Kitty inherits a gold mine from a friend who passed away. She wanted Matt to accompany her to the town of Pickaxe to register and transfer the deed, but he had to go out-of-town on business. A bit miffed, she decides to make the trip alone. After the stage drops her off in the middle of the prairie by a pile of crates and barrels, she waits in the hot sun for the freight driver from Pickaxe. He is not helpful; she has to put her own luggage in the wagon and climb up on her own. When she arrives in Pickaxe she finds the local citizenry even less helpful, with the exception of Richard Danby, a young mute boy. When Matt finds out she made the trip on her own he sends Thad to check on her, and send a letter back on the stage concerning her welfare. After Thad arrives, dead tired from riding all night, Richard takes him and Kitty up to the mine. There they find Pa Gibbijohn and his two boys, Jud andEd, jumping her claim. They manage to chase the rascals off, but when
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