Agatha gave him a keen glance. He had said nothing to excite much
suspicion, but she felt that he was going too fast and asking too many
questions.

"I did not see him after he went back to the North. I suppose you know
he lost his life on his last journey?"

Stormont made a sympathetic gesture. "I heard so. But, no doubt, he
wrote to you and told you about his prospecting."

"Yes," said Agatha, with some reserve. "He sent me letters."

"Then I expect he told you where he went. It's possible that a study of
the letters would give an experienced prospector a useful hint."

Agatha pondered. She had, with the help of her map, followed Strange's
journeys, and his letters showed where the silver was not to be found,
which eliminated large belts of country. Then if Stormont knew much
about mining and was accustomed to negotiate the sale of claims, his
curiosity implied that her father's belief in the lode was well
grounded. This was encouraging, but the man was a stranger and she felt
a vague distrust.

"The person who finds a vein of ore and files his record is registered
as its owner when he has complied with the legal formalities," she said.

"That is so," Stormont agreed with a smile. "You feel that if you parted
with the letters, you would run some risk of losing the claim? Well, one
must trust one's agent to some extent, and I'll make you two