She caught his meaning and drew herself up, with a little pride in the movement.

“Wherever I go, whatever I do, my people must be free to go or do.  You have your duty to your family.  I have my duty to mine!”

He bowed his head quietly in assent.  She looked at the struggle depicted in the lines of his face with eyes in which, strangely enough, was much pity, but no unhappiness or doubt.  Could it be that she was so sure of the result?

At last he raised his head slowly and turned to her with an air of decision.

“Mary——­” he began.

At that moment there became audible a sudden rattle of stones below the Rock, and at the same instant a harsh voice broke in rudely upon their conversation.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE CLAIM JUMPERS

Bennington instinctively put his finger on his lips to enjoin silence, and peered cautiously over the edge of the dike.  Perhaps he was glad that this diversion had occurred to postpone even for a short time the announcement of a decision it had cost him so much to make.  Perhaps he recognised the voice.

Three men were clambering a trifle laboriously over the broken rocks at the foot of the dike, swearing a little at their unstable footing, but all apparently much in earnest in their conversation.  Even as Bennington looked they came to a halt, and then sank down each on a convenient rock, talking interestedly.  One was Old Mizzou, one was the man Arthur, the third was a stranger whom Bennington had never seen.

The latter had hardly the air of the country.

He was a dapper little man dressed in a dark gray bob-tailed cutaway, and a brown derby hat, which was pushed far back on his head.  His face, however, was keen and alert and brown, all of which characteristics indicated an active Western life at no very remote day.  The words which had so powerfully arrested Bennington de Laney’s attention were delivered by Old Mizzou to this stranger.

“Thar!” the old man had said, “ain’t that Crazy Hoss Lode ’bout as good-lookin’ a lead as they make ’em?”

“So, so; so, so;” replied the man in the derby in a high voice.  “Your vein is a fissure vein all right enough, and you’ve got a good wide lead.  If it holds up in quality, I don’t know but what you’re right.”

“I shows you them assays of McPherson’s, don’t I?” argued Mizzou, “an’ any quartz in this kentry that assays twenty-four dollars ain’t no ways cheap.”

This speech was so significantly in line with Bennington’s surmise that he caught his breath and drew back cautiously out of sight, but still in such a position that he could hear plainly every word uttered by the group below.  The girl was watching him with bright, interested eyes.

“Listen carefully!” he whispered, bringing his mouth close to her ear.  “I think there’s some sort of plot here.”