He had become a trifle flushed as he talked, and now, perhaps to cover
his emotion, he carefully selected a cigarette from the humidor beside
him and lighted it without haste before he spoke another word.

"Long ago I prospected over that valley; a few weeks ago it was brought
to my attention again. I determined to stake some claims and work them.
But I could not go myself. I had to send a trustworthy man. Whom should
I select? There was only one possible. Jack Landis is my ward. A dozen
years ago his parents died and they sent him to my care, for my fortune
was then comfortable. I raised him with as much tenderness as I could
have shown my own son; I lavished on him the affection and--"

Here Donnegan coughed lightly; the fat man paused, and observing that
this hypocrisy did not draw the veil over the bright eyes of his guest,
he continued: "In a word, I made him one of my family. And when the need
for a man came I turned to him. He is young, strong, active, able to
take care of himself."

At this Donnegan pricked his ears.

"He went, accordingly, to The Corner and staked the claims and filed
them as I directed. I was right. There was gold. Much gold. It panned
out in nuggets."

He made an indescribable gesture, and through his strong fingers
Donnegan had a vision of yellow gold pouring.

"But there is seldom a discovery of importance claimed by one man alone.
This was no exception. A villain named William Lester, known as a