toward him. In an instant he was joined by
Stacy from the cabin, and the two men, catching hold of their returning
partner, waltzed him joyfully and breathlessly into the cabin. But the
quick-eyed Demorest suddenly let go his hold and stared at Barker's
face. "Why, Barker, old boy, what's up?"

"Everything's up," gasped the breathless Barker. "It's all up about
these stocks. It's all a mistake; all an infernal lie of that newspaper.
I never had the right kind of shares. The ones I have are worthless
rags"; and the next instant he had blurted out his whole interview with
the bank manager.

The two partners looked at each other, and then, to Barker's infinite
perplexity, the same extraordinary convulsion that had seized Miss Kitty
fell upon them. They laughed, holding on each other's shoulders; they
laughed, clinging to Barker's struggling figure; they went out and
laughed with their backs against a tree. They laughed separately and in
different corners. And then they came up to Barker with tears in their
eyes, dropped their heads on his shoulder, and murmured exhaustedly:

"You blessed ass!"

"But," said Stacy suddenly, "how did you manage to buy the claim?"

"Ah! that's the most awful thing, boys. I've NEVER PAID FOR IT," groaned
Barker.

"But Carter sent us the bill of sale," persisted Demorest, "or we
shouldn't have taken it."

"I gave my promissory note at thirty days," said Barker desperately,
"and where's the money to come from now? But," he added wildly, as the
men glanced at each other--"you said 'taken it.' Good heavens! you don't
mean to say that I'm TOO late--that you've--you've touched it?"

"I reckon that's pretty much what we HAVE been doing," drawled Demorest.

"It looks uncommonly like it," drawled Stacy.

Barker glanced blankly from the one to the other. "Shall we pass our
young friend in to see the show?" said Demorest to Stacy.

"Yes, if he'll be perfectly quiet and not breathe on the glasses,"
returned Stacy.

They each gravely took one of Barker's hands and led him to the
corner of the cabin. There, on an old flour barrel, stood a large tin
prospecting pan, in which the partners also occasionally used to knead
their bread. A dirty towel covered it. Demorest whisked it dexterously
aside, and disclosed three large fragments of decomposed gold and
quartz. Barker started back.

"Heft it!" said Demorest grimly.

Barker could scarcely lift the pan!

"Four thousand dollars' weight if a p