The small boy entered into the conversation with great spirit, to tell that a certain hen which he owned had yesterday come off her nest with fourteen of the spryest deedies that ever stepped.  One in especial had so won upon Rufe by its beauty and grace of deportment that he was carrying it about with him, feeding it at close intervals, and housing it in the security of his pocket.

The deedie hardly made a moan.  There was no use in remonstrating with Rufe,—­everything that came within his eccentric orbit seemed to realize that,—­and the deedie was contentedly nestling down in his pocket, apparently resigned to lead the life of a portemonnaie.

Rufe narrated with pardonable pride the fact that, some time before, his great-uncle, Rufus Dicey, had sent to him from the “valley kentry” a present of a pair of game chickens, and that this deedie was from the first egg hatched in the game hen’s brood.

But Rufe was not selfish.  He offered to give Tim one of the chicks.  Now poultry was Tim’s weakness.  He accepted with more haste than was seemly, and at once asked for the deedie in the small boy’s pocket.  Rufe, however, refused to part from the chick of his adoption, and presently Tim, with the gun on his shoulder, left the tanyard in company with Rufe, to look over the brood of game chicks, and make a selection from among them.

Birt hardly noticed what they did or said.  Every faculty was absorbed in considering the wily game which his false friend had played so successfully.  It was all plain enough now.  The fruit of his discovery would be plucked by other hands.  There was to be no division of the profits.  Nate Griggs had coveted the whole.  His craft had secured it for himself alone.  He had the legal title to the land, the mine—­all!  There seemed absolutely no vulnerable point in his scheme.  With suddenly sharpened perceptions, Birt realized that if he should now claim the discovery and the consequent right of thirty days’ notice of Nate’s intention, by virtue of the priority of entering land accorded by the statute to the finder of a mine or valuable mineral, it would be considered a groundless boast, actuated by envy and jealousy.  He had told no one but Nate of his discovery—­and would not Nate now deny it!

However, one thing in the future was certain,—­Nathan Griggs should not escape altogether scathless.  For a long time Birt sat motionless, revolving vengeful purposes in his mind.  Every moment he grew more bitter, as he reflected upon his wrecked scheme, his wonderful fatuity, and the double dealing of his chosen coadjutor.  But he would get even with Nate Griggs yet; he promised himself that,—­he would get even!

At last the falling darkness warned him home.  When he rose his limbs trembled, his head was in a whirl, and the familiar scene swayed, strange and distorted, before him.  He steadied himself after a moment, finished the odd jobs he had left undone, and presently was trudging homeward.