“Well, you needn’t worry over any jumpers to-night.”
“Why,” exclaimed Len. “What’s up?”
“Oh, the regular thing with that crowd. The minute they got a little excited over a scheme, they had to go and drink a lot o’ whisky on it, and there they are, sittin’ round the El Dorado, stupid as ground-hogs. That is, two of ’em are; that beauty they call Scotty was a-begging to fight all hands when I came away. I reckon somebody’ll accommodate him before midnight.”
“An’ did ye say he’s called Scotty?” asked Sandy, appearing in the doorway of the cabin for the first time.
“Yes,—why, hello, stranger! You know the El Dorado, when you see it, don’t you? How are you,” extending his hand with great cordiality, “put it thar! I shouldn’t wonder if we could pull a double team when it comes to layin’ out that same gambler from over the range, eh?”
“Weel, we hae done something o’ the kind a’ready, Mr. Morris, an’ I dare say he’s no in love wi’ eyther of us.”
“Not he. He’d like nothing better than to blow up the whole of us with giant powder. Now how are you fellows going to handle this crowd when they do try it on? I thought if you didn’t mind I’d stay and see the fun. Likely enough I could help you some. When my Winchester here turns loose people ’d better stand one side!”
So they explained to him how they had used the Aurora as a new means of entrance to their mine, the cutting of the cross-cut through the dyke, and the way they had closed this approach by turning all the water into the other tunnel and barricading the cross-cut.
“You see we had no right in the Aurora, and couldn’t fairly fight for it. So we made up our minds to let ’em jump that and welcome.”
“But I have rights there—Jim and I own that together, and you’ve done enough work on it to keep up the assessment, so that it’s ours, and nobody can jump it while I’m around, unless they’re a heap stronger ’n I am.”