Page:Allan Dunn--Dead Man's Gold.djvu/247

Rh "Of course not. Larkin isn't that sort of a man."

She snuggled up to him in the dark, for he had switched off his torch and the only light in the great cavern filtered through the rift where the moon had shone.

"But go on," said Stone. "About her name being Furniss?"

"Oh! Peggy told me all her story a long time ago. This man, Lowe—I didn't know your friend Lyman, but I think he ought not to have left Peggy's mother so much alone, she was so much younger than he was—this man Lowe deserted her very soon and it wasn't long before she died and Peggy had to make her own way. And her mother didn't want to take Lyman's name again, or Lowe's, so she took her maiden name—Furniss. You see? And now we can tell Peggy!"

"I heard Larkin dreaming aloud one night," said Stone. "About making a diamond ring out of this gold. How about giving a duplicate order?"

It was Harvey who interrupted her reply, which was lengthy but silent. He had come to the gallery above them and, from an intuitive delicacy, shut off his torch. Now his deep voice boomed through the dark.

"Hate to disturb ye, but them hawsses an' burros ought to be watered. Larkin said"

"Coming," answered Stone and switched on his light.

Twilight fell without a sign of the rescue party. The night grew bitterly cold and they collected what