art beat fast. At last he was looking at the mine in which he
had invested two thousand dollars. And, best of all, real gold was being
taken from it. At least it looked like real gold, and had the same
appearance as that from the Hop Toad mine. Besides, if it was not gold,
why would the men work so hard to get it up?

"Maybe I'm having all my trouble for my pains," thought Dick. "I guess
these mines are good, after all. Vanderhoof may have been a swindler,
but this looks as if dad and I had made good investments."

"Here, have some of this ore," added Smith, with another show of
generosity. "We'll never miss it. Have it made into watch charms or
scarf pins. That's what lots of 'em do."

"Can we go down in the mine?" asked Frank Bender.

"Not to-day," replied Smith, with a sharp look at Dick. "You see it's a
little dangerous, so soon after a blast, unless you've had some
experience. Come out some other day and maybe you can. Glad to see
visitors any time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll have to go and see
about sending some of this ore to the stamp-mill. It's so rich we have
to send a guard with it to protect it from thieves," he added, in a
burst of confidence.

"Well, I guess we've seen enough," spoke Dick. "Come on, boys."

As they rode back to the hotel, Dick soon decided on a plan of action.
He would take to a government assayer the ore he and his companions had
received, and learn whether the mine was or was not a good one. This
time there would be no chance for deception, he thought. He had seen,
with his own eyes, the ore taken from the mine. The government assayer,
he knew, would tell the truth about the value of it. Then he could be
satisfied that his investment, as well as his father's, was a good one.

Explaining his purpose to the boys they readily gave Dick their samples
of ore, though he suggested they save small pieces for souvenirs, which
they did.

"Maybe you'd better see the lawyer your father wrote to," suggested
Walter Mead, when they were almost at the hotel.

"Good idea," declared Dick, but he could not carry it out, for, on
inquiring, he learned that the lawyer had gone on a journey and would
not be back for a month.

"I'll go ahead on my own responsibility," Dick decided. "I think I'll
hunt up the government assayer. I wonder where Tim is?"

The newsboy was not about the hotel, and, thinking he had gone off to
see the sights, Dick did not look for him. He got the address of the
assaye