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We will leave the camp-fire burning. Everybody ready?" "Yes" "Yes," came in whispers. "All right. Come on," and Mr. Conroyal, walking carefully so as to make as little noise as possible, moved off down the trail that showed faintly in the moonlight.
"Say, dad," queried Thure a bit mischievously, as he and Bud crawled under the blankets of one of the bunks, "do we have to start back for home at sun-up?" "No, shut up and go to sleep," growled back Mr. Conroyal.
"And those two cowardly skunks got away!" almost yelled Conroyal, as he banged his big fist down on the table, his face white with wrath. "And after they had almost succeeded in getting two innocent boys hanged for a crime they committed themselves!" "They sart'in did," answered Ham grimly.
They could not, they could not bring in a verdict of guilty! They could not sentence them, Thure Conroyal and Bud Randolph, to be hanged! Hanged! The thought stung them into life; and Thure turned wildly to the alcalde. "It's a lie! a lie!" he cried. "It is all a lie! They know it is a lie! You surely must believe us! We did not kill the miner! We tried to save him!
In a few minutes the two boys returned, carrying between them a small platform scales, capable of weighing a few hundred pounds at a time, and set it down by the side of the pile of bags of gold. Mr. Conroyal now placed the bags of gold, four at a time, on the scales, and announced their weights; and Thure and Bud, pencils and paper in their hands, set down the amounts.
Stackpole and I went by way of the canyon. Now, which shall it be?" "Owl Gulch," answered Mr. Conroyal promptly.
"Seems almost like leaving home," declared Mr. Conroyal, as his eyes glanced slowly around the familiar room. "It shore does," agreed Ham. "We've had some mighty good times in the old house; an' I hopes th' fellers who move in when we're out, will be sort of gentle tew things.
For a minute the three stood panting and trembling where they were; and then they climbed to the broad ledge where all had halted out of reach of the flood. Mr. Conroyal gripped Thure's hand and held it warmly for a minute; but he did not speak a word. There was no need; for Thure understood. Mr. Randolph was a little more demonstrative, but he said little.
Conroyal who in the excitement of the moment had forgotten the package of a couple of dozen candles he had tied up and slung over his back just before climbing the tree that morning, quickly swung the package down on a rock in front of him and cut the strings. Ham caught up one of the candles, and, hurriedly lighting it, again crawled into the hole, holding the candle out in front of him.
Thure and Bud both caught up candles and lighting them, looked imploringly at their fathers. Both men nodded, and the boys dove into the hole; but this time separately. "The rest of us had better wait outside until we hear from Ham and the boys," Mr. Conroyal said, staring anxiously into the hole.
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