“That’s right!  Laugh!  But it’s built right up on your own pet theory of erosion and changed riverbeds.  And I didn’t pocket among the Mexicans two years for nothin’.  Where d’you s’pose this Eldorado gold came from?—­rough, and no signs of washin’?  Eh?  There’s where you need your spectacles.  Books have made you short-sighted.  But never mind how.  ’Tisn’t exactly pockets, neither, but I know what I’m spelling about.  I ain’t been keepin’ tab on traces for my health.  I can tell you mining sharps more about the lay of Eldorado Creek in one minute than you could figure out in a month of Sundays.  But never mind, no offence.  You lay over with me till to-morrow, and you can buy a ranch ’longside of mine, sure.”  “Well, all right.  I can rest up and look over my notes while you’re hunting your ancient river-bed.”

“Didn’t I tell you it was a hunch?” Del reproachfully demanded.

“And haven’t I agreed to stop over?  What more do you want?”

“To give you a fruit ranch, that’s what!  Just to go with me and nose round a bit, that’s all.”

“I do not want any of your impossible fruit ranches.  I’m tired and worried; can’t you leave me alone?  I think I am more than fair when I humor you to the extent of stopping over.  You may waste your time nosing around, but I shall stay in camp.  Understand?”

“Burn my body, but you’re grateful!  By the Jumpin’ Methuselah, I’ll quit my job in two minutes if you don’t fire me.  Me a-layin’ ’wake nights and workin’ up my theory, and calculatin’ on lettin’ you in, and you a-snorin’ and Frona-this and Frona-that—­”

“That’ll do!  Stop it!”

“The hell it will!  If I didn’t know more about gold-mining than you do about courtin’—­”

Corliss sprang at him, but Del dodged to one side and put up his fists.  Then he ducked a wild right and left swing and side-stepped his way into firmer footing on the hard trail.

“Hold on a moment,” he cried, as Corliss made to come at him again.  “Just a second.  If I lick you, will you come up the hillside with me?”

“Yes.”

“And if I don’t, you can fire me.  That’s fair.  Come on.”

Vance had no show whatever, as Del well knew, who played with him, feinting, attacking, retreating, dazzling, and disappearing every now and again out of his field of vision in a most exasperating way.  As Vance speedily discovered, he possessed very little correlation between mind and body, and the next thing he discovered was that he was lying in the snow and slowly coming back to his senses.

“How—­how did you do it?” he stammered to the pocket-miner, who had his head on his knee and was rubbing his forehead with snow.

“Oh, you’ll do!” Del laughed, helping him limply to his feet.  “You’re the right stuff.  I’ll show you some time.  You’ve got lots to learn yet what you won’t find in books.  But not now.  We’ve got to wade in and make camp, then you’re comin’ up the hill with me.”