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The news concerning the expedition reached the ears of Sol Blugg and his cronies, and this, coupled with the sudden departure of Abe Blower, set that crowd to wondering what was up. "Maybe it's another gold strike," suggested Larry Jaley. "It might be," said the fellow called Staver. "If I thought it was a gold strike I'd follow 'em," announced Sol Blugg.
They are in with Abe and they queered us put a crimp in the hull game. Now they say Abe ain't here. Wot are we going to do, tell me that now, what are we goin' to do?" "Them fellers!" exclaimed Larry Jaley, catching sight of the boys. "I remember 'em. Say, maybe they heard us talkin'!" "Sure they must have," mumbled Sol Blugg. "Do you know these men?" asked Mrs. Carmody.
They could look far along the mountainside and see just where the avalanche of rocks and dirt had swept downward, a portion halting here and there, and the remainder going clear to the valley far below. They had been resting about an hour when they saw a figure approaching on foot. It was a man, hatless, and with half his clothes torn from his back. As he came closer they recognized Larry Jaley.
You had the description of those landmarks, I didn't," added the Westerner. Just then Larry Jaley let out a quick cry. "Look over yonder!" he called. "Sumbuddy behind the rocks!" He pointed at Dave and the others, and a second later the three youths knew that they had been discovered. "Come out o' thet, whoever you are!" cried Sol Blugg.
Then the old miners put up the proper stakes, as a new claim for Mrs. Morr. In the meantime, Larry Jaley had been given some stores and told to go about his business. Abe Blower had directed him to a trail to the southward. This was a long way around, but the trail seemed to be perfectly safe, and Jaley was only too glad to take to it. It was the last the boys saw of the man.
"I'm a-comin' in to wait fer Abe Blower, an' when I meet him well, we'll have an account to settle," and the man lurched heavily against the door-frame. "It's one of the fellows we met on the train!" whispered Phil. "The fellow called Sol Blugg!" "Yes, and that other man, Larry Jaley, is waiting on the sidewalk for him," announced Dave, after a glance through a window.
"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.
"Humph, a tenderfoot!" muttered the leader of the trio, as he inspected the former teacher of Oak Hall. "I don't reckon he's goin' to do us any harm." He turned to Merwell. "Who are you, sonny?" Link told him and also mentioned Haskers's name. "I was just coming forward to introduce myself," he added. "How kind," sneered Larry Jaley, with a mock bow. "I was.
"What is it?" questioned Roger, rousing up, followed by Phil. "Those men!" murmured Dave. "Look, fellows!" The others came to his side and looked out of the window. Just emerging from the alleyway were three men on horseback, all equipped for camping out. The three men were Blugg, Jaley, and Staver. "Well, I declare! What are those fellows doing here?" cried the senator's son.
"Jaley, where are you going?" demanded Tom Dillon. At the sound of the miner's voice the man halted and then threw up his hands. Then he staggered forward once more. "Save me!" he yelled, wildly. "Save me! Don't shoot me! Save me from the landslide!" And then stumbling, he fell at the feet of Dave and his friends. "Are you alone?" asked Abe Blower. "Ye yes! Save me!
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