Digging for Gold

“Now I wonder where they keep their gold-dust?” Benton asked himself. “It must be somewhere in this room, for they have no other place.”

He looked about him. The room was very simply furnished. There was a bureau, with three drawers, which Benton was able to unlock, for he had a key that would fit it. There were only articles of underclothing inside, as, indeed, Benton anticipated.

“I think it must be in the chest,” he decided, as he fixed his glance upon it. “Let me lift it.”

He raised it, and found that it was quite heavy.

“That’s the weight of the gold-dust,” he reflected. “If I could only open it!”

He tried the different keys he had in his pocket, but none of them would answer.

“I must hunt up some more keys,” he said to himself. “It will pay.”

CHAPTER XXX

BENTON LAYS HIS PLANS

As Benton left the room, Paul Crambo, who was just coming upstairs, caught sight of him. Observing his landlord’s surprised look, Benton, who was not easily disconcerted, said, “I was looking for a clothes-brush. I thought Grant might have one in his room.”

“Did you find one?” asked Crambo.

“No.”

“I thought he had one.”

Paul Crambo entered the chamber, and pointed out a whisk-broom lying on the bureau.

“There is one,” he said significantly.

“So there is,” said Benton, for once looking confused. “Where could my eyes have been?”

“It is strange you didn’t see it. It was in plain sight.”

“So it was. I am very absent-minded.”

Paul Crambo made no answer, but when he went downstairs he said to his wife, “I begin to mistrust that Benton.”

“Why?”

Then Paul told what he had seen.

“You are right, Paul. He wasn’t in there for any good purpose. I can’t say I am very much surprised. I didn’t take any fancy to him.”

“Nor I. I wouldn’t like to have him rob our two friends. They are fine fellows.”

“We had better tell them to-night.”

“I’ll do it before that. I’ll go out to their claim at once. The sooner they know it the better.”

“Do so.”

Paul Crambo didn’t often call on the two miners, and they were a little surprised to see him approaching the claim.

“How are you, Mr. Crambo? Are you out for a walk?” asked Grant.

“Partly; but partly on business.”

“Do you want to buy us out?”

“Well, not at present. I ain’t in love with gold-digging. Is that Benton a friend of yours, Mr. Colburn?”

“He isn’t a friend. He is an acquaintance.”

“Do you like him?”

“Not overmuch.”

“You had better look out for him.”

“What do you mean?” asked Grant quickly.

“I don’t think he’s honest.”

“You have some reason for saying that, Mr. Crambo,” said Tom Cooper.

“Just before I left the house I saw him coming out of your room.”

“Did he see you?”

“Yes.”

“What did he say?”

“He made a blind excuse; said he went in there for a clothes-brush, but he couldn’t find one.”

“Why, there was one on the bureau.”

“So I found out when I went into the room. I called his attention to it, and asked how it happened that he didn’t see it.”

“Well?”

“He said he was very absent-minded. I think he didn’t visit the room for any good purpose.”

“I am sure of it,” said Grant, and then he told of Benton’s experience in Sacramento.

“If you have anything of value in your chamber,” continued Paul, “I think you had better remove it, or make sure that it can’t be taken away by your old friend.”

“The fact is, Mr. Crambo,” said Tom Cooper, “we have considerable dust in the chest which we bought of you. We have kept it secret hitherto, but I know I can rely upon you, and I want your advice as to what to do. You don’t think Benton opened the chest?”