Part 30 (1/2)

”Oh, it's only a scratch--made by a flying stone,” was the answer. ”It doesn't amount to anything.”

”I didn't dream that this trail would be so dangerous,” went on the senator's son. ”If I had known it, I wouldn't have asked you fellows to come along.”

”Oh, it's not so bad,” returned Phil, hastily. ”That horse was awkward--he's the worst of the bunch.”

”That's right, an' they had no right to hire me such a hoss,” put in Tom Dillon. ”When we git back I'll give that feller who did it a piece o' my mind. I tole him I wanted critters used to the mountain trails. The hosses we are ridin' are all right, but this one, he's a sure tenderfoot. He ought to be in the city, behind a truck.”

Soon the narrow portion of the rocky trail was left behind and then all of the boys breathed easier.

”That trail back thar is bad enough,” was Tom Dillon's comment. ”But ye ought to see it in the winter time, with ice an' snow on it! Then it's some travelin', believe me!”

”None for mine!” answered Phil. ”I want to see the ground when I travel in a spot like that.”

As soon as the trail became better they went forward at the best possible speed, for they wished, if they could, to catch up with Abe Blower and those with him.

”You don't suppose Blower would turn off of this trail?” questioned Roger, of the old miner, as they rode along.

”He couldn't turn off until he reached wot we call Talpoll Crossin',”

answered Tom Dillon. ”And we won't git thar until some time to-morrow.”

They were climbing up a steady grade and so had to stop again and again to rest the horses. The trail wound in and out among the hills, and before the party was the big mountain.

”Stop an' I'll show you something!” cried the old miner, presently, and as they halted he pointed toward the mountain with his hand. ”See that k.n.o.b a stickin' out ag'in the sky?” he questioned.

”The one with the yellowish spot on it?” asked Dave.

”Yes. Well, that is where the big landslide took place an' buried the Landslide Mine an' my claim out o' sight.”

All of the boys gazed with interest at the spot which, of course, was many miles away. They saw they would have to work their way over two more hills and through several hollows to get to it. Ahead they could occasionally see the trail, but not a soul was in sight.

”Look!” exclaimed Dave, as he turned to gaze below them along the trail they had been pursuing. ”I can see something moving!”

”Maybe cattle,” suggested Roger, after a long look.

”No, I think it is a crowd on horseback,” answered our hero, after another look.

Roger had with him a small pair of field-gla.s.ses, and he had brought them forth to gaze at the mountain where the Landslide Mine had been located. Now he turned them on the distant objects Dave had discovered.

”Hors.e.m.e.n true enough,” he said, after a look. ”Three of them.”

”Oh, say, do you think they can be Sol Blugg and his two cronies?” burst out Phil.

”Maybe,” answered Roger. ”I can't make them out from this distance.”

”Let me take a look,” suggested Tom Dillon, and adjusted the gla.s.ses to his eyes. ”You are right--they are three men on horses. But who they are I don't know. Plenty o' miners travel this trail at one time or another.”

They looked at the distant hors.e.m.e.n for several minutes. Then the field-gla.s.ses were put away and they continued their journey.

Nightfall found them in a district that, to the boys, was desolation itself. Rocks were on every side, with little patches of the coa.r.s.est kind of growth, brushwood, stalk-like gra.s.s, and cacti. The air was so pure and thin that it fairly made one's nose tingle to breathe it.

All were tired out--indeed the boys were so stiff from the long ride that they could scarcely climb down from their saddles. But not for the world were they going to let Tom Dillon know this. They had told the old miner that they were used to roughing it and they wanted to ”make good”