overwhelm its various parents with contrition on account of past
lambastings by making them suddenly rich beyond the dreams of Oriental
avarice. Time had served to dim the ardour of its hopes in this
direction; but the mine was still an enticing enterprise when exciting
novelties in the way of adventure were wanting, and would always be a
hiding-place in which a youthful fugitive from injustice might defy all
authority so long as the members of the Company remained true to their
oath. Now that oath was quite the most solemn and impressive thing of the
kind that Dick Haddon and Phil Doon had been able to discover after
consulting the highest literary authorities.

The quarrel between Dick and Jacker McKnight that originated under the
school was quite forgotten in the resulting excitement. It was a mere
incident in any case, and would have made no material difference in their
friendship. It had not kept Jacker from visiting the Mount of Gold on the
same night with information and supplies, and now the boy was cheerfully
unconscious of the black eye that still ornamented his broad visage.
There were two well-worn shovels and a miner's pick in the drive. Jacker
seized the pick.

'Might as well put in a bit of work,' he said.

'Hold hard,' replied Dick, 'Smoke-ho, old man. What's goin' on on top?'

'Whips! They had a meetin' about youse last night--Jo, an' Rogers, an' my
dad, an' ole Tinribs, an' the rest. They're all after you. You're fairly
in fer it.'

Dick's face became radiant with magnificent ideas.