Part 6 (1/2)
”You got anything for me?”
”Not this trip,” answered Jack.
”Well, I'm expectin' a package and it ought to be here. Keep your eyes open for it, young feller, and don't lose it,” was the unnecessary caution.
”It's a valuable package.”
”I'm not in the habit of losing things,” Jack answered, with dignity. As he rode on he heard the stranger remark to Jake:
”They ought to be there now? oughtn't they?”
”Yes,” was the reply. ”They ought to be there now. But I'm not so sure they'll get what they want. She's a plucky little girl, and she may be so s.p.u.n.ky she won't answer their questions.”
”Well, they know how to make her,” responded the stranger.
”Humph!” mused Jack, as he heard this. ”I wonder who it is they are going to try to make answer questions? A s.p.u.n.ky little girl, so Jake said. I wonder--”
It suddenly flashed into his mind.
”Could it be Jennie? She's in the post office, and she's sometimes there alone! If some one should try to find out something about the mail or express business they had no right to know!”
Jack hardly knew what to think. But there came a sudden desire in his heart to be near Jennie--to be ready in case she called.
”Come on, Sunger, hit it up!” Jack cried, as this idea came to him. ”We've got to hustle and get to Golden Crossing as soon as we can!”
The intelligent beast appeared to know what was said to him, and increased his pace. Jack thundered over the bridge where once he had so nearly had an accident. He thought of the loosened planks, which had been fixed, and again he wondered who had misplaced them--if it had been done by design.
On and on he rode over the trail, until he swung into Golden Crossing. He was ahead of time, and the crowd that usually congregated about the post office to wait for the sorting of the mail was not there.
The road about the little office was thick with dust, and the feet of Jack's pony made scarcely a sound as he rode up. As he leaped to the ground he heard through the open windows of the place voices in loud conversation.
One voice was that of a man, and said:
”Well, now, miss, you'd better tell us what we want to know. We'll find out somehow, and the more trouble you give us, the more trouble we'll give you.
If you don't--”
”There's no use asking me!” broke in the voice of Postmistress Jennie herself. ”You're not going to get that information, and the sooner you understand that the better!”
”Say!” exclaimed the third voice--that of a man--”if you don't tell us, we'll--”
”Mail!” cried Jack, in a loud voice, as he sprang into the place through the window. ”I thought I was too early, but I guess I'm just in time,” he grimly added, as he swung around and faced two men who stood in front of Jennie Blake.
CHAPTER VI
THE SECRET MINE
Whether the young postmistress, or the two strange men, was the more surprised could not be told. Both Jennie and her annoyers started at the sudden appearance of the young pony rider. Then looks of anger and annoyance came over the faces of the two men, while Jennie appeared relieved.
”What's the trouble?” asked Jack, and with a seemingly careless motion he threw open his coat. In his belt was a revolver, which he carried more because the regulations compelled him to than because he really thought he would ever need it.