"What started you—the fact that we were going?"
"Well, I allow as that had a little to do with it, Earl; but Guardley got a letter from a friend of his who is up there now—a man named Stephens. He said Guardley ought to come up at once, and as he didn't want to go alone, I came along. How are you making out?"
"We are doing very well."
"You and your brother came on with your uncle, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"Any others in the party?"
"Yes; two men."
Tom Roland's eyes dropped for a moment. "Me and Guardley have been havin' rather a hard road of it, all alone," he went on. "We've been thinking of joining forces with somebody."
"Well, our crowd is complete," answered Earl, quickly.
"Then you won't consider taking in two more, providing, of course, we do our share of work and pay our share of the expenses."