Part 16 (1/2)
”What are those fellows going to do now?” asked Will, nodding toward the cowboy officers, who had now thrown therass of the valley ”They didn't follow us here just for exercise”
”If those train robbers really are friends of yours,” Seth replied, ”they have done you, perhaps unintentionally, a great deal of har, you know,” the deputy went on, ”that one fool friend can work a man more mischief than a dozen open enemies”
”I suppose you people think now,” Will said, ”that we really do train with that bunch of robbers”
”I don't!” declared Seth ”I know you to be honest Boy Scouts, and no counterfeits, and I don't believe such lads mix up with train robbers”
”We don't at all events,” Will answered
”Look here,” George interrupted, ”the train robbers saw a chance to rub it into the officers and they did it That's all there is to that! They would have protected the detectives ere searching the lars, just the same as they did us You know very well that such fellows have a perpetual grouch against officers of the law The only wonder is they didn't shoot when they had the cowboys unarto do about it?” Will insisted
”They want you to come out to Lander with me and stand trial”
”And if we refuse?”
”But you won't do that!”
”You are ot to coment,” declared Seth
While the two discussed the situation, the others listening intently, the two visitors came slowly out of the tent and approached the spot where Seth and Will were standing Seth regarded the two reeting
”Glad to see you, Gil have you been here?”
”Only a short time,” was the reply ”At the request of a personal friend, an officer froo, we dropped in for breakfast and also to see if the boys needed any assistance”
”Boys,” Seth said, turning to the astonished group of youngsters, ”this is Sheriff Gil to the other, ”is Doyle, one of his deputies They are both good fellows”
”Did you say you knew John Johnson well?” asked Will, after greetings had been exchanged ”Was it the truth you said about his asking you to call and help us out if we needed assistance?”
”True as Gospel!” answered Gilmore ”I knew John Johnson when he was on a ranch over here in the Sater country I' a little excursion into Pete's country in search of the train robbers Iout, and he asked me to call on his friends, the boys”
”So you can vouch for these lads, can you?” asked Seth, a s to his face
”I certainly can!” was the reply ”Johnson told me all about them, so I knohat they're here for, and all about their , Seth took off his hat and began waving it in the direction of the cowboy officers Sheriff Pete and his deputies rose to their feet and walked toward the canized Sheriff Gilmore and came forith extended hands The situation was soon explained
”Now see here, kiddo,” Sheriff Pete said, as he drew Will to one side, ”we don't knohat you're in here for, but we kno that you're all right We'll stand by you to the bottoet all about that little hold-up over in the other valley”
”That was funny, wasn't it?” Will said with a grin
”I can't see anything funny in it!” said the Sheriff
”Those train robbers looked pretty good to us just then,” Will commented ”They came just in time!”