"My boy," answered the professor, still a little "flighty," "I don't want that claim if it's not legally mine."
"It is legally yours. Heppner was only pretending to be a government agent, and McGurvin never saw the claim."
"Well, well!" murmured the professor, mildly surprised. "Then they were dishonest?"
"I should say!"
"But Mr. Turkeyfoot is my friend. He thought I had done wrong, and he fought loyally to get me off and to make McGurvin give me a hundred dollars."
Clancy turned away to hide a laugh.
"Turkeyfoot deceived you, just as the others did," Frank explained patiently. "You hired him to go to Happenchance after the stuff you had left there?"
"Yes. We came thus far on our way, and Mr. Turkeyfoot explained how I had laid myself liable to fine and imprisonment for stealing a claim. He said I must remain here at McGurvin's for a time, and—er—keep shady. That is the term he used, I believe. Well, I kept shady until he came to go to the old town. Then, when we returned from there, I had to keep shady again. A little while ago Mr. Heppner arrived, saying he represented the government, and—and—Well," and the professor drew a long sigh, "I'm glad to know I haven't stolen anything from anybody."
"Why did you leave Ophir for Gold Hill?"
"Mr. Porter told me about Mr. Turkeyfoot, and said he was the one to go out and bring in my personal effects, You had had enough trouble on my account, Merriwell, and I did not want to bother you further. Yet it seems," he finished regretfully, "that I have done the very thing I tried not to do."