"Up there on top of the ridge. Billy's bullet knocked out a piece of gold quartz--see?" and Charley extended the fragment that he had been clutching tightly. "Then Billy found a sign that said 'Golden West' and is signed by Tom Jones, for a claim; and when we were looking at it that Jacobs gang surprised us and told us to 'git.' Let's go back up there. They made Billy leave his gun, too." The four men uttered exclamations, while looking at each other; Mr. Grigsby thoughtfully stroked his beard, and gazed at the crest of the ridge. Charley was certain that the heads of the Jacobs party were peeking over the brush, there. The piece of quartz passed around, and was examined. Most excited of all seemed to be the miner--for he certainly was a miner--who had been added to the party: a short, heavy-set man, very shaggy and weather-worn. He carried knife and pistol, and appeared to be good reinforcement. "Did you get that up on that hill?" he demanded. "How much more is there of it? It's gold quartz, sure as shootin'--an' plaguey rich. Say--I want some o' that, myself. Hooray! Come on, all o' ye, 'fore the news gets out. You're fust, I'm second." "You say you found the Golden West mine, and the Jacobs party ran you out, Charley?" asked Mr. Adams. "Yes, sir. Didn't we, Billy?" And Billy nodded. "Are they up there now?" "Yes, sir. See 'em. They've got guns, too, besides Billy's." "Looks as though we were in for a fight, then; eh, Grigsby?" remarked Mr. Adams, flushing. "We'll not stand to be robbed in any such fashion. Let's go and see what they have to say." "The way I size those gentry up," said Mr. Grigsby, "they're there and we're here, and they won't let us get much closer. Maybe we can starve 'em out, though," and he surveyed the ridge. "I'm with you, in anything you want to do," spoke Mr. Walker. "How many are there? Three?" "Jumped yore claim, have they?" asked the miner. "They certainly have." "You're shore it's yourn?" "We can prove it." "Then best thing you can do is to prove it to the boys at Rough an' Ready," pursued the miner. "Thar's been too much claim-jumpin', in this valley; no-one's property is safe, by thunder. You come along to Rough an' Ready, an' we'll see if 't isn't time for law an' order to take a hand in this game. Yore claim won't peter out while you're gone--not if it's any good; an' whilst I believe in fightin' when you have to, thar's no use sheddin' blood if thar's an easier way 'round to get the same thing." "What do you say?" invited Mr. Adams, of the two other men. As for Charley, he saw that his father was ready to fight or not; he wasn't afraid, was this tall, soldierly veteran who had served with Scott in Mexico. "I prefer getting our rights without any blood on them, if we can, of course," answered Mr. Walker. "I hate to start in in a new country with a fight of any kind. But you can count on me, whatever you decide to do."