that woman. She's not an isolated hill billy
that goes to town on Saturdays and anchors herself in the doorway of
the five-and-ten-cent store to visit and gawk around. She's full of
business. Sells her stuff, buys what she needs, and hits the trail for
home. I expect Mrs. Gillis has seven or eight thousand dollars in
bonds and cash stowed around in their cabin."

"Now that's my notion of living," cried Davy as he edged his chair
back from the cracking sticks that Welborn had added to the
smouldering embers in the fireplace. "Own a fine little ranch, a
decent run of livestock and poultry, raise plenty of feed, and have
something to sell right along. They don't have to meet a daily
schedule, don't have to spread canvas in the rain or look at a mob
tittering yokels all the time. That's the life for me and the Gillis
outfit is my pattern."

"They are fine people," said Welborn. "We will keep in close contact
with them. We need them now. The time may come when they will need