feet, both sides of the claim stake, followin' the main lode an'
includin' all dips an' angles an' spurs whatsoever; the same bein'
really two claims, one by 'heritance an' one for luck."

"I second the motion," yelled everybody.

"Moved an' seconded. All in favor can say 'aye.'"

"Aye."

"Next I move it be the sense of this here camp," continued the
chairman, "that in consideration of this gentleman an' party havin'
sartin rights o' rediscivvery in the Golden West claim, an' havin' sort
o' defeated themselves 'cause they were kind to a young feller down at
Panama, an' havin' acted mighty white since they've been in these
diggin's, they be allowed next ch'ice o' claims, to the extent o' one
hundred an' fifty feet along the main lode, on both side o' the Golden
West, bein' 300 feet o' claims in all."

"Second the motion."

"Motion bein' seconded, all in favor say 'aye.' An' I hope no citizen
of this camp'll be so dogged mean as to say anything else."

"Aye," pealed the lusty chorus.

Mr. Adams tried to speak; Charley and Billy looked at one another and
grinned. And Billy waved at his father and Mr. Grigsby, who had
pressed up the hill to learn what was going on.

"The motion bein' carried unanimous, the chair app'ints the indivijools
known as Pike and Dutch to pace off the aforesaid distances, as close
as they can, an' mark the ends."

While everybody gravely watched, the two miners designated paced off
the 100 feet, on either side of the stake, along the ridge, and again
the 150 feet, further. They hastily marked the distances and returned.

"There bein' no other bus'ness before the meetin'," shouted red-shirt,
"I declare it hereby dissolved--an' every man for himself. Stake yore
claims, boys, while thar are any!"

Away he jumped, and away broke all. With shouts and cheers and
laughter the whole hill was covered, in an incredibly short time, with
men picking and digging and peering and driving their stakes or piling
up stones.

XXII

THE BEST OF ALL

Mr. Grigsby and Billy's father had arrived in time to hear as well as
to see the outcome of the adventure on the newly-named Gold Hill.
Watching the retreat of the Jacobs party, Mr. Grigsby, leaning on his
rifle, laughed shortly.

"They got off easy," he said, in grim manner. "Let me see the map,
boy."

"That smudgy place does look like a 'G. W.'," asserted Charley, passing
the paper over. "Anyway, it looks as much like 'G. W.' as it d