Part 19 (2/2)
As he rested, his eyes roamed around the rocky apart under the table Curious to knohat it ht contain, he bent down backwards, and by an effort secured the paper and placed it upon the table Then, by the flickering fla it contained
The letter--for such the sheet proved to be--was a communication which had been sent to Matt Gilroy by a writer who signed himself Mose It ran as follows:
”The plan ork perfectly, and all we must do is to wait until the money is at the fort I am sure the soldiers will leave as requested, and the defense will a Will see to it that Colonel Fairfield is drugged, and will treat Captain Moore and the other officers the saet the chance”
CHAPTER XVII
THREE PRISONERS
It did not take Joe and Darry long to retrace their steps at the water-course They continued to call to the young captain, and once Joe shot off his rifle as a signal, but, as we know, no answer came back
”I can't understand this at all,” said Joe, when they halted near the shelter ”I didn't hear hi, did you?”
”Not a shot,” answered Darry ”Hethe bank”
The two boys hung around the shelter for some ti officer
This was easy for part of the distance, but soon the footprints became so indistinct that they caht as well go back to the shelter and wait till he returns One thing is certain, he hasn't found any ga”
Tired by their long tra that Captain Moore would return at any moment
Thus an hour was passed It was now noon, and Joe and Darry set to work to prepare dinner for themselves
The repast was just finished when Joe let out a cry of alarht The captain of the desperadoes had appeared, followed by several others
The boys were taken couard Darry made a clutch for his rifle, but on the instant Gilroy had hiun alone!” cried the rascal ”Leave it alone, or it will be the worse for you”
”What do you want?” questioned Joe
”We want you to behave yourselves,” answered Fetter, as in the crowd
”You played us a nice trick that ti Joe darkly
”Do you blaet away?”
”Hardly But I'll warrant you won't get away again”
”Then you consider me your prisoner?”
”I do”