“Kells, say them conditions over again,” requested one of the men, less eager to hurry with the matter.

At this juncture Joan was at once thrilled and frightened to see Jim Cleve enter the cabin.  He appeared whiter of face, almost ghastly, and his piercing eyes swept the room, from Kells to Gulden, from men to men.  Then he leaned against the wall, indistinct in the shadow.  Kells gave no sign that he had noted the advent of Cleve.

“I’m the leader,” replied Kells, deliberately.  “I’ll make the plans.  I’ll issue orders.  No jobs without my knowledge.  Equal shares in gold—­man to man. ...  Your word to stand by me!”

A muttering of approval ran through the listening group.

“Reckon I’ll join,” said the man who had wished the conditions repeated.  With that he advanced to the table and, apparently not being able to write, he made his mark in the book.  Kells wrote the name below.  The other men of this contingent one by one complied with Kells’s requirements.  This action left Gulden and his group to be dealt with.

“Gulden, are you still on the fence?” demanded Kells, coolly.

The giant strode stolidly forward to the table.  As always before to Joan, he seemed to be a ponderous hulk, slow, heavy, plodding, with a mind to match.

“Kells, if we can agree I’ll join,” he said in his sonorous voice.

“You can bet you won’t join unless we do agree,” snapped Kells.  “But—­see here, Gulden.  Let’s be friendly.  The border is big enough for both of us.  I want you.  I need you.  Still, if we can’t agree, let’s not split and be enemies.  How about it?”

Another muttering among the men attested to the good sense and good will of Kells’s suggestion.

“Tell me what you’re going to do—­how you’ll operate,” replied Gulden.

Keils had difficulty in restraining his impatience and annoyance.

“What’s that to you or any of you?” he queried.  “You all know I’m the man to think of things.  That’s been proved.  First it takes brains.  I’ll furnish them.  Then it takes execution.  You and Pearce and the gang will furnish that.  What more do you need to know?”

“How’re you going to operate?” persisted Gulden.

Kells threw up both hands as if it was useless to argue or reason with this desperado.

“All right, I’ll tell you,” he replied.  “Listen. ...  I can’t say what definite plans I’ll make till Jesse Smith reports, and then when I get on the diggings.  But here’s a working basis.  Now don’t miss a word of this, Gulden—­nor any of you men.  We’ll pack our outfits down to this gold strike.  We’ll build cabins on the outskirts of the town, and we won’t hang together.  The gang will be spread out.  Most of you must make a bluff at digging gold.  Be like other miners.  Get in with cliques and clans.  Dig, drink, gamble like the rest of them.  Beard will start a gambling-place.  Red Pearce will find some other kind of work.