Reight steamer afforded him some distraction, but there

[Sefton <waging at bhstextile dot com>]

." "Then she's too good for them. I think I'll enter the running."
"Better stay out," the gambler advised; "you'll have sore feet before
you finish. As a matter of fact, I don't like her father any better than
you like her lovers--" "Well, it's mutual. I can see Gale hates you like
poison." "--and I don't intend to see him and his tribe hog all the best
ground hereabouts." "They've already done it. You can't stop them."
Before answering, Stark listened for the trader, but evidently Gale had
finished his task and returned to the shack, for there was neither sign
nor sound of him. "Yes, I can stop them," said Stark. "I want the ground
that girl has staked, and I'm going to get it. It lies next to Lee's,
and it's sure to be rich; ours is so far away it may not be worth the
recorder's fees. This creek may be as spotted as a coach-dog, so I don't
intend to take any chances." "She made her locations legally," said
Runnion. "You leave that to me. When will the other boys he here?"
"To-morrow morning. I told them to follow about four hours behind, and
not to run in on us till we had finished. They'll camp a few miles down
the creek, an