cVey, coming to assure
himself of the safety of the ladies. He had ridden out to meet them on
their return journey, as was his wont, and, meeting the rider sent for a
new mount for Mrs. Brevoort, had sent him on to the ranch with definite
instructions, electing himself to ride through to town and as a matter
of precaution, accompany them home the next day. The rider had not
mentioned Douglass's participation in the mishap, and his presence was
therefore a surprise to McVey, who was unaffectedly glad to see his best
friend again.

At the Alcazar, a little later, Red had a sapient suggestion to make:
"Befoh yuh squandah all thu gold yuh been diggin' outen yuh leetle ole
mine, Ken, on this yeah mad-wateh outfit, yuh betteh lay yuh a leetle
nest aig. Thu Vaughans want to sell theah ranch an' go east; reckon
twenty thousand would buy it, cattle an' all. If yuh got that much
denario in yuh jeans it's a mighty big bahgaln."

"Twenty thousand!" said Douglass derisively. "You haven't heard of a
lone cowpuncher about my size that's been holding up any banks or
treasure trains, have you? Twenty thousand! Why say, you old redheaded
funny-bone, I'm ashamed to tell you what I'd do for one-half that much
money, honest I am. I'm just seven bones to the good and I've come down
here to make it a couple of hundred, so's I can eat till the grass
comes. It's next year I'll be buying twenty thousand-dollar bargains;
the gold is there, all right, and I'm going to find it.

"I bought out a claim up there," he continued, "and who do you think
owned it first?" He chuckled at thought of the surprise he was going to
spring on Red. But his mirth got a sudden check as McVey nodded his head
knowingly.

"Yes, I heered about it; 'twer Matlock, an' he's been talkin' a heap
disrespec'ful about how he broke it off in yuh, oveh to Cheyenne. Says
as how he is seven hundred dollars nearer even with yuh. I didn't think
yuh'd let that coyote soak yuh thataway." His words were distinctly
reproachful. Douglass smiled mysteriously.

"Don't you worry about my soaking, old-timer. He'll talk even more
disrespectfully of himself about this time next year. That claim lies
lengthwise along the top of the ridge, on both sides of it, and so
constitutes the 'apex' of every vein below it throughout its full
length. I am perfectly aware that he salted it for my benefit with ore
taken from the Bonanza mine. I saw him doing it! But even if I hadn't
known all about it I