Bible-Back Murray paused and looked him over, and his prospector’s pick and ore-sack, and a glint came into one eye. The other eye remained fixed in a cold, rheumy stare, and Denver sensed that it was made of glass.
“Who are you working for?” rasped Murray and as he raised his voice the guard started down the dump.
“I’m not working for anybody,” answered Denver boldly, “I’m out prospecting along the edge of the rim.”
“Oh–prospecting,” said Murray suddenly moderating his voice; and then, as the guard stood watching them narrowly, he gave way to a fatherly smile. “Well, well,” he exclaimed, “it’s pretty hot for prospecting–you can’t see very well in this glare. Whereabouts have you made your camp?”
“Over on the crick,” answered Denver. “What have you got here, anyway? Is this that diamond drill?”
“Never mind, now!” put in the guard who, anticipating a call-down for his negligence, was in a distinctly hostile mood, “you know danged well it is!”
77“Oh, I do, do I?” retorted Denver, “well, all right pardner, if you say so; but you don’t need to call me a liar!”
He returned the guard’s glare with an insulting sneer and Murray made haste to intercede.
“Now, now,” he said, “let’s not have any trouble. But of course you’ve no business on this ground.”
“That’s all right,” defended Denver, “that don’t give him a license to pull any ranicky stuff. I’m as peaceable as anybody, but you can tell your hired man he don’t look bad to me.”