It was all out now

    "But why should you? I am only a poor boy."     "You are the friend of Jefferson Pettigrew. He is a rich man. If he wants you back he must pay a round sum."     It was all out now! These men were emulating a class of outlaws to be found in large numbers in Italy and Sicily, and were trading upon human sympathy and levying a tax upon human friendship. Chapter 33 Rodney's Discovery     There was a good reason for Rodney's excitement. The walls of the subterranean passage revealed distinct and rich indications of gold. There was a time, and that not long before, when they would have revealed nothing to Rodney, but since his residence at Oreville he had more than once visited the mines and made himself familiar with surface indications of mineral deposit.     He stopped short and scanned attentively the walls of the passage.     "If I am not mistaken," he said to himself, "this will make one of the richest mines in Montana. But after all what good will it do me? Here am I a prisoner, unable to leave the cave, or communicate with my friends. If Mr. Pettigrew knew what I do he would feel justified in paying the ransom these men want."     Rodney wondered how these rich deposits had failed to attract the attention of his captors, but he soon settled upon the conclusion that they had no knowledge of mines or mining, and were ignorant of the riches that were almost in their grasp.     "Shall I enlighten them?" he asked himself.     It was a question which he could not immediately answer. He resolved to be guided by circumstances.     In order not to excite suspicion he retraced his steps to the apartment used by his captors as a common sitting room -- carefully fixing in his mind the location of the gold ore.