"W'at's that about mines--an' French Pete? Yuh was the one that mentioned _him_." Banker leaned confidentially nearer. "Snake, d'yuh think old Ike Brandon didn't know where the mine was?" Snake regarded him contemptuously. "Yuh reckon Ike would have lived and died pore as a heifer after a hard winter if he'd a knowed? You're loco, Jim: plumb, starin', ravin' loco!" But Jim only leaned closer and dropped his voice until it was almost inaudible. "Maybe so. But did you or any one else ever know what language them Bascos talks?" "French, I reckon," said Snake, indifferently. "French, no, sir! Charlie Grandjean, that used to ride fer Perkins & Company was French and he told me once that they didn't talk no French nor nothin' like it. They talks their own lingo and there ain't nobody but a Basco that knows this Basco talk." "Well," said Snake, easily. "What's the answer? I'll bite." "French Pete's gal has lit in here all spraddled out an' lookin' fer French Pete's mine," croaked Banker, impressively. Snake was owlishly dense. "His gal? Never knew he had a gal." "He had one, a plenty: sort of a gashly critter like a witch, with teeth all same like a lobo. Kind 'at'd stick a knife in yuh quick as look at yuh." "I reckon I won't go sparkin' her none, then. Well, how's this here Basco lady with the enchantin' ways allow she's goin' to find Pete's mine?" "That's what I'm askin' yuh? How's she goin' to find it? Yuh reckon she comes pirootin' out here all the way from Basco regions just on the hunch that she can shut her eyes an' walk to it?" "Maybe--if she's full o' witchcraft. I reckon she stands as good a chance that a way as any one does. Drink up and ferget it, Jim." "I been a-thinkin', Snake. Brandon didn't know where it was. But maybe Pete leaves a writin', say, which he tells Ike to send to his folks. It's in Basco, see, and Ike can't read it nor nobody else, so they sends it to this Basco place and the gal gits it. If that ain't right why ever does this Basco lady come a-runnin' out here?" "If it is right, why does she delay all these years?" asked Snake, pertinently. "Which yuh ain't seen her, Snake. I makes a guess this gal ain't more'n risin' two or three years when she gets that Basco note. She has to grow up, and when she gets big enough the war done come along and keeps her holed up until now. Yuh can gamble she knows where that mine was." Snake pondered this theory thoughtfully. "Yuh may be right at that," he admitted, an expression of wonder passing over his features. "But yuh been to see her? What she say about it?" "Huh! She was askin' _me_ if I knowed where it was. But that was just a blind to put me off'n the track--an' she probably wanted to make sure no one else had found it. She was quizzin' that Pettis girl, too, makin' sure Ike hadn't told _her_ nothin'." "Yuh may be right," admitted Snake again. "God-dlemighty! Yuh reckon she'll find it?"