"I'll do the talkin', fust. You save yore powder. This gentleman an' these two lads belong to a party I met up with at t'other end the valley. They were prospectin' for a claim they'd heared of. The two boys located it atop a ridge, yon, an' as I understand, they were actually on the ground, sizin' it up, when another party jumped 'em, at the p'int o' guns made 'em vamoose, an' proceeded to hold down the claim themselves. Show yore sample, boys. What do you think o' that, men?"
Charley handed out the sample. As it passed around among the craning heads and hairy fists, it created tremendous excitement.
"Whar'd you get it?"
"Gold quartz, or I'm a sinner!"
"That'll run a thousand dollars to the pan, I bet ye."
"Hooray for the new diggin's! Come on, fellows. I'm off."
"Hold on, thar," bade the red-shirted man, stopping what would have been a stampede. "That doesn't settle the matter. Eph, here, has called a meetin' for a purpose; haven't you, Eph?"
"You're talkin'," assured Eph. "It's time claim-jumpin' 'round these diggin's has got to stop. If this gentleman can prove up for his party that they've fust rights to that discivvery, we ought to go back thar an' show those other fellows that Rough an' Ready is takin' a stand for law an' order."
"Hooray!" cheered the crowd, which seemed ripe for anything new.
"You say you've got fust location on that quartz claim?" inquired the red-shirted man, of Mr. Adams.