The Boy Scouts of the Geological Survey

r mate. He ran a quick, appraising eye over the load slung across Keno's broad back. "Pretty good, eh, old boy?" he added aloud, stroking the velvety nose of his dumb companion on ma

vered boulder, and, seating himself thereon, with his back comfortably adjusted to a depression in the rock, he drew a worn account book from a pocket of his corduroy coat. Moistening his thumb he b

it ought to bring--let me see." He relapsed into silence, as he estimated the total, and

y early this year, and the fallow truck patches were fairly clamoring for his attention. Yet he was reluctant to abandon his w

to know; yet, being a very average, normal lad, and at that age when love of freedom and adventure is foremost, he naturally preferred the

t could be offered for sale. Such spells were most frequent in midsummer, when all nature was in a placid mood for growth; but in autumn and spring came livelier hopes

rished plans for a course in the School of Mines until he could save the necessary funds from his individual earnings. That was a year ago. In the interval he had found an opportunity to study the principles of surveying, and f

gs they had said, the advice they had given him! Yet now, after eight months of hard work, constant hunting in the woods, and rigid economy, he seemed no nearer the goal than he had been

than any other consideration with Ralph, but he had a vague idea that operations cost a great deal of money. At least, he had been told so by his nearest neighbor, Tom Walsh, a farmer who lived several miles from the town of Oakvale, which was the station from whence h

t dashing and tumbling over the stones of its rough bed, in a mad race to its fall of twenty feet or more, or the crunching of succulent twigs and leaves of cottonwood, or the snapping of dead wood, as old Keno moved leisurely about from one spot to another. Side by side, on a jutting crag that leaned far out over the brook, sat a splendid pa

es lies just beneath the stones of our little farm," mused Ralph. "We might bec

y Ralph, thrust out its head, opened its beak, and uttered a harsh shrill cry; at which its mate walked forward to the very edge of the crag, poised there for an instant, an

ry above the roar of the brook, "I wish you'd tell me where you get all your gold! I b

feather drifted down and lay glittering

h the feather fell. Imagination had carried him for the moment to a point of almost superstitious energy

ud. "I never supposed I

, he beheld a tall, lean, swarthy young man dressed in a faded and soiled brown suit, with

mallet which he carried from his shoulder to the ground. "Well, you ain't no fool, boy, an' I know it, an

d truthfully, "and I can't guess how

about two hours ago, an' she told me you

r the valuable mink that dangled from Keno's saddle. "What did you want to see me fo

't you?" asked the other,

Who ar

to meet a rather shy, immature lad--certainly not one who bore himself with an air of calm self-poss

Terrill--perhaps you

's nevvy, your fr

f you," said

ld you,

-another cous

d that 'ere Boy Scout crowd over at Pi

and him in the woods, one day.

n' him

he's much yo

ld are

en next

ter know b

do you

ggin' fer--well, gold,

but it faded as quickly as it had come,

ng for gold," h

's some dispute between the what-d'-you-call-uns?--executors?--of your dad's will and Old Man Pe

tled before my father's death. Dad had our farm surveyed, charted, and the boundaries marke

hat's doing the job fer him. I'm axeman. You see, I've reformed consid'r'ble since---since

o see me? Was it about

e is some question

get any satisfaction until I've seen our lawyer. It seems to me you're playing detective inst

ll gr

-too cock-sure about the lay o' this land, what d'you think

farm away from us, of course," Ralph retorted

would you be wi

e foot of it

once more, and this time he stooped, picked it up, and deliberately stuck it under the band of the inside of his cap. Then he secured the fa