Part 24 (2/2)
”What do you mean?” I asked
”They have been tampered with the sa at which our horses had drank ”All the stuff and leaves have been pulled out of them”
”Well, what of it?”
”What of it? Itin on our trail”
”All right; let it be so You found all the springs, didn't you? We're on their trail, and if we overtake them at the end of a ill see e can do with thes easier for us”
”Yes, I know I said it, but I don't like to see that people are so hot after that nugget”
It did seeoing after it at the saone on for two years and let Elaold was, other people knew it too and were deterht be those hed at it
”Those men never came near here,” said Elam ”Otherwise, how did they strike my camp fifty miles away? It has been done by somebody nearer than that, and has been done by somebody within three weeks, too”
From this time out (ere all of teeks on the trail) Elam was moody He would ride all day and wouldn't say a word to either of us, and e o off and stay until dark And the worst of it e caan to shake in my boots, and did not wonder at Elam's contrary mood In fact ere all that way It was very seldoed an opinion with one another Elam kept his map constantly at hand and referred to it at every turn in the road So of hiht, when he would come in, ask for supper, and roll his went on in this way for teeks, as I said, and then one day, as atering our horses at the brook that ran through the canyon, ere suddenly surprised by the appearance of twoset, but then that was to be expected in a country where all men lived out of doors To show that they were friendly they threw their rifles into the hollow of their arms
”Howdy, pard?” said one
”Howdy?” replied Elam As he was the chief
”You're just the hted tone ”We haven't had anything to eat since yisterday Will ye give us a bite?”
”Sure!” replied Ela so far away in theto find our way out This stream leads to some water on the prairie, I reckon? How far is the fort from here?”
Elaan to look thelost
Their moccasons hole, or as much so as could be expected, and the wear and tear of their buckskin shi+rts was no ers to me, and I confess that I was not at all pleased to see the that did the business for me The men were hunters or trappers on the face of the else, and the idea of their getting bewildered in the mountains that they had probably passed over a dozen tili his horse up the opposite bank, and there was a look on it that boded mischief
CHAPTER XVII
THE NUGGET IS FOUND
”Where are your horses?” I deot none,” replied the rub-staked you,” I continued ”They never sent you into the rub-staked ourselves,” answered the man impatiently ”But I'll tell you what's the rub-staked you, and sent you in here to search for gold, and I want to knohich one of you is Ela that happened was a little short of bewildering In less time than it takes to tell it, Elam and I were covered with theit plain to me that the men had seen us, and hastily made up their plans what to do with us They couldn't have moved so quickly if they hadn't They paid no attention to Tom, but covered Elam and me All they said was:
”Don't you move, Tender-foot You oner in the end Now, drop your guns right where you stand”
In an instant Elam and I laid down our rifles, and Tom did the same It was too close a call to do otherwise, for a suspicious dom come in short order There was ”shoot” in the h