“Boys, where are you going?” called Mr. Winters.
“Going to walk on ahead,” answered Van Dorn.
“Just as cheap to ride,” said Mr. Winters.
“Plenty of room,” added Mr. Blaisdell.
“We can’t wait for you, you’re too slow,” laughed Van Dorn.
“Give our places to those gentlemen,” said Lindlay, indicating Haight and Morgan, and with rather a painful emphasis on the word “gentlemen.”
“Egad!” he exclaimed a few moments later, “Van Dorn, what do you think of that for a mining proposition?”
“It’s pretty tough, in fact, about the toughest I ever saw,” replied Van Dorn, “but then, you remember we got a hint at Silver City that they were sharpers.”
“Sharpers!” exclaimed Lindlay, “but I don’t call them sharpers; I can admire a good, genuine piece of keen rascality, don’t you know, for I can play just as sharp a game myself as the best of them, but w’en it comes to such downright, beastly work as this, so blundering and bungling you know, w’y it looks too much as though they thought we were all born idiots, to be very complimentary.”
“I’ll admit it looks that way,” said Van Dorn, laughing, “it doesn’t look as though they had a very flattering opinion of our acquirements, or our natural penetration, if they suppose we can be gulled in this way. They are about the worst set of mining sharks I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting, and I shall tell Houston so.”