“Well, you’d better git up and dust, you miserable apology for a man!” cried Cal, indignantly turning to Sam. “And he made out that you had skipped the country, and that he bought the claim, so that you needn’t go dead broke. If he don’t leave it’s a necktie party we’ll be havin’!” added Denny Colby. “Oh, let him alone, boys; he isn’t worth the rope it would take to hang him; upon my word I pity him, he is so _con_temptible that I don’t think he can enjoy his own company,” drawled Phil lazily. Sam limped away unmolested, cursing wildly as far as they could hear him. Phil turned from looking after him, and said to the men, “It makes me feel pretty sore, but I guess that he feels worse’n I do,” he added philosophically. After a few minutes he continued, “You might as well knock off for the rest of the day, I don’t suppose he will give me any trouble because he knows that I have the papers to prove my right. I’ll square whatever wages is coming to you as soon as I get things in good shape.” A hearty grasp of the hand, and a ready acquiescence sealed the compact. Phil swung himself down the mountain side in a much more joyous mood than when ascending. He walked direct to Mollie’s house, and as before she opened the door; she started in surprise and anger; he did not wait for her to speak, but said in a determined tone, “You asked me this morning if there was anything that I wished, and not understanding the circumstances I said no; I have since learned some things which caused me to change my mind—Mollie, would you condemn me unheard?” reaching out both hands. She, flushing and trembling, stood irresolute for one minute, then placed her hands in his. “No, that would not be just; but why did you not write?” “I did write several times, but could get no reply from you.” “I wonder—” she commenced, but Phil cut the sentence short. “Were you going to marry Sam, Mollie?” “What an idea! That conceited thing!” answered Mollie indignantly. They had entered the little parlor, and Phil caught her in his arms and said quizzically, “What about me?” Just what Mollie answered I had best not repeat, but it seemed to be perfectly satisfactory, as he left the house an hour later, whistling as happily as a boy. * * * * * Just after dark Sam hurried into town, cursing his lameness and Phil, indiscriminately; he wanted to keep things square with Mollie, as he expressed it. As he came near the house he observed that the little parlor was brilliantly lighted; his heart filled with exultation: “I’ll bet Mollie is expecting me! Let Phil keep his old claims; the girl is worth more than all of them; it will hurt him most to lose her, too. Of course it was all a lie about our going to be married; but I can get her all right, you bet there isn’t many women but that I could get!” with a ridiculous air of importance.