To be sure he had listened to a confession from Enright bearing
directly upon the affair in New York, a confession so strange he could
scarcely grasp its true meaning. But this never brought to his mind
the thought that suspicion already rested upon the girl's presence in
Haskell. His whole interest centred for the moment on Lacy's daring
attempt to break through the wall of rock below and lay claim to his
lead of ore. Not until this effort had been abandoned would he dare to
desert his mine--and even then safety could be assured only by the
establishment of an armed guard in the tunnel prepared to repel any
invasion.
While undoubtedly the mining law of the State would eventually sustain
his claim, yet the fact that he had for so long kept his discovery
secret would seriously operate against him; while, if Lacy's gang once
acquired actual possession of the property, the only way of proving
prior ownership would be through an official survey and long protracted
proceedings in court.
Here he would be at great disadvantage because of lack of money and
influence.
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