“Thought he was on the wagon,” Gus said. “Boy, he’s sure kickin’ up the dust!”
Maryland, his face red from his exertions, stumbled toward them.
“Hey,” he yelled. “Hey! Hey!”
“Charleston!” Nick roared. “Hey-hey yourself!”
“Listen, fellers! Listen!” he panted fiercely, trying to get enough breath to talk with. “Listen! Don’t pull up stakes! I got somethin’ to tell you!”
“Well, for Pete’s sake, spit it out without all that ‘hey-hey’ business!” Bug Eye exclaimed. “Let’s have it!”
“Well, I been workin’ on my mine—it’s near yours! I dug on a slant, instead of straight down, an’ the first thing I knew I came out in the shaft you fellers sunk. But not in any of your tunnels—a different one.”
“That’s O. K.,” Roy said easily. “You’re forgiven. Take the shaft and build yourself a house with it.”
“No, but listen, you fellers! That ain’t all! I struck gold! Plenty of it! Reams of it! An’ most of it is on your claim! An’ that’s why I ran down here, bustin’ my windpipe, to tell you!”
“Gold!”