Produced by Al Haines The Furnace of Gold By PHILIP VERRILL MIGHELS Author of THE PILLARS OF EDEN, BRUVVER JIM'S BABY, ETC Illustrations by J. N. MARCHAND GROSSET & DUNLAP Publishers :: New York Copyright, 1909, by P. V. Mighels Copyright, 1910, by Desmond FitzGerald, Inc. _All Rights Reserved_ CONTENTS CHAPTER I. PRINCE OR BANDIT II. INTO THE MOUNTAINS III. A RESCUE IV. CONGENIAL COMPANY V. VAN'S PARTNERS VI. THE BATTLE VII. AN EXCHANGE OF QUESTIONS VIII. A NIGHT'S EXPENSES IX. PROGRESS AND SALT X. THE LAUGHING WATER CLAIM XI. ALGY STIRS UP TROUBLE XII. BOSTWICK LOSES GROUND XIII. A COMBINATION OF FORCES XIV. MOVING A SHACK XV. HATCHING A PLOT XVI. INVOLVING BETH XVII. UNEXPECTED COMPLICATIONS XVIII. WHEREIN MATTERS THICKEN XIX. VAN AND BETH AND BOSTWICK XX. QUEENIE XXI. IN THE SHADOW OF THE ROPE XXII. TWO MEETINGS AFTER DARK XXIII. BETH'S DESPERATION XXIV. A BLIZZARD OF DUST XXV. A TIMELY DELIVERANCE XXVI. THE NIGHT IN THE DESERT XXVII. TALL STORIES XXVIII. WORK AND SONG XXIX. SUSPICIOUS ANSWERS XXX. BETH'S ONE EXPEDIENT XXXI. McCOPPET BUSIES HIS MIND XXXII. THE HARDSHIPS OF THE TRAIL XXXIII. THE CLOUDS OF TROUBLE GATHER XXXIV. THE TAKING OF THE CLAIM XXXV. THE MEETINGS OF TWO STRONG MEN XXXVI. VAN RUNS AMUCK XXXVII. THE PRIMITIVE LAW XXXVIII. BETH MAKES DEMANDS XXXIX. ALGY'S COOKING AND BETH'S DESPAIR XL. GLEN AND REVELATIONS XLI. SUVY PROVES HIS LOVE XLII. THE FURNACE OF GOLD XLIII. PREPARING THE NET FOR A DRAW XLIV. THE ENGINES OF CLIMAX XLV. THE LAST CIGARS XLVI. WASTED TIME XLVII. A TRIBUTE TO THE DESERT LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS He Proceeded to Pan from a Dozen Different Places in the Cove . . . . Frontispiece [missing from book] His Hold Was Giving Way The Angry Miner Lurching in Closer to Shoot [missing from book] "Don't You Want to Give This Man a Chance?" Beth Felt Her Heart Begin New Gymnastics [missing from book] No Corpse Snatched from Its Grave Could Have Been More Helplessly Inert "Yesh, He's Broke the Law" Till the Mechanism Burst, He would Chase His Man Across the Desert [missing from book] THE FURNACE OF GOLD CHAPTER I PRINCE OR BANDIT Now Nevada, though robed in gray and white--the gray of sagebrush and the white of snowy summits--had never yet been accounted a nun when once again the early summer aroused the passions of her being and the wild peach burst into bloom.