"Was it a rich vein?" said the girl.

"Yes," said Alton solemnly, "I think it was, from the specimens he had
brought along, but, and it's difficult sometimes to see why things
should happen that way, he couldn't tell me where it was. Jimmy was
dead, you see."

The girl shivered visibly. "It must have been horrible."

"No," said Alton gravely. "He was sitting there very quiet in the snow
with his hand frozen on the rifle, and there was a big dead panther not
far away; but I was more sorry for Mrs. Jimmy than I was for him.
Jimmy hadn't always been a trail-chopper, and one could see he had been
carrying a heavy load he brought out from the old country. I think he
was tired."

"And the silver still lies hidden up there?" said Miss Deringham.

Alton nodded. "Yes," he said. "I've hunted for it twice, but couldn't
find Jimmy's trail. By and by, and because the woman wants it, I'm
going back again."

"But it would belong to anybody who found it now," said Miss Deringham.

"No," said Alton quietly. "A half of what I get there belongs to Mrs.
Jimmy. The dead man has a claim."

"I am not sure that most men would think so. You are generous," said
the girl.