"I planted it."

"When?"

"Today, when you started on your ride."

"Oh!"

"You see, Harry, I was pondering away over mining problems this
morning. As you had the only horse, that was all that there was
left for me to do. Now, you must have noticed that most of the
outcropping rock around here is of a very refractory kind?"

"Yes," nodded Hazelton.

"Then, of course, you realize that for at least a hundred feet down
in the mine the rock that would be found would be the same."

"Undoubtedly."

"So, Harry, I was figuring on a way to blast ore rock out whenever
we should find refractory stuff down a shaft or in the galleries
or tunnels of a mine."

"Fine, isn't it?" retorted Hazelton. "A great scheme! You blast
out the rock and the force of the explosion shoots all the fine
particle of gold into the walls of the mine---just the way you'd
pepper a tree with birdshot!"