"Glad to meet you," answered Murray extending a hairy hand, "my name is B. B. Murray. I'm the owner of all this ground." "'S that so?" murmured Denver, "well don't let me keep you." And he started off down the trail. "Hey, wait a minute!" protested Murray, "you don't need to go off mad. Sit down here in the shade--I want to have a talk with you." He stepped over to the shade of an abandoned cabin and Denver followed reluctantly. From the few leading questions which Mr. Murray had propounded he judged he was a hard man to evade; and, until he had got title to the claim on Queen Creek, it was advisable not to talk too much. "So you're just over from Globe, eh?" began Murray affably, "well, how are things over in that camp? Yes, I hear they are booming--were you working in the mines? What do you think of this country for copper?" "It sure looks _good_!" pronounced Denver unctuously, "I never saw a place that looked better. All this gossan and porphyry, and that copper stain up there--and just look at that dacite cap!" He waved his hand at the high cliff behind and Murray's eye became beady and bright. "Yes," he said rubbing his horny hands together and gazing at Denver benevolently, "we think the indications are good--were you thinking of locating in these parts?" "No, just going through," answered Denver slowly. "I was camping by the crick and saw that copper-stain, so I thought I'd follow it up. How far are you down with your drill?" "Quite a ways, quite a ways," responded Murray evasively. "You don't look like an ordinary prospector--who'd you say it was you were working for?" Denver turned and looked at him, and grunted contemptuously. "J. P. Morgan," he said and after a silence Murray answered with a thin-lipped smile. "That's all right, that's all right," he said with a cackle. "No hard feeling--I just wanted to know. You're an honest young man, but there are others who are not, and we naturally like to inquire. Are you staying with Mr. Hill?" "Well, not so you'd notice it," replied Denver brusquely. "I'm camped in that cave across the crick." "Oh, is that so?" purred Murray driving relentlessly on in his quest for information, "did he show you any of his claims?" "He showed me one," answered Denver and, try as he would, he could not keep his voice from changing. "Oh, I see," said Murray suddenly smiling triumphantly, "he showed you that claim by the creek." "That's the one," admitted Denver, "and it sure looked good. Have you got any interests over there?" "Not at present," returned Murray with a touch of asperity, "but let me tell you a little about that claim. You're a stranger in these parts and it's only fair to warn you that the assessment work has never been done. He has no title, according to law; so you can govern your actions accordingly." "You mean," suggested Denver, "that all I have to do is to go in and jump the claim?"