him, "or Williams will get the best of
ye yet."

After more talk and discussion, the whole party went down to the cabin,
and Ham prepared a special supper. After the meal was over, all sat and
talked before the fireplace, and the entire story was gone over again in
detail. Towards late afternoon they began the down trip through the
canyon.

At the inn Tad promised to come the next day to the city to meet Mrs.
Thornton. Together they would confer about the newly-discovered facts.

"Don't wait too tarnal long to sell, boy, or something will happen. Tad's
unlucky. Sell if ye can, an' I'd make that tarnal critter, Williams, buy
the whole business, if I was you."

Tad and Willis stood some time talking, Willis then took the plans and
the other things that had been in his father's coat, and started home.
They walked in silence for some time, then Willis spoke:

"O, Ham, I'm so happy to-day, and still--" He paused and the smile faded
from his face. "Still, why should I be happy? Do these plans and that
gold mine up there give me back my dear old dad?"

"Not really," replied Ham, "but perhaps those things he left you will
make it possible for you to accomplish in this world the things he had
hoped to do, and perhaps better things." The little smile came back again
to Willis's face.

"Ham, you're really a philosopher. I'll do my very best, I'll tell you
that. Now, let's hurry."

CHAPTER XV

In Which Fate Takes a Hand

Four days later Tad and Ben sat before the log-fire at the inn talking
over plans for the future development of the mine in Buffalo Park. Tad
was telling Ben of his visit with Mrs. Thornton and what her wishes were
in regard to the matter. It seemed that Mr. Williams was out of the city
and had been gone for several days. Just where he was no one seemed to
know, but as he had taken several such trips since the death of his wife,
Mrs. Thornton did not think much of it. It had been decided that they
would wait until Mr. Williams returned, at which time he would be given
the opportunity to buy the entire mine at a fair price. But if he did not
care to buy, the property was to be turned over to Tad for disposal or
development, as he saw fit.

The cold weather had continued, and there had been no visitors at the inn
for nearly a week. Tad and Ben were making some crude tests before the
fire with the pieces of gold quartz Ben had brought from the tunnel. They
were just in the middle of their crude a