"What--_that_?" exclaimed Wunpost brushing the piece of gold aside, "that's nothing--here, give you a good one!" He drew out a chunk of rock fairly encrusted with gold and forced it roughly upon him. "It's nothing!" he said, "lots more where that came from. Got system, see--know how to find it. All these water-hole prospectors, they never find nothing--too lazy, won't get out and hunt. I head for the high places--leap from crag to crag, see, like mountain sheep--come back with my pockets full of gold. These bums are no good--I could take 'em out tonight and lead 'em to my mine and they'd never be able to go back. Rough country 'n all that--no trails, steep as the devil--take 'em out there and lose 'em, every time. Take you out and lose you--now say, you're my friend, I'll tell you what I'll do." He stopped with portentous dignity and poured out another drink and the barkeeper frowned a hanger-on away. "I'll take you out there," went on Wunpost, "and show you my mine--show you the place where I get all this gold. You can pick up all you want, and when we get back you give me a thousand dollar bill. That's all I ask is a thousand dollar bill--like to have one to flash on the boys--and then we'll go to Los and blow the whole pile--by grab, I'm a high-roller, right. I'm a good feller, see, as long as you're my friend, but don't tip off this place to old Eells. Have to kill you if you do--he's bad actor--robbed me twice. What's matter--ain't you got the dollar bill?" "You said a thousand dollars!" spoke up the barkeeper breathlessly. "Well, thousand dollar bill, then. Ain't you got it--what's the matter? Aw, gimme another drink--you're nothing but a bunch of short sports." He shook his head and sighed and as the barkeeper began to sweat he caught the hanger-on's eye. It was Pisen-face Lynch and he was winking at him fiercely, meanwhile tapping his own pocket significantly. "I can get it," ventured the barkeeper but Wunpost ignored him. "You're all short sports," he asserted drunkenly, waving his hand insultingly at the crowd. "You're cheap guys--you can't bear to lose." "Hey!" broke in the barkeeper, "I said I'd take you up. I'll get the thousand dollars, all right." "Oh, you will, eh?" murmured Wunpost and then he shook himself together. "Oh--sure! Yes, all right! Come on, we'll start right now!" CHAPTER XI THE STINGING LIZARD