of Christina Shine) he would have been quite restored to his former
healthy craving for devilment, and eager to call together the
shareholders of the Mount of Gold with a view to arranging further
adventures. Harry, too, no longer felt the ill effects of his injuries,
and intended returning to work in the course of a few days. The recent
discoveries had served to lighten his heart, and yet thoughts of
Christina welled bitterness; but his mother was happy in the confidence
that at last justice would be done and her son restored to her.

Dick found Harry moodily smoking in the garden, and addressed him through
the fence.

'What d'ye think?' he said, with the air of one propounding a conundrum.

Harry was not in a guessing mood; he gave it up at once and Dick took
another course.

'I got somethin' p'tickler to tell you,' he said.

'Have you, Ginger?' Harry was quite alert now. 'About this
gold-stealin'?'

'No--o, not quite about that. I'm goin' to tell all that to Downy, but
it's somethin' jist as p'tickler--about a reef we found.'

'A reef? Nonsense, Dick. How could you find a reef?'

'By diggin' fer it, I s'pose. What'd you think if I said we fellers' ye
got a mine--a really mine--me an' Jacker Mack, an' Ted McKnight, an'
Billy Peterson, an' Phil Doon? What'd you say, eh?'