will have to be kept in tin
boxes. Then you'll have to hire a mason to put in the fireplace. You'll
need axes, saws, and tools. I'll wager it won't cost a cent less than two
hundred dollars, and great loads of hard work."

"Hard fun, you mean," interrupted Phil.

As the evening shadows began to lengthen and the cool breeze to rise from
the snow-clad peaks of the Middle Range, the little group of explorers
dropped into the canyon and hurried home. All were very full of ideas and
suggestions except Willis. He had listened to their talk, but was saying
over and over to himself, "If it doesn't come true, it's my fault, or my
uncle's, and that's the same thing."

CHAPTER XI

A Strange Turn of Fate

"Let's take Mr. Dean to the courthouse with us, Willis," said Mr. Allen.
"He is very shrewd, and we can depend on his judgment in such matters as
we have before us to-day." Willis found Mr. Dean, and in a short time
they were on their way, Mr. Allen explaining to Mr. Dean the possible
difficulty that had arisen in regard to the ownership of the cabin.

Upon their arrival at the courthouse, the first thing was to study a
United States geological map to find the township, section lines,
railroads, and streams. Then began the search through old, yellow volumes
of records, one after another, each one bringing them nearer to the
desired information.

"Section five, west of range sixty-seven," read Mr. Dean. "That's the
place, boys; now we must locate an exact point in that section. You say
the cabin is located on a stream and a trail. The falls are marked here;"
he pointed with his pencil. "Now downstream a little; here we are, three
trails marked instead of one. You came over from the railroad, didn't
you?"

"Yes, right here," said Willis, pointing. "The cabin is where these two
trails cross each other."

In the center of the next volume, for there had been many claims located
and recorded on the little stream, they found the record of a property
belonging to Willis's father and a Mr. Kieser. The record showed the date
of its refiling, after the country had become a part of the Pike's Peak
Forest Reserve. The survey lines were given, but of course they could not
be located on the map. Was the cabin on the property there recorded or
not? Willis remembered that his mother had said not, so they pushed
further into the books and came to the description of a lode claim, the
corner of which, according to the record, was