scratched at them yet. In the first place the ground is so shallow
and the gold is so easy to get, that if nature didn't safeguard us
in the winter we'd never dare leave our claims for fear of
'snipers.' They'd run in and rob us."

"How much will the Anvil Creek mines produce this summer?" asked
the Judge.

"It's hard to tell, sir; but we expect to average five thousand a
day from the Midas alone, and there are other claims just as
good."

"Your title is all clear, I dare say, eh?"

"Absolutely, except for one jumper, and we don't take him
seriously. A fellow named Galloway relocated us one night last
month, but he didn't allege any grounds for doing so, and we could
never find trace of him. If we had, our title would be as clean as
snow again." He said the last with a peculiar inflection.

"You wouldn't use violence, I trust?"

"Sure! Why not? It has worked all right heretofore."

"But, my dear sir, those days are gone. The law is here and it is
the duty of every one to abide by it."

"Well, perhaps it is; but in this country we consider a man's mine
as sacred as his family. We didn't know what a lock and key were
in the early times and we didn't have any troubles except famine