After a somewhat gloomy dinner, which the professor tried to liven up by telling jokes and funny stories, Jerry oiled the machine, and, about two o’clock started back to town for the lawyer. He found the attorney waiting for him, with several big law books in a valise.
“Any luck?” asked Jerry.
“Not a great deal,” was the answer.
“Well, don’t tell us until we are all together,” went on Jerry. “I don’t want to stand it all alone.”
When, on arrival at Nestor’s cabin, the lawyer proceeded to tell what he had learned, there were six very attentive listeners.
The attorney went over the ground carefully, and told the boys, Nestor and Professor Snodgrass, much that they had already heard. How, because of a missing owner who held more than a half interest in the mine, the title was not good when the boys preëmpted it. In fact it was still the property of others, though about to lapse.
“I don’t understand all them legal terms,” put in Nestor, “but didn’t we make a good claim to the government for that mine?”
“You did, as far as it went,” replied the lawyer. “Uncle Sam gave you a title, but did not guarantee that some one did not have a better one, which it seems is the case.”
“But that gang hasn’t a good title either, not if the owner of over half the shares is missing,” went on Nestor.
“No, but it seems, according to the records, that they have some sort of an agreement from this missing man that they are empowered to work the claim until he comes to demand his share.”