"I am," and turning to Desmond, Creedon said:

"Your friend there one night made a fight for me, fed me and found
shelter for me. He was a tramp then; I was footing it out West here."

"Henry," said Brooks, "what have you been doing all these years?"

"Mine hunting."

"Mine hunting for fifteen years?"

"Yes."

"And have you found a mine yet?"

The woodsman laughed, and Brooks said:

"Desmond, we did indeed take desperate chances, and we've been making a
fool's chase, I reckon. Here is a man who has been mine hunting for
fifteen years and has not found one yet. Where do we come in?"

"I'll tell you," said Creedon; "it's luck when you find a mine. More are
found by chance than are discovered by experts, but I think I've found
one; I can't tell. You see, I was raised in a factory town, I've had no
education and I can't tell its value. I know where the find is located,
however, and some of these days I'll strike a prospecting party who will
have an engineer with them, and then I will know the value of my find."

"If you take a party in with you they will demand a share."