Page 51 (1/2)

She chugged, surprisingly thirsty, then looked around Pine trees as far as the eye could see "How could I?"

He pointed to the right "See that over there?"

"See what?"

"That’s your land"

"My land?"

"Bear’s land, at least There’s a strip of it, extending south of the lodge It’s not enough to dowith but sit on Which is what the Baileys have been doing since, well, probably since the days of your Sorrow Crabtree" He took back his water and drank before returning it to his pack

She laughed--there was no other response to such unexpected news "Then why aren’t we rich? Because it sure seems like a lot of land to me"

"You heard the phrase land rich and cash poor?" At her nod, he said, "Welcome to my world"

He walked on, and she followed "What do you mean, your world?"

"Ti to make your fortune in the twenty-first century My fa but land rich and cash poor"

He ducked through a thick patch of greenery, holding aside branches so she could follow It looked like he was headed straight up

She stared, aghast "Are you sure this is safe?"

"I got you" He held a hand out "I promise, you’ll love it"

She practically had to crawl up, clutching his hand and clawing at roots to clamber up behind him Finally, she made it to the top, and he held her shoulders to steady her

"Careful" He led her along a narrow ledge "I need you in one piece, so you can see"--he put his hands on her shoulders, angling her--"this"

She gasped The path led to a black hole in the wall of the hill Rotted timber posts at the entrance told her it was old iddy as a kid "I’ll show you"

She grabbed his shirt to stop hied her forward "I’ve been here a bunch of tili "Wow, it really is a old country--there old rush tourist spots in El Dorado County alone--but she’d never been inside an actual mine "Holy cow And this is on our land?"

"Yup," he called from inside "All yours Too bad it’s not worth a di to let her eyes adjust It was dark, but not pitch-black She sniffed, picking up a distant sent, like urine "What is that? Is there, like, an arhed "It’s okay Just bats They won’t hurt you"

She scowled, not buying it "I guess"

He ca her shoulders "I pro here since I found it"

Curiosity got the better of her, and she felt coh to look around The place was in reular wooden posts and tracks for a rail cart, just like in the movies "How come not everyone knows about this?"

"I did some research down at Town Hall The mine was a failure"

"You did research?"

"Yes, Bail I did research" He walked in farther, leaning against a railing "The Coot about this place"

She went to stand next to hi at the edge of a narrow shaft She registered the rusted pulley overhead, rotting ropes dangling froh that the floor below could easily have been just an illusion "Creepy"

"I thought you’d like it" He picked up a rock and tossed it down It landed on a platform just one story down, but the sound echoed and echoed

"You’re such a guy," she accused "Don’t do anything crazy, okay?"