se, where the diamond drill cores showed the
ore from the heart of the hills; and there at last Rimrock found his
tongue as he ran over the assayer's reports.

"Pretty good," he observed and this time it was Jepson who tightened
his lips and said nothing. "Pretty good," repeated Rimrock and then he
laughed silently and went out and sat down on the hill. "A mountain of
copper," he said, looking upward. "The whole butte is nothing but ore.
Some rich, some low-grade, but shattered--that's the idea! You can
scoop it up with a steam shovel."

He whistled through his teeth, cocking his eye up at the mountain and
then looking down at the townsite.

"You bet--a big camp!" And then to Jepson: "That's fine, Mr. Jepson;
you're doing noble. By the way, when will that cook-house be done?
Pretty soon, eh? Well, let me know; I've got a friend that's crazy to
move in."

He smiled at Mary, who thought at once of Woo Chong, but Jepson looked
suddenly serious.

"I hope, Mr. Jones," he said, "you're not planning to bring in that
Chinaman. I've got lots of Bisbee men among my miners and they won't
stand for a Chinaman in camp."

"Oh, yes, they will," answered Rimrock easily. "You wait, it'll be all
right. And there's another thing, now I think about it; Mr. Hicks will
be out soon to look for a good place to locate his saloon. I've given
him the privilege of selling all the booze that is sold in Tecolote."

"Booze?" questioned Jepson, and then he fell silent and went to gnawing
his lip.

"Yes--booze!" repeated Rimrock. "I know these Cousin Jacks. They've
got to have facilities for spending their money or they'll quit you and
go to town."

"Well, now really, Mr. Jones," began Jepson earnestly, "I'd much prefer
to have a dry camp. Of course you are right about the average
miner--but it's better not to have them drunk around camp."

"Very likely," said Rimrock, "but Old Hassayamp is coming and I guess
you can worry along. It's a matter of friendship with me, Mr.
Jepson--I never go back on a friend. When I was down and out Old
Hassayamp Hicks was the only man that would trust me for the drinks;
and Woo Chong, the Chinaman, was the only man that would trust me for a
meal. You see how it is, and I hope you'll do your best to make them
both perfectly at home."

Abercrombie Jepson mumbled something into his mustache which Rimrock
let pass for assent, although it was plainly to be seen by the fire in
his eye that the s