Cass carelessly struck an aimless blow with his pick against the sod and
did not reply.

"And you?" she queried.

"I stumbled upon the place just now while prospecting, or I shouldn't be
here."

"Then it was YOU made these holes?"

"No," said Cass, with ill-concealed disgust. "Nobody but a stranger
would go foolin' round such a spot."

He stopped, as the rude significance of his speech struck him, and added
surlily, "I mean--no one would dig here."

The girl laughed and showed a set of very white teeth in her square jaw.
Cass averted his face.

"Do you mean to say that every miner doesn't know that it's lucky to dig
wherever human blood has been spilt?"

Cass felt a return of his superstition, but he did not look up. "I never
heard it before," he said, severely.

"And you call yourself a California miner?"

"I do."

It was impossible for Miss Porter to misunderstand his curt speech and