"You wouldn't be of any use to us," Reade answered.
"But I---I am afraid to stay here alone."
"Do you believe yourself to be so valuable that any one will want
to steal you?" Tom laughed.
Alf made a wry face and watched the others depart. Then, filled
with needless alarm, he crawled out into a thicket and hid himself.
He didn't mean to be trapped by prowlers!
Tom led the way for nearly a mile. At last the trio climbed a
slight ascent, halting at the top of the ridge.
"You see, Jim," Tom explained, "this ridge runs southwesterly
from here."
"I see it does?" nodded the guide.
"Now, to the northeastward I don't believe there are any croppings
that look good enough. But just keep along to the southeast,
picking up a specimen here and there. Some of the rock looks
good to me."
Jim Ferrers didn't answer in words, though his eyes gleamed with the
old fever that he had known before.
"Here's a pretty piece of stone," called the guide in a low tone.
He stood holding a fragment about as big as his two fists.
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