just in time to see him riding slowly away in the direction of
Redgate.

"Gone to mail his notices to Hillsboro!" snarled Jody. "Some hurry!
Come on, you--let's look into this."

They found pick and pan, stacked with the empty water kegs by the
location monument of the Goblin Gold; they scraped up a small pan of
dirt from one of the shallow holes of Adam's making; they poured in
water from their canteens; Caney did the washing. He poured off the
lighter dirt, he picked out the pebbles, he shook the residue with a
gentle oscillating movement; he poured the muddy water cautiously, he
shook the pan again.

"Sufferin' tomcats!" yelled Hales. "Gold as big as wheat!"

Caney's face went whitey-green; he completed the washing with a last
dexterous flirt and set down the pan with trembling hands.

"Look at that!"

Jody's eyes were popping from his head. "A pocket! Even if it plays
out in a day--a day's work would make us rich for life!"

"Us--hell!" said Caney. "We get the crumbs and leavings. Adam Forbes
knows what he's about. He's got the cream. Outside of his claims the
whole damn mountain won't be worth hell room!"

Jody turned his eyes slowly toward Redgate. "If we'd only known we
might have horned in. Three of us--why, sooner than lose it all and
get himself killed to boot, we might have split this fifty-fifty."

"We'll split this thirty-thirty!" Caney sprang to his feet. "Have you
got the guts for it? Jody, this is your country--can we head him off?"

"If he goes round by the head of Redgate Canyon--and if we don't stay
here talking--we can cut across through Deadman. There's a pass where
Deadman and Redgate bend close together. It won't be a long shot--two
hundred yards."

"Three shots! Come on!" Hales swung on his horse. "We've all got our
rifles. Three shots! Come on!" He jabbed the spurs home.

It was not until they had passed the park that the others overtook
Hales.

"Here, you, Hales--don't kill your horse!" said Jody Weir. "If he
beats us to the pass we're not done yet. He'll come back to-night. He
said so."

"You cussed fool! If he once gets those location notices in the mail
we might as well let him go. We couldn't take the chances and get by
with it."

"That's just it," said Jody. "Hi! Caney! Ride up alongside. Slow up,
Hales! Listen, both of you. Even if he gets those papers in the mail,
the recorder need never see them. All I have to do is to say the word.
I'm on the inside--sure and safe."