Part 13 (2/2)
”You didn't play against him, I hope, hinted Jim soberly.
”Yes, we did,” admitted Tom. ”Not with his own marked cards, though, nor with any kind of cards. We met him with men's weapons, and it is necessary to add that our 'square gambler' lost.”
”The 'square gamblers' that I met didn't lose,” sighed Jim Ferrers.
”They won, and that's why all three of my mines pa.s.sed out of my hands before they began to pay.”
”You must know something about ore and croppings, and the like, Jim?”, Tom continued.
”In a prospector's way, yes,” Ferrers admitted.
”Then we'll take a walk, now. Alf can wash up the dishes.”
”It's all the little wretch is fit for,” muttered Ferrers contemptuously.
Jim looked carefully into the magazine of his repeating ride, then saw to it that his ammunition belt was filled.
”Ready when you gentlemen are,” he announced.
”Say, won't you take me with you?” pleaded Alf.
”You wouldn't be of any use to us,” Reade answered.
”But I---I am afraid to stay here alone.”
”Do you believe yourself to be so valuable that any one will want to steal you?” Tom laughed.
Alf made a wry face and watched the others depart. Then, filled with needless alarm, he crawled out into a thicket and hid himself.
He didn't mean to be trapped by prowlers!
Tom led the way for nearly a mile. At last the trio climbed a slight ascent, halting at the top of the ridge.
”You see, Jim,” Tom explained, ”this ridge runs southwesterly from here.”
”I see it does?” nodded the guide.
”Now, to the northeastward I don't believe there are any croppings that look good enough. But just keep along to the southeast, picking up a specimen here and there. Some of the rock looks good to me.”
Jim Ferrers didn't answer in words, though his eyes gleamed with the old fever that he had known before.
”Here's a pretty piece of stone,” called the guide in a low tone.
He stood holding a fragment about as big as his two fists.
”It's streaked” pretty well with yellow, you see, gentlemen,”
he remarked;
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