"Fifty-eight--fifty-nine--_sixty_!" cried the umpire, slapping him sharply on the back to stop, and Denver fell like dead across the stone. His great strength had left him, completely, on the instant; and when he raised his head there was a grinning crowd around him as his coach was measuring the last drill. "The poor, dom fool!" he exclaimed commiseratingly, "and to think of him wurruking like thot. He's ahead by two inches and more." CHAPTER XXIII THE HEART OF HIS BELOVED There was a celebration that day which warmed Denver's heart and sent Slogger Meacham cursing out of the camp, but as soon as it was over and he had his prize money in his hand Denver remembered his unguarded claim. Bunker Hill was there, of course, but the spiteful Professor had heralded his pledge afar; and a man who has promised his wife not to fight is ill-fitted to herd a mine. No, the Silver Treasure lay open for Dave or Murray to jump, if they felt like contesting his claim; and, weak as he was, Denver took no rest until he was back where he could fight for his own. He rode in late and slept like the dead, but in the morning he was up and down at the store as soon as Old Bunk came out. "I win!" he announced holding up the roll of bills, "first money--can you get me some powder?" "W'y, you lucky fool!" exclaimed Bunker admiringly, "seems like _nothing_ can keep you down. Sure I'll get your powder, and just to show you what _I_ can do--how's that for a healthy little roll?" He drew out a roll of bills twice the size of Denver's and fingered them over lovingly. "A thousand dollars," he murmured, "for an option on half the Lost Burro. A party came up yesterday and took one look at it and grabbed it right off the bat, and as soon as old Murray gets in to his ore they're going to capitalize the Burro for a million. Fine name that, for stock-selling--known all over the world, in England, Paris and everywhere--but I made 'em come through with a thousand dollars cash, so Drusilla could have a good stake. She's thinking of going East, soon." "'S that so?" said Denver, trying to take it all in, "are these parties going to do any work?" "Well, that's an unfair question, as Pecos Edwards used to say when they asked him if all Texans was cow-thieves; but you know how these promoters work. There'll be lots of work done; but mostly by lawyers, and publicity men and such. There's a whole lot of water in the workings of the Lost Burro that'll have to be pumped out first, and then there's a little job of timbering that'll cost a world of money. No, I sold them that mine on the ore in your tunnel--I will say, it shows up splendid. If you'd've been here yesterday you might have made a deal that would----" "Not on your life!" broke in Denver, "I don't sell to anybody. But say, but what did they think of my mine?"