Part 30 (1/2)

”We haven't done anything--you can't hold us,” spluttered Bluckburn. He found himself in a bad corner.

”Holding a man a prisoner is nothing, I presume,” said Allen, in deep anger. ”Go on,” he continued to Slavin. ”Where is my uncle?”

Thus urged, Lou Slavin blurted out a full confession, telling how Barnaby Winthrop had been followed to San Francis...o...b.. Bluckburn, who wanted to learn the secret of the new claim, which Bluckburn realized must be valuable.

Slavin said it was Bluckburn who had sent to Barnaby Winthrop a forged letter calling the old prospector back to the ranch. The rascal had also forged the note received by Noel Urner.

Word had been sent by telegraph to the other members of the thieving band, and when Barnaby Winthrop got off at the nearest railroad station to the ranch he was followed and waylaid.

”The crowd had a mighty hard time o' it with him, he fit so,” went on Slavin. ”Onct he nearly got away, but Captain Grady tripped him up an'

then he war bound tight.”

”Captain Grady!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Allen.

”Thet's his size,” cried old Watson. ”I allers allowed as how he war one o' the shady cla.s.s.”

”He--he led the whole business,” put in Bluckburn. He began to think it time to clear himself. ”I only acted under his orders.”

”It's too late fer ye ter open yer mouth,” was the way Ike Watson cut him short. ”Go on, Slavin. Whar's Barnaby Winthrop? Straight, now, remember.”

Thus admonished, Slavin told the location of the cave in which the old prospector was held, as well as he was able.

”I don't know the lay o' the land exactly, but I'm comin' purty nigh it.”

”Would you know the spot if you were in the vicinity?” asked Allen, eagerly.

”I think I would.”

”Then we must take him along,” said the young ranchman to Ike Watson.

”But what shall we do with Bluckburn?”

”He ought ter be lynched right now,” was the old hunter's stern reply.

During his days among the rough characters of the mountains he and his companions had had small use for jails and lockups. The law of the land, so called, was administered on the spot.

A long discussion followed, which ended in a determination to take Bluckburn back to Daddy Wampole's place. They would leave him there a prisoner, and then take Slavin along with them, that he might locate Barnaby Winthrop's place of confinement.

Bluckburn was secured on his horse's back, and Slavin was disarmed, and in less than half an hour the return to the crossroads hotel was begun.

It was a long and tedious ride to Allen who was impatient to be off to find his uncle. But it could not be helped, and Allen bore it as patiently as he was able.

Daddy Wampole was as much surprised as he well could be to see them ride up with their prisoner. He listened with deep interest to the tale Allen, Watson, and Noel Urner had to tell.

”Yes, I'll keep him a prisoner,” he said at the conclusion. ”An' take my word on it, he shan't escape.”

”And it won't be long before we have Captain Grady, too,” said Allen, never dreaming of what was taking place at home in the meanwhile.

Bluckburn was exceedingly downcast over his turn of fortune. He insisted that Captain Grady was totally to blame, but this statement no one felt inclined to believe.