Page:Allan Dunn--Dead Man's Gold.djvu/113

Rh "Before we go ahead," he suggested, "I want to have a talk with both of you chaps. It's about Harvey," he went on as the three of them drew aside from where Harvey tested the hitches of the burro packs.

"There's no sense in having Harvey lie to the Indians about us being here to investigate cavedwellings. The minute we start work on the placer they'll be down on us. We can't send Harvey home. We need him now more than ever. I don't think we've ever fooled him, in the first place. There will be plenty of gold for all of us, if we get any at all. His interests are bound up with ours not to give the snap away when we get back to the settlements. Let's be frank with him and let him in on the deal."

"If it hain't all a bunk," suggested Larkin.

"What put that into your head. Lefty?"

"Oh, I dunno. Too good to be true, as the bloke said w'en they told 'im 'is muvver-in-law was dead and 'ad left 'im a forchune. 'Arvey sez gold sign is scarce up this w'y. 'E was lookin' for it an' never seed any. But let 'im in for all I care."

"How about you, Healy?"

"Let him in on the placer, if you want to. No sense in tipping off everything. That wall will have to be worked with crushing machinery if it amounts to anything. I'll vote to give him a share in the placer. But there's another thing. I was talking to Lefty about it last night when you were asleep. Stone."

Stone, remembering his suspicions, listened eagerly.