od," said Sandy. "Plimsoll didn't own
those claims. Didn't have an interest in 'em. Tried to jump 'em, an'
did the jumpin' himse'f. I've got an idea you might have been through
here some time back. I heard some eastern folk had been samplin' ore an'
I saw some signs up on the Casey claims. Those are the claims Plimsoll
tried to sell you, I reckon, for cash, figgerin' on the deal goin'
through quick. He 'lowed he'd grubstaked Casey, which was a plumb lie.
Casey had a constitutional objection about bein' grubstaked, an' he had
none too much use fo' Plimsoll. Plimsoll's got nothin' to prove his end.
From now on he won't try to. The claims belong to Molly Casey, the same
bein' my legal ward."

"Ah!" Wilson Keith's eyes grew keen and cold. "Have you any interest in
them yourself, Mr. Bourke?"

"Me an' my two partners of the Three Star Ranch own one-half interest,
equal with Molly," said Sandy easily. His eyes matched those of the
promoter and held them for a second or two.

The thought passed through Keith's mind that Sandy's interest, and that
of his partners, might have been obtained from the girl under false
pretenses, but he was very far from a fool and, among the things he saw
in Sandy's eyes, it was clearly written that here was a man who was both
absolutely fearless and absolutely honest. He had not seen many such.

"I'll be glad to talk with you later," he said. "Just now I'm ravenous.
Any place to eat? And does the camp get up early or just go to bed
late?"

The remark raised a laugh in the crowd, now milling good-naturedly about
the machine.

"Want to buy any more claims?" asked a voice.

"I might. I've looked over the ground once, I may as well admit, and
I've had an expert report upon it. I'd like to have a talk with all of
you after I've had some coffee. This is a camp where it will take a
great deal of money, of labor and of time to develop it, whether you try
to drill and blast yourselves, or pool your interests and install
machinery. Did you say which was the best place to eat, Mr. Bourke?"

Sandy recommended Simpson's and pointed it out. Keith, the man with him,
his secretary, and the chauffeur, got out and walked stiff-legged to
their coffee. The crowd once more had sleep discounted by excitement.
Keith had shrewdly said just enough. The seed that he had planted in the
suggestion that they pool interests fell in such rich ground that it
began sprouting immediately.

Sandy introduced Sam as his pa