o primitive living far off from
his fellows.

They had a very satisfactory breakfast cooked by Mack Nolan from his
own supplies and eaten in a leisurely manner while Nolan talked of
primary formations and secondary, and of mineral intrusions and breaks.
Casey listened and learned a few things he had not known, for all his
years of prospecting. Mack Nolan, he decided, could pass anywhere as a
mining expert.

"And now," said Nolan briskly, when he had hung up the dishpan and
draped the dishcloth over it to dry, "I'll show you the bottling works.
We'll have to do the work by lantern-light. There's not one chance in
fifty that any one would show up here--but you never can tell. We could
get the stuff out of sight easily enough while the car was coming up
the gulch. But the smell is a different matter. We'll take no chances."

At the head of the bunk, a curtained space beneath a high shelf very
obviously did duty as a wardrobe. A leather motor coat hung there, one
sleeve protruding beyond the curtain of flowered calico. Other garments
bulged the cloth here and there. Nolan, smiling over his shoulder at
Casey, nodded and pushed the clothing aside. A door behind opened
inward, admitting the two into a small recess from which another door
opened into a cellar dug deep into the hill.

Undoubtedly this had once been used as a frost-proof storeroom. A small
ventilator pipe opened--so Nolan told Casey--in the middle of a
greasewood clump. Nolan lighted a gasoline lantern that shed a white
brilliance upon the room. On the long table which extended down one
side of the room, Casey saw boxes of bottles and other supplies which
he did not at the moment recognize.

"We'll have to rebottle all the whisky," said Nolan.

"You'll see a certain mark blown into the bottom of each one of these.
The champagne, I'm afraid, I must either confiscate and destroy or run
the risk of marking the labels. The hop we'll lay aside for further
consideration."

Casey grinned, thinking of the speedy downfall of his enemies, Smiling
Lou and Kenner--and, as a secondary consideration other crooks of their
type.

"So now we'll unload the stuff, Ryan, and get to work here." Nolan
adjusted the white flame in the mantle of the gasoline lantern and led
the way outside. "Take in the seat-cushion, Casey. I don't fancy
opening it outside, even in this howling wilderness."

"I think I'll just pack in the kegs first, Mr. Nolan." For the first
time