“There! What did I tell you?” grumbled Min Peters. “He’s one o’ them Eastern promoters that allus want to skim the cream of ev’rything.”
CHAPTER XX—THE MAD STALLION
Somehow Ruth Fielding could not find herself subscribing to this opinion of “the hermit” so flatly stated by Min Peters. She begged the prospector’s daughter to hush.
“Let us not say anything to each other that we will later be sorry for. Of course, we all understand—and must admit—that the finding of this gold-bearing ledge is a matter that cannot be long kept from the general public.”
“Sure! There’ll be a rush,” growled Flapjack.
“And when this feller’s men git here they’ll hog it all,” declared Min.
“They won’t hog our claims—not unless I’m dead,” said her father violently.
“Oh, hush! hush!” cried Ruth again. “This is no way to talk. We can stake out our claims and the other girls can stake out theirs. You understand we honestly found this ore just the same as you and your partner did?” she added to the lame young man.
“I found it first,” he said, gloomily. “I found it months ago——”
“Great cats!” broke in Flapjack. “Why didn’t you file on it, then, and git started?”