"No, Senor Tomaso. I have been a good business man, I suppose,
for I have prospered; and much of my money has been made in mining.
Yet I have never had the assurance to consider myself a practical
mining man. Dr. Tisco, here, is--"

"An ignoramus on the subject of mining," declared the secretary,
who appeared just then to wake up.

"Carlos is modest," laughed Don Luis. "True, he is not a skilled
mining man, yet he knows so much on the subject that, compared
with him, I am an ignoramus. But that is what you are here for,
you two. You are the experts. Investigate, and then instruct
us."

"Have you any record of the number of times that you have encountered
the blank rock, and the number of feet in thickness of the wall in
each case?" Tom asked.

"Oh, no."

"That is unfortunate," said Reade, thoughtfully. "Hereafter we
will keep such a record carefully. Don Luis, I will admit that
I am perplexed and worried over this blank rock problem. I know
Hazelton is, too."

"Yes, it is very strange," agreed Harry, looking up. Truth to
tell, he had hardly been following the talk at all. Harry Hazelton
was quite content to be caught napping whenever Tom Reade had
his eyes open.