414 WALL STREET AND THE WILDS 



"Because I don't want any one but you in the 

 assay office and I don't want anybody else within 

 twenty feet of those specimens until I am 

 through with them. The more you don't trust 

 any one in a mining camp the fewer will be your 

 disappointments." 



We conducted the assay with much care, aver- 

 aging the pulp over and over again that we might 

 be sure of a fair result and when at last the but- 

 ton was in the cupel and the oxide of lead 

 evaporating or being absorbed I watched the 

 operation with intensest interest. Sooner than I 

 dared to hope, the button brightened. 



"It's a hundred ounces to the ton," I exclaimed, 

 and the balances showed that it was nearly twice 

 that. 



"It's a mine!" shouted Ned. 



"It is more than that, but you must keep quiet, 

 for see, the button is yellow as gold and I don't 

 believe nitric acid will touch it. My surmise was 

 right and it took aqua regia to dissolve it, for the 

 button was nearly pure gold and careful weigh- 



