Part 29 (1/2)

”Abe Blower came this way, in a hurry, too,” said Blugg, to his cronies.

”Now Tom Dillon is going the same way, and also in a hurry. That means that something is in the wind. Maybe it's another big discovery of gold, like when they opened up Big Bear Camp, and Hitchley's, an' if it is, we want to be in on the ground floor.”

”Right you air, Sol,” said Larry Jaley. ”And if we can cut Abe out o'

anything, so much the better, fer the trick he played us in that land deal.”

”The two crowds must be in with each other, otherwise wot was them young fellers as is now with Dillon doin' at Abe's house?”

”We'll find out their game, sooner or later,” muttered Sol Blugg. ”We'll keep on their trail--but we mustn't let 'em see us, or they'll take to some side-trail and put us in blind.”

It was another clear day, but the breeze from the mountains was fresher, so that riding was not so tiresome as it had been on the first day out.

The trail was wide, in fact often used by wagons and carts, so that our friends could ride two abreast.

”Not much of a farming country around here,” remarked Dave, as he looked at the general barrenness of the aspect. Here and there were clumps of trees and patches of rough gra.s.s, and that was all.

”The farming country is further down, in the valleys,” answered Tom Dillon. ”Some pretty good soil, too. But up this way it's only good for mining. But that's good enough--if you've got a paying mine,” and his kindly eyes twinkled.

”You bet!” replied Dave, slangily. ”Oh, I do hope we find this mine,” he added, in a lower tone. ”The Morr family need it.”

”I thought the senator was putty well fixed.”

”He was, but he isn't now--and there is danger of his losing his office this fall. If he does lose it, and we don't find the mine, I am afraid it is going to go rather hard with the family.”

”I see. Well, we'll do our best--n.o.buddy can do more.”

”About how much further is that Landslide district from here?”

”Not over sixty miles as the crows fly. But by the trails it's every bit o' twice that distance. An' some putty stiff travelin', too, in some spots, believe me!” added the old miner.

”Do you think you can stand it?”

”Sure I can. And I like it, too, lad. I git tired o' sittin' around the hotel, doin' nuthin' but readin' the papers and trying to be what they call a gent of leisure. I was brought up on hard work, and outdoor life, and I just have to git back to it onct in a while. If you hadn't come along as you did, most likely I would have dug out for the diggin's alone afore long.”

”It's a grand life to lead--this one in the open air,” said Dave, filling his lungs with the ozone from the mountains.

”Best in the world, lad. It's the only life fer me, too. If I had to sit in an office all day, or around a hotel where I had to wear one of them biled s.h.i.+rts and a coat cut like a tack puller, I'd die, believe me! I'd rather wear a gray s.h.i.+rt, an' eat off a tin plate, any day!”

By noon they came to a little mountain stream of the freshest and purest of water and there they went into temporary camp. A tiny blaze was kindled, and they made some coffee, which they drank while eating some sandwiches d.i.c.k Logan had put up for them.

”See that ridge?” asked Tom Dillon, just before they were ready to start again, and he pointed to an elevation to the northwest. And as all three lads said they did, he continued: ”Well, just back o' that is the deestrict where that big landslide took place and buried the Landslide Mine out o' sight.”

”Why, that doesn't look to be very far away!” cried Roger.

”No, it don't look so, lad. But you must remember that the air up here is very clear an' you can see for a long distance. You'll find it a long, hard ride afore you reach that ridge, let alone the place behind it where the mine was.”

”Are there any settlements on the way?” asked Phil.