Who's with you?"

"Only Jesse an' some of the gang. I couldn't steer them away. But
there's nothin' to fear."

"What's happened? What haven't I heard?"

"The camp's gone plumb ravin' crazy. ... Jim Cleve found the biggest
nugget ever dug in Idaho! ... THIRTY POUNDS!"

Kells seemed suddenly to inflame, to blaze with white passion. "Good
for Jim!" he yelled, ringingly. He could scarcely have been more
elated if he had made the strike himself.

Jesse Smith came stamping in, with a crowd elbowing their way behind
him. Joan had a start of the old panic at sight of Gulden. For once
the giant was not slow nor indifferent. His big eyes glared. He
brought back to Joan the sickening sense of the brute strength of
his massive presence. Some of his cronies were with him. For the
rest, there were Blicky and Handy Oliver and Chick Williams. The
whole group bore resemblance to a pack of wolves about to leap upon
its prey. Yet, in each man, excepting Gulden, there was that
striking aspect of exultation.

"Where's Jim?" demanded Kells.

"He's comin' along," replied Pearce. "He's sure been runnin' a
gantlet. His strike stopped work in the diggin's. What do you think
of that, Kells? The news spread like smoke before wind. Every last
miner in camp has jest got to see thet lump of gold."