"We paid five thousand dollars cash down."
Lyman Taylor whistled in amazement.
"Was it worth it?" he added.
"We took out ten thousand dollars, and I heerd that the old man took out as much before selling it to us."
"What month did you buy it?" asked Lyman, breathless.
"Let me see, it was in September. You seem to be interested, stranger?"
"I should say I was. That claim was half mine, and my uncle never gave me a cent of the purchase money."
"Where were you all the time?"
"I left in disgust, for we'd worked a long time without making it pay."
"You left too soon. The old man struck it rich some time early in August, and carried away ten thousand dollars, besides what we gave him. We didn't make so much of a spec, for too much had been taken out already. Where is your uncle now?"