The next morning, after all the rest had started for town (for Stevens was quite able to travel, despite his wound), Mr. Anderson and his adviser sat down to a business talk with our heroes.

“As I understand it,” the capitalist began, “you were anxious to sell an interest in this mine, and hoped to persuade me to buy such an interest. Is that so?”

“It is,” came in double response from Max and Lennox.

“Do you still wish to sell, in view of the remarkable disclosures yesterday?”

“I do not see how otherwise we are to get money to carry on the work,” said Max, “and therefore, though we should be glad to retain{212} the whole, I fear we shall be obliged to dispose of a part.”

“How great a part?”

“Last week,” replied Max smiling, “I should have said half, but now I think a quarter would be enough to take off, at any rate, as the first slice.”

“What is your idea of price?”

“Well, yesterday my partners and I had agreed upon a price, but I fear that wont do for to-day, since Len and Sandy here seem to think the mine looks a little more promising than heretofore.”

You should have seen the grins that passed around that circle and answered one another.

“We would like to hear what you have to offer,” Len suggested, addressing Mr. Anderson.

“Well,” the capitalist answered, “I’ve been thinking about it, and am free to say, that I feel disposed to join with you,—buy a share of your mine, organize a new firm, and go in for its thorough development; but before I{213} can say what I am willing to give, I must know more than I do as to the probable cost of certain preparations, such as the drainage of the mine, the availability of timber for inside bracing, etc., the cost of making a wagon road up here, the kind of winter houses which will be needful, and various other things. How would ten thousand dollars strike you as payment for half the mine?”

Sandy’s eyes opened wide. That is a great deal of money to a Scotchman. Lennox looked as though he was just ready to jump at it, but Max calmly raised one foot over his knee and said quietly:

“It doesn’t come within sight of the proper figure.”

Mr. Anderson laughed, and put on his hat for a tramp up the cliff, where, Max had said, it might be possible to head off the water.

 

A week later a............