t?" demanded Mormon.

"Nothin', with the stuff. We'll set it out beyond the lines come dusk.
But the tent'll come in handy. We didn't bring one erlong."

Sam and Mormon both looked at him curiously, but Sandy's face was
sphinx-like and they refrained from useless questioning.

"Here comes young Ed," announced Sandy as they gained the tunnel. "He's
totin' somethin' that looks to me as if it might be grub."

"Won't offend me none ef it is," said Mormon. "I'm hungrier'n a spring
b'ar an' all our stuff's oveh with Mirandy Bailey."

"She's sure one thoughtful lady," said Sam. "What you got, Ed?" he
queried as the gangling youth came up.

"Beans, camp-bread an' coffee. Aunt Mirandy, she 'lowed you-all might
not want to leave the claim so she sent this over to bide you through.
You been havin' some trouble, ain't you?" he asked, his eyes gleaming
with interest. "We heard somethin' that sounded like shots an' Mr.
Westlake saw the first bunch go away. He said you waved to him it was
all right. Aunt, she 'lowed you c'ud look out fo' yourselves. Then the
second bunch come erlong."

"Jest wishin' us luck, son," said Sandy. "How's everything with you?"

"I bet it warn't good luck they was wishin'," grinned Ed, squatting down
on his haunches and rolling a cigarette. "We're gettin' on fine. Got
some dandy claims, I reckon. One for maw an' one fo' father, right
alongside Aunt Mirandy's an' mine. It 'ud be great if we sh'ud all
strike it rich, to once, w'udn't it?"

"Great!" agreed Sandy, munching beans with gusto. "Don't you think you
ought to be gettin' back, 'case some one might take a notion to them
claims of yores? 'Pears to me it's up to you, Ed, to protect yore aunt.
Westlake can't stick around with you all the time. He's got his business
to attend to."

Young Ed straightened.

"I'll look out for her all right," he said. "But you don't know Aunt
Mirandy over well or you'd know she can do her own protectin'. You bet
she can. 'Sides, the men who've got claims nigh us come over an' told
her they'd see she wasn't interfered with none. Said they'd heard some
bully had sworn at her an' the real miners in camp warn't goin' to stand
anything like that. Nor no claim-jumpin'. They're goin' to organize,
they say. Git up a Vigilance Committee."

"Good!" said Sandy. "That means the decent element aims to run things.
We'll help 'em. It'll be easier with Plimsoll out of camp."

"Figger he'll go?" asked Sam.

"I w'udn't be surpr