Part 5 (1/2)

returned the same speaker. ”You'll find an automatic revolver there.”

Reade, however, chose to ignore the advice. He had small taste for the use of firearms.

Seeing, the young engineer's reluctance the younger of the two armed men went himself to the car, taking out the revolver and offering it to this cool young stranger.

”Thank you,” was Tom's smiling reply. ”But that tool is not for me. I'm the two-hundred-and-thirteenth vice president of the Peace Society.”

”You'd better fight, or hike,” advised the older of the two men.

”This isn't going to be a safe place for just nothing but chin.

And, ladies, I ask you to get behind one of the cars, since you won't leave here. Throw yourselves flat on your faces. We don't want any good women hit by any such mean rascals as that crowd over there.”

The men with the rifles scowled dangerously.

”Now, listen to me---all hands,” begged Tom, raising his right hand.

”It's none of my business, as I very well know, but may I inquire what all this trouble is about?”

A rather portly, well dressed and well-groomed man of sixty, who had been leaning against the side of one of the cars, now spoke up promptly enough:

”I am head of the company that has legally staked out a claim here, young man. Ours is a mining company. The men yonder say that they own the claim---that they found it first, and that it is theirs. However, they never staked it off---never filed their claim.”

”It's our claim, just the same,” spoke up the at the four men.

”And we won't have it jumped by any gang of tenderfeet on earth.

So get out of here, all of you, or the music will start at once.

We don't want to hit any woman or children, but we're going to hold our own property. If the women and the child won't get out of here, then they'll have to take their chances.”

”That's the case, and the line of action!” growled another of the men.

”But let me ask you men,” continued Tom, facing the quartette, ”do you claim that you ever made legal entry of your a.s.serted t.i.tle here?”

”Maybe we didn't,” grunted the spokesman. But we've known of this place for 'most a year Today we came to settle here, stake off our claims, file our entry and begin living here. But we found these benzine trotters on the ground.

”But these people state that they have made legal claim here,” Tom urged.

”We have,” insisted the portly man in black.

”If there is any dispute over the facts, my friends,” Tom continued, turning once more to the four men, ”then it looks like a case for the courts to settle. But if these people, who appear to be from the East, have acquired legal t.i.tle here then they'll be able to hold it, and you four men are only intruders here. Why, the matter begins to look rather clear---even for a Nevada dispute.”

”These folks are going to move, or we'll topple 'em over and move 'em ourselves,” insisted the leader.

”Men,” rejoined Reade, ”I'm afraid you're not cool enough to settle this case fairly. We'll call in a few of the neighbors and try to get the facts of the case. We'll-----”

”Neighbors?” jeered the leader of the quartette. ”Where are you going to find any?”

”Right near at hand,” Tom proposed. ”Much nearer than you think.

Drew!”

Alf still lay behind the bush near the edge of the cliff. He was still present mainly because he had not courage enough to run away.

”Drew!” Tom repeated, this time speaking sharply, for he guessed that the cigarette fiend was shaking in his boots.