Part 18 (1/2)

It was about three o'clock when Roger and Phil came in. As my old readers know, the senator's son and Dave's sister were on unusually good terms with each other, and the greeting between them was very cordial.

”But I don't like you for one thing, Roger,” said Laura, half reproachfully. ”I don't like this idea of Dave going off to look for that lost mine.”

”Oh, we won't be away from you long, Laura.”

”And the danger--not only to Dave but to--to you,” went on the girl, and gave him a look that meant much.

”We'll be careful,” answered the senator's son. ”But I hate awfully to worry you,” he added, in a lower tone.

For Phil, Laura had some good news, which was to the effect that Belle Endicott, the daughter of the owner of Star Ranch, where the young folks had spent such an enjoyable summer, had written that she would join the party at Livingston, for the trip through Yellowstone Park. Phil had always admired Belle, she was so das.h.i.+ng and so full of fun, and the news was just to his liking.

”We'll have the best times ever!” he cried. ”That is, after Dave and Roger and Shadow and I get back from locating that lost mine!”

”You talk as if it was going to be the easiest thing in the world to locate the Landslide Mine!” laughed Roger. ”I think it is going to be hard work--and we may not get a trace of it.”

”Did you bring those papers and that map?” questioned Dave.

”I did.”

”Let us go over them now,” cried Phil. But this was not to be, for there were other things to attend to just then, and the girls demanded a good share of the boys' attention.

The following morning found the three youths in a summer-house attached to the Wadsworth estate. This was located down near a tiny brook and was overgrown with vines and bushes. It was a cozy retreat, especially on such a hot day in July, and the boys proceeded to make themselves at home by throwing off their coats and caps.

”Now let us get down to business on this thing,” said Dave; whereupon the senator's son brought forth his papers, and the map of the mining district wherein the Landslide Mine was supposed to be located.

”That lost mine is supposed to be somewhere along this old trail,” said Roger, pointing with his finger. ”This trail is known as the Rodman Trail, because a fellow named Billy Rodman discovered it. As near as I can make out, the papers say the mine was on this Rodman Trail, half a mile north of Stony Cut and to the west of the Four Rocks.”

”Huh! That ought to be dead easy to locate,” was Phil's comment. ”All we have to do is to walk along the trail half a mile beyond Stony Cut and then to the west of the Four Rocks,--and there you are.”

”Exactly, except for two things,” replied Roger. ”The landslide wiped out Stony Cut and the Four Rocks, too.”

”Oh!”

”But some one must have some idea where Stony Cut was located,” said Dave.

”My idea is to hunt up that old miner, Abe Blower, and see if he can't locate Stony Cut for us, even approximately, and tell us something about Four Rocks--how it used to look before the great landslide. Then, after we've got that information, we'll start on the hunt.”

”Do you think we'll find Abe Blower in b.u.t.te, Montana?” asked Phil.

”More than likely. He was there some time ago, mother heard. He and Uncle Maurice used to be great chums.”

”And are you sure the mine is valuable?” queried Phil, after a pause.

”It must be, otherwise my uncle wouldn't have been so anxious about it.”

Again the boys went over the papers and also the map, talking the proposed trip over from various points of view. They all agreed that locating the lost mine would be no easy task.

”Supposing somebody else locates it?” said Phil, presently. ”Couldn't he lay claim to it?”

”I don't know about that--I suppose so, since the mine is now completely lost.”