Bill took his pipe out of his mouth and looked intently at the boys before replying.
"Was yo' calc'latin' on goin' out an' grabbin' off some more rewards an' sech, bringin' in some more hombreys like Pedro? Er mebbe, yo' all'd be satisfied t' locate a coupla gold mines er somethin'? What was yo' all studyin' 'bout doin'?"
"I don't know as I had a definite plan," said Whitey, "I just asked you what kind of a place it was over there."
"Yes, I know—yo' all didn't have no intentions—that's why yo' all wanted to know 'bout the place!" and Bill grinned, tolerantly. Then, after thinking a moment, he said, "As fur's the place goes, I reckon it's some wild an' on-cultivated. I ain't bin through it fer some years, but I reckon 'tain't changed none t' speak of. Prospectors give up tryin' there long ago, an' I reckon 'tain't good fer much else—consider'ble amount o' rocks an' scenery—thet's 'bout all.
"I wouldn't mind owning a gold mine," said Whitey. "That is, a good one," he qualified. Bill uncrossed his legs suddenly and puffed rapidly, as he shook all over with inward laughter.
"The's them's had thet idee before, Son," he said, grinning. "A reel good gold mine's a handy little thing t' hev 'bout the house! I dunno's I'd turn one down ef 't was offered t' me!"
"Well," said Whitey, "I guess the only way to get one is to go out and find it, isn't it? I don't believe anybody is going around offering 'em to people."
"Would yo' know a perfeckly good gold mine 'f yo' was t' meet it comin' 'long the road?" asked Bill. "Hev' yo' got a speakin' acquaintance with gold mines, so 't yo' c'd walk right up to 'em an' bid 'em the time o' day?"
"Well," said Whitey, "gold is gold, isn't it? I've been seeing it all my life—I ought to know it!"
"Well," said Bill, "they don't dig it out 'n the ground in the form o' twenty-dollar gold-pieces er watches an' chains an' rings—not this season, they don't. Lemme show yo' all somethin'," and Bill rose and went into the ranch-house. In a moment, he returned with a dirty reddish looking piece of rock about the size of a hen's egg and handed it to Whitey. "What 'd yo' calc'late thet thing is?" he asked, as he resumed his seat.