"That will all depend," hinted the Colonel darkly, "upon the attitude of the people in the district. If we meet with encouragement we intend to form a company and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars; but if not, why we will charge up our option money to profit and loss and seek out a less backward community. What is your lowest price on your claim?" "A million dollars--cash," responded Denver cheerfully. "Now you come through and make me an offer." "Well," began the Colonel, and then he stopped and glanced suggestively at the tunnel. "We'd like to look it over first." "Fair enough," replied Denver and, giving each a candle, he led them into the tunnel. They looked the ore over, making indifferent comments and asking permission to take samples, and then Colonel Dodge took one of his experts aside and they conferred in muffled tones. "Er--we'd rather not make an offer just now," said the Colonel at last; and in a silent procession they returned to the daylight, leaving Denver to follow behind. The atmosphere of the group was now reeking with gloom but after a long conference the Colonel came back, summoning up the ghost of a smile. "Well, I'll tell you, Mr. Russell," he began apologetically, "we saw some of your ore before we came up and we were all of us most enthusiastic. The copper in particular was very promising but the gentleman I was talking with is our consulting engineer and he advises me not to buy the property." "All right," answered Denver, "you don't have to buy it. I never saw one of these six-buckle men yet that wouldn't knock a good claim." He turned back angrily to his job of tool-sharpening and the Colonel followed after him solicitously. "Don't misunderstand me," he said, "there's nothing I'd like better than to buy in this neighboring property--if I could get it at a reasonable figure; but Mr. Shadd advises me that your ore lies in a gash-vein, which will undoubtedly pinch out at depth." "A gash-vein!" echoed Denver, "why the poor, ignorant fool--can't you see that the vein is getting bigger? Well, how can it be a gash-vein when it's between two good walls and increasing in width all the time? Your friend must think I'm a prospector." "Oh, no," protested the Colonel smiling feebly at the joke, "but--well, he advises me not to buy. The fact that the ore is so rich on the surface is against its continuance at depth. All gash-veins, as you know, are very rich at the surface; so in this case the fact is against you. But I tell you what I will do--just to protect my other property and avoid any future complications--I'll give you a thousand dollars for your claim." "Whooo!" jeered Denver, "I'll get more than that for the ore I just sent to the smelter. No, I'm no thousand-dollar man, Mr. Dodge. I've got a fissure vein and it's increasing at depth, so I guess I'll just hold on a while. You wait till old Murray begins to ship!"