"I had to keep him hidden three days, for this gentle-mannered old
cannibal roamed the streets with a cannon in his hand, breathing
fire and pestilence."

"Anybody else act up?" queried Dunham.

"No; all the rest are Swedes and they haven't got the nerve to
fight. They couldn't lick a spoon if they tried. These other men
are different, though. There are two of them, the old one and a
young fellow. I'm a little afraid to mix it up with them, and if
their claim wasn't the best in the district, I'd say let it
alone."

"I'll attend to that," said McNamara.

Struve resumed:

"Yes, gentlemen, I've been working pretty hard and also pretty
much in the dark so far. I'm groping for light. When Miss Chester
brought in the papers I got busy instanter. I clouded the title to
the richest placers in the region, but I'm blamed if I quite see
the use of it. We'd be thrown out of any court in the land if we
took them to law. What's the game--blackmail?"

"Humph!" ejaculated McNamara. "What do you take me for?"

"Well, it does seem small for Alec McNamara, but I can't see what
else you're up to."

"Within a week I'll be running every good mine in the Nome