He saw the ambassador from Amalgamated smile, and turned on his heel. “They’ll be loading the holes in a minute,” he said. “And I’d like to show you the upper chamber.” When they reached the surface Mr. Robinson declined to go down into the excavation, but stood on the edge watching the busy hive below. “Great sight,” he said admiringly. “How deep have you gone?” “About seventy-eight feet.” “And the end not in sight!” “Not yet, but of course it’s only a chamber.” “You’ve taken out close on half a million here alone.” “Pretty near. What the devil made you suppose I’d take a paltry hundred thousand for the hill?” “Oh, just to avoid trouble. You have the reputation of being a very clever man.” “Thanks. It’s cold standing round. Wouldn’t you like to take a walk? How’d you like to see the Primo Mine?” As Gregory, who was watching him intently, anticipated, the man’s face lit up. “I should like it!” he said definitely. “I hear that they too have struck chalcopyrite. Lost their gold vein.” “They’re nosing after it in another direction. When the lease is up I shall consolidate with the Blakes.” “Quite natural. Of course it’s the same vein?--the chalcopyrite, I mean.” “Unquestionably. And it apexes in my property.” “Are you so sure of that?” “Not a doubt in the world. I struck the top of the vein twelve feet below the surface. But it will never go to the courts.” “Of course not.” Gregory, who looked remote, almost blank, lost not an intonation of the other man’s voice, nor a flickering gleam in his cunning eyes. His own head was a little on one side, which, had Mr. Robinson had the good fortune to know him better, would have warned him that the young man for whom he had conceived a certain respect was thinking hard and to some purpose. Douglas, who had a personal liking for his neighbor, unaware that he had been the chief instrument in the upsetting of skillful plans for untold wealth, readily gave permission to visit the mine as soon as the smoke from a recent blast would permit. Gregory and Mr. Robinson walked about to keep warm, the former pointing out the probability of a faulted ore vein under the aspens, and enlarging upon the great fortune bound to be Mrs. Blake’s in any case. Then as the man merely remarked, “Yes, charming woman, Mrs. Blake; thought the night of the Prom she was one of the prettiest women I ever saw. No dead easy game there”; Gregory refrained from kicking him and said innocently. “Good thing the law compels creditors to present their claims within a limited time, or Amalgamated might grab this mine and bore through to my hill. I understand Judge Stratton was heavily in debt to the Anaconda Company when he died.” Mr. Robinson’s face turned a deep brick-red, and he shot a piercing glance into the narrow noncommittal eyes opposite.