For all that, Watson and Stormont had plotted to win his confidence, make him drunk, and find out all he knew, and this indicated that the fellow thought the vein worth looking for.

When Stormont got over his disappointment he would try again.
Drummond saw that he could embarrass Stormont by selling the secret he had been cheated of to somebody else.

It was amusing to think of two parties looking for the vein; the difficulty was that he did not know anybody likely to be a buyer.

But he could wait, since it looked as if he had put Stormont off the track, and by and by he might find a speculator willing to believe his tale.

Sooner than let Stormont locate the vein he would give, for nothing, any antagonist of the latter's all the help he could.
Then he remembered that he had only a few dollars and must find some work soon.