"Harry didn't know, either. Why, there are thousands of dollars in those claims, according to Sol. The Ike crowd know, all right. Where you're to blame is for having gone off on a wild-goose chase and left the claims and then been bamboozled by such nonsense as sacks full of iron pyrites. Gold dust is soft and dull; pyrites are hard and bright." "What makes you think the Golden Prize is so rich, though?" stammered Terry, as he and George tried to keep up with the horses. "The Golden Prize is liable to be a fortune, but we're banking on that other claim, the one you gave to Virgie. She happened to show Sol the piece of rock she brought down, and he says it's the best kind of gold quartz--fairly oozing." "And not float, either. It's from a surface lode close at hand," put in Mr. Stanton. "Aw, shucks!" sheepishly said Terry to George. "Guess we weren't so smart as we thought we were. Now Pine Knot Ike's there and maybe we can't get him off." "Well, he may assert you abandoned the claims, but Sol knows all the mining laws and we've got right on our side," consoled his father. When they arrived at the spot, Sol and the Pine Knot Ike party were hotly arguing. CHAPTER XXII THE "VIRGINIA CONSOLIDATED" "According to miners' law of this gulch or any other district," was declaring Sol, "when a party can't work a lode claim by reason of lack of water or proper machinery, they've a right to let it lie a certain length of time; can go out, and come back to it again, in the meanwhile." "Yes, mebbe so," returned the giant. "But they got to give their intentions to the recorder, an' there ain't any such intentions on file." "There are, too--or there ought to be," contradicted Terry, freshly excited. "I told the recorder myself--didn't I, George? I told him what was the matter, and that we were going away, and I told him to record the claims, and he said he would till we got back." "Oh, you did, did you!" rasped the giant. "That'll do for talk, but whar's the proof?" "When did you see the recorder, Terry?" asked his father. "The very night before we left. He said the books were locked up, but he'd remember." "Sure he was the recorder?" "Of course he was. He'd just been elected. He's the 'Root Hog or Die' professor. I know him and so does Harry." "That's the man!" exclaimed Harry. "I'll go and get him." And away sped Harry. "Furthermore and besides and notwithstanding, we've regularly bought this hyar property, and thar's the witness to the transaction," continued the giant, pointing to George. "We paid the price and it's been accepted, and when money has changed hands, that settles things." Attracted by the dispute, other gulch people had begun to gather. "That's right," pronounced two or three. Terry felt his heart sink. Had he made a botch of the matter, with his hurry? George also was frightened, for he had paled. "What property do you think you've bought, then?" demanded Sol.