“I don’t know that it’s your mine,” was the reply from the deputy, “but I do mean that you can’t set foot inside it. Are all the men out?” he asked of Jim, who nodded. “Then,” went on the court official, “I hereby formally and in the name of the court take possession of these diggings, to remain in my possession until dissolved by an order from the court, all accordin’ to the statutes in such cases made and provided! There, I’m glad I got rid of that! I learned it by heart, but I was afraid I’d forget it. Now I’ll seal up the mine, with the official seal, and any man who breaks it or enters the mine will render himself in contempt of court, and liable to a fine or imprisonment, or both, at the discretion of the judge, which is the way the law books have it.”
Having thus cleared his mind, Malone proceeded to affix lead seals to the rude wooden door that closed the mouth of the shaft.
“Does that mean we can’t go in?” asked Jerry.
“It does, but it also means that they can’t go in, either,” and Malone nodded toward Dalsett and the others. “I’m in possession, and I intend to remain. You haven’t got a pipeful of tobacco you could spare, have you, Jim?”
Nestor handed over a plug, from which the deputy sheriff proceeded to shave some into his hand.
“Do you mean to say we can’t have possession of our mine?” cried Noddy, as Malone took his seat on a bench in front of the shaft opening.
“That’s what I mean, bub, but I wouldn’t get excited over it. It’s too warm. You can go back to town and cool off.”
“This means that we all have a vacation, doesn’t it?” asked Nestor.
“Something like that,” answered the official. “Nothing doing until the courts decide who are the real owners.”
“Well, that satisfies me,” declared Jim. “We’ve all been working pretty hard lately, and I don’t mind a rest. Men,” he went on, turning to the miners, “I’ll pay you off, and notify you when I want you again. The mine is closed up.”