He had to remember that in all probability he was being watched.

So he strolled about as though he had no particular purpose in mind.

Yet, after some minutes, he gained a point from which he could gaze down the hill-slope toward the little village of huts in which the mine laborers lived.
There were a few small children playing about the one street that ran through the village.

A few of the women were out of doors, also, but none of the men were in sight, for these were toiling away at the mine.

Though _El Sombrero_ had so far shown no ore that amounted to anything, Don Luis, while waiting to sell his mine for a fortune, kept his _peons_ working hard in the hope that they might strike some real ore.
After Tom had been gazing for three or four minutes his eves suddenly lighted, for he saw Nicolas come out of one of the huts.
"I wonder what has kept the little fellow so long," Tom murmured.
But he turned away with an appearance of listlessness, for, if he were observed, he did not care to have a watcher note his interest in the servant's coming.
So Nicolas passed on toward the tents without having observed Reade.
"I won't get back too soon," Tom decided.