It was as if each person who had doubted Sam's honesty felt it necessary to call at Mrs. Byram's and congratulate him upon what now appeared to be good proof of his innocence.

Fred and the miners also came in for their share of attention, and even Bill, whose limb was paining him severely, joined his partners in celebrating their victory, which now seemed certain.

Before returning home Mr. Hunter called to consult with his clients relative to making a stock company of the new mine, and, when he left, it was with full authority to do whatever he believed their interests demanded.

Among the visitors in the evening was Donovan, and he had no hesitation in calling himself very severe names for having been so stupid as to think it possible his old friends could have been engaged in any questionable transaction.

"The cashier is about as sore a man as can be found in town," he said, "an' if I ain't way off in my reckonin' he'll be lookin' for another job mighty soon."

"Does he say anything against us?" Bill asked.

"He's glum as a fish. Every feller who goes in wants to know where Gus is, an' he keeps out of sight all that's possible."

"Have you seen Mr. Wright to-day?"

"No; but I heard he an' that lawyer of yours had a long chin about the business. Say, Bill, by the time you get out of this scrape you'll owe a pretty penny for law, I reckon. Why don't you try to make the company pay it?"

"We can stand the racket, an' won't ask a soul to help us."

"Somebody must have died an' left you a pile, for men that work at Farley's don't often have enough to pay big lawyers for runnin' around."

"It'll be all right, Donovan, so don't worry about that."

But the mine boss did worry. He failed to understand how Bill and Joe could incur such expense with any prospect of paying it, and when he left the house it was to discuss the matter in all it's bearings with a select few of his particular friends.

The superintendent did not consider it worth his while to call; but on the following morning Joe received a note to the effect that if he intended to return to the mine, it would be to his advantage to resume his work at once.

"Tell Mr. Wright that I've got through with his company, an' he can put a man in my place whenever it suits him," the miner said to the messenger, and the latter had hardly reached the store before a workman from Blacktown arrived with the startling intelligence that the four who had been accused of the robbery had purchased a large tract of land on the mountain, and were about to open a mine.

This news was so wonderful that one of the loungers volunteered to walk to the town for the sole and only purpose of learning if it was really true.

An hour later it was rumored that Fred received the following telegram from Blacktown:

The lounger returned in hot haste with information that the people there were in the highest state of excitement regarding the new company which was being formed by some of the most influential men in the county, and related with many embellishments of his own, the story of how the vein had been discovered by Sam and Fred.

This was sufficient to cause another stream of callers to Mrs. Byram's house, and, learning that the secret had been made known, the four owners had no hesitation in giving all the particulars.

Now the cashier was more unpopular than ever. Even those who refrained from censuring him on the day previous, had nothing but hard words for the man who could make such an error as to charge with theft those who were wealthy in the possession of such a rich vein as the new one was reported to be.

Fully one-third of all those in the company's works took a half holiday to see the new mine, and some of the most sanguine started out to prospect for other evidences of coal.

In six hours land in the immediate vicinity of the mountain increased in price, until it would hardly have paid to buy it, unless gold could be found in large quantities, and the entire county was in a ferment of excitement.

It is needless to say that the four partners were very happy; but even in the midst of the great joy they found time to wonder why Skip had not called to congratulate them.

Nearly every other one of their friends and acquaintances visited the house at some time during the day and evening; but the ex-chief of the regulators was conspicuous by his absence.

"I wonder what the matter is with him?" Fred asked, when, at a late hour, the partners were alone. "Do you suppose he thinks we don't want to see him just because we have been fortunate?"

"If he does it's the biggest mistake of his life. I like the little rascal, although he did play us a bad trick, an' if he don't show up before noon to-morrow, I'll hunt him out," Joe said, laughingly.

But Skip did not put in an appearance before the time set, and, true to his word, Joe went in search of him.

The information he brought back to his partners was mystifying.

Skip had not been at home since the day on which Sam was liberated, and his father fancied he was absent on some work for the firm.

This singular disappearance troubled Fred greatly, and during the remainder of the day he spoke more often of the boy than regarding the mine.

"He'll turn up before long," Joe said, after all had tried in vain to conjecture where he might be; but Fred fancied that the miner did not speak very confidently.

Nothing was heard personally from Mr. Wright; but it was common gossip about town that he had visited the newly-discovered vein several times, and spent one entire day at Blacktown.

Another twenty-four hours passed, and Skip had not returned home. His parents were now beginning to feel alarmed; but the majority of the townspeople, not trusting in the sincerity of his repentance, intimated that he had joined Gus, preferring to run away rather than lead an industrious life.

"I won't believe anything of the kind," Fred replied, hotly, when Donovan reported the general feeling regarding the disappearance. "He never would have done so much to help us, unless meaning exactly what he said."

"I reckon hard work didn't agree with him," the breaker boss answered, with a laugh.

"When Bill gets a little better Joe and I will go after him."

"Where?"

"I don't know; but it won't do any harm to look around, and I am——"

Fred was interrupted by a knock at the door, and on answering it was handed a telegram.

"Somebody is beggin' to be let in to the new company, I reckon," Donovan said, laughingly; but his smile vanished very quickly as he saw the look which came over the boy's face.

"What's the matter, lad?" Joe cried, and instead of replying Fred handed him the telegram, which read as follows:

"Wha—wha—what does it mean?" Joe stammered.

"I should say things were gettin' serious," Donovan replied, as he read the message over Joe's shoulder, "Mr. Wright is a hard man to fight, an' the chances are he'll get the best of you."

Then he left the house as if in great haste to spread this additional news, and the partners looked at each other in dismay.

"That is why we've heard nothin' from the superintendent since our secret leaked out," Bill said, grimly. "You two had better tramp across to save time. You can get there three hours ahead of the next train."

"Come on," Fred cried, as he aroused from the daze caused by the startling intelligence. "Let's learn the worst quickly."

"It's pretty tough to lose the thing after swellin' as we have for the last couple of days," Joe added, gloomily, but without rising from his seat.

"Don't whine 'till we're sure it's gone," and Bill tried very hard to speak cheerily.

At this point Mrs. Byram entered the invalid's room to say:

"Mr. Wright has sent over to ask Fred and Mr. Brace to call at his office."

"Matters are beginning to look brighter already," Bill cried, and Joe asked gruffly:

"How do you make that out?"

"If he was so sure of provin' we had no claim to the land, he wouldn't have a word to say. Now he's tryin' to make a trade."

"He can't with me. Unless you, Fred an' Sam insist, it'll be the whole or nothing."

"Now that's the way to talk," Bill replied. "If we can raise the money to fight there won't be any bargain made."

"Don't you intend to call upon the superintendent?" Mrs. Byram asked.

"Not a bit of it, ma'am. Tell whoever he sends that Fred an' Joe are too busy just now, but if he wants to make a 'pointment some time next week, they'll try to see him."

"But it can't do any harm to talk with Mr. Wright."

"It won't do any good, an' they'd better see the lawyer first."

Mrs. Byram left the room to deliver the message, and Bill delayed his partners that they might know exactly how he felt regarding the matter before starting on the journey.