"Nope, it don't look good to me," answered Denver promptly, "there's too many ifs and ands. And I'll stay here till I rot before Bible-Back Murray will ever get that mine from _me_. He hired that bunch of gun-men to jump my claim twice when he had no title to the mine, and then he hired Chatwourth and Slogger Meacham to get me in the door and kill me. They made a slight mistake and got the wrong man, then sent me to the Pen' for murder. That's the kind of a dastard you've got for a pardner but you can tell him I'll never give up. I'll fight till I die, and if I ever get out----" "Yes, there you go again," burst out Bunker Hill bitterly, "you ain't got the brain of a mule. If I wasn't to blame for loaning you that gun and leaving you out of my sight, I'd pass up your case for good. But I didn't have no better sense than to slip you my old six-shooter, and now Mrs. Hill can't hardly git over it so I'll give you another try. My daughter, Drusilla, is coming home next week and she hasn't even heard about this trouble. Now--are you going to stay here and meet her as a convict, or will you come and meet her like a gentleman. This ain't my doin's--I'd see you in hell, first--but Mrs. Hill says when you get out on parole we'll be glad to receive you as our guest." Denver stopped and considered, smiling and frowning by turns, but at last he shook his head mournfully. "No," he muttered, "what will she care for a poor ex-con? No, I'm down and out," he went on to Bunker, "and she'll hear about it, anyhow. It's too late now to pretend I'm a gentleman--my number has burned in like a brand. All these other prisoners know me and they'll turn me up anywhere; if I go to the China Coast one of 'em would show up, sooner or later, and bawl me out for a convict. No, I'm ruined as a gentleman, and old Murray did it; but by God, if I live, I'll teach him to regret it--and he won't make a dollar out of me. That claim is tied up till John D. Rockefeller himself couldn't get it away from me now; and it'll lay right there until I serve out my sentence or get a free pardon from the Governor. I won't agree to anything and----" He stopped abruptly and looked away, after which he reached out his hand. "Well, much obliged, Bunk," he said, trying to smile, "I'm sorry I can't accommodate you. Just thank Mrs. Hill for what she has done and--and tell her I'll never forget it."