and strode forward to greet them.

He beheld a man of perhaps threescore years, benign of aspect save
for the eyes, which were neither clear nor steady, but had the
trick of looking past one. Glenister thought the mouth, too,
rather weak and vacillating; but the clean-shaven face was
dignified by learning a acumen and was wrinkled in pleasant
fashion.

"My niece has just told me of your service to her," the old
gentleman began. "I am happy to know you, sir."

"Besides being a brave knight and assisting ladies in distress,
Mr. Glenister is a very great and wonderful man," Helen explained,
lightly. "He owns the Midas."

"Indeed!" said the old man, his shifting eyes now resting full on
the other with a flash of unmistakable interest. "I hear that is a
wonderful mine. Have you begun work yet?"

"No. We'll commence sluicing day after to-morrow. It has been a
late spring. The snow in the gulch was deep and the ground thaws
slowly. We've been building houses and doing dead work, but we've
got our men on the ground, waiting."

"I am greatly interested. Won't you walk with us to the hotel? I
want to hear more about these wonderful placers."

"Well, they ARE great placers," said the miner, as the three
walked on together; "nobody knows HOW great because we've only