"Will you people try to keep an eye over the claim while I'm gone?"
asked Mr. Dunlop.

"That would be a little out of our line," Tom made reply. "Besides,
Mr. Dunlop, I'm not at all sure that we shall be here until you
return."

"But we haven't settled, Reade, whether you and your partner are
to be our engineers at the Bright Hope Mine."

"Quite true, sir," nodded Tom. "On the other hand, you haven't
engaged us, either"

"Won't you keep the matter open until our return?"

"That would be hardly good business, Mr. Dunlop."

"Yet suppose I had engaged you,"

"Then we'd be going back to Dugout City with you."

"Why, Reade?"

"So that we might get in touch with the world and find out whether
you are financially responsible. We wouldn't take an engagement
without being reasonably sure of our money."

"You're a sharp one," laughed Mr. Dunlop.

Yet he made no further reference to engaging the two young engineers,