It's allowed to be the gift of their leader to his young sister, afore the outlawry, and it's in HER name--Alice Riggs or something." Of the half-dozen tumultuous thoughts that passed through Key's mind, only one remained.

It was purely an act of the brother's to secure some possible future benefit for his sister.

And of this she was perfectly ignorant! He recovered himself quickly, and said with a smile:-- "But I discovered the ledge and its auriferous character myself.

There was no trace or sign of previous discovery or mining occupation." "So I jedged, and so I said, and thet puts ye all right.

But I thought I'd tell ye; for mining laws is mining laws, and it's the one thing ye can't get over," he added, with the peculiar superstitious reverence of the Californian miner for that vested authority.
But Key scarcely listened.