otel at once. A few minutes later he drove up in his car.

Moya put the case to him.

Bleyer turned to his employer. "You want me to tell Colter what I know?"

"I don't care a turn of my hand whether you tell the fellow or not,"
drawled Verinder, ignoring the presence of Colter.

The superintendent peered at Moya in his nearsighted fashion over the
glasses on his nose. "Can't see that it matters much, Miss Dwight. I'm
not worrying a bit about Jack Kilmeny, but, if Colter and you are, I'm
willing to tell what I know on condition that you keep the facts to
yourselves."

"I'll keep quiet if you haven't injured Jack in any way," Colter
amended.

"We haven't. He was sound as a new dollar when I left him Tuesday night.
Want to hear the particulars?"

"That's what I'm here for," snapped Colter.

Bleyer told the whole story so far as he knew it.

CHAPTER XXI

SPIRIT RAPPING?

Farquhar and Captain Kilmeny left next day for another short hunting
trip. The captain had offered to give it up, but Moya had urged upon him
that it would not be fair to disappoint his companion. He had gone
reluctantly, because he saw that his fiancee was worried. His own
opinion was that his cousin Jack had disappeared for reasons of his own.

Colter did not relax in his search. But as the days passed hope almost
died within him. Jack had plenty of enemies, as an aggressive fighter in
a new country always must have. His friend's fear was that some of them
had decoyed Kilmeny to his death. The suspicions of the miner centered
upon Peale and Trefoyle, both because Jack had so recently had trouble
with them and because they knew beforehand of his intention to remove
the ore. But he could find no evidence upon which to base his feeling,
though he and Curly, in company with a deputy sheriff, had put the
Cornishmen through a grilling examination.

It had been understood that the young women should take a trip through
the Never Quit before they left Goldbanks, but for one reason or another
this had been postponed until after the captain and Farquhar had started
on their final hunting expedition. The second afternoon after their
departure was the one decided upon for the little adventure.

Verinder, with the extravagance that went hand in hand with an
occasional astonishing parsimony, had ordered oilskin suits and
waterproof boots made especially for his guests. A room was reserved for
the young ladies at the mine, equipped for this one