Part 49 (1/2)
Before the eyes of the astonished boys there suddenly appeared two men. Mr. Phipps's hat had warned the men of the presence of strangers in their stronghold. Their faces, therefore, reflected anger instead of surprise.
For a few seconds the newcomers stood glaring at Phipps and the Pony Rider Boys.
”Tom Cravath!” exclaimed the a.s.sistant superintendent. ”So, you are the mystery, are you?”
”Poaching, eh?” sneered Cravath unabashed.
”What business you got in here?” snapped his companion.
”I might ask you the same question, you fellow and Tom Cravath?”
retorted Mr. Phipps, holding the two men with a level gaze. ”And what's more I think your peculiar doings will bear looking into.
There's something mighty queer about this business. I shouldn't be surprised if we found we'd solved a greater mystery than we thought--”
”You'll solve nothing!” shouted Cravath, suddenly drawing a revolver.
His companion did likewise, both men quickly covering Tom Phipps and the boys with their weapons. ”You'll find it ain't profitable to meddle with other folks' business.”
”Pity you hadn't learned that lesson yourself,” jeered Tom.
”It's over the cliff for the whole blooming bunch of you. I'll give you all the mystery you want.”
”Father, father,” protested Rose, horrified at her parent's cold-blooded threat. ”They haven't done anything. They--”
”You shut up!” roared the miner. ”Get out of here! Get in under the arch there! I'll attend to you later!”
The girl hesitated, then crept away sobbing as Cravath made a threatening move toward her.
”Now, I'll settle with you and your bunch of meddling tenderfeet,”
announced Cravath sternly. ”Right about face!”
They hesitated, then turned in obedience to his command. There seemed nothing else for them to do, for both men were fingering their weapons suggestively.
”These boys have done nothing to harm you, Cravath,” protested Mr. Phipps. ”And no more have I. Mark me, you'll pay for this indignity, and dearly too.”
”You don't say?” sneered the miner.
”I suppose this is where you hide the ponies you have been stealing,”
said Phipps boldly, a sudden thought having come to him.
”Forward march!” roared the enraged miner.
”Not--not over the cliff--you--you can't mean it?” begged Phipps, his face going suddenly pale.
”That's what I mean. You fellows are supposed to be buried in the mine down there. It'll take 'em months to blast into the place where they think you are, and when they reach the place you all will be gone a long time.”
Cravath laughed harshly.
”Come now, over you go, unless you prefer to stand there and take your medicine.”
”Hold on there a minute. I guess if anybody does the leap for life, it'll be you that does it,” shouted a voice behind the two desperate men.