Part 35 (1/2)

”So I did, thinkin' you was Maurice Harrison's nevvy. If I had known you was an outsider I wouldn't have come at all. I've got my own affairs to 'tend to. But bein' as I did come, you're goin' to pay me for my time and trouble,” went on the miner, sharply.

”Don't you want 'em arrested, Abe?” put in Tom Dillon. ”As I understand it, this here Merwell feller is wanted by the police as it is.”

”Oh, don't arrest me! Please don't do that!” cried Link Merwell. He turned to Dave and his chums. ”Let me go, won't you? I--I didn't do anything. I didn't take a thing out of your suit-case,” he added, to Roger.

His manner was so humble and he seemed so full of terror, that the boys could not help feeling sorry for him, even though they realized that he was a criminal and should be in the hands of the law.

”What do you think we ought to do, Dave?” whispered the senator's son, pulling our hero to one side.

”That is up to you, Roger.”

”If we make them prisoners what can we do with them? They will only bother us in the search for the lost mine.”

”I think I'd make them pay Abe Blower for his trouble and then let them go.”

”Yes, but they have got to promise not to bother us in the future,” put in Phil, who had followed Dave and Roger to a distance.

”They'll promise that, Phil. But you know what their promises are worth,” answered our hero.

A hot war of words followed, Abe Blower and Tom Dillon telling the two rascals just what they thought of their conduct. Link Merwell was badly scared, and the former teacher of Oak Hall looked very much disturbed.

”Well, I'll let you go, if the young gents say so,” said Abe Blower, finally. ”But you have got to pay me fer my services in bringin' you out here, an' you've got to put up fer them hosses you're to ride, so I'll know they'll git back to town all right.”

”We'll return the horses, never fear,” said Link Merwell.

”Maybe--but I won't take no chances. You put up the price o' them, an'

I'll give yer a written order fer your money, to be paid to you by Hank Davis, when he gits the hosses,” said Abe Blower.

More words followed, but the miner was obdurate, and in the end Link Merwell and Job Haskers had to put up nearly all the cash they had with them. Then they were allowed to take the two horses they had ridden and a small portion of the camping outfit--just enough to see them safely back to the nearest town.

”Now remember, Link,” said Dave, on parting with the youth, ”you have promised to leave us alone in the future. See that you keep that promise.”

”If you don't, we'll be down on you like a ton of bricks,” added Phil.

”I won't bother you again,” said Link Merwell, with downcast eyes. ”I--I guess I was a fool to go into this.”

Job Haskers said little. But when he looked at our friends it was with an expression as if he wanted to eat them up. He was in a great rage, but he did not dare to show it. In utter silence he and Merwell mounted their steeds and rode out of the camp, on the back trail. Not once did they look behind. Soon the gloom of the night swallowed them up.

”A 'good riddance to bad rubbish,'” quoted Phil. ”My, what a fool Link is!”

”And Haskers is just as bad,” said Roger.

”Link has the making of a fine fellow in him,” said Dave, with a sigh.

”But he evidently prefers to be bad rather than good.”

”Thet's the way with some fellers,” remarked Abe Blower. ”I've seen it in minin' camps many times. A feller would slide in, an' he could make money diggin' fer gold. But instead o' doin' it, he would jest fool away his time gamblin' an' drinkin'. It's awful--the way some folks act.”

”They won't have any easy time of it, getting back to b.u.t.te,” said Dave.

”Perhaps they'll meet that Sol Blugg crowd on the way.”