Honest men wanted; no questions asked. And then what?"

"Money."

"You've said it, kid! We could quitclaim that hill for a million cash
to-morrow--"

"If we had any claim to quit," interrupted Stanley; "and if we could drag
capital out here and rub its nose in our hill."

"That's the word I was feelin' for--capital. It's capital we want,
Stanley--not money. I could get a little money myself down at Tucson.
Them two honest men of mine live there. We used to steal cattle together
down on the Concho--the sheriff and José Benavides and me. I aim to feed
'em a slice of my share, anyway--but what they could put in wouldn't be a
drop in the bucket. We want to go after capital. There's where you come
in. Got any rich friends back East?"

Stan reflected.

"My cousin, Oscar Mitchell, is well-to-do, but hardly what you would call
rich, in this connection," he said. "But he is in touch with some of the
really big men. We could hardly find a better agent to interest capital."

"Will he take the first steps on your bare word--without even a sample or
an assayer's report?"

"Certainly. Why not?"

"Back you go, then. Here's where you come in. I had this in mind,"