Page 169 of 439

"You're a man of one idea, Steve. Cayn't you see that the fact's

the main thing, not the time it took to make it one?"

"And counting out Sunday and Monday, it only leaves two days."

"Don't let that interfere with your breakfast. You haven't been

elected timekeeper for this outfit, you know!"

Fraser recovered from his daze and duly offered congratulations

to the one and hopes for unalloyed joy to the other party to the

engagement.

"But four days!" he added in his pleasant drawl. "That's sure

some precipitous. Just to look at him, ma'am"--this innocently to

Peggy--"a man wouldn't think he had it in him to locate, stake

out, and do the necessary assessment work on such a rich claim as

the Margaret Kinney all in four days. Mostly a fellow don't

strike such high-grade ore without a lot of--"