“The same precious infunt.  She’s a cooin’ to herself over thar in them pines,” Jim replied, and he started right in to explain:  “As you see, Jedge, the precious flooid comes from the bowels of the earth, as full of silver as sody water of gas; and to think thet water is the mejum.  Nacher’s our silent partner, and the blessid infunt delivers the goods.  No ore, no stamps, no sweatin’, no grindin’, and crushin’, and millin’, and smeltin’.  Thar you hev the pure juice, and you bile it till it jells.  Looky here,” and Jim reached down and pulled out a skillet.  “Taste it!  Smell it!  Bite it!  Lick it!  An’ then tell me if Sollermun in all his glory was dressed up like this here!”

Castle handled that skillet like a baby, and stroked it as if he just naturally loved children.  Stayed right beside the spring during the rest of the day, and after supper he began talking about it with Jim, while Thorn and Kate went for a stroll along the trail.  During the time they were away Jim must have talked to pretty good purpose, for no sooner were the partners alone for the night than Jim said to Thorn:  “I hev jest sold the Jedge a third intrest in the Fernomerner fur twenty thousand dollars.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” answered Thorn, for he still didn’t quite like the idea of doing business with one of his uncle’s friends.  “The Infant looks good and I believe she’s a wonder, but it’s a new thing, and twenty thousand’s a heap of money to Castle.  If it shouldn’t pan out up to the first show-down, I’d feel deucedly cut up about having let him in.  I’d a good deal rather refuse to sell Castle and hunt up a stranger.”

“Don’t be a dern fool, son,” Jim replied.  “He knew we was arter money to develop, and when he made thet offer I warn’t goin’ to be sich a permiscuss Charley-hoss as to refuse.  It’d be a burnin’ crime not to freeze to this customer.  It takes time to find customers, even for a good thing like this here, and it’s bein’ a leetle out of the usual run will make it slower still.”

“But my people East.  If Castle should get stuck he’ll raise an awful howl.”

Jim grinned:  “He’d holler, would he?  In course; it might help his business.  Yer the orneriest ostrich fur a man of yer keerful eddication!  Did you hear thet Boston banker what bought the Cracker-jack from us a-hollerin’?  He kept so shet about it, I’ll bet, thet you couldn’t a-blasted it outer him.”

They argued along until after midnight, but Jim carried his point; and two weeks later Thorn was in Denver, saying good-by to Kate, and listening to her whisper, “But it won’t be for long, as you’ll soon be able to leave business and come back East,” and to Castle yelling from the rear platform to “Push the Infant and get her sizzling.”

Later, as Jim and Thorn walked back to the hotel, the old scoundrel turned to his partner with a grin and said:  “I hev removed the insides from the Infunt and stored ’em fur future ref’rence.  Meanin’, in course,” he added, as Thorn gaped up at him like a chicken with the pip, “the ‘lectro-platin’ outfit.  P’r’aps it would be better to take a leetle pasear now, but later we can come back and find another orphant infunt and christen her the Phoenix, which is Greek fur sold agin.”