His mouth drew down at the corners in a smile
which asked plainly what they were going to do about it, and
intimated quite as plainly that he did not care what they did,
though he might feel a certain curiosity as an onlooker.
"I happen to know--" Peaceful began, suddenly for him. But
Baumberger waved him into silence.
"You'll have to prove there's gold in paying quantities here," he
stated pompously.
"That's what I aim to do," Stanley told him imperturbably.
"_I_ proved, over fifteen years ago, that there WASN'T," Peaceful
drawled laconically, and sucked so hard upon his pipe that his
cheeks held deep hollows.
Stanley grinned at him. "Sorry I can't let it go at that," he
said ironically. "I reckon I'll have to do some washin' myself,
though, before I feel satisfied there ain't."
"Then you haven't panned out anything yet?" Phoebe caught him up.
Stanley's eyes flickered a questioning glance at Baumberger, and
Baumberger puffed out his chest and said:
"The law won't permit you to despoil this man's property without
good reason.
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