Tom felt the pangs of jealousy because his younger brother had been able to see Polly before she would allow him to call. Then he remembered his role to act the part of a platonic brother and friend. Polly continued: "I think Jim is a dear boy. He is so fond and proud of you, too. Why, when he was here he sat and talked of nothing else but you and your loyalty to family, friends, and your work." As Polly spoke, Tom felt ashamed of his momentary jealousy of his brother. When she had finished speaking, he laughed and said: "What a pity Jim sees me through such fine magnifying glasses. The undesirable qualities in my character he never detects." "I think it is great to have your family think you are all that is wonderful! I think my family regard me as a saint, and I like it, too," declared Polly. "That's because you are one, Polly dear," retorted Tom, and the fervor he expressed in his eyes and voice, caused his companion to gasp. Before Tom could follow up his sudden declaration and make Polly understand his sentiments for her, she broached another subject of conversation. "Tom, what has been accomplished at the mine and at Rainbow Cliffs while I was in Europe?" Tom frowned, but he realized that Polly was more sensible than he. He remembered, once more, what Anne had advised, so he choked the despondent sigh and replied instead, with seeming interest: "Oh, John and I had another queer bout with some thieves. They were not after the land this time, but they planned to get at the ore and carry off as much of the gold as they could lay hands on. Our old friend, Rattlesnake Mike, caught them red-handed, and now they are serving a term in prison at hard labor." "Oh, Tom! I never heard a word of this!" cried Polly, eagerly. "Do tell me about it." CHAPTER V THE RAID ON CHOKO'S FIND MINE "You remember when we all came East last June to attend John's wedding and see you off for Europe?" asked Tom. Polly nodded eagerly but said nothing to interrupt him. "Well, we remained longer than we had planned when we left Pebbly Pit. The friends in New York were so eager to entertain us before we went back home, that the days passed swiftly before we realized we had stayed on ten days longer than we should have done at that time. "Now to go back to the time when those two rascals tried to jump your claim, the time your father and Mike guided the party when you-all climbed the Indian Trail to Grizzly Slide. "It seems that crafty clerk who had copied the rough map of the claim you staked on Flat Top and filed in Oak Creek, never gave up hope of some day getting his hands on enough of that gold to help him get away and live comfortably, ever after, on the proceeds. "When he learned that everyone of the family at Pebbly Pit, would be East for a few weeks, and the mine would be left in charge of Mike and the other employees, he immediately called a few cut-throats together and laid his plans accordingly.