ay Death Valley began to mutter to
himself. "No, of course not; he's dead," he ended ineffectively, and
Wiley looked up from his writing.

"Who's dead?" he inquired, but Charley shook his head and listened
through the wall.

"Look out," he said, "I can hear her coming--jest give me that two
hundred now."

"Well, here's twenty," replied Wiley, passing over the money, and then
there came a knock at the door.

"Come in!" called out Charley and, as he motioned Wiley to be silent,
Virginia appeared in the doorway.

"Oh!" she cried, "I didn't know you were here!" But something in the way
she fixed her eyes on him convinced Wiley that she had known, all the
same.

"Just a matter of business," he explained with a flourish, "I'm
considering an option on some of Charley's claims."

"Jest my bum claims!" mumbled Charley as Virginia glanced at him
reprovingly. "Jest them ten up north of the Paymaster."

"Oh," she said and drew back towards the door, "well, don't let me break
up a trade."

"You'd better sign as a witness," spoke up Wiley imperturbably, and she
stepped over and looked at the paper.

"What? All ten of those claims for five hundred apiece? Why, Charley,
they may be worth millions!"

"Well, put it down five million, then," suggested Wiley, grimly. "How
much do you want for them, Charley?"

"Five hundred dollars apiece," answered Charley promptly, "but they's
got to be two hundred down."

"Well?" inquired Wiley as Virginia still regarded him suspiciously, and
then he beckoned her outside. "Say, what's the matter?" he asked
reproachfully. "Let the old boy make his touch--he wants that two
hundred for grub."

"He does not!" she spat back. "I'm ashamed of you, Wiley Holman; taking
advantage of a crazy man like that!"

"Well, I don't know," he began in a slow, drawling tone that cut her to
the quick, "he may not be as crazy as you think. I've just been offered
a half interest in the Paymaster if I'll come out and take charge of
it."

"You _have_!" she cried, starting back and staring as he regarded
her with steely eyes. "Well, are you going to take it?"

"I don't know," he answered. "Thought I'd better see you first--it might
be taking advantage of Blount."

"Of Blount!" she echoed and then she saw his smile and realized that he
was making fun of her.

"Yes," went on Wiley, whose feelings had been ruffled, "he may be crazy,
too. He sure was looking the part."

"Now don't you laugh at me!" she bur