"That's interesting," Greg said. "Did Dad tell you that?"
"He didn't have to. A man can't keep a secret like that, not for very long. Ask your friend here, if you don't believe me. And we make it our business to know what's going on out here. We have to, in order to survive."
"Well, suppose you heard right. The law says that what a man finds on his own claim is his."
"Certainly," Tawney said. "Nobody would think of claim-jumping, these days. But when a man happens to die before he can bring in his bonanza, then it's a question of who gets there first, wouldn't you think?"
"Not when the man is murdered," Greg said hotly, "not by a long shot."
"But you can't prove that your father was murdered."
"If I could, I wouldn't be here."
"Then I think we'll stick to the law," Tawney said, "and call it an accident."
"And what about my brother? Was that an accident?"
"Ah, yes, your brother." Tawney's eyes hardened. "Quite a different matter, that. Sometimes Doc tends to be over-zealous in carrying out his assigned duties. I can assure you that he has been ... disciplined."