“They are willing enough to drop their present prospecting project right now,” he began. “They have gold claims up in the Catfish Country, but their importance is more or less problematical. However, they had enough capital to make this trip, they say, but could not rake up enough for the Shinbone expedition. So they will be only too glad to deal with us.” “What do they want?” asked Charmian. “I didn’t go into that with them,” replied Shonto. “But I imagine they prefer to sell the claims outright rather than to take in partners. If you’ll accept my advice, Mrs. Reemy, you’ll be mighty careful what kind of a deal you make with these boys. They may be all right, and their claims may be all that they say, but, somehow or other, I don’t just fancy their looks.” “The one you pointed out to me as Morley,” said Charmian, “is a delightful looking villain. I like to deal with villains. That is, I think I should. I’ve never had an opportunity. I do hope they try to put something over on us.” Shonto and Andy laughed heartily at this, but the austere Mary Temple tightened her thin lips and glared at the young widow. “Mary Temple refuses to let me have any fun in life,” said Charmian. “She doesn’t understand my romantic and adventuresome nature in the least. She wants everything to move along smoothly. Well, everything has always moved entirely too smoothly to suit me. I want a few obstacles set in my path. I want to have things happen to me. I want to live!” After lunch the quartette approached the prospectors. Dr. Shonto introduced Charmian and Mary Temple, and all found seats on stones or logs or filled pack-bags. Charmian was eying the two men closely. Smith Morley was dark and tall, and his features were fine except for the black eyes, which were set too close together. Omar Leach was older and heavier, with a sprinkling of grey in his hair. His face was full and inclined to be red. He looked to be a powerful man. When they spoke Charmian was surprised. Both used good, everyday English, and Morley’s account of his opal seeking in Australia was intensely interesting and fired her imagination. They talked for half an hour before Morley spoke of the matter that had brought them together. And when he did so he made the plain statement that the opal claims in the Shinbone Country were for sale, on a cash basis, and that he and Leach would take the others to them, prove their value, and do anything in reason to establish them. “And how much do you ask for the claims?” asked the girl. “Fifty thousand dollars,” was Morley’s prompt reply. Before she could express surprise at the amount, or make any comment whatever, Smith Morley reached into an inner pocket of his canvas coat and took out a wad of tissue paper. He deliberately unfolded it, and dropped seven large opals into the girl’s hand. “Look ’em over,” he invited. “They all came from our claims. And there are plenty more like them to be found.”