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It was Jake Tantrell, the man who had sneered at him the man who was anxious to have his place. Was it fancy, or did Tantrell start and draw back his horse at sight of Jack. "Look out for the bridge," Jack called as he passed the man, making up his mind, even though the fellow had scorned him, that he could do no less than warn him. "A couple of planks gave way with me a while ago."
"I mean those planks never came loose by themselves. I stuck a couple of branches in the holes. Look out when you ride over." "Oh I I will. Thanks!" the man exclaimed, almost as an afterthought. Then Jack rode on, and Tantrell passed him, giving the lad a sharp glance in the gloom, for the moon was now down below the hills.
In some places this would only be a walk, for the road was treacherous and difficult. In other places along a comparatively level slope, or down grade, Sunger would make up for lost time. As Jack made a turn in the road, he saw, riding ahead of him, two men on horseback. They turned in their saddles at the sound of his steed's hoof-beats, and Jack recognized one of the men as Jake Tantrell.
Several mean little things occurred, which, like the loose planks in the bridge, Jack felt were designed to make trouble for him. But he avoided them, fortunately, and none was as serious as the bridge incident. The author of that remained a mystery, though Jack had his suspicions. Jake Tantrell continued to sneer at our hero.
This was admitted, and Mr. Bailey was cleared of all blame in the matter. It was Tantrell, too, who loosened the planks in the bridge, just as Jack suspected. "Well, that makes me feel fine!" Mr. Bailey said, when the good news came to him. "It's all your doings, Jack, catching that fellow!" "No, it's Sunger's," Jack said, with a laugh.
While waiting for the stage to come in Jack remained about the post office. Among those who came in for mail was Jake Tantrell, one of the men who had tried unsuccessfully to get Jack's place. "Goin' back to-night?" he inquired casually. "Yes," Jack answered. "Anything you want carried?" "No," was the surly answer. "An' if I had I wouldn't trust a kid like you with it!
In the testimony, it was brought out that, for some time, confederates of the outlaws, of whom Jake Tantrell was one, had been trying to get for one of their number the position of pony express rider. They thought if they did this they would have no trouble in robbing the mail. One of these unscrupulous men was responsible for the leakage of the information contained in the Harrington letter.
"Oh er they did! Planks gave way?" Tantrell stammered. "Yes," Jack said. "I nearly had a bad fall." He said nothing about the dropped package. "Well, that's too bad," the man said. "They ought to fix that bridge." "Some one did," said Jack. "Eh? What's that?" "I said some one did. I mean some one fixed it for me, I think." "What what do you mean?"
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