t tax deed," answered Blount amiably, "and
get control of my property."

"Oh," said Wiley, and looked down the valley with eyes that squinted
shrewdly at the sun. "All right," he agreed, "just to show you that I'm
a sport, I'll give you a quit-claim deed right now for the sum of one
hundred dollars."

"You will?" challenged Blount, reaching tremulously for his fountain pen
and then he paused at a thought. "Very well," he said, but as he filled
out the form he stopped and gazed uneasily at Wiley. Here was a mining
engineer selling a possessory right to the Paymaster for the sum of one
hundred dollars; while he, a banker, was spending a hundred dollars a
day in what had proved so far to be dead work. "Er--I haven't any money
with me," he suggested at length. "Perhaps--well, perhaps you could
wait?"

"Sure!" replied Wiley, rising up from where he was seated, "I'll wait
for anything, except my supper. Where's the best place to eat in town,
now?"

"Why, at Mrs. Huff's," returned Blount in surprise. "But about this
quit-claim, perhaps a check would do as well?"

"What, are the Huffs still here?" exclaimed Wiley, starting off. "Why, I
thought----"

"No, they decided to stay," answered Blount, following after him. "But
now, Wiley, about this quit-claim?"

"Well, gimme your check! Or keep it, I don't care--I came away without
my breakfast this morning."

He strode off down the trail and Blount pulled up short and stood gazing
after him blankly, then he shouted to him frantically and hurried down
the slope to where Wiley was waiting impatiently.

"Here, just sign this," he panted. "I'll write you out a check. But
what's the matter, Wiley--didn't the mine show up as expected?"

Wiley muttered unintelligibly as he signed the quit-claim which he
retained until he had looked over the check. Then he folded up the check
and kissed it surreptitiously before he stored it away in his
pocketbook.

"Why, yes," he said, "it shows up fine. I'll see you later, down at the
house."

Blount sat down suddenly, but as Wiley clattered off he shouted a
warning after him.

"Oh, Wiley, please don't mention that matter I spoke of!"

"What matter?" yelled back Wiley and at another disquieting thought
Blount jumped up and came galloping after him.

"The matter of the Colonel," he panted in his ear, "and here's another
thing, Wiley. You know Mrs. Huff--she's absolutely impossible and--well,
she's been making me quite a little trouble.