CHAPTER XXI
ON THE BACK TRAIL
"Just you two wait a minute!"
It was Tom Dillon who uttered the words, as he saw Link Merwell and JobHaskers turn to where their horses were tethered.
"You bet they'll wait!" exploded Abe Blower, wrathfully. He steppedforward and seized Merwell by the arm. "What do you mean by playing sucha trick as this on me?"
"Le--let go of me!" cried the youth, in fear. "Let go. I--I--didn't Isay it was only done in fun?"
"Fun? You won't think it's fun when I git through with you!"
"I--ahem! I think this whole matter can be settled amicably," put in JobHaskers, with an effort. "I am satisfied now that we made a--er--amistake. But, as Merwell states, it was all done in a--er--a spirit offun."
"And now you want to sneak off--without even paying me for my trouble!"cried Abe Blower.
"You said you'd come with me for nothing," returned Link Merwell, andhis voice had almost a whine in it.
"So I did, thinkin' you was Maurice Harrison's nevvy. If I had known youwas an outsider I wouldn't have come at all. I've got my own affairs to'tend to. But bein' as I did come, you're goin' to pay me for my timeand trouble," went on the miner, sharply.
"Don't you want 'em arrested, Abe?" put in Tom Dillon. "As I understandit, this here Merwell feller is wanted by the police as it is."
"Oh, don't arrest me! Please don't do that!" cried Link Merwell. Heturned to Dave and his chums. "Let me go, won't you? I--I didn't doanything. I didn't take a thing out of your suit-case," he added, toRoger.
His manner was so humble and he seemed so full of terror, that the boyscould not help feeling sorry for him, even though they realized that hewas a criminal and should be in the hands of the law.
"What do you think we ought to do, Dave?" whispered the senator's son,pulling our hero to one side.
"That is up to you, Roger."
"If we make them prisoners what can we do with them? They will onlybother us in the search for the lost mine."
"I think I'd make them pay Abe Blower for his trouble and then let themgo."
"Yes, but they have got to promise not to bother us in the future," putin Phil, who had followed Dave and Roger to a distance.
"They'll promise that, Phil. But you know what their promises areworth," answered our hero.
A hot war of words followed, Abe Blower and Tom Dillon telling the tworascals just what they thought of their conduct. Link Merwell was badlyscared, and the former teacher of Oak Hall looked very much disturbed.
"Well, I'll let you go, if the young gents say so," said Abe Blower,finally. "But you have got to pay me fer my services in bringin' you outhere, an' you've got to put up fer them hosses you're to ride, so I'llknow they'll git back to town all right."
"We'll return the horses, never fear," said Link Merwell.
"Maybe--but I won't take no chances. You put up the price o' them, an'I'll give yer a written order fer your money, to be paid to you by HankDavis, when he gits the hosses," said Abe Blower.
More words followed, but the miner was obdurate, and in the end LinkMerwell and Job Haskers had to put up nearly all the cash they had withthem. Then they were allowed to take the two horses they had ridden anda small portion of the camping outfit--just enough to see them safelyback to the nearest town.
"Now remember, Link," said Dave, on parting with the youth, "you havepromised to leave us alone in the future. See that you keep thatpromise."
"If you don't, we'll be down on you like a ton of bricks," added Phil.
"I won't bother you again," said Link Merwell, with downcast eyes. "I--Iguess I was a fool to go into this."
Job Haskers said little. But when he looked at our friends it was withan expression as if he wanted to eat them up. He was in a great rage,but he did not dare to show it. In utter silence he and Merwell mountedtheir steeds and rode out of the camp, on the back trail. Not once didthey look behind. Soon the gloom of the night swallowed them up.
"A 'good riddance to bad rubbish,'" quoted Phil. "My, what a fool Linkis!"
"And Haskers is just as bad," said Roger.
"Link has the making of a fine fellow in him," said Dave, with a sigh."But he evidently prefers to be bad rather than good."
"Thet's the way with some fellers," remarked Abe Blower. "I've seen itin minin' camps many times. A feller would slide in, an' he could makemoney diggin' fer gold. But instead o' doin' it, he would jest fool awayhis time gamblin' an' drinkin'. It's awful--the way some folks act."
"They won't have any easy time of it, getting back to Butte," said Dave."Perhaps they'll meet that Sol Blugg crowd on the way."
"Oh, don't say that!" cried Roger. "Why, they might side right in withBlugg!"
"So they might," added Phil. "A case of 'birds of a feather,' you know."
"And so you are the real Roger Morr," said Abe Blower, catching Roger bythe shoulder and looking him squarely in the eyes. "Wall, I must say Ilike yer looks a heap better nor I did the bogus one!" And he chuckled,broadly.
"I am glad you do, Mr. Blower. I----"
"Now, stop right thar, lad, stop right thar! Ef you're goin' to be myfriend call me plain Blower, or Abe."
"As you will, Abe. I'm real glad to meet you, and I am sure we are goingto get along first-rate together," said Roger, and then the pair shookhands once more.
"You must tell me all about yourself, and your friends, an' about themtwo skunks as was wantin' to git in ahead o' you."
"I'll do that gladly," returned the senator's son. And then all in thecamp gathered around the fire, to talk the situation over and arrangetheir plans for the morrow.
In the meantime Link Merwell and Job Haskers rode along the rocky trailleading in the direction of Black Cat Camp. As long as they were withinhearing of those left behind neither said a word, but once at a distanceJob Haskers fairly exploded.
"Now you see what a plight you have brought us into!" he snarled. "Herewe are miles and miles from anywhere, and with hardly a dollar in ourpockets! It's a shame! If I had remained in the East, selling miningstock, or something like that, instead of going on this wild-goosechase----"
"I didn't know they were so close behind us," whined Link Merwell. "Ithought we would get off the regular trail before they came to thislocality."
"We were off the trail--it's the campfire told them where," went on theformer teacher. "Now, what are we going to do when we get back to town,tell me that?"
"We'll get our money for the horses first," replied Link Merwell. Hegrated his teeth. "I wish I could get back at them!" he cried.
"So do I, Merwell. But it can't be done--at least, I am not coming backto this forlorn district, once I get to town again. And it looksdangerous to me, with all these loose rocks ready to slide down into thevalley," added Job Haskers.
Full of bitterness, and trying to plan out what to do later on, the paircontinued on the back trail, moving slowly and with caution. At last,completely tired out, they reached the spot where Dave and his chums hadstopped for supper. The campfire still smoldered among some rocks, forin such a barren district it was not necessary to be careful for fear ofa conflagration.
"We'll rest here," declared Job Haskers, sliding from his saddle. He wasnot used to riding and was so sore and stiff he could hardly move.
"All right," responded Merwell, and alighted also. They found the springand drank eagerly of the somewhat bitter water. Then they stirred up thefire and proceeded to make themselves as much at home as possible.
But human nature can stand only so much, and soon, instead of talkingover their affairs, each sought forgetfulness in slumber. Exhausted,they slept soundly until the sun came up. Then, eating a frugalbreakfast--for their stores were scanty--they continued on the way inthe direction of Black Cat Camp.
It was less than two hours later, when, coming around a turn in thetrail, they came in sight of another camp. They found three men seatedin the shadow of some rocks, for the day was becoming warm, all talkingearnestly. One man h
ad his right arm in a sling.
"I wonder who they are?" remarked Link Merwell, as he and his companioncame to a halt.
"Wait, don't let them see us until you are sure they will be friendly,"cautioned Job Haskers. "For all you know they may be some of thosedreaded road-agents one reads about in the newspapers. We don't want tobe robbed, or have our horses stolen."
"They certainly look like a hard crowd," whispered Merwell. "But I don'tthink you'll find road-agents here,--not enough folks to rob."
The men were talking earnestly and had not noticed the approach of thepair. As quietly as possible, Merwell and Haskers drew to one side anddismounted. Then the boy who had spent so much time on his father'sranch, motioned for the former teacher of Oak Hall to follow him.
"We'll crawl up and listen to a little of their talk," he whispered."That will soon tell us if we can trust them. If we can't, we'll goaround them--although I don't see any other trail among the rocks."
Job Haskers nodded, and slowly and cautiously the pair crawled over therocks until they gained a position close to the three men. Then theysettled back, to listen to whatever might be said.
Inside of half an hour Link Merwell and Job Haskers gained all theinformation they desired. They learned that the three men were Sol Bluggand his cohorts. The wounded man was Staver, and he had been shotthrough the hand by Tom Dillon. He was very angry and willing to doalmost anything to square accounts. The men were sure that the Dillonparty and the Blower party were on the trail of a new find of gold andwanted to get in "on the ground floor," as they expressed it.
"They can't do nuthin' to me about tryin' to git the hosses," saidStaver. "It's only Dillon's word against mine--an' you all know I gotshot in the hand by accident," and he winked suggestively.
"Sure, I done that myself," said Blugg, and laughed. "Nobody took theirhosses--so far as we know."
"I guess the new strike o' gold must be near the old Landslide Mine,"said Larry Jaley. "Maybe it's the old mine itself."
"We'll soon know, if we watch 'em close enough," returned Sol Blugg. Andthen they continued to talk, while Staver dressed his wounded hand,which, fortunately for him, was not very badly hurt.
Link Merwell caught Job Haskers by the arm and pulled him back.
"I've got an idea!" he whispered, his eyes brightening with suddenexpectation. "Why can't we join these men and go after the Morr crowdwith them? It will give us a chance to get back at those fellows."
"No, I've had enough of this business," replied the former teacher ofOak Hall. "I am going back to town as fast as I can, and then to theEast."
"Yes, but----" began Link, when he stopped short. Haskers's foot hadshoved a round stone and now this rattled over the rocks, creatingconsiderable noise.
"Who's that!" roared Sol Blugg, and leaped to his feet, drawing hispistol as he did so. "Ho, look there! Hands up, or I'll fire!" heyelled, as he discovered those who had been in hiding.