"You couldn't lose it unless Old Grizzly split the whole side of the mountain open and washed the gold down into the bottom. But the land-slide makes the mining more difficult in the beginning; once things are going, it will make no difference, excepting that there is always the danger of fresh avalanches wreaking the same havoc this one has done," said Tom Latimer.
"Well, I always had a theory that I believe will prove to divert a great deal of slide that does the damage, in a case like this one. And since looking around up on Top Notch, I'm sure my idea will work," ventured John.
"All I can say to that is, if you have such a theory it will prove more valuable than Kenneth Evans' father's patent device for cutting lava jewels from Rainbow Cliffs!" laughed Eleanor.
"What's that?" demanded John, while Tom Latimer wondered how this Chicago girl ever had heard of Dr. Evans' machine that his father was financially interested in.
Then Polly and Eleanor had the "speaker's chair" and they told all about Kenneth, his father's patents, and Old Man Montresor's relationship to him.
"Why then, if this lad is the direct heir to Montresor, he must inherit the mine!" declared John.
"Not according to law, because Polly was left the claim, but we had to discover it all over again under a new claim, you see," explained Eleanor, anxiously.
"That will make a fine little problem in law, I'm thinking," laughed Tom, shaking his head.
"It would if all concerned could not agree, but we all intend to agree—Ken said so!" exclaimed Polly, emphatically.
"Oh—you-all know this 'Ken' so well, eh?" teased John.