In a small room in a low-down house in Discovery, Welland and Greasy Jones met secretly.
Greasy had successfully made his way through Hopeful Pass in disguise and was now in hiding in this low-down house, awaiting the hour of the miners' rally, when the long and carefully planned coup was to be made and Black Elk Territory declared a republic.
The rally was planned for eight o'clock that night. It was now six a.m.
The two conspirators had met to arrange the final details. Welland had not seen the gangster since their last meeting in Prospect. The risks were too great. And one meeting—this meeting—in Discovery was all he dared venture. Even now he was very nervous.
"You're sure everyone's asleep?" he asked. "And that no-one can overhear us?"
"Sure," replied Greasy impatiently. "There's only two people in the house. One's the owner, a man the yallah-legs don't suspect, the other's my woman—an' she don't count."
"Your—why did you bring her along? We don't want women here."
"You forget I was a respectable trader goin' to open store in Discovery," the gangster grinned. "An' t' have a wife along helped the effect."
"All right," said Welland apologetically. "Don't think me a fuss-cat, Greasy. But you understand—a man in my position——"
"What about a man in mine? If the yallah-legs knew I was here, I'd be behind the bars in two snorts——"