Part 37 (1/2)

”Let us try it!” cried Merwell, eagerly. ”We have as much chance to do it as the Morr crowd.”

”But he has that map, and the directions.”

”We overheard all their talk, so I know as much as Roger Morr does. As for Blower and Dillon, they don't know this district any better than you men do, do they?”

”Not much better,” answered Larry Jaley. ”We've been here a good many years.” He turned to Staver. ”What do you say, now?”

”Wall, wot this young feller says puts a different look on the situation,” replied the man who had been shot. ”I'd like to have an interest in thet mine myself--thet or the one Tom Dillon onct said he had near it. An' as Sol says, if we relocated the claim, maybe we could hold it at the land office--anyway, we could claim a fat slice o' the wuth o' it.”

”We'd claim it all!” cried Merwell.

”So we would!” came from Sol Blugg. ”Say, sonny, you're the right kind, I reckon, an' we'll call ourselves friends,” he added, and put out his hand to Link.

”Then we are--ahem!--not going back to town?” queried Job Haskers, in disappointed tones.

”No, we'll watch those other fellers an' try to locate the lost mine,”

answered Sol Blugg; and this was finally agreed to, after a discussion lasting another half-hour. Job Haskers was plainly disappointed, and his face showed it, and Link Merwell had much difficulty in cheering up the former teacher.

”We came out to locate that gold mine and we'll do it,” said Merwell.

”And I want you to be on hand, when the time comes, to attend to the legal end of it, so that we get our share. Of course, as I am wanted by the police, I can't appear, but you can, and you can, secretly, represent me.”

”All provided the lost mine is found,” responded Job Haskers. He had plainly lost heart in the undertaking.

”Oh, we are bound to locate it--sooner or later,” said Link Merwell, enthusiastically.

While this plotting was going on, Roger and those with him were picking their way with care over the loose stones that covered the ridge of rocks where the great landslide had taken place. Here traveling was exceedingly dangerous and often they had to proceed on foot, for fear of going down into some hollow. None of the footing seemed to be safe, and more than once Tom Dillon shook his head doubtfully.

”This land ain't got settled yet,” he said to Abe Blower. ”I shouldn't be surprised if there was another landslide before long.”

”Mebbe you're right, Tom,” was Blower's reply. ”But if it's to come, I hope it comes arter we're away.”

”I was thinkin' that maybe we had better go over to the second ridge. It might be safer.”

”I was thinkin' that myself.”

”Then we'll git over as soon as we hit a good crossin-over place,”

replied Tom Dillon.

As they were now close to the spot where the Landslide Mine was supposed to have been located, Roger became very eager to do some real searching for the mine. And Dave and Phil were equally anxious to aid their chum.

Coming to something of a plateau of rocks, the party spread out, searching for certain landmarks which Abe Blower had mentioned. This search was by no means easy, for some of the loose rocks were very large in size--one being as big as a house--and it was difficult to find one's way along among them.

Dave was riding along slowly, letting his horse find the best footing possible, when he came to a narrow defile. The rocks were on both sides, and most of them sticking up from five to ten feet above his head.

”It wouldn't be any fun if some of those loose rocks came down on a fellow's head, or on his horse,” mused our hero, as he moved along. ”I wonder where this way leads to?”

At a distance he could hear the others talking, so he knew they were not far off. They, too, were now among the big rocks, and each hidden from the others. Then the talking gradually ceased, giving way to an occasional call or whistle.