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+The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Frontier Boys in the Sierras, by Wyn
+Roosevelt, Illustrated by S. Schneider
+
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+
+
+
+Title: The Frontier Boys in the Sierras
+       Or, The Lost Mine
+
+
+Author: Wyn Roosevelt
+
+
+
+Release Date: May 4, 2010  [eBook #32253]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+
+***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS***
+
+
+E-text prepared by D Alexander and the Project Gutenberg Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images
+generously made available by Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org)
+
+
+
+Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this
+      file which includes the original illustrations.
+      See 32253-h.htm or 32253-h.zip:
+      (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/32253/32253-h/32253-h.htm)
+      or
+      (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/32253/32253-h.zip)
+
+
+      Images of the original pages are available through
+      Internet Archive. See
+      http://www.archive.org/details/frontierboysinsi00roosrich
+
+
+
+
+
+THE FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS
+
+Or
+
+The Lost Mine
+
+by
+
+CAPT. WYN ROOSEVELT
+
+Illustrated by S. Schneider
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+New York
+A. L. Chatterton Company
+Publishers
+
+
+
+
++-------------------------------------+
+|                                     |
+| By the same Author                  |
+|                                     |
+| FRONTIER BOYS ON THE OVERLAND TRAIL |
+| FRONTIER BOYS IN COLORADO           |
+| FRONTIER BOYS IN THE ROCKIES        |
+| FRONTIER BOYS IN THE GRAND CANYON   |
+| FRONTIER BOYS IN MEXICO             |
+| FRONTIER BOYS ON THE COAST          |
+| FRONTIER BOYS IN HAWAII             |
+| FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS        |
+| FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SADDLE         |
+|                                     |
++-------------------------------------+
+
+Copyright 1909
+Chatterton-Peck Co.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: "THE MEXICAN HAD GOT ALMOST WITHIN STRIKING
+DISTANCE."--P. 179.]
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+ CHAPTER                                               PAGE
+
+      I. IN THE CHANNEL                                  9
+     II. FAREWELL TO HAWAII                             17
+    III. JEEMS' STORY                                   25
+     IV. THE LOST MINE                                  33
+      V. WORKING THE SHIP                               41
+     VI. DANGEROUS WORK                                 49
+    VII. WHAT THEY SAW                                  57
+   VIII. A RACE                                         66
+     IX. THE ENGINEER                                   75
+      X. THE RUSSIAN                                    85
+     XI. A CONSPIRACY                                   94
+    XII. THE GREEN GHOSTS                              103
+   XIII. TOM'S BAD LUCK                                112
+    XIV. THE TRIAL                                     121
+     XV. "THE MARIA CROTHERS"                          130
+    XVI. AN EXCITING CHARGE                            140
+   XVII. A CHASE                                       148
+  XVIII. THE DIAGRAM                                   157
+    XIX. THE CAMP IN THE VALLEY                        167
+     XX. A SURPRISE                                    176
+    XXI. THE GREASER                                   185
+   XXII. HAIL                                          192
+  XXIII. A HOLIDAY                                     202
+   XXIV. BIG GUS AND HIS GANG                          209
+    XXV. A NEW FORT                                    215
+   XXVI. A NIGHT ATTACK                                222
+  XXVII. THE RETREAT                                   229
+ XXVIII. A NEW START                                   237
+   XXIX. THE SEARCH                                    244
+    XXX. THE LOST MINE AGAIN                           251
+
+
+
+
+ The Frontier Boys in the
+ Sierras
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+IN THE CHANNEL
+
+
+"By Jove, Jim!" exclaimed Jo Darlington, "but this sea is something
+fierce! For one I will be mighty glad when we get clear of the
+Hawaiian channels and out into the open."
+
+"It is lively going," yelled Jim, above the roar of the wind, as he
+and his brother Jo were standing together on the bridge of their ship,
+"but I guess the _Sea Eagle_ will weather it, if we don't run into
+another vessel in the dark. How about it, Captain?"
+
+The captain, who was the rather bent figure of an old man, was clothed
+in a heavy woolen jacket, buttoned across his chest. He stopped and
+regarded Jim fixedly in the semi-light on the bridge.
+
+"What's that, Skipper?" he roared hoarsely, "weather this? Why, this
+ain't no sea, and the _Sea Eagle_ is a staunch boat. Why, lad, you
+must be joking."
+
+"I was," replied Jim, laughing. "I just want to reassure brother
+Jo,--that was all."
+
+"Somebody ought to go and cheer up Tom and Jeems Howell," remarked Jo,
+in order to give himself some sea standing in the eyes of Captain
+Kerns. "They are as sick as puppies down in the cabin."
+
+"Don't blame 'em much," cried Jim, "this motion would upset a shark's
+liver."
+
+If you have read "The Frontier Boys in Hawaii," you will be well
+acquainted with these conversationalists on the good sea-going yacht,
+the _Sea Eagle_, but if not, you will have to be introduced, "Mr.
+Reader, this is Skipper James Darlington."
+
+"Happy to make your acquaintance, hope you are a good sailor?"
+
+"Mr. Reader, allow me to present Captain Kerns."
+
+Captain Kerns merely grunts, and, kind Mr. Reader, you must overlook
+his lack of formality, because the captain is an old salt and his
+manners are a little briny.
+
+In way of further explanation, I may say that the Frontier Boys are
+just returning from a trip to Hawaii in which they have explored the
+wonderful crater of Haleapala on the Island of Maui, and their ship
+the _Sea Eagle_, whose capture is another story, is pointing her prow
+eastward through the rough channel that separates Hawaii and Maui.
+
+They are en route to the coast of California, and as soon as they
+land they have planned to make an exploring expedition into the
+wilds of The Sierra Nevadas, in search of a lost mine, rumors of which
+have come to their ears. Besides the three Frontier Boys and their
+comrade Juarez, there is their friend Jeems Howell, a shepherd and
+philosopher, from a small island off the coast of California; Captain
+Kerns, a retired ship's master who was persuaded to come along merely
+to supervise; Jim, the oldest of the three brothers, being the acting
+commander, though generally referred to as skipper. And besides these,
+there is old Pete, an ancient mariner, the engineer, and a sturdy boy
+below who does a good deal of the stoking.
+
+Besides these _dramatis personæ_, there is a general chorus of
+Mermen and Mermaids, sharks, porpoises, sea serpents _et al._; as Jo
+Darlington would say, it was the sharks that _et all_. But this is no
+reflection upon the appetites of the boys, which was invariably good,
+if we may except Tom Darlington and Jeems Howell just at the present
+moment.
+
+Now, on with the voyage: as the principals have been introduced and
+are ready, they can come to close grips with the ocean and all its
+dangers, so that the referee, being the writer, has made his exit
+through the ropes, allowing a free field and no favor. It is a tough
+beginning as far as sea way goes. The hour is close upon midnight in
+mid-channel, and that is no dream even on so staunch a little craft as
+the _Sea Eagle_.
+
+"That time she lapped the starboard boat into the water," yelled Jim.
+"Hold steady now, lads."
+
+Then up rose the ship on the other roll to larboard; over, over, over
+she went; would she never stop? Then with a straining of all her
+timbers, that had all the effort of severe muscular tension, she did
+stop, then back she rolled on the other tack which was equally as
+sharp, the brass balls on top of her masts pointing from star to star,
+describing, it seemed, almost a semi-circle.
+
+To make it more interesting the _Sea Eagle_ would then dip under a
+huge wave and the water would swish and roll aft along the main deck.
+The wind whistled and hummed through the taut ropes, and altogether it
+was a lively night, even if the sturdy old captain did discount its
+terrors. Occasionally Jim and Jo would slide across the bridge and
+bring up against the side; but as a rule they kept their sea legs in
+good shape.
+
+"Hold on, Juarez," cried Jim, as he saw a dark form emerge from the
+companionway, "here comes a big wave."
+
+But with the roar of the sea and the wind Juarez did not hear the
+warning, and had just started across the deck when under went the _Sea
+Eagle_, and a tremendous wave swept aft, submerging the bulwarks. It
+caught Juarez off his feet and swirled him toward the side. He would
+not have lived a minute in those rearing, plunging seas.
+
+As he was swept over, he caught frantically at an iron stanchion and
+barely gripped it, and before he could make an effort to help himself
+he was submerged in the water, the sea tugging at him as though it
+were an hungry animal. Hardy as Juarez was, he could not help but feel
+a thrill of terror; it seemed as if the waves desperately clutched at
+him.
+
+Jim was filled with horror when he saw Juarez apparently carried
+overboard. He shook off the captain's grip; the latter thought that
+Jim was going to spring over after his friend, which act he knew would
+result in two lives being thrown away. So he leaped to the main deck.
+Then he saw Juarez struggling to get aboard before the next wave
+came. He sprang to his help and with a powerful pull yanked him in.
+
+They braced themselves against the attack of a second wave that swept
+the deck and then they were "high and dry" on the bridge, drenched to
+the skin, but entirely safe, and none the worse for their impromptu
+bath.
+
+"That was a close call, Juarez," said Jo sympathetically.
+
+"Another call like that and I won't be tu hum," replied Juarez with a
+grin.
+
+"Next time take a look for'ard, lad," said the captain, who had joined
+the group in the shelter of the deck house; "we could never have
+picked you up on a dark night like this." Then he went back to his
+station on the bridge. The hardy old sailor would never have dreamed
+of making much ado about any accident no matter how serious. If the
+party came through alive, that was sufficient to show that it was not
+very bad. The Frontier Boys, too, had absorbed a good deal of that
+philosophy in the course of many dangers which they had so fortunately
+outlived.
+
+When daylight came, the _Sea Eagle_ had battered her way through the
+rough channel, its waters tortured by rapid currents and terrific
+cross seas, and was now pitching along the windward coast of the big
+Island of Hawaii, with its twin volcanic summits nearly fourteen
+thousand feet in height. It was not smooth going yet by any means, but
+better than during the night.
+
+"Get up, Tom, and look at the scenery." It was Jim's cheerful voice,
+addressed to Tom, who lay pale and rather wan in his bunk.
+
+"I've got no use for scenery," growled Tom, "unless I can get close
+enough to it to put my foot on it. I want something solid."
+
+"How would a beefsteak do, Tom?" It was Jo, who was looking over Jim's
+shoulder. At the mention of food, Tom seemed endowed with sudden
+energy and reached down, and grabbing up a shoe, hurled it at the two
+in the doorway. They ducked and the missile barely grazed the beard of
+the old captain, who was coming aft, and then it went overboard.
+
+"By Thundas!" he exclaimed, opening his eyes wide with surprise, "who
+kicked that?"
+
+"Tom threw it, sir," said Jim with a burst of laughter he could not
+control, at sight of the captain's astonished visage, "but he meant it
+for us, because we were guying him."
+
+"I'll forgive him on account of his intentions," grinned the captain.
+"I only wish he had swatted you."
+
+Tom was much relieved to hear this expression of opinion on the part
+of the captain, of whom he stood in considerable awe. From fright to
+relief was such a revulsion of feeling that Tom forgot to be sea-sick,
+and he began to mend from that moment, so that he was able to be
+present for duty when breakfast was served.
+
+"I thought you were sick abed," remarked Jim, opening his eyes with
+surprise.
+
+"I was," replied Tom, "until I threw up that shoe, now I feel fine and
+fit to eat a square meal."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+FAREWELL TO HAWAII
+
+
+Jeems Howell was the only one of the hardy Frontier group who was
+unable to be present at breakfast that fine morning.
+
+"How are you feeling, Jeems," inquired Jo, looking in upon the
+sufferer a little later. "Don't you think that you could eat a little
+something if you were propped up with pillows?"
+
+"No, no, lad," said Jeems sadly. "I feel that I ain't long for this
+world."
+
+"I don't know what you call it then," remarked the incorrigible Jo,
+"you are six feet four and that seems to me to be pretty long for this
+world or any other."
+
+Jeems laughed so heartily at this that he too began forthwith to
+recuperate. Then he got out on the land side of the deck and, though
+the sun was of a sufficient warmth to satisfy the most exacting, he
+kept a heavy shawl wrapped around his shoulders.
+
+"Durned old woman," growled the captain when he caught sight of the
+figure seated between the cabin and the rail. "He ought to be for'ard
+scrubbing deck."
+
+However, Skipper Jim was more lenient, and only laughed at the
+captain's severity, for he knew that the old fellow's bark was much
+worse than his bite. In fact, no work was being done aboard ship that
+morning, for all hands were given a chance for a long last look at
+Hawaii. Never again were they to behold a more beautiful scene than
+the panorama that traveled steadily along with the _Sea Eagle_ that
+morning.
+
+The soft radiance flooded the deeply azure sea, and the tropic island
+of vivid and varied green. The four boys stood leaning lazily on the
+ship's rail, gazing in silence at the view that was passing before
+them. Their sombreros shaded their eyes, but the glare from the water
+shone upon their faces of healthy bronze, and they did not seem to
+mind it in the least. The old captain sat upon the bridge in his old
+armchair, with his old comrade, the tortoise-shell cat, dozing and
+blinking at his feet, a true picture of furry felicity.
+
+So the crew of the _Sea Eagle_ passed in review this coast of Hawaii,
+with black precipices, that rose in a continuous line of palisades
+from out the sea, with no white beach shelving down. The great green
+surges, with the force of the Pacific behind them, rolled against
+the perpendicular walls, the dark surfaces of which were veined at
+frequent intervals by the silvery lines of the waterfalls, or graced
+by the vines which fell in straight lines, or were looped in varied
+shapes.
+
+Beyond these cliffs there rose the splendid slopes, with here and
+there groves of royal palms and slender cocoa trees, fit temples for
+the gods of ancient Hawaii who were supposed to dwell in streams and
+groves and mountains. Still higher up the mountain side grew the
+forests of creamy koa, inlaid among the dark-leaved kukui.
+
+At times the skirts of the clouds, heavy with moisture, dragged along
+the lower slopes, and a soft gloom would diffuse itself over the
+landscape. Then the sun would roll the mists aside for the moment, and
+the light would fall upon tropical vales, hills and mountain slopes,
+with all the vividness of the early spring and yet with the full, rich
+splendor of summer.
+
+No wonder the Frontier Boys were silent as they gazed upon this scene
+of varied and unusual beauty, so different from the wild and barren
+grandeur of the mountain ranges in their own country, and the arid
+deserts they had traveled over.
+
+"I'd hate to fall overboard here," exclaimed Tom, "it looks all-fired
+deep."
+
+"The captain says that along these island coasts," remarked Juarez,
+"is some of the deepest seas in the world."
+
+"Say, Jeems," cried Juarez to the invalid, "wade out here and see how
+deep it is."
+
+"If you really want to know I'll tell you," responded Jeems, the
+philosopher. "Off this coast it's between five and seven thousand
+feet."
+
+"Whew!" whistled Jim, "over a mile, how is that for down?"
+
+"It makes me shiver to think of it," exclaimed Tom.
+
+"Hello, boys!" cried Jeems, "there is a big fire over on the other
+side of the Island."
+
+"I should say!" commented Jim earnestly. "Look at that smoke rolling
+up."
+
+"It must be a forest fire," put in Jo. "Reminds me of our Colorado
+experiences."
+
+"I tell you what, boys, let's make a landing and take a look at it,"
+cried Juarez. "There's a fine harbor ahead of us!"
+
+Old Captain Kerns was taking a deep interest in the conversation, as
+was evident, as he looked down from the quarter deck at the boys.
+
+"What's that you lads were saying, about a big fire somewheres?" he
+inquired. "I hope it hain't aboard ship."
+
+"No, no, Captain," replied Jim reassuringly, "we meant that big smoke
+over on the other side of the island. Juarez wants to make a landing,
+so as we can see it to better advantage. We don't want to miss any
+excitement."
+
+"You lads are always so eager," replied the captain. "Why don't you
+wait until you get back here sometime?"
+
+"It will be burned out long before we get back," said Jo.
+
+"Well," said the captain slowly, "that smoke has been there for nigh
+onto a thousand years, and is liable to be there for some time yet.
+That's the volcano of Kiluæa."
+
+How the captain roared then; for an instant the boys were dumfounded,
+then they gave themselves up to hilarious mirth.
+
+"That's certainly one on us boys," cried Jim. "We can't tell a volcano
+when we see it. We ought to have stayed on the old farm and dug
+potatoes."
+
+After the ship had turned northward from the coast of Hawaii the boys
+set to work about their usual tasks aboard ship. Jim took the wheel;
+Juarez went below to work with the engineer, with whom he was quite
+chummy; Jeems and Jo scrubbed decks, while Tom was busy in the galley
+preparing the dinner. All the boys were pretty fair cooks, but Tom's
+cooking probably had more style to it, though he was not quite a
+French chef.
+
+The old captain had turned into his cabin on the quarter deck to take
+a good nap in his bunk, while the cat, whom he named Ulysses, both on
+account of his wisdom and because he had been a great traveler, was
+curled up in the chair beside him. So the day went quickly and
+cheerfully by,--the first day at sea.
+
+In the late afternoon all hands were on deck to take their last
+look at Hawaii, that was fast becoming a mythical island on the
+enchanted border of the horizon. The bulk of the Island of Hawaii
+was encompassed with an atmosphere of wonderful blue, rising from
+out the dusk, which shrouded the distant sea, and its two great
+volcanic cones, that rose to the glow of the sunset, were touched
+with a delicate pink.
+
+"We have had a fine time down there in Hawaii, boys," said Jim, "but
+I'm glad we are headed for home."
+
+"I suppose you will try to locate that lost mine in the Sierras?" said
+Tom, "that Jeems spoke about the other day."
+
+"If there is anything lost we are the ones to locate it," said Jo.
+"There is no doubt about that."
+
+"We must get Jeems to tell us more about it," said Jim. "Perhaps we
+can get him to tune up this evening after supper."
+
+"Time to put up the lights, Captain?" inquired Juarez.
+
+"Yes, Juarez," replied Jim. "You may attend to it."
+
+"I don't see what's the use," remarked Tom. "We won't probably see a
+ship until we get near the coast of California."
+
+"Don't make any difference," replied Jim. "That's the law of the sea
+and you can't ever tell what you will run against."
+
+Juarez did not wait to hear the discussion, but went after the red and
+the green lanterns. He placed the red on the starboard side for'ard in
+a wooden bracket well up, and the green was placed on the port side,
+or the left, and they shone through the bronze dusk that obscured the
+rolling sea, like separate jewels, the emerald and the ruby.
+
+It was a happy group that gathered around the supper table in the
+cabin that evening, for the boys were homeward bound. The windows
+of the skylight were wide open, because it was a typical tropical
+night--warm and balmy--and the great lamp that swung over the table
+with its brass reflector served to make it warmer still.
+
+"Tell us something more about that lost mine you were telling about
+the other day, Jeems," piped up Tom.
+
+"Don't tell Tom first," warned Jim, "because if you do, he will have
+all the shares sold before we arrive." There was a general laugh at
+this because Tom was strictly business when it came to money.
+
+"Wait till we get on deck, then I'll spout," said Jeems.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+JEEMS' STORY
+
+
+So the clan shortly after supper gathered at the after hatch on the
+main deck to hear what Jeems had to tell them in regard to this stray,
+lost, or stolen mine in the depths of the Sierra Nevadas. The captain
+was seated in his old chair upon the quarter deck, and, in the
+gloaming, puffing thoughtfully at his weathered old pipe, meditating,
+like as not, on the days of long ago, when he was as full of life as
+that bunch now talking and laughing on the main deck.
+
+"This is a fine old night," declared Jo, as he stretched himself
+comfortably out on the canvas cover of the hatch.
+
+"I never saw so many stars before," declared Tom, "must be a million
+in sight."
+
+"Not so, son," remarked Jeems. "There is not more than three thousand
+visible to the naked eye."
+
+"Go on with you," said Tom, conclusively, "you needn't tell me that.
+It's as much of a yarn as your story of the lost mine."
+
+"Don't mind him, Jeems," said Jim. "Let's hear your tale of woe about
+this mine that somebody lost."
+
+"Well," remarked Jeems, "if you children will be quiet and don't
+interrupt, I'll begin. First make yourselves comfortable."
+
+This the boys proceeded to do; Jim and Juarez stretched their long
+legs out on the deck, with their backs against the hatch, while Tom
+started to make himself content and at ease by using Jo's stomach for
+a pillow. This, however, did not agree with Jo's idea of comfort, or
+perhaps it was his stomach that it did not agree with. However that
+may be, there was a cat fight on the hatch, Jo and Tom grappling with
+each other and struggling over and over. Jim was about to jump in and
+separate them, when he saw that they were likely to roll off the hatch
+on to the deck, and then he would not have interfered for anything.
+
+The two combatants were so interested that they did not see or care.
+Then they poised on the edge and, as the ship gave a roll, over they
+went, just missing Jeems' shepherd dog, who was peacefully lying, nose
+over paws, upon the deck. This unexpected avalanche sent him howling
+for'ard for safety.
+
+Then still clutching each other they rolled into the scuppers, Tom
+striving to get a strangle hold on brother Jo, and the latter chugging
+Tom in the side with his free fist. At this juncture Jim took a hand,
+not in the interest of peace, but because he wanted to hear the
+shepherd's yarn. So he yanked them apart, none too gently.
+
+"Ain't you ashamed of yourselves?" exclaimed Jim severely, "mussing up
+my clean deck and scaring Jeems' dog into a fit."
+
+"I'm no sofa pillow," panted Jo. "Tom will find that out."
+
+"I'll put you children on either side of the hatch if you don't
+behave," advised Jim, "and make you sit there."
+
+"Like to see you try it," replied Tom belligerently.
+
+"Send 'em to bed without any supper," put in Juarez jocosely.
+
+"I'd give 'em a taste of the rope's end."
+
+It was the old captain's voice rumbling down from the quarter deck.
+He, too, had been aroused by the sound of the scuffle. Tom glanced up
+at him with an apprehensive eye, for he stood in considerable awe of
+the old sailor, and quieted right down.
+
+"They will be good boys now, Captain," grinned Jim. "Their feelings
+were temporarily upset."
+
+"It seemed to be an upset of some kind," replied the captain with a
+grim smile, and went back to his chair.
+
+Peace being restored, Jeems began his narrative in the slow,
+drawling manner characteristic of his mode of speech. He was leaning
+forward with his elbows on his knees, and his gray eyes--large and
+open--seemed to be looking dreamily over the dusky sea, that was
+rolling languidly through the warm darkness of the night.
+
+"It was a some different sort of night than this when I first heard
+tell of the mine, which maybe you boys think you will find some trace
+of, being young and hopeful and full of action."
+
+"Now, Jeems, don't get personal," warned Jim. "We aren't as young as
+we act."
+
+"I know it, Skipper," admitted Jeems; "but as I was going to tell you,
+this night I was speaking of, it had started in to snow something
+fierce. I was young then myself, and had been prospectin' all day and
+had come home to my little cabin that was under the shelter of a huge
+ledge in the mid-Sierras.
+
+"I can tell you, lads, I was mighty glad to be out of the storm that
+night, and I pitied any poor prospector who might be caught out in it.
+My cabin was smaller than the one I had on the Island off the coast,
+where you first discovered me, but it was comfortable and warm, and
+well sheltered from the wind.
+
+"I had built a big stone fireplace in one corner of the cabin, and had
+big sticks of pine piled up to the roof and a lot just outside of the
+door. You know how pitch pine will burn."
+
+"Needn't tell us," cried the audience in chorus.
+
+"Besides wood, I had enough grub to stand a siege, as I was always
+forehanded."
+
+"Must have been durn lonesome," commented Jo. "Grub and firewood ain't
+everything."
+
+"That sort of business would just suit me," put in Juarez.
+
+"Well, I wasn't entirely alone," said the shepherd.
+
+"Wife with you?" cut in Tom, who could be over-smart at times. Jim
+noticed that the shepherd winced at the careless question, and he put
+a grip on Tom's knee that meant that the said Tom had better keep his
+mouth shut.
+
+"A man don't take his wife into such a wilderness as that," said Jim.
+
+"Go on, Jeems, and there won't be any more personal interruptions."
+
+"Well, Skipper, as I was agoin' to say, I had with me a big hound,
+one that had followed me on my trips ever since he was a puppy. A
+prospector had given him to me when I was sluicing for gold on Rainbow
+Creek. He was a smooth, black-skinned dog, with stubby ears, and a jaw
+on him like a prize fighter. He was equal to anything in a fight short
+of a grizzly, and I valued his company considerable, I can tell you."
+
+"I should like to have seen a scrap between him and Captain Graves'
+Santa Anna." (This was on the back trail when the Frontier Boys were
+in Colorado), said Juarez.
+
+"Get Jo and Tom to mixing it," laughed Jim, "and you'll have some idea
+of what it would be like."
+
+At this point the boys were surprised to see Jeems become angry at
+Juarez's innocent interruption. It was the first time that the boys
+had ever seen Jeems Howell anything but good-natured, no matter what
+happened, or what prank was played on him. But, as Jo remarked later,
+"Human nature is a mighty uncertain business, and everybody has got a
+cranky spot in 'em if you just happen to strike it at the explosive
+time." Which is a mighty true observation, which you can prove to your
+own satisfaction any day in the week. The writer being example No. 1,
+and you, indulgent reader, example No. 2.
+
+Jim and Juarez, by their combined and genial efforts, pulled Jeems out
+of the sulks and on to his own sunny level once more. Then he took up
+his narrative again.
+
+"Well, boys, it don't seem that I have got any right to criticize that
+black hound's temper, considering my own."
+
+"Anybody is apt to get riled once in a lifetime, Jeems," said Jim,
+"even Tom here has been known to act up occasionally." Tom joined in
+the laugh because he had a notoriously quick temper, and complete
+serenity was restored.
+
+"That hound would never make friends with anyone except me," continued
+Jeems, "and I could always depend on his watchfulness to warn me of
+the approach of any marauder. It was a wild country, and with bad
+Indians and worse white men you always had to be on your guard. Still
+on this night I tell ye of, the storm was so wild and fierce that I
+did not believe anyone would be abroad who had any sort of a place to
+stay in.
+
+"Before turning in, I stepped outside to see how things were going.
+The hound followed close on my heels. I closed the door tight and
+stood in the darkness with my old gray hat pulled down close around my
+head. I could scarcely see. The snow was swirling from the ledge above
+my cabin, and was blown out in great sheets into the night.
+
+"Then the hound began to growl kind of low, and his hair was
+bristling, but he did not show any sudden desire to take a jump down
+the mountain side, as he would under ordinary circumstances, and I
+didn't urge him because I thought he showed mighty good sense."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+THE LOST MINE
+
+
+"'Anybody down thar?' I yelled, but my voice was blown down my throat,
+and you couldn't have heard it six feet away, as the wind was doing
+all the talking that night. So I stepped back into my cabin, followed
+by the dog, who kept growling to himself like a man with a grouch.
+
+"No sooner was I inside than I let the heavy bar down across the door,
+and, when it fell into place, I drew a full breath, for I felt nervous
+at the action of the dog, and it was terrible lonesome, just as bad as
+being adrift on a raft in this ocean."
+
+"I'd take the land every time," cut in Tom. "It's what's under you
+makes you so scarey on the ocean."
+
+"I don't know but that the constant motion of the sea makes it kind of
+company for a man," remarked Jim.
+
+"Don't tell me that," said the shepherd with a quizzical look in his
+eyes, "from my recent experience that same motion will separate you
+from what is nearest to you. Anyhow, after I had put on a big log of
+pine on the coals in the fireplace, and the flame began to blaze up, I
+felt more cheerful, for it seemed to make my cabin alive with a hearty
+glow.
+
+"After I had toasted my blankets thoroughly, I wrapped them around me,
+and laid down near the fire, with my rifle near me. The big hound was
+just back a bit, between me and the door, and I felt quite secure and
+perfectly comfortable. I was tired, too, for I had been working hard
+all day, and I soon dropped off into a sound sleep.
+
+"I do not know how long I had slept, when I sat up suddenly throwing
+the blankets off from me and grabbing my rifle. The fire had died down
+and there was that chill in the air that cramps a man's blood. The
+cabin was full of shadows, except the dying glow on the stone hearth.
+The dog had risen and was growling towards the door. Then I heard the
+blow of a stick, I suppose it was, against the door.
+
+"I tell you, it made me feel scared, coming in the dead of night, in
+such a lonesome, utterly desolate place. I was kind of superstitious
+in those days, too, and I was afraid of what was outside there,
+because it didn't seem possible for anything human to have reached my
+isolated cabin on such a night. Again came the blow upon the door;
+then I crossed to the window and very cautiously looked out.
+
+"It had evidently heard me or divined that I was at the window, for I
+saw pressed against the pane and almost touching my face, it seemed,
+the dark visage of a man with wild, black eyes. The dog saw him too,
+but as he did not seem to be inspired with his usual ferocity, I
+decided to take a chance and let him in. I would not have kept the Old
+Boy himself out on a night like that.
+
+"So with my weapon ready, I unbarred the door, and the man stumbled
+in. I saw that he was not an American, but belonged to some dark race,
+probably a Spaniard. When I got a good look at his face, I saw that my
+unbidden guest was no other than Rodrigo Sandez, who was fabled all
+through that region to have found the entrance to the famous Lost
+Mine, whose wealth had been coupled with legends for many years.
+
+"It seems that this mine had been known to the earliest Spanish
+explorers, many of whom went back to Spain fabulously rich. Then, for
+many years, all trace had been lost of it, and numerous miners and
+prospectors laughed incredulously at any mention of it. Then came
+Rodrigo Sandez with his friend, who likewise was Spanish, or as I
+think Spanish-Mexican, and rediscovered the Lost Mine, probably
+through some information long hidden, that had come to them in Mexico,
+through some unknown sources.
+
+"The man was half frozen from exposure to the elements, and when he
+was thawed out physically, it did the same for his powers of speech.
+I eagerly hoped that he would have something to say that would give me
+a clue to the whereabouts of that mine, not that I expected he would
+make me his heir, but I was anxious to make a stake in those days, for
+one reason, if not for another, so I had hopes.
+
+"In the three weeks that he stayed in my cabin before the storm broke,
+not a hint could I get out of him, though he would talk volubly about
+other matters, telling me of his travels in Mexico and South America.
+All the time he was with me I kept wondering what had become of his
+partner, but when I had it on the tip of my tongue to ask him,
+something in his manner of looking at me held me back.
+
+"Physically he was not impressive, this man, being short and stocky.
+His complexion was very dark, and his hair was short and bristly.
+But there was a peculiar power in his eyes at times, and when he was
+disturbed about anything, instead of becoming sharp and brilliant they
+took on a kind of glaze, that gave you a creepy feeling when he looked
+at you.
+
+"I might say right here that though Sandez and his partner had been
+trailed many times in the effort to find where this mine was located,
+they were always lost track of. Either they dropped out of sight as
+though the earth had swallowed them, or something happened to the
+party that was following them.
+
+"When Sandez left my cabin to go on his way south, the weather having
+cleared, I decided to take up his back trail in hope of finding some
+trace of his partner, and thus getting a possible clue to the location
+of the mine. So I started out one clear, cold day, with my dog for
+guide and company.
+
+"I knew the general direction that the two partners traveled, for
+their trail was not lost until they had gone some twenty miles
+northwest of my cabin. I made fast time over the frozen snow on my
+skis, until by noon I had covered nigh onto fifteen miles. The dog
+was trotting along ahead of me when suddenly he disappeared into a
+deep gulch.
+
+"In a second or two he set up a howl long-drawn-out and I knew then
+that he had found the quarry. I discovered the body of the man under
+some thick bushes at the bottom of the gulch. He had not been frozen
+to death either, for there was a slit in his back, where the knife had
+been driven.
+
+"No wonder that I had found it hard to ask the Señor Sandez what had
+become of his partner. Here was the answer. It was evident that this
+deed of treachery had been the end of a bitter quarrel, perhaps over
+the division of the wealth or some other matter of dispute. I always
+felt that there was more back of it than appeared on the surface. I
+found nothing to establish the identity of the dead man, neither his
+name nor his place of residence.
+
+"I did find, however, in an inner pocket the picture of a rather
+pretty Spanish woman, and on the back of it was drawn a diagram
+showing a certain part of the mountain. I instantly jumped to the
+conclusion that it was the clue to the Lost Mine. I spent several
+months thereafter trying to locate the place. I got most of the way
+by the map and then I came to a mark that fooled me completely, and
+I lost the trail."
+
+"What did you do with that diagram, Jeems?" asked Jim intently.
+
+"I kept it back of a rock in the chimney of my cabin, and it's there
+yet for all I know."
+
+"Unless the mountain rats have chewed it up," remarked Tom gloomily.
+
+"I suppose you can find that cabin of yours, can't you?" inquired
+Juarez.
+
+"It's a good many years, but I reckon I could," Jeems replied.
+
+"Well, I reckon you will have the chance," said Jim, "just as soon as
+we land."
+
+"That yarn of yours was not only interesting, Jeems, but it has some
+practical value," remarked Jo.
+
+"Ahoy there, Skipper," boomed out the old captain's voice from the
+quarter deck. "It's about time the man at the wheel was relieved." Jim
+sprang to his feet, and gave his head a hard thump with his fist to
+wake himself up.
+
+"Right, Captain," he replied, "I've been sitting here listening to a
+yarn and forgetting my work. Jo, to the wheel. I'll stand watch."
+
+Then he leaped up the steep steps leading to the quarter deck, closely
+followed by Jo, who took Pete's place at the wheel, while that worthy
+went below; and the captain turned into his cabin on the quarter deck
+without more ado. If anyone besides Jim had been so forgetful, there
+would have been a vast amount of growling on his part, but Jim was a
+favorite.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+WORKING THE SHIP
+
+
+It was now ten o'clock, and the ship steadily held her way over the
+plunging seas, and the wind came from out the vague spaces of the
+night, not chill, but bracing. How Jim loved it! Sometimes he felt
+when he was pacing the deck at night on watch, that he liked the ocean
+even better than the mountains.
+
+As he strode back and forth he thought and pondered over Jeems' story.
+Suppose they should find this rich pocket mine of gold in the Sierras,
+what would they do with the money? Jim was not grasping and the mere
+idea of getting rich did not appeal to him. "A fool can make money,"
+he had sometimes said, "but it takes a wise man to spend it." Then he
+brought his fist down hard upon the rail.
+
+"I've got it, Jo," he cried, "if we find that mine, we will take a
+trip around the world and see if we can't discover something new.
+We've got the ship already."
+
+"What do we need of more money?" asked Jo. "Let's head her around now
+and strike out for the Philippines. We have got some of that treasure
+left that we discovered in Mexico."
+
+"I wonder what Pap would say," replied Jim, lowering his voice, "if he
+found that he had been shanghied in any such fashion. I suspicion that
+there would be a mutiny aboard this craft."
+
+"I forgot about him," admitted Jo.
+
+"Another thing, you don't realize how much money it takes to keep a
+yacht going, even if we are under sail part of the time. This boat has
+got to be overhauled when we get to port. Drydocked for one thing,
+liable to cost $500; then the engines will have to be overhauled. Next
+coal and provisions----"
+
+"I reckon we had better discover that mine," agreed Jo.
+
+"That's where you show your good sense," concluded Jim.
+
+So as the schooner yacht went northward following her unseen path
+through the darkness, the boys' minds were busy with their plans for
+the future. For one, I envy them their buoyant freedom, their hearty
+comradeship, and their chance for new and varying adventure. Yet they
+had earned much of the good fortune that had come to them by their
+pluck in danger and their cheerful endurance of hardship.
+
+At two o'clock Tom was called on deck to take the wheel, and Jeems
+Howell to stand watch. Not a very strong maritime team, to be sure,
+but with the calm mild weather it was safe enough, and the captain
+was near at hand if any trouble should arise suddenly from out the
+darkness of the sea.
+
+"Do you suppose you two land lubbers can manage, without running us
+aground?" inquired Jim.
+
+"Aye, aye, sir!" replied Jeems cheerfully.
+
+"I'm just as liable to run this thing in a circle," replied Tom, "and
+we will butt into Hawaii before we know it."
+
+As a matter of fact, the boys were all pretty fair sort of sailors by
+this time, in a kind of make-shift practical way. They had received
+good instruction from old Pete, and capable supervision from the old
+captain, and it gave them confidence to have him back of them in case
+anything unusual should come up.
+
+Juarez, who was really a mechanical genius, went below in the
+engine-room to relieve the engineer. He spent his happiest hours in a
+pair of greasy jumpers working over the engine, feeding it with oil,
+polishing it until it shone, and giving it constant attention. The
+taciturn engineer had taken quite a fancy to Juarez, who was himself
+as silent as an Indian. He had taught Juarez a great deal about his
+intricate trade, and the pupil had been quick to profit, always
+watching and observing, and saying little.
+
+It seemed to Juarez that he was at the center of things when he was
+watching over the throbbing, steady, ceaseless movement of the engine;
+and shut off from the outside world, his thoughts seemed to time with
+the steady, powerful harmony of the mechanism, with its living spirit
+of steam within the polished framework. Many a boy who reads these
+lines will envy Juarez Hoskins, assistant engineer of the _Sea Eagle_,
+and will understand his feelings perhaps even better than the writer.
+
+Nor did Juarez mind the heat, as with the jumper fastened over his
+brown naked shoulders, and bare head, he went busily about the
+engine-room whistling softly to himself. Old Pete passed near on his
+way into the hold, and in a short time up came the boy stoker, black
+as a gnome and cheerful as a darkey, for he was Irish, which I take to
+be a Hibernian remark.
+
+Thus with the exception of Pete the Frontier Boys were in charge of
+their ship and running it all right too. There was no question that
+this practise cruise to Hawaii was a fine thing for them, and after it
+was over they would be well qualified to take the _Sea Eagle_ wherever
+their fancy might dictate, or where necessity might require.
+
+The next morning broke bright and balmy and the boys settled down
+to regular sea routine: scrubbing decks, steering, polishing the
+brasswork, and last, but not least, cooking. Some things were now
+present on the bill of fare which were absent when they sailed from
+the coast. For instance, there were bananas, some yellow and ripe,
+others a bright green which would ripen on the voyage.
+
+There was also half a bushel of mangoes, a most delicious fruit of
+juicy yellow meat, and a tart flavor hidden among its sweetness. There
+was also a small barrel of poi, the staple Hawaiian article of diet,
+of which the boys had grown very fond during their short sojourn in
+Hawaii. It was a thick bluish paste, and most nutritious.
+
+Poi was made from a native root called taro, of mottled bluish-white
+meat. This was pounded up with water to a thick consistency and
+according to the native custom eaten from bowls into which the two
+forefingers were dipped, whirled around and then transferred quickly
+and gracefully to the mouth. It was an interesting spectacle to see
+Tom, for instance, seated on a hatch, his bare legs crossed before
+him, and a bowl of poi between them. Then Tom would throw his head
+back and pop his two fingers into his mouth with much and evident
+enjoyment.
+
+Now poi is very fattening and the boys used to tease Jeems Howell
+about his getting a corporation, as he was naturally as thin as a
+slab. "You would look funny waddling around the deck, Jeems," said
+Jim, "and the fat shaking on your tummy when you laughed."
+
+"Could use me for ballast then, Skipper," he would remark, "but I
+ain't worrying any. When I see myself fat I'll believe it and not
+before."
+
+One day the dead calm of sea monotony was broken by a breeze of
+excitement. It was morning and Tom was at the wheel, while on the
+bridge was Juarez keeping a sharp lookout, as was his custom, although
+there was not much to expect in the way of interest. As far as
+sighting a sail, that was most unlikely, for this part of the ocean
+through which they were traveling was nothing but a blue desert, as
+far as other ships were concerned.
+
+"What's that coming now?" cried Juarez. "I can't make it out."
+
+"Where?" asked Tom eagerly.
+
+"Low down on the northeast quarter," said Juarez.
+
+"I see what you mean," remarked Tom, but he too was puzzled.
+
+"I'll get the glass," suggested Juarez.
+
+This done, he took a good long pull at it, his legs well braced
+against the roll of the ship, and making a very nautical figure
+indeed. Then he made out the enemy clearly; three big black hulls
+they were, and then from the bow of one a column of steam--or was
+it water?--went slanting into the air. Juarez's frame stiffened
+with interest and excitement.
+
+"Whales!" he cried.
+
+"What's that, lad?" It was the captain, who was supposedly asleep in
+his cabin, which was the deck house, but he responded quickly to the
+magic word, "Whales."
+
+"Gimme the glass," he ordered, his hand outstretched. The boys watched
+him with interested attention. "Three of 'em," he cried. "Gosh! I wish
+I was younger."
+
+By this time the whole Frontier gang was present on the quarter deck
+looking at the dark spots on the blue ocean that now had become
+visible to the naked eye. To say that they were interested was to put
+it very mildly. There was a strange interest to these marine monsters.
+
+"Let's get one of those fellows," cried Juarez. "We have a couple of
+harpoons."
+
+"Get ready, boys," cried Jim. "It's a go."
+
+"What!" roared the captain. "You boys can't spear a whale even if you
+did get nigh him. He would spank you to kingdom come with his tail.
+You stay right here where I can keep an eye on you. The idea of you
+tackling a whale. Why, it's plumb ridiculous. Just a passel of kittens
+when it comes to whaling." Then he stopped to blow, entirely
+exhausted.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+DANGEROUS WORK
+
+
+However foolhardy the proposition, the boys were determined, and then
+they were in the majority, so they overruled the captain. A chance
+like that was not to be permitted to slip. They had hunted bears,
+mountain lions, Indians, outlaws, ducks and much other game, but never
+had whales come within range before, and at least they were going to
+try to make their preliminary acquaintance.
+
+"Well, boys, as I ain't responsible to your parents, yer might jest as
+well end yer lives by the flap of a whale's tail as go on to be hung,
+because that, in my opinion, will come to you sooner or later, being
+so reckless." But down in his heart the old fellow was pleased with
+their enterprise and pluck.
+
+"Better come along and take care of us, Captain," urged Jim, "so these
+fellows won't bite us."
+
+"All the fishing I'll ever do now will be for minnows over the rail,"
+replied the captain. "My whaling days are over."
+
+"The only whaling I know about," remarked Jo, "was what I used to get
+in school."
+
+"You would get some more of the same kind now," remarked Jim briefly,
+"if I could spare the time."
+
+"Now, you have to spare the rod," replied the irrepressible and
+irresponsible Jo. He ducked quickly as Jim hit at him, but there was
+no time for further discipline or discussion, so Jo escaped the
+merited punishment that was due him.
+
+The boat was lowered, and the harpoon with its apparently endless
+coil of rope, was made ready. All this was done under the careful
+instruction of Captain Kerns, who knew the business of whaling
+thoroughly, and was determined that the venturesome boys should not be
+entirely helpless through ignorance. As for the harpoon, that was the
+property originally of the former owner of the _Sea Eagle_, Captain
+Bill Broom, of interesting memory. What pleasure he would have felt to
+see the Frontier Boys start out on their perilous expedition, sure
+that the whales would wreak vengeance upon the daring boys who had
+finally given him such a bitter defeat!
+
+Everything was now ready, and the selected crew was prepared to pull
+away from the ship. They were delaying only for a few last words and
+instructions. Nor was the crew of the boat made up exactly as the
+reader might imagine, for Tom was left aboard and Jeems Howell was
+taken in his place.
+
+There were two reasons for this. In the first place, Jeems, though
+lanky and thin, was really very strong and could do better work at
+the oars than Tom; the other reason had to do with an incident that
+happened in the attack the boys had made on a sand cone in the crater
+of Haleakala, the said cone being defended by a number of savages.
+
+Tom had at that time failed to protect Jim when he was attacking the
+savages, due to nervousness, and Jeems had to come to the rescue. I do
+not know whether he appreciated the distinction of being chosen on
+this particular occasion or not, but he had to accept the honor thus
+thrust upon him.
+
+"Good-bye, Tom," cried Jim; "I'll leave you my blessing, if the whale
+takes a chaw out of us."
+
+"I'd rather you would leave me something valuable like your gold
+watch," replied the mercenary Tom.
+
+"I'll make you my sole heir, Tommy," cried Jo. "I've got some debts
+back home that you can have." Then the boat pulled away from the ship.
+
+"Don't forget, lads," roared the captain in farewell, "that whales
+ain't fools because they are big. Look out for 'em."
+
+"Aye, aye, sir," came back the answer clear and strong.
+
+"Good luck," yelled the captain, and the boys waved their hands in
+reply.
+
+But no sooner had they pulled away than he got the other boat ready to
+launch in case it should be needed and a couple of life preservers
+were gotten ready, with a line attached, for no one knew better than
+the old sailor the dangerous undertaking on which the boys had
+launched.
+
+Meanwhile they were making good time over the slow, lazy swell towards
+the whales that could be seen floating easily along two miles distant.
+Jo was pulling the stroke oars, and Jeems was pulling the other pair
+directly behind him. Jo was a fair oarsman and Jeems was capable of
+keeping up with him.
+
+They discovered that there was an excitement and interest in rowing on
+the ocean that was not present in the same form of exercise on a lake
+or river, for there was a vitality, breadth and power about the sea
+that was lacking in the others. I tell you, they felt rather small
+and puny as they pulled the boat steadily over the swells that played
+gently with their craft, as though the old ocean was in a lazy playful
+mood, just like a tiger when it rolls sinuously upon its back fondling
+some object.
+
+Jim was in the bow of the boat, ready to use the harpoon when the time
+should come. Once or twice he stood up in the bow and plunged it down
+into the blue bosom of a rounded wave with all his force, the water
+slashing white from the track of the tearing weapon.
+
+"Better save your strength," warned Juarez, who was at the steering
+oar.
+
+"Just getting warmed up, lad," said Jim.
+
+"Think you can fetch him, Jim?" inquired Jo anxiously.
+
+"Sure," replied his older brother confidently. "I reckon a whale is no
+tougher than a grizzly, and we've got them."
+
+"Not with a harpoon," remarked Jeems Howell. "You won't be more than
+able to tickle the leviathan with that weapon."
+
+But Jim scoffed at his prophecy, for there was this about James
+that helped him in a crisis like the present, that he had perfect
+confidence in himself which had been fortified by several narrow
+escapes. But here was an occasion where his good luck in danger was
+apt to be thoroughly tried out.
+
+"Whales are something like elephants, it seems to me," said Jeems
+Howell. "They are big, dangerous and very intelligent."
+
+"The elephant beats the whale when it comes to ears," remarked Juarez.
+
+"But makes it up with his tail," laughed Jeems.
+
+"Now, boys," warned Jim, "be careful; no more talking. We will soon be
+within range."
+
+A strained, intense silence settled over the boat. All was expectation
+and suppressed excitement. I do not suppose that the gentle reader can
+realize the feeling of the boys at this moment, as he has probably
+never stalked a whale in the open ocean, but perhaps he can imagine
+something of what they felt.
+
+One thing favored the young whale hunters, and that was the fact that
+the whales were taking things very softly and slowly, their big bodies
+barely moving through the water. They seemed to be enjoying the calm
+of the clear morning, and were taking an ocean stroll as it were.
+
+The bull, some sixty feet in length, was in the lead; at some little
+distance to the east was the cow and a young whale near her side. It
+was a wonderful sight to see the big black fellow forging slowly in
+advance, his head a long, square promontory rising from the water, and
+his body a half-submerged island.
+
+But what power and strength was there in that great body and what
+temerity it was for the boys to tackle him; they should have been glad
+to let him go on his way unmolested, if he would do the same for them.
+But the boys had no such thought. Under the silent direction of Jim's
+hand the boat made a circle and swept around back of the great mammal
+coming up on the far side. As the chase came near its end the pulses
+of the boys quickened. There was a wonderful excitement in closing in
+with this king of all the oceans.
+
+Jim crouched in the bow, the harpoon clutched in his right hand. Now
+the boat was within fifty feet of the whale, who was evidently not
+yet aware of their near proximity, as he could not see anything
+approaching along the side. It was indeed a thrilling moment. Jim rose
+to his full height in the bow, with the harpoon poised above his
+shoulder, a powerful and athletic figure.
+
+The boat was now alongside the monster, and then with all his strength
+of body, arm and shoulder, he plunged the harpoon down deep into the
+great black body, following the instructions of the captain as near
+as he could; he was but an amateur, after all, and he missed a vital
+spot.
+
+"Back up, boys!" he yelled.
+
+Down dug the poised oars into the water, and the boat tried
+frantically to get out of the deadly circumference of the wounded
+whale's wrath. Instead of sounding down, as he would have done if
+vitally wounded, he thrashed and pounded the ocean into foam. There
+was no escape for the boat apparently.
+
+With an exclamation of horror, Captain Kerns turned his ship's prow
+straight for the scene of the disaster, for he saw what had happened.
+It was enough to startle even a man so hardened to sights of danger as
+the captain. As for Tom, when he saw the beginning of the accident, he
+pressed his hand close against his eyes to shut out what promised to
+be terrible destruction for his two brothers, and his two tried
+comrades.
+
+Pete was at the wheel, his old weathered face pale and intent upon the
+scene not so distant. He had grown fond of the boys and could scarcely
+bear to look upon their overwhelming danger.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+WHAT THEY SAW
+
+
+When the whale was in his first flurry of pain, he sent the boat high
+into the air with one stroke of his mighty tail, and like loose
+articles the boys were scattered out of it into the boiling vortex of
+water. This was the sight that had called forth the alarm on board the
+_Sea Eagle_, and made the captain spring to quick action.
+
+No time was to be lost, for the boys were as helpless as straws in
+the maelstrom. One thing was fortunate, they were all pretty fair
+swimmers, but that would not help them if the whale should, in his
+fury, chance to see them. But here, their very insignificance saved
+them from his first rush. The mother and her young had taken the alarm
+and were forging away to the southward.
+
+The boys were now but several dark spots in the swirling waters. Jo
+had the closest call, for one of the flukes of the whale's tail swept
+a huge wave over him, and he thought he was going to be carried to the
+bottom of the ocean. Jim at the very first had called out a warning,
+"Boys, keep away from the boat." It was a lucky thing that he did so.
+For as soon as the whale caught sight of it he made a furious surge
+for it, and, opening his great jaws, he caught it squarely across the
+middle.
+
+There was a crunching sound, only more intense, as when a dog crushes
+a bone. As Jo said afterward, "It wasn't more than a toothpick for
+him." Meanwhile the boys were swimming in the opposite direction as
+fast as their arms and feet could propel them. The whale now became
+aware of a new enemy bearing down upon him.
+
+Only this was even larger than he was, though of the same color. It
+was making a chug-chug sound as it came towards him. In the dim brain
+of the whale was an idea struggling for birth. Was this a strange sea
+monster that was going to contest with him the supremacy of the seas,
+or was it some of his antediluvian ancestors come back to earth, I
+mean to sea, again?
+
+There the reasoning of the whale stopped. A sudden blind fury came
+over him and he charged for the _Sea Eagle_. Two rifle shots rang out
+from the deck of the ship, and one tore deep into the black carcass.
+Then the monster threw his flukes into the air and down he sounded
+towards the depths of the sea.
+
+In a moment the yacht was alongside the exhausted swimmers, and they
+were hauled aboard. Jeems Howell was about done for, and had to be
+worked over for some time; Jo also had shipped considerable salt
+water, but Jim and Juarez were in tolerable condition considering the
+experience they had been through.
+
+"I hope you lads are satisfied now," grumbled the captain.
+
+"He chawed our boat to kindling wood," said Jim, looking ruefully to
+where the fragments strewed the sea.
+
+"He would have done the same by you, if we hadn't come along,"
+remarked the captain. "Served you right, too."
+
+"I hate not getting him, that's what worries me," said Jim.
+
+"How did you feel when he tilted you and the boat up in the air?"
+inquired Tom curiously.
+
+"Can't say," replied Jim. "It was so sudden, and I didn't take any
+notes."
+
+"I felt like I was going to be another Jonah," remarked Jo feebly.
+
+"He's the Jonah," remarked the captain, pointing a contemptuous thumb
+at Jeems, who had just gotten to his feet.
+
+"How can I ever thank you, Captain?" asked Jeems Howell, who had a sly
+streak of humor at times. "You saved my life at the risk of your own.
+It was a noble deed, and one long----"
+
+"Oh, g'wan with you," cried the captain. "I don't want none of your
+banquet speeches."
+
+To escape the infliction, he retreated to the quarter deck, where he
+stood ready to repel any thankful survivors who might creep upon him.
+Tom was busy asking questions about the whole unfortunate business,
+for he had a very inquisitive mind, had Tom. Jeems, however, was the
+only one among the gallant survivors inclined to humor him. Jim was
+looking longingly over the expanse of ocean, not thinking of his
+dripping clothes, but as though he had lost something, as indeed he
+had. He was minus one large whaleboat and one small boat. It was not
+the boat, however, that he was looking for, and no one but Jim would
+have taken a continued interest in his whaleship but would have given
+him up for lost.
+
+[Illustration: "JIM STOOD PREPARED TO AIM."--P. 61.]
+
+"There he blows!" he cried suddenly. "Let's try for him again."
+
+"No more of that," roared the captain. "Not while I'm alive on this
+boat." Jim smiled. He had not really intended to go after him in the
+boat because he realized how foolhardy such a performance would be,
+but he had another scheme in mind, and he prepared to carry it out.
+
+"Come on, boys, let's give him a shot from the cannon," he cried.
+
+"That's the idea!" exclaimed Juarez. "We will bring the ship up close
+enough to get a good aim."
+
+"I'd like to get even with him for the kick he gave me," cried Jo
+viciously.
+
+"Well, you boys are the beatingest," remarked the captain.
+
+But he made no objection to this plan, and took the wheel himself, so
+as to maneuver the _Sea Eagle_ to within good striking distance of
+the big mammal. Meanwhile, the boys lost no time in getting the small
+cannon ready for the fray. All was excitement and energy. Here was a
+target worth shooting at. The whale seemed to be resting after his
+recent exertions, and was rolling easily on the surface of the ocean.
+
+Tom stripped the jacket of canvas from the shining gun of brass,
+Juarez and Jo got the ammunition from the hold, and soon had the
+charge ready to fire. Jim stood prepared to aim. The boys waited
+impatiently for the right moment to come, when the yacht would be
+as close to the quarry as it would be wise to venture. Steadily the
+little ship bore down toward the whale, keeping half quartered to it.
+
+It seemed that he must take alarm and the boys held their breath
+in fear lest the monster should take fright and make a sudden
+disappearance into the depths. The harpoon still sticking high up on
+his side gave a line to aim by. Then Jim depressed the muzzle of the
+cannon until it was point blank at the long black target now shelving
+up from the blue surface of the ocean. Just as the whale wakened to
+his danger, Jim pulled the lanyard and fired. There was a roar, a
+white gush of smoke, and the shell tore into the vitals of the great
+whale.
+
+Then there was action to which the disturbance when the whale was
+harpooned was a mere flurry. He thrashed the ocean into foam and the
+blood from his wound dyed the waters crimson. At last he rose bodily
+in the air and fell back upon the surface of the ocean with a mighty
+whack that could have been heard for miles. The waters retreated from
+his fall in great waves that made the little steamer rock.
+
+There was great jubilation on the deck of the _Sea Eagle_ when
+Jim made that shot, which was not so remarkable either, when one
+considers the size of the target and the nearness of the object aimed
+at. But the captain was decidedly enthusiastic over Jim's success,
+and clapped him heartily on the back with manifest approval.
+
+"You ought to be in the navy, lad," he cried. "You are a born American
+gunner. Old Paul Jones ought to have had you."
+
+"That wasn't a hard shot, Captain," remarked Jim. "It was your
+navigating that really deserves the credit."
+
+"Too bad we have to leave him," said the captain. "That fellow would
+be good for a lot of oil."
+
+"I should like a closer look at him," urged Jim. "I believe I'll lower
+the other boat and board him."
+
+"I reckon he can't do you any harm now, Skipper," said the captain,
+"and I suppose a whale does look cur'us to you. I see by that harpoon
+that you made a pretty good shot with the iron; just a little nearer
+to the shoulder and you would have fetched him."
+
+The boat was all ready to lower and in a jiffy they had it in the
+water. Tom was allowed to go along this time, but Jeems Howell was
+among the missing, he absolutely and steadfastly refused to go on
+the excursion.
+
+"Come along, Jeems," urged Jo. "You never saw a dead whale."
+
+"But I have seen a live one, and my curiosity is satisfied," replied
+Jeems.
+
+"He won't bite you, jump in," said Tom, who was quite brave now.
+
+"How do I know that he is really dead?" replied Jeems. "Like as not he
+will give a last flop and crush you. The deck for me."
+
+Realizing that it was useless to urge Jeems the boys pulled away from
+the _Sea Eagle_, and rowed over to the dead whale.
+
+"My! but he is a monster," said Juarez. "Let's board him."
+
+"All right," agreed Jim.
+
+So Tom jammed the bow of the boat against the whale's side, and the
+three J's--Jim, Jo and Juarez--made a landing on Whale Island. It made
+Jo feel a little squeamish standing upon the mass of the dead monster
+that yielded under his foot. It seemed that his tread must surely
+cause the whale to make a final effort to get rid of his enemies.
+
+"He must be all of seventy feet," cried Jim, pacing as far as he
+could.
+
+"His head is eight or ten feet long," said Juarez.
+
+"Too bad you can't take some of him for a souvenir," said Tom.
+
+"We are mighty glad that he didn't get any of us for a souvenir,"
+remarked Jo.
+
+"I'm going to get my harpoon any way," said Jim. As he wrenched at
+it, the whale suddenly rose with a gentle heave, and Jo was almost
+paralyzed with fright, and even Juarez turned somewhat pale. However,
+it was only an unusually large wave that had raised the whale up and
+allowed the placid carcass to slide down again.
+
+"Ahoy there, squall coming!" hailed the captain's voice from the
+quarter deck of the _Sea Eagle_. "Get aboard quick."
+
+The boys obeyed, but with obvious reluctance, for the whale had much
+of interest for them yet. But they saw the squall whitening over the
+ocean from the northwest quarter, and coming with great rapidity.
+
+"We don't want to worry the old man any more to-day," suggested Jim,
+"so we will pull for the shore."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+A RACE
+
+
+Even then they were none too quick, for as they were swinging the boat
+to the davits the squall struck the _Sea Eagle_, heeling her well
+over, and there was a rush and roar of wind and flying spray from the
+yeasty seas. It was fun while it lasted. The prow of the ship was
+turned eastward once more, leaving the whale, but not alone.
+
+Already the birds were gathering to their feast, and from all
+directions cut the dark-finned sharks to get their share. In a short
+time all was turmoil about the whale, fluttering wings and whirling
+foamy water. This was too good a target for the boys, so they decided
+to give the crazy cannibal crew a surprise.
+
+"Let's give those beggars a farewell salute, Juarez," cried Jim.
+
+"I'm with you," he replied.
+
+"What's the distance?" inquired Jo.
+
+"Quarter of a mile," hazarded Tom.
+
+"It's nearer a half," replied Jim.
+
+"It don't look it," put in Jo.
+
+"That's because objects on the ocean seem nearer than they do on
+land."
+
+"Why is that so?" inquired the ever inquisitive Tom.
+
+Jim was clearly stumped by this inquiry, but he did not let on that he
+was puzzled in the least.
+
+"No time to tell you now. That gun is about ready to fire."
+
+"You don't know," jeered Tom, "that's just an excuse."
+
+"Show you later if you can't study it out for yourself," remarked Jim
+nonchalantly.
+
+Juarez now had the cannon loaded and ready to fire. The _Sea Eagle_
+was moving obliquely away from the storm-center and it was a very
+difficult shot, but still a possible one on account of the size of the
+target. The old captain took much interest in the skill of his protégé
+Jim, whom he considered worthy to be enrolled in the straight-shooting
+American navy. He stood with his sturdy figure well braced and the
+glass in hand ready to mark a successful shot.
+
+"Don't you think you have got that weepin' raised a leetle too high?"
+he inquired anxiously of Jim.
+
+"I'm aiming a little over, sir," replied Jim, "because I think the
+shell will fall a little in that distance."
+
+"I guess you know your business better than I do, Skipper," replied
+the captain. "I was no shot 'cept with a blunderbuss that would
+scatter."
+
+"Make a bull's-eye, Jim," urged Juarez.
+
+"You mean a whale's eye," put in Jo.
+
+"Humph!" said Jim, "don't talk that way; you will make me miss."
+
+"You mean----" Jo got no further, for Jim held up a cautionary hand.
+
+"Ready now," he cried.
+
+The captain clapped the spy-glass to his eye, there was a roar and the
+quarter deck shook under their feet, then the captain shook the glass
+above his head.
+
+"Yer struck into the shark gang, Skipper," he cried, "I said you would
+be a recruit for John Paul Jones."
+
+"Let me have a chance," said Jo.
+
+"All right," agreed Jim, "I don't want to be a hog."
+
+So Jo took his turn. With due deliberation he aimed the shining little
+cannon aft toward the distant fray. Then he fired, but the shot sent
+up a spurt from a wave some distance short.
+
+"We are getting too far away," said Jim, "to get in an accurate shot."
+
+"Say, Jim," put in Tom, "you haven't told me why things seem closer on
+the ocean than they do on land." If pertinacity meant success in life,
+Tom Darlington would no doubt reach the top of the ladder. Jim was
+somewhat surprised, and he did not want to admit ignorance, so he
+sparred for time.
+
+"Now, Thomas," said James, "I am not paid to do your thinking for you,
+but if you will sit down and think for ten minutes and if at the end
+of that time you have not reached a logical conclusion, I will explain
+the matter to you."
+
+"Ho! Professor!" railed Tom, pulling out his silver timepiece, which
+was so heavy that it would be a dangerous weapon if thrown, "if you
+ain't ready with your explanation you will lose your place."
+
+Jim took this warning with perfect nonchalance, but his mind was very
+active just the same trying to solve this problem, because Tom would
+never let up on him if he found out that he was bluffing. But why was
+an object nearer, anyway, in appearance on the ocean than on land?
+Why? Perhaps it was the difference in atmosphere. No, for in high
+altitudes things appeared closer on account of the clarity of the air
+than they did at sea level.
+
+Six minutes passed, still no answer had come to Jim, yet he was
+perfectly calm and contained as though he were the perfection of
+wisdom. He folded his arms across his chest and regarded Tom serenely
+as he sat on the opposite side of the deck on a coil of rope,
+regarding his big brother skeptically. Eight minutes had passed, and
+Tom, taking out his watch, recorded the fact with quiet triumph.
+
+"Eight minutes and a quarter," he declared, "and no land in sight
+yet."
+
+"Eight and a half," he tolled, "nine!" Jim was apparently entirely
+composed, but his mind had not yet reached a complete explanation. It
+was, however, on the right track, but the time was short.
+
+"Ten," cried Tom. "Speak up, Professor."
+
+"It's your place first," he replied.
+
+"Give it up."
+
+"Now listen carefully," began Jim in a magisterial manner, "and if
+there is anything you don't quite understand, raise your hand."
+
+"Humph!" grunted Tom, "I guess that I can understand anything you can
+tell me."
+
+"Well, children, it's this way," continued Jim. "When you are upon
+the land and you look at something in the distance your eyesight is
+stretched from point to point by intervening objects, while on the
+ocean your vision instead of being stretched out collapses as it were
+because there is a monotonous level between your eye and the object.
+Now I hope you will remember what I have just told you, children.
+School is dismissed."
+
+Jo seemed to be unduly impressed with the idea that he was a schoolboy
+again, so he grabbed Tom's hat and made as if he was going to throw it
+overboard. Tom made a grab for Jo and missed, then there was a great
+chase around the main deck. Jo was very fleet of foot and gained on
+his pursuer, until Tom saw that he must resort to stratagem; so no
+sooner had Jo disappeared around the corner of the quarter deck than
+Tom doubled back on his own trail, to the cook's galley, that had a
+door opening on either side, so that one could step into either
+passageway.
+
+Tom leaped into the galley, and was quick to the other door, that he
+opened a wee bit; he saw that Jo had just swerved into the passageway
+and down he came full tilt toward where Tom lay in ambush, swinging
+the latter's captured hat in his hand. Tom watched him eagerly, then
+he sprang out from his hiding place directly in front of the flying
+Jo, who was utterly surprised, but he was under such headway that he
+could not stop.
+
+Tom met him squarely and down they went in a heap, the lurch of the
+ship sending Jo's head heavily against an iron stanchion. His body
+gave a jerk and quiver, then he stretched out unconscious. We all know
+that skylarking of that kind sometimes produces the worst accidents.
+Naturally Tom was terribly frightened, for he thought Jo was killed,
+and he did look it, stretched out, with his eyes closed.
+
+"Jim!" cried Tom, "Jim! come here quick."
+
+There was something in Tom's voice that made Jim appear in a hurry.
+
+"Get the brandy," he said. Tom lost no time in getting the bottle out
+of a locker in the main cabin. When he returned he found Juarez and
+Jeems standing near looking very sober, while the old captain and Jim
+worked over him.
+
+The Frontier Boys had gone through many dangers unscathed, and it
+seemed terrible that Jo should be so badly hurt in a moment of play.
+In fifteen minutes' time, however, Jo was partially himself, but he
+could not walk and had to be helped to his cabin, and that night he
+had a high fever, but next day he was quite himself, due mainly to a
+rugged constitution.
+
+A few days later the weather began to change. The sea became rough and
+boisterous, with head winds and decidedly colder, but the boys did not
+complain, in fact they rather liked it, as they were strong and hardy
+and enjoyed battling with the elements.
+
+"It's the sweaters for us now," said Jo, coming out on deck, to find
+the nasty gray sea swept by rain squalls, and the deck sodden and the
+sky sullen.
+
+"I like it," declared Juarez, "the tropics are all right for a few
+weeks, but I couldn't stand it for long."
+
+"That's because you lads are stormy petrels," remarked Jeems.
+
+"If by that poetic symbol you mean that we are always in trouble,"
+replied Jim, "you certainly have struck it."
+
+Then the boys went below to get their respective sweaters, the colors
+being chosen according to their individual taste. Tom's was black,
+which is no insinuation against his character; Jim's was blue; Juarez
+the same color and Jo's red. As for hats, they still wore their
+weather-beaten sombreros. They were just the hats for this kind of
+weather.
+
+The evening came on dark and blustery and with a steady beating rain
+from the northwest. All about, the seas were humping through the
+darkness. But the _Sea Eagle_ was a staunch boat, well built, and well
+ballasted, and though she shipped a few seas and the spray flew high
+over her bridge, she did not roll or plunge unduly.
+
+"Sort of a nasty night, Jim," remarked Jo, as their dark forms emerged
+on deck from the companionway.
+
+"It's dark and threatening," replied Jim, "and looks fierce, but for
+real high rolling give me that first night in the channel between Maui
+and Hawaii."
+
+Jo made some remark, but a sudden gust of wind took it out of his
+mouth and anyone to leeward would have got the benefit of it. The only
+light forward was a glow that came from the engine-room. Jim and Jo
+stepped inside out of the storm and found Juarez there as usual, and
+Tom was seated on a step. He was watching the two men moving around
+the shining engine, which worked smoothly and unceasingly, and its
+condition showed how carefully it was tended.
+
+"Gosh! but it is good to get inside here out of the storm," exclaimed
+Jim. The engineer nodded pleasantly, as he was a man of few words.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+THE ENGINEER
+
+
+The engineer of the _Sea Eagle_ has not received much attention,
+either in this book or in the one just preceding, but this is not
+because he, John Berwick, was not worthy of consideration, but because
+he was apparently a very quiet man, whose conversation was generally
+confined to monosyllables; likewise his work kept him out of the
+limelight, as it were.
+
+But word had come via Juarez, who of all the crew was the only one
+whom the engineer admitted into his confidence to any degree, that
+John Berwick had really a most interesting career. This was true to a
+far greater extent than the boys knew. A sailor like old Pete or a
+mariner like Captain Kerns would see the shores of many countries and
+land in numerous ports, but learn nothing of the real people, or the
+nature of the countries.
+
+But with the engineer it had been an entirely different proposition.
+He came of a good family and had received an excellent education, but
+from his youth he had been wild and adventurous, and was always
+traveling, by different ways and in varying occupations, going into
+the interiors of little-known countries and becoming acquainted with
+the nature and character of their inhabitants.
+
+As he is a man well worth knowing, I will describe his appearance for
+the benefit of the reader. As to age, John Berwick might be anywhere
+from thirty-five to forty years. In height, five feet nine, with
+rather square shoulders, and neither light nor heavy in build, but
+with a frame that indicated quickness and great powers of endurance.
+
+He was evidently one of those men who have a certain care to their
+physical condition, without overdoing it and making physical prowess
+a hobby. He had found out the value of health, and condition. In his
+travels in remote lands, if he had gotten sick, there would be no one
+to bother with him, and he would be left to die, so he reasoned that
+it was better to be a live man than something more wretched than a
+sick dog.
+
+"I used to smoke like a chimney, Ezac," he once said to Juarez. He
+never called the latter by his full name, it being either "War" or
+"Ezac," according to his mood, "but I quit about five years ago. I
+didn't make any resolution about it either and would smoke now if I
+wished to."
+
+"I suppose you felt miserable for a while after you quit?" said
+Juarez.
+
+"No, strange to say, I didn't. In fact, I began to feel fine and fit
+in a week or two and I found that I could meet any crisis that came up
+on the level, and did not have to make an effort of the will to step
+up to it and brace myself to it as I used to. But I'm not preaching.
+Smoke if you want to, Ezac."
+
+"I don't want to," replied Juarez, "and what's the use of taking up
+with something you don't care for? Just so much extra baggage."
+Berwick smiled at this, showing his fine white teeth.
+
+"Well, now, 'War,' that's unusual sense for a kid, I must say. The
+fact that you don't want a thing for a boy of your years is no
+argument. It may be smoking or chewing or something else that will
+make 'em devilish sick, but a kid will do it just for a show and to
+make an impression on his friends what a terrible character he is."
+
+"None of us are like that," said Juarez. "Perhaps it is because we
+have seen plenty of real life on the frontier and have had plenty of
+excitement and adventure without resorting to foolishness."
+
+"Something in that, Ezac," nodded Berwick.
+
+This will serve as an introduction to this interesting man, before we
+listen, with the Frontier Boys, to the story that he has to tell. I
+may add here that John Berwick had dark hair, thinning in front and
+brushed straight with the forehead, dark hazel eyes, generally
+pleasant in expression, but capable of becoming harsh and hard
+with anger. He wore a rather slight dark moustache above a mouth
+thin-lipped and wide. The chin was square, and the whole complexion
+of the face rather dark.
+
+The boys had never gathered before in the engine-room in a body, and
+as Jeems Howell's tall figure loomed in the doorway the gathering was
+complete. It was because the boys had never imposed on him that the
+engineer was inclined to be gracious, on this occasion. Then, too,
+there was something about the warm interior of the engine-room,
+contrasted with the storm outside, that lent itself to good
+comradeship and anecdote.
+
+"I suppose that you boys have never traveled a great deal, except in
+the West, have you?" questioned John Berwick.
+
+"That's right, Mr. Berwick," said Jim; "we expect to visit a few
+other countries, though, before long, if we find this 'Lost Mine'
+we are looking for. You know you can't travel without money."
+
+"Not in your own yacht," replied Berwick.
+
+"I generally walked, or," seeing a gleam of humor in Jim's eye, "or
+worked my passage."
+
+"We will stick to our yacht," remarked Jim, "seeing that we have it
+on our hands."
+
+"Quite right, too," replied the engineer.
+
+"You must have had some rather unusual experiences in your travels,"
+prompted Jo.
+
+"Juarez says that you have been pretty much all over the world."
+
+"That's so," replied the engineer, "but I do not know as I have
+learned enough to pay me for the exertion."
+
+"Tell the boys about that time you traveled in Russia," said Juarez.
+
+"Which time?" questioned Berwick.
+
+"Don't you know?" asked Juarez, slightly confused, "when you were
+riding in the railroad carriage?"
+
+"And got rather hungry?"
+
+"Sure, that's it," said Juarez, smiling.
+
+"That's only an anecdote," replied the engineer. "But I will tell it
+if you think it will interest."
+
+Being assured on this point, he began:
+
+"I suppose you boys know what it is to be hungry?"
+
+"I have got a pretty good idea of it after eating one of Tom's
+dinners," remarked Jim. "You see he don't believe in having anything
+left over. Thinks it's wasteful, so he just cooks dabs of things as
+though we had no more appetites than a group of maiden ladies who were
+taking afternoon tea."
+
+There was a general laugh at this, the exaggeration being so manifest
+that even Tom joined in, still there was some truth in Jim's jocose
+remarks, for Tom did have a "close" side to him, which showed even in
+cooking. It was always evident that Thomas Darlington would become the
+financier among the Frontier Boys. After the laughter had died down
+the engineer took up the Russian incident again.
+
+"I venture to say that my hunger on the occasion I am about to speak
+of was somewhat more real than yours, Skipper. I was traveling
+first-class from St. Petersburg and heading for the German frontier.
+Very foolishly I did not provide myself with a hamper of provisions,
+supposing that I would be able to get food along the way. I never made
+that particular mistake again.
+
+"I had plenty of money in those days, and was traveling, as I say,
+first-class. When I got in my compartment at St. Petersburg I supposed
+at first that I was going to have it all to myself, and I was very
+well pleased because I could take things easy and sleep undisturbed
+through the most of what promised to be a very dreary trip.
+
+"It was then about eight o'clock in the morning, and snowing
+furiously, and I could scarcely see the outlines of the handsome
+station through the storm of snow. But it was very comfortable in
+my compartment, which I was pleased to note was of unusual elegance.
+So I did not mind the delay at first.
+
+"I noticed that the cushions of the seats were of a deep softness
+and of a rich crimson velvet. There were likewise hangings over the
+windows, with heavy golden tassels on the same. Then I observed a
+crest stamped on the embossed leather upon the inside of the door,
+and it was also repeated in gold upon the back of the seats.
+
+"I must admit that this seemed a good deal of style, but I did not
+consider it any too much for a representative American citizen
+traveling abroad. I was a fool in those days, but made up in audacity
+what I lacked in wit. After a half hour had passed beyond the schedule
+time set for the train's starting, I began to get uneasy and was just
+about to get out of the compartment to help move things along, when I
+saw a gorgeous sleigh drive up in front of the station.
+
+"There was a splendid ermine robe thrown over the back, and two plumes
+in front. The horses were fine animals too, driven three abreast after
+the Russian fashion; over the one in the center was a single arch on
+which jingled the merry bells. The middle horse was a great black, and
+his comrades on either side were gray, the very symbols of the snowy
+landscape.
+
+"From the furs of the sleigh emerged a gigantic Russian,
+blonde-bearded, and under his fur overcoat was some sort of a military
+uniform. I watched him with interest as he came toward the train,
+accompanied by the station-master, and met by the salutes of the
+soldiers, who are everywhere in Russia.
+
+"He came straight towards the carriage where I was seated in lonely
+pomp, and I had just time to seat myself in the opposite corner of
+the compartment when the door was thrown open, and--enter his royal
+nibs--the Archduke Alexandewitch or something or other. At least this
+was high nobility of some kind. His bearded face was very red, and his
+system had evidently been warmed by something besides exercise.
+
+"His eyes were blurred, and, coming from the light into the
+semi-darkness of the carriage, he did not see me. A guard deposited a
+hamper within, and he and the station-master bowed profoundly to me
+likewise, evidently taking me for some exalted personage, possibly the
+Czar, who, however, was a giant of a man while I was only medium in
+height. So it must have been someone else."
+
+"You certainly were a cool hand," remarked Jim admiringly. "I never
+could have done that."
+
+"Nor I, either," was the chorus of the other boys.
+
+"Just my bloomin' cheek, as an English pal of mine used to say," the
+engineer continued, "and nothing that I'm very proud of now, but it
+was the only thing that would have pulled me through that fix. No
+sooner was his Nibs seated in the train than it started.
+
+"It made me rather tired to think that we had been delayed for that
+big pig of a Russian, though I suppose in the United States a train
+would have been held for some big-bellied politician with a pull, so
+that I need not have felt so aggrieved at this happening in darkest
+Russia. But I looked at the big Russian in disgust nevertheless. Then
+he saw me sitting quietly near the window opposite. One moment he was
+a picture of amazement, and then he let a roar out of him that shook
+things.
+
+"I did not naturally understand what the Russian was saying, so I just
+had to let him roar, and made a few gestures for myself. I feared at
+first that he would have a fit of apoplexy, as he grew redder in the
+face than ever, but having expressed himself to his full satisfaction,
+with a final threat he sat down. I supposed that I should be shot or
+sent into exile at the first stop."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+THE RUSSIAN
+
+
+"The first thing his Royal Highness did was to open the neat-looking
+wicker hamper and take out a cut-glass bottle encased in silver, the
+contents of which he poured into a dainty-looking glass. He took a
+number of drinks, but without asking me to join, which I thought was
+very impolite of him. Then he settled himself for a nap, first drawing
+out a huge pistol which he placed near him on the cushions.
+
+"It was, of course, a silly thing for him to do, but then the man was,
+I thought, more than half drunk. When he first drew, I was afraid that
+he was going to blow me to pieces then and there, and I was ready for
+him. But when he laid it down and dropped off into a heavy sleep, I
+could have laughed.
+
+"I would have taken a nap myself, but his stentorian snores made
+it impossible. There was nothing to see outside but a dreary scene
+through the snow that was coming down in fine, white driving
+particles. At times there would be distant forests of rather stunted
+pines, but for the most part, only the desolate stretch of plains.
+
+"Once in a while we would come to a stop at a small station, but
+only for a short time, and then the train with its long line of
+flat-looking coaches, would rumble out over the barren plain.
+By-and-by I began to feel very hungry and I realized that there was
+going to be no stop for meals, as the other passengers, more familiar
+with the custom of the country, had no doubt provided themselves with
+hampers of provisions.
+
+"I looked at the Grand Duke or whatever it might be, and he was
+sleeping as only a big man who is quite intoxicated can sleep. Then
+my eye wandered to the hamper. Instantly my hunger hardened into
+resolution. I was not going to starve with that within my reach. I
+stooped down and picked it up, then opened it on my knee.
+
+"I had never seen anything more dainty, and more elegant, than was the
+arrangement of that basket. As for the contents, well, I can only
+recall, I cannot describe. For warming tea there was an arrangement
+of silver and ebony in one compartment. Likewise a roasted fowl in a
+delicious sauce, and stuffed with chestnuts. Also bread and caviar,
+the latter a Russian delicacy of fish-roe or eggs."
+
+"I wouldn't like that," cut in Tom.
+
+"How do you know?" reproved Joe, "you never tried it."
+
+"Fish eggs!" exclaimed Tom with a grimace.
+
+"You would have turned up your nose at birds' nests too," said Jim,
+"until the Captain told us how fine they were, and not at all like
+we supposed."
+
+"Yes," nodded the engineer, "birds' nests are all right, I've eaten
+them in China. They are gathered before the birds ever nest in them."
+
+"But go on with your story, I'm anxious to see how you made out. It
+was certainly an interesting experience," urged Jim.
+
+"I should say so," chorused the boys.
+
+"I'm glad you like it," remarked the engineer, "and it was an
+entertaining situation, especially the lunch part of it. Where was I?"
+
+"Caviar," suggested Tom.
+
+"Oh, yes. Well, on the bill of fare were different cakes, jellies and
+jams, all beautifully put up. As to the liquors, there were half a
+dozen different bottles, as I have said of cut glass, in filigree
+silver holders, with his Nib's crests on the tops, engraved in silver.
+It was all beautiful to look upon. One liquor green, oh, such a lovely
+green, as a French poet says the color of a mermaid's eyes. Another
+purple, another the color of honey. But I had sense enough left not
+to take any of them, else I would have had no senses left, which would
+have been bad under the circumstances, for I might have wakened up to
+find myself at the sudden end of a rope, or sitting out on the lonely
+plains with some bruises and no friends.
+
+"So I contented myself with several nice cups of tea, with a bit of
+lemon in them, and the rest of the bill of fare. That roasted fowl
+was remarkably good, and as for the sauce----! I was on the point of
+asking his Royal Highness for the recipe, but he was sleeping so
+soundly that I felt that it was a pity to disturb him. Just then I
+noticed that the pistol near his hand was about to fall to the floor
+with the jolting of the car, so I put the hamper reluctantly aside and
+caught the pistol.
+
+"I stood with it in my hand regarding it with interest. A clumsy
+weapon indeed, though of beautiful workmanship. I hesitated, holding
+the weapon carefully."
+
+"Did you think of shooting him?" inquired Tom tremulously.
+
+John Berwick smiled and shook his head. "No, not that. I was not a
+nihilist. You see I had plenty to eat, why should I be? Nevertheless,
+I came to a quick decision. I went to the window opposite, and opened
+it very carefully, no wider than I had to, and launched it safely
+out into a snowdrift. Then I closed the window quickly, but stood
+perfectly still, for I was aware that the giant back of me was
+stirring, a draught of the fresh air had awakened him. It appeared
+that my sin had found me out.
+
+"Standing perfectly quiet, I turned my head slowly and saw that the
+Russian had merely changed his position, and had gone off into another
+slumber. So I leisurely finished my lunch, enjoying the preserves
+and other dainties hugely. After this part of the performance was
+completed, I put everything back into the hamper with the utmost
+neatness. To tell the honest truth, there was not a great deal left to
+repack, a part of the chicken, and some bread and caviar, which to the
+appetite of a Russian would be no more than a lamb chop to a hungry
+tiger."
+
+"Gosh!" exclaimed Jim again, "but you surely had your nerve with you."
+
+"Yes," acquiesced the engineer, "and a full stomach, which is a good
+thing to have along with your nerve. I have noticed that some times
+the two go well together. However, the liquor was untouched, and I
+hoped that he would take some more and thus again become oblivious to
+everything else. One thing reassured me, and that was, that I had got
+rid of his revolver or rather pistol. I was not afraid of his shooting
+me, but had been afraid of his braining me with the butt end of it.
+
+"It had now grown very dusk in the carriage, and outside the storm was
+sweeping over the vast plain in white swirls, and still the train
+lumbered westward. I decided to save the guard the trouble of lighting
+up, so I attended to that myself, and pulled the dark hood over the
+thick glass that was set in the center of the top of the compartment,
+so that his royal Nibs could have his siesta undisturbed.
+
+"Then I sat myself down in the corner of the carriage, and pulled out
+my cigarette case, selected one and lighted it.
+
+"'I trust your Highness will not mind the smoke?' I remarked in a low
+tone, as I gave a delicate puff into the air, but I guess that his
+Royal Highness did, for in a few moments he stirred ponderously, and
+finally sat up. Then a look of utter amazement came into his face when
+he saw me seated there in the corner with a cigarette in my fingers.
+His little puffed eyes opened as wide as they could.
+
+"'Poof!' blew out through his bewhiskered mouth, expressing utmost
+disdain and indignation. Then he totally ignored my presence, and
+picking up the hamper, he set it before him. The crucial moment had
+come, and I must confess that I felt a few creeps of apprehension go
+over me. As for his Royal Highness, his whole attitude was of great
+hunger about to be satisfied.
+
+"It showed in his popped eyes and the workings of his large,
+full-lipped mouth. Then he flung back the top of the hamper and leaned
+forward eagerly. If his first amazement was utter this was too utter.
+He sat bolt upright for a second, then he dived at the basket again.
+He poked around in it. He shook it vigorously, but no provisions
+miraculously appeared. It was appalling, beyond belief. He took out a
+small mirror and regarded himself very carefully, and then solemnly he
+nodded. It was none other than himself, his Royal Highness Michael
+Palanovitch, and this before him was his Honorable Hamper, but like
+old Mother Hubbard's cupboard, it was entirely bare. It was too much
+for my sense of humor and from my corner there came a suppressed
+snort.
+
+"Instantly his Royal Highness grasped the situation and I thought
+that he was going to grasp me at the same time. I never saw such rage
+and I immediately became very sober and entirely innocent. He stormed,
+he raved, I am afraid he swore, though I could not understand all he
+said. It was a roar of sound and a frazzle of language. He tore at his
+hair and raged like a caged lion.
+
+"I saw visions of the knout and exile in Siberia. I protested my
+innocence, and my profound sorrow at the sad state of his larder. I
+used both language and pantomime. 'I am an American, Monsieur,' I
+cried, 'I cannot eat anything cooked in Russia, it does not agree with
+me.' I protested with such vehemence and with such utter innocence
+that his Highness finally quieted down, partly from sheer exhaustion,
+possibly from lack of food." There was a twinkle in the speaker's eye,
+and the boys roared. "When he had become quiet, I, with a low bow,
+went to the hamper and produced the piece of chicken that was left and
+presented it to him with much humility.
+
+"His amazement knew no bounds at this performance of mine, and his
+face showed it. Then his mood suddenly changed, and he burst into
+homeric laughter. It was so extraordinary, that it struck him as
+humorous. Part of the joke being that I was a foreigner, especially
+an American, of whom anything might be expected. On the basis of
+this incident he immediately accepted me into a jovial comradeship.
+Whenever it struck him he would burst into a roar of laughter. So,
+behold me, when the train finally did stop at a brilliantly lighted
+station, wherein was a really palatial dining-room, walking arm in arm
+with his Royal Highness, Archduke Michael, and receiving the salutes
+of the soldiery and the plaudits of admiring citizens."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+A CONSPIRACY
+
+
+There was a moment's silence when the engineer had finished his
+unusual and most entertaining narrative. It seemed to them so vivid
+had been his story, that instead of being on a ship in the mid-Pacific
+in the midst of a blustery rainstorm that they were in far-off Russia,
+and as the tale ended they could see a picture before their eyes.
+
+There was the long train, covered and crusted with snow, standing
+alongside the station. In the light of large lamps shining brilliantly
+upon the snow, was the gigantic Russian in his fur coat, arm-in-arm
+with the slight, dark American. Their steps were directed towards the
+long dining-room that shone in singular attraction out of the storm
+and cold. The many round tables set with glowing whiteness and with
+gleam of silver. The high-backed chairs of some black wood. At one end
+of the long dining-room a tea urn of huge proportions shining like
+silver. So the boys sat for some minutes in complete silence, under
+the spell of the story; then Tom spoke up:
+
+"I should have thought, Mr. Berwick, that you would have been fired
+out of the carriage at St. Petersburg when his Nibs arrived."
+
+"It was curious," admitted the engineer. "I have never quite
+understood it."
+
+"I reckon it was your audacity that helped you out," said Juarez.
+
+"Or, rather helped you in," remarked the incorrigible Jo.
+
+"I have thought of that, as an explanation," said Berwick.
+
+"Or, you may have resembled some High Duke or other," suggested Jim,
+"and that let you through."
+
+"I'm greatly flattered," said Berwick with a slight smile. "That may
+have been the solution, but I have partially figured that my success
+was due to the odd character of my Russian friend. I discovered
+later that he was a Grand Duke, well known in a social rather than
+a political way and famous for his eccentricities. He spent much
+of his time in Paris and favored foreigners rather than his own
+countrymen, so I was probably taken for one of his French cronies.
+I saw him some years later in Paris, but I did not try to revive the
+acquaintanceship, but then I was not hungry." Jo was about to open
+his mouth to make a pun when Jim interfered.
+
+"Don't you dare to say anything about being hampered or unhampered,"
+he warned. The engineer laughed heartily. He liked the boys for their
+boyish qualities, which were very refreshing to him.
+
+"How did you ever get down to this work?" asked Tom bluntly, "after
+you had been hobnobbing with Dukes and living in Paris?"
+
+"I do not believe you boys will understand me," he replied musingly,
+"it would not be in the nature of things that you should. I did not
+come down to this work, but up to it. After traveling for a great many
+years over the world, I got to living a very idle and useless life
+on the continent. But it palled on me after a while. I was in good
+health, and had money, but I was tired of myself, thoroughly and
+entirely bored. By the way, I might illustrate this unpleasant
+condition of things by a high and mighty example. Did you ever hear of
+Charles IX. of France?" This was a question the boys were anxious to
+answer, just to show that they knew something besides roughing it, and
+to prove their intelligence to the engineer, who in a quiet way always
+put them on their mettle, but to tell the truth they were rather
+rusty on all branches of learning, but Jo and Tom were both fond of
+history and had read a good deal of it at odd times. Tom was the first
+to jump into the ring of knowledge, with the four-ounce gloves of
+information, but ignorance ducked his first wild swing and was thus
+saved a knockout.
+
+"Oh, yes," he replied glibly, "Charles IX. was the son of Henry of
+Navarre." The engineer shook his head slightly.
+
+"You are away off, Tom," declared Jo. "His mother was Catherine de
+Médici and Henri III. was his brother. Maybe he was the nephew or
+cousin of Henry of Navarre. I wish I had a history here and I would
+look it up."
+
+"Partly right and partly wrong, Jo," said Berwick. "Catherine de
+Médici was the mother of Charles IX., whose sister, Margaret of
+Navarre, married Henry of Navarre. But this is the point I want to
+make. Charles IX. finally got so tired of the pomps and ceremonies of
+the court after a while that he had a forge fixed up in his palace and
+there he used to make and hammer out horseshoes. That," he concluded
+with a smile, "is why I took up my work. I was tired of useless
+idleness. There is a constant live interest in this business of
+running an engine that I like. Now I must get at it, and good-night
+to you."
+
+"Good-night, Mr. Berwick," replied the boys, and made their way out
+of the engine-room on to the storm-swept deck, all except Juarez,
+who stayed to work with the engineer.
+
+The boys separated to their respective duties. Jeems took the boy's
+task of stoking, Jim was at the wheel, sending Pete below to the
+forecastle to take a good sleep. Tom and Jo were detailed to go to
+their respective cabins and turn in for the night, as the old captain
+had rather perversely taken it into his head to stand watch on the
+bridge, though Jim had tried to dissuade him.
+
+"It won't do your rheumatism any good, Captain," warned Jim. "It's
+mighty wet and cold on the bridge and the wind is rushing fierce."
+
+"Trying to make me out an old man," growled the captain, much
+aggrieved. "I guess I can stand as much as any of you boys. I've
+weathered many a storm in my day."
+
+"You are tough as a knot yet, Captain," said Jim soothingly.
+
+So it happened that the captain in his heavy storm coat stood on the
+bridge, while the rain swished and swirled over the tossing seas, and
+swept the decks, so that it was much pleasanter in the cabin than
+abroad, but Jim enjoyed nothing more in sailoring than to be at the
+wheel a night like this, guiding his craft plunging through the heavy
+waves in the darkness. There was a fascination about it, the obedience
+of the ship to the helm, the following of the mysterious guidance of
+the needle, the standing fixed against the rush of wind and rain, the
+familiar feeling of the spokes of the wheel, like grasping the bridle
+reins when riding a spirited horse, all this went to make up Jim's
+liking for this work.
+
+Now being anxious for the welfare of Tom and Jo, let us see if they
+are safely tucked away in their little cribs. We find that they are
+not, so mischief must be afoot, and it is. It seems that neither Jo
+nor Tom were in any mood to go to sleep, and their minds were busy
+with the story that the engineer had told them. They felt a desire to
+emulate him. So they lay awake and thought what they might do to make
+life interesting on the ocean wave.
+
+Tom thought of surprising the captain and Jim by making weird sounds
+back of the cabin on the quarter deck and robing himself in a white
+sheet at the same time. A most excellent plan indeed, both worthies
+being such timid characters. But Tom gave up the idea of this
+surprise for fear the tables might be turned on him and then he would
+get a taste of the rope's end for fair, so he had another thought
+coming.
+
+The idea that came to Jo in the silent night watches was to give Jeems
+a benefit while he was busy stoking, but there was one difficulty here
+that it was almost impossible to get down into the hold without being
+discovered, so that plan had to be given up. Then an inspiration came
+to Tom.
+
+He got hastily up, and went to Jo's cabin, which was just forward of
+his on the main deck. You see there were three cabins on a side; each
+of the boys had one and the engineer the sixth. Tom did not stop to
+knock, and slid Jo's cabin door noiselessly back, but the wakeful Jo
+heard him.
+
+"Who's there?" he demanded in a gruff voice.
+
+"Don't shoot. It's me, Tom," replied a low voice.
+
+"Well, Mr. Tom, what are you doing up so early in the morning?"
+inquired Jo.
+
+"I've got a scheme," said Tom in the low voice of a conspirator.
+"Let's surprise old Pete and the boy in the forecastle."
+
+"It's dark as a cave down there," said Jo. "They will be sure to hear
+us."
+
+"We will wear our moccasins," replied Tom, "and there isn't any
+bric-a-brac to knock over."
+
+"I tell you what!" cried Jo, exhilarated by a sudden and brilliant
+idea. "Let's rub matches on our faces, when we go down."
+
+"Same as Jim did when we were in the Hollow Mountain, and he surprised
+those Hawaiian Priests!" exclaimed Tom. "Gee! but you have got a good
+head on you, Jo. That's what we will do."
+
+"Here's plenty of matches," said Jo. "We must be careful and not let
+them get too damp. Another thing, we will have to look out and not let
+the Captain see us, or Jim, either, or there will be something
+brewing."
+
+"What do you suppose the old gentleman would do to us if he saw us
+snooping along?" inquired Tom apprehensively, for he stood in much awe
+of the captain.
+
+"You had better stay in your little crib if you are so alarmed,"
+remarked Jo.
+
+"I'm ready when you are," said Tom gruffly.
+
+Then they started moving silently along the deck, though the fierce
+wind that swept the ship gave them an excellent protection. Still they
+proceeded very cautiously, keeping close to the galley and the wall
+of the engine-room. Just then the shepherd's dog jumped up from the
+shelter where he was waiting for his master to come up from below.
+
+He barked furiously at first when he saw the two shadowy forms coming
+towards him, then Jo spoke to him in a low voice, and the dog,
+recognizing him, lay down in his dry shelter again. But the captain
+was on the alert. He came to that side of the quarter deck and looked
+over.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+THE GREEN GHOSTS
+
+
+"I wonder what made that pup break loose like that?" he remarked.
+"Must have seen something unusual."
+
+He waited for a short time looking down to the deck below, and the
+boys, Tom and Jo, directly beneath him, hugged as close to the wall as
+they could. Then the _Sea Eagle_ gave a heavy lurch, and Tom lost his
+grip, and much terrified, rolled to the bulwarks, in a dark bundle,
+but fortunately the captain had made up his mind that it was a false
+alarm and had gone back to the bridge.
+
+Tom lay in the scuppers not daring to move, and imagining that the
+captain's baleful eye was glaring down on him from the quarter deck.
+As Jo would have said if he had dared open his mouth, there would not
+have been any quarter in spite of the deck, but he was muzzled by
+circumstances. Another heavy roll heaved the frightened Tom back
+against Jo, who had a purchase on an iron ring. Jo grabbed him and
+held on.
+
+"Stay anchored, you idiot," said Jo in a hoarse whisper. "You will
+give us away if you aren't careful."
+
+"Can't help it," growled Tom. "The old ship rolls so."
+
+"Now is our chance, come," whispered Jo.
+
+The next dash brought them to a temporary safe anchorage directly
+underneath the bridge. So far the practical jokers had rather had it
+put on them, for they had been badly scared and an occasional wave
+that came over the bow of the _Sea Eagle_ threatened the two gallant
+Frontier Boys with a severe ducking.
+
+"Skylarking is all right," whispered Jo to his comrade in mischief,
+"but this sealarking is different."
+
+"If you were going to be hung you would try to pun," growled Tom.
+
+By stealthy observation they found that there was no chance for them
+to reach the hood of the forecastle on the forward deck without being
+seen by the keen-eyed captain.
+
+"Think up some scheme, Jo," urged Tom, "to distract the old boy's
+attention or he will spot us sure."
+
+Jo thought a minute, then he discovered what he imagined would be a
+fine scheme.
+
+"You stay here, Tom," he whispered, and sped back towards the cabin.
+
+"He need not have told me that," grumbled Tom. "I wouldn't be apt to
+stay anywhere else."
+
+Meanwhile, Jo had reached his cabin, and he hastily pushed the sliding
+door open and went in. He was not long in getting what he was after.
+It was a ship's bell, with a history to it, that he had picked up in
+Hawaii--the bell, not the history. Holding the clapper tight so that
+it would not betray him, Jo made his way quickly to the ladder-like
+stairs leading to the quarter deck and tied it underneath, in such a
+way that it was sure to ring.
+
+This promised to be a double-barreled joke, and they would be lucky if
+the recoil did not kick them over. When it was properly fastened Jo
+let go of it and sped back to Tom. Scarcely had he reached his fellow
+conspirator than there came the clear metallic ring of a ship's bell.
+Weird and uncanny it sounded through the stormy darkness of the night.
+The old captain could scarcely believe his ears. Then came that
+startling vibration again.
+
+"By Thundas, what's that?" he cried.
+
+"It sounded to me like a ship's bell," said Jim. "I'd soon find out,
+if you would take the wheel, sir." Growling something, the old fellow
+made in the direction of the sound, and Jo and Tom scudded for the
+forecastle, which they reached without being discovered.
+
+Meanwhile, the captain had come to the ladder leading from the quarter
+deck to the main deck, and the tolling came from the darkness, just
+beneath his feet. There was a strain of superstition in him, as in all
+sailors, and he had heard yarns of ghostly bells on haunted ships that
+tolled for the dead about to be. And it shook the old fellow's nerve.
+Just then the shepherd's dog began to howl dismally and this put the
+seal on matters as far as the captain was concerned.
+
+He could not locate the continued tolling, so he returned to the
+bridge and reported the fact to Jim, with his own view of the case.
+
+"I don't wonder at it either, Skipper," he said in tremulous tones.
+"This was once a pirate's ship, and I don't need to tell you anything
+about its former captain, Bill Broom. There's been many a deed of
+blood done aboard this ship." Jim felt generally angry, but not at the
+captain, whom he understood, but he hated to have the ship of which he
+was fond, given a bad name.
+
+"Take the wheel, sir," said Jim, "and I'll find out in a jiffy what's
+wrong. If this ship is harboring any ghosts, I'll fumigate them out."
+
+"It's a job for a young man," replied the captain, taking the wheel.
+"I wish you good luck, Skipper."
+
+No sooner did the captain take the helm than Jim strode across the
+quarter deck in the direction of the tolling sound. It was weird
+enough to give almost anyone the creeps. Just imagine for yourself how
+it would be, with that metallic sound coming out of the stormy
+darkness. Fortunately for him, Jim was not imaginative, and did not
+see things unless he was shown. He reached the top of the ladder, and
+the tolling was just beneath his feet. He started down and then
+something happened.
+
+Let us return to the two desperate characters, to wit: Tom and Jo,
+whose malign efforts had started all this trouble. When we left them,
+they were in the steep ladder-way leading down into the forecastle.
+They stopped there for a minute, panting both with excitement and from
+the dash they had made. It was as dark as pitch below them, but they
+could hear the stentorian snore of Pete and the sturdy Irish lad, who
+did the most of the stoking.
+
+"Give me some more matches, Jo," whispered Tom.
+
+"Don't you laugh and give us away," warned Jo.
+
+Here they proceeded to rub the sulphur on their faces until their
+countenances took on a ghostly greenish-white hue. Then they crept
+down the steps into the dark forecastle.
+
+"Who's that?" cried Pete, who slept with one eye open after the manner
+of sailors.
+
+The boys gave a deep groan and then Irish roused up. Pete was already
+wide awake, and aghast at what he saw, two greenish-white faces in the
+gloom and with audible groans too. At first he was paralyzed, then
+Irish broke the spell.
+
+"Howly Saints!" he yelled, "it's the devil!"
+
+Then he sprang from his bunk yelling at every second, and made for the
+ladder. Pete wasted no breath in yells. He put it into action. When
+the boy gave his first yell the old sailor likewise jumped for the
+ladder; no matter if he did have to pass within a few inches of those
+ghostly ghosts, the fresh air for him.
+
+It was a case of two minds with but a single thought, for old Pete and
+the boy met at the ladder and then there was a wild scramble. First
+Pete would start part way up and Irish would pull him down, then the
+boy would get up a ways and Pete would yank him deckward and the boy
+was yelling for help with every breath. It was a regular cat fight and
+Tom and Jo were weak from suppressed laughter, at the exhibition. It
+was funny in a way, but those laugh best who laugh last sometimes, as
+Jo and Tom were likely to find out.
+
+Finally the boy did get out on deck with Pete at his heels, and they
+ran aft yelling at the tops of their voices.
+
+"Murther!" "Haul in," according to their different modes of
+expressions.
+
+"What's the matter with you wild Indians?" roared the captain from his
+station at the wheel. "Get below there till you are called."
+
+It was lucky for them that he was not free to get at them, for the
+old captain was doubly irritated by their outcry since he had been
+somewhat nervous himself. Pete and the lad ran aft as though the devil
+indeed was after them. Jim heard the commotion just as he started down
+the ladder, and in a jiffy he had collared the runaways.
+
+"Here, shut up!" he yelled, shaking them fiercely. "What's all this
+noise about?"
+
+It took a couple of minutes before he could get anything coherent out
+of them. When he found out what they had to tell he started for the
+forecastle, grabbing a belaying pin on his way. He was thoroughly
+aroused, and he knew something was wrong, but he could not divine what
+it was.
+
+"What's the matter with those boobies?" cried the captain when he saw
+the tall figure in the darkness making for the forecastle.
+
+"Think they have seen ghosts," yelled Jim, "as near as I can make out,
+dreaming, I guess."
+
+"I'd give 'em something to dream about if I could lay hands on them,"
+said the captain. Jim laughed and strode to the hood of the
+forecastle.
+
+Now let us see what had become of the two practical jokers. It looked
+very much as though they were trapped and the joke had turned out more
+seriously than they expected, as is often the case, and they knew it
+would go hard with them when they were captured.
+
+"We have got to hide," cried Jo, "those idiots have roused the whole
+ship. I didn't think they would act like that."
+
+"We will probably be keel-hauled for this," said Tom. "Where are you
+going to hide, Jo?"
+
+"Don't know, but we have got to hide somewhere, and soon, too."
+
+Jo was more daring than Tom, and he made a dash for the deck with the
+hope that he would be able to get back to his cabin and be innocently
+asleep when an investigation should be made, but no sooner did he get
+out than he saw that all retreat was cut off, for he could dimly see
+Jim's form coming along the passageway. He hesitated for a second
+undecided which way to turn, then he crouched quickly in the direction
+of the bow. It had come to him like an inspiration. There was a
+covered cubby hole roofed over, where old chains and such things were
+kept, in the bow.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+TOM'S BAD LUCK
+
+
+Jo crawled as far back as he could into his hiding place, bumping his
+head and bruising his knees on the rusty chains, and in the remotest
+corner he crouched much like a scared kitten. He had just got safely
+hidden when Jim reached the hood of the forecastle.
+
+Then Jim descended in search of the ghosts. No sooner had he lighted
+a lantern than Pete appeared hobbling down the steps into the dim
+interior with the bell, that Jo had tied to the ladder, in his hand.
+This the old sailor felt would give the clue to the mystery, and it
+did.
+
+"Here, Skipper, I found this tied aft." Jim took it and recognized it
+at a glance.
+
+"Ho! ho!" he cried, "this is some of Jo's work. He and Tom have been
+up to some devilment. I bet my sombrero that those two rascals were
+the ghosts you saw." But the old sailor did not want to give up the
+dubious honor of having seen some live spirits, and so he stuck to his
+story.
+
+"But these were real ghosts, sir. I seen 'em with my two eyes, and
+their faces were white and green, like nothing human."
+
+"He's shure roight, sor," declared the boy who had now put in a
+cautious appearance. "My grandfather has seen ghosts in his time."
+
+Jim laughed and began an examination of the floor, whirling the light
+from the lantern slowly around until he came to some damp footprints
+in the middle of the floor.
+
+"These ghosts must have worn moccasins," Jim remarked, "for if I don't
+mistake that is the sign of 'em, and they got their feet damp. You
+stay here long enough and you will probably hear them sneeze."
+
+"But how was they complected that way?" questioned old Pete, his face
+growing very red with the possibility of his being made a fool of by a
+couple of kids.
+
+"I guess they were bilious, those ghosts," remarked Jim, "or maybe it
+was sulphur they rubbed on. They once saw me scare some savages that
+way down in Hawaii."
+
+"I call it a durned outrage, on an old man like me, to have a couple
+of fool kids play a trick like that. I hurt my leg too, Skipper."
+
+"How was that?" inquired Jim, not without malice aforethought.
+
+"Well, you see, it was this a way, Skipper," explained old Pete
+shamefacedly, "I seen this peculiar object or two in the forecastle,
+and I says to myself, 'The skipper ought to know about this,' so I
+jumps up and starts to report it to you----"
+
+"I had the same thought, sor," cut in the boy.
+
+"Yes, and he got in my way going up the ladder, and I fell and cut my
+leg." He showed the place to Jim, and the latter, though trying hard
+not to laugh at the old chap's explanations of his scare, was justly
+indignant when he saw that he was hurt.
+
+"Those beggars must be hiding here," he said. "They certainly haven't
+got aft. We will soon root 'em out and I'll give them something to
+remember this performance by as long as they live."
+
+Then began a systematic search of the forecastle. Of course they did
+not find Jo, for, as we know, he was safely hidden on deck, but Tom
+was in the forecastle, and was bound to be discovered sooner or later
+in so small a space.
+
+"Look under the bunks on that side, boys," said Jim, "I'll take this."
+
+"Aye, aye, sir-sor," was the reply.
+
+But after a most careful search, turning over blankets and bedding,
+no one was found. Jim swung the lantern under the dark ladder, but no
+one was there. Where could they be? They must be within a few feet of
+them and yet they could not see them.
+
+"It's odd about them," remarked Jim, coming to a halt in the middle of
+the floor. "They seem to have vanished."
+
+"I reckon it was ghosts, after all," said old Pete.
+
+The only pieces of furniture in the place were a small trunk belonging
+to the boy, an impossible hiding place for lads the size of Jo or
+Tom--and Pete's battered old sea-chest. This latter Pete opened, it
+was not locked, and saw only a heap of old clothes.
+
+"Not here, Skipper," he said, shutting down the lid with a snap.
+
+"They must have got up on deck then," said Jim, puzzled.
+
+So the party adjourned to the deck, Jim carrying the lantern to aid
+him in the search.
+
+"What did you find?" roared the captain.
+
+"It was Tom and Jo, sir," yelled Jim, "but we can't locate them. Have
+you seen them skulking aft, Captain?"
+
+"Nobody has gone by me," cried the captain. "They must be for'ard."
+
+Just then Juarez joined in the search.
+
+"Look in the bow," he advised, when he found how matters stood.
+
+So paying no attention to the water and spray that came over the bow,
+they made their way forward, Jim in the lead with the lantern. He
+swung the light in among the chains, but a deep shadow cast by the
+lantern hid Jo, who laid low, making himself as small as possible,
+his head buried close to the deck.
+
+But Juarez's keen eyes saw a dark object crouching in the furthest
+corner. He dived past Jim and caught hold of the cowering Jo and in
+spite of his struggles pulled him to the surface. Jo appeared like a
+much disheveled criminal when he was dragged out.
+
+"Well," said Jim, "you are a pretty looking fellow. Where's your pal?"
+
+"Tom?" questioned Jo grumpily. "He was in the forecastle when I saw
+him last."
+
+"You will have to pay for this night's rumpus," warned Jim.
+
+"Near made me break my leg," growled Pete, "with your foolin'." In
+spite of his present predicament Jo could not help laughing heartily
+at the recollection of old Pete and the boy scrambling like a couple
+of scared cats up the ladder of the forecastle.
+
+"You won't feel so gay when we get through with you," said Jim. He
+marched him with a heavy hand to the cabin which he occupied, shoved
+the angry and resisting Joseph within and shut and locked the door.
+Then they started out in a final search for Tom, the only one of this
+desperate gang of night marauders that now remained uncaptured.
+
+"I declare, I don't know what has become of that boy," said Jim.
+
+"He couldn't have fallen overboard?" questioned Juarez. Jim negatived
+that idea emphatically.
+
+"Tom's too cautious for that," he said.
+
+Where was he? The reader knows well enough, being an adept on solving
+all these mysteries. He was in old Pete's sea-chest hidden down under
+the clothes, and Pete, whose eyesight was not as good as it once was,
+had failed to see any sign of him. Now, when he heard Jim and the rest
+go on deck, he decided that it was time to get out of his
+uncomfortable prison, which was much too cramped.
+
+What was his dismay to find that he was indeed a prisoner, for when
+old Pete had shut down the top of the chest it had fastened shut. Tom
+began to feel stifled for air, partly imagination on his part, and
+partly fact. It was true that some air could get in, through where the
+rope handles went, but not much. Tom struggled till he got his hand in
+his pocket, hoping to find his knife with which he would cut the rope
+handles and push the pieces through the holes and thus get enough air
+to sustain life, but as luck would have it, his knife was not there.
+
+He began to pant now, and gasp and think of all the horrible tales he
+had ever read of people being buried alive and of similar tragedies,
+until he was almost hysterical. He yelled for help, but his voice was
+muffled, and besides there was none to hear. He tried to attract
+attention by beating with his hands against the top of the chest.
+
+After what seemed an interminable time, the half-fainting Tom heard
+feet clattering down the steep ladder into the forecastle, and this
+brought him partially to.
+
+"Jim, get me out," he cried, and his voice came feebly to the ears of
+the searchers.
+
+"I heard Tom," cried Juarez.
+
+ [Illustration: "TOM DID NOT TRY TO MAKE HIS ESCAPE."--P. 119.]
+
+"Sounded like a cat mewing," remarked the unfeeling Jim. "Listen."
+Again they heard it and a faint pounding inside the sea-chest.
+
+"He's in that chest," cried Jim, and he tried to open it.
+
+"Locked in," said Juarez. "Let Pete open it."
+
+Pete came forward, after fishing a key out of the depths of his
+pocket.
+
+"Lucky I could find it," he said. Then he flung the top of the chest
+back. Tom did not try to make his escape, or put up a fight of any
+kind, for he was all in, and was only too glad to be captured, for, as
+he figured, and quite correctly, that even the captain could not put
+him in a worse place than he had put himself.
+
+"You look more like a ghost than the other one," said Jim with a grin.
+
+After he was sufficiently revived, he, too, was locked up, and further
+proceedings were put off until the morrow. In the meantime it was
+decided to have a little fun with these practical jokers on the next
+day, so as to teach them the seriousness of life on the ocean wave.
+
+So at ten the next morning a court-martial was held in the dining
+saloon. As the weather still remained dark and overcast, it was
+necessary to have the big lamp over the table lit. The judges were
+the captain, who sat at one end of the table, and Juarez, who was at
+his left, and Jim, at the right. For once the captain took off his old
+cap and showed a bald, pink dome, with tufted gray at the side. His
+face wore a grimness that betokened hanging for the culprits--nothing
+less. The court was ready.
+
+Then there was a clattering of feet on the stairs, and the prisoners
+were brought in by the sheriff, who was none other than the tall
+shepherd. They were tied with ropes, that is, their hands were, and
+their hang-dog looks were enough to condemn them. They did not dare
+face the captain, who was regarding them with great severity, but
+looked askance at Jim, who paid no attention to them, but was busy
+making notes on a pad of paper before him on the table.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+THE TRIAL
+
+
+The sheriff was compelled to leave his prisoners in the hands of
+the court and hasten on deck to take the wheel, as the ship was
+short-handed, nearly the whole crew being present on court-martial
+duty. The prisoners were represented by John Berwick, the engineer,
+who entered into their defense with much interest and eclat. The
+specifications were in two charges, it being related:
+
+I. "That Joseph Darlington, a native of New York State, and Thomas
+Darlington, a native of Missouri," read Jim with sonorous voice. At
+the word Missouri, John Berwick, the counsel for the defendants, was
+on his feet in an instant. He said:
+
+"I move this honorable court that specification No. I be quashed, it
+being therein erroneously stated that my client, Thomas Darlington,
+comes from Missouri."
+
+"Motion to squash denied," said James severely, not being entirely at
+home in legal phraseology.
+
+"Then, your Honors, I move to amend, by striking out the word
+'Missouri,' and substituting that of New York, this being a manifest
+attempt to prejudice the case of my client, the prosecution, no doubt,
+being desirous of proving that this innocent lad was one of the
+notorious Jesse James gang, that operated in Missouri and the
+Southwest."
+
+The defendants' attorney stood tapping the table before him with one
+long finger and gazing earnestly at the court, which seemed to be
+struggling hard to suppress some deep and hidden emotion.
+
+"The amendment is allowed," gasped Jim, gazing over the heads of the
+two sullen-looking prisoners. Then the first charge, as amended read:
+
+I. "That Joseph Darlington, a native of New York, and Thomas
+Darlington, likewise a native of New York, are hereby charged with
+conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, in that they did on
+the night of August eighteenth, 18--, feloniously steal through the
+darkness into the apartments (better known as fo'scle) of one, Peter
+McCloskey, and of one, Aloyisius Durgan (minor), and did with malice
+aforethought, disturb the peace, quiet and sleep of the said McCloskey
+and the said Durgan, by representing themselves to be ghosts, with
+green faces" (here Tom snickered, but one look from the captain at the
+head of the table sobered him, indeed, it was the captain's presence
+on this trying occasion that lent dignity and reality to the scene,
+for he evidently meant business, and his sternness was rounded out by
+the impressiveness of his polished dome. When quiet settled heavily
+once more upon the trial, James resumed his reading of the charge),
+"representing themselves to be ghosts with green faces, to the grave
+detriment of the peace of mind of the said McCloskey and said Durgan,
+and furthermore, causing them severe bodily contusions and bruises
+upon their limbs while attempting to escape from said ghosts, at
+the time and place before mentioned, thus unfitting them for active
+service aboard their ship, the _Sea Eagle_, James Darlington, Master."
+At this last statement Captain Kerns leaned forward over the table,
+and regarded the two prisoners with great severity, and they felt in
+their bones that they were going to catch it. They looked appealingly
+at Juarez, but he appeared entirely oblivious of their presence.
+
+II. "Furthermore, it is charged that the said Joseph Darlington and
+Thomas Darlington on the night of the 18th of August, 18--, did resist
+their superior officer----" Here Tom growled something in the ear of
+his attorney, who immediately rose to his feet and said, "My client
+objects to the word superior, as not being true and applicable, he
+says that the aforesaid officer only thinks that he is superior."
+
+"This objection is overruled," said Jim, the judge, his mouth
+twitching; "by superior is meant commanding officer."
+
+"Certainly, Skipper," rumbled the captain; "you're right. Don't let
+'em give you any nonsense, you are in command of this ship."
+
+Nothing more from Tom, and the reading continued. "Therefore, the two
+defendants are charged with mutiny on the high seas."
+
+"Are you ready to plead to these specifications?" inquired Jim,
+looking at the prisoners' counsel.
+
+"We are," replied John Berwick.
+
+"What is your plea?"
+
+"Not guilty, your Honors."
+
+"We will proceed to trial," said Jim solemnly.
+
+"They deserve the rope's end for their impudence," growled the
+captain.
+
+Old Pete was the first witness and he was much impressed by the
+dignity of the court, as was evident as he limped in with his hat, or
+rather cap, in hand. He took the stand, which was an armchair placed
+facing the court, beyond the end of the table. No sooner had he
+seated himself than the _Sea Eagle_ gave a sudden lurch to the
+starboard, and he would have gone, chair and all, into the wall if
+John Berwick had not caught him.
+
+"Beg pardon, your Honors, but this thing ain't anchored right."
+
+"What is your name?" inquired Jim.
+
+"Peter McCloskey, sir."
+
+"Where were you born, Mr. McCloskey?"
+
+"On a farm near Darien, Connecticut," was the answer.
+
+"What is your present occupation?"
+
+"I am sailor aboard the _Sea Eagle_, sir."
+
+"And where were you on the night of August 18th?"
+
+"I was asleep in the fo'scle of the _Sea Eagle_, sir."
+
+"Tell what occurred, if anything."
+
+This Peter McCloskey did with much enthusiasm and picturesque detail,
+and then John Berwick, the attorney for the prisoners, started in to
+cross-examine the witness, who kept himself firmly anchored by means
+of two large feet outspread at separate angles.
+
+"Now, Peter," he commenced suavely, "tell the court how much you drank
+on the eventful night of the 18th of August, when you saw these
+remarkable apparitions."
+
+"Well, your Honors," said Pete, hesitatingly, "you know how it is
+yourselves. I took a nip before I turned in. Old bones have to be
+warmed somehow."
+
+"Exactly," said the prisoners' attorney. "Now, McCloskey, tell the
+court if you were not in a condition to see things on the night in
+question."
+
+"No, sir, Mr. Berwick, I was as sober as a judge when I woke up and
+saw those green things staring at me."
+
+"Are you sure, Peter, that you didn't dream all this?" inquired
+Berwick.
+
+"I didn't dream this, sir," replied Peter, showing a bruise on his
+leg.
+
+This was quite unanswerable, and old Pete was allowed to go with the
+honors of war, and he was followed on the stand by the Irish lad, who
+was a willing witness and had many remarkable things to tell about
+ghosts, their natures and dispositions and their actions on the old
+sod of Ireland, where green-faced ghosts no doubt abounded. As his
+story confirmed old Pete's, things looked dubious for Tom and Jo.
+
+Their attorney, however, made an eloquent plea for the life and
+liberty of the two prisoners at the bar. He said in part:
+
+"I ask your Honors to deal leniently with these two lads and to recall
+how much they have had to contend with in their short young lives.
+They have had only the harshest surroundings. Having come under the
+baleful influence of Captain Bill Broom, the former owner of this
+vessel, you cannot rightly blame them for their strong sense of humor.
+
+"I think that a reprimand is due them for their infraction of the
+ship's discipline and for resisting their _superior_ officer" (a grin
+from Jim), "but I ask this Honorable Court to remember their tender
+years and to deal gently with the prisoners. If you do not, I fear
+that ghosts with green faces will haunt your fevered sleep forever. I
+leave their fate in your hands."
+
+Bowing low, the attorney for the prisoners sat down. Then the culprits
+were sent back to their cabin-cell while the judges took their fate
+under advisement. There was quite a lengthy discussion. Juarez being
+influenced by his friend, the engineer, was in favor of having the
+captain give them a severe call down, and let it go at that. While the
+captain himself favored the rope's end and imprisonment in the
+lazaret that had not been used since old Broom's day.
+
+It was their resistance to the skipper that added to his severity, for
+he was a firm believer in discipline. But Jim suggested a more
+reasonable course that would better favor the ends of justice (which
+was not the rope's end)--than that which the other two judges
+recommended. His plan was finally adopted; then the bound prisoners
+were summoned before the August Court. (That is a pun the writer will
+have to make for Jo, as he is not in his normal spirits.)
+
+They stood at the end of the table, looking sullen and defiant, and
+evidently expecting the worst.
+
+"It is the finding of the court that you, Joseph Darlington and Thomas
+Darlington," read Jim with much emphasis and in a sonorous voice, "are
+guilty on both charges of the specifications, and by the unanimous
+judgment of the court, you are sentenced," Jim paused to give due
+impressiveness to the following words; meanwhile the two boys paled
+slightly, "sentenced to hard labor, shoveling coal, until Pete and
+the boy get over their lameness. This sentence to be immediately
+executed." And it was.
+
+"I'm glad the sentence is going to be executed instead of us," said
+Jo as he was sent below with his comrade in crime to get busy feeding
+the insatiable furnace. Altogether the boys were pleased to get off
+without the rope's end being used on them.
+
+"That was a good sentence, Judge," said John Berwick to Jim after the
+court had adjourned. "It met the case, for the real damage done was
+having Pete and the boy laid off on account of their prank."
+
+"That's it," remarked Jim. "Then, too, Jo and Tom are husky and hard
+workers, and, with them shoveling coal, we ought to get to the coast
+now in a few days."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+"THE MARIA CROTHERS"
+
+
+As the boys drew near the end of the voyage, they began to be anxious
+to see the land once more, not that they were tired of the sea, for
+they had come to regard the _Sea Eagle_ as their home, and every plank
+was familiar to them. Moreover, there was nothing equal to the freedom
+of life on the ocean wave, but they were anxious to start for the
+Sierras to attempt the discovery of the Lost Mine, so that perchance
+they could take a trip around the world.
+
+According to their calculations it was now only a question of a few
+days before they would make the harbor from which they had sailed a
+few months before. Jim was on the quarter deck talking over matters
+with Captain Kerns. It was a very pleasant afternoon, with a clear
+shining sun, and a sparkling sea, and sufficient breeze to make the
+air alive. The captain was seated in his scarred but comfortable
+armchair. That was the only piece of furniture which he had brought
+with him from his cabin on the coast. He wore his heavy woolen jacket
+buttoned across his chest because it was cool even in the sun. Jim
+leaned easily against the rail, dressed in his well-remembered blue
+flannel shirt, and trousers to match, with the gray sombrero pushed
+back from his forehead. His bronzed face and keen gray eyes determined
+him to be a very fair specimen of the American boy when in top-notch
+condition.
+
+"I hope you will be able to look after the _Sea Eagle_, Captain,"
+propounded Jim, "while we are in the mountains."
+
+The captain mused for a while, pursing up his eyes, then he took his
+short blackened pipe out of his mouth.
+
+"I'll do it, Skipper," he said. "I'm fond of this yere boat, and it's
+like home to me. Then, too, I like you boys. There's nothin' of the
+fresh, gabby kid about any of you. I'll do it fer you, Skipper." And
+the bargain was sealed with a warm grip between the two friends.
+
+"There's one thing I ought to speak about though," said Jim, "and that
+is in regard to old Bill Broom, the pirate, who had the _Sea Eagle_
+before we took her. He is a revengeful old beggar and may make you
+trouble if he gets a chance."
+
+"I never really met Broom, though I came near it once," remarked the
+old captain grimly, "but if he is wise, he won't come bothering around
+me or the _Sea Eagle_ either."
+
+"I expect old Pete will stay aboard and the boy," said Jim, "so you
+won't be without some company."
+
+"I've always got 'Lyssus' here," grinned the captain, picking up the
+big tortoise shell that was purring around his legs. "I don't want any
+better company than him."
+
+"He is a good old fellow," said Jim, playfully nipping the cat's ears
+with his fingers, "and a mighty good sailor, too." Just then Jim
+chanced to look up, scanning the expanse of sea ahead, not with the
+expectation of seeing anything, but just force of habit. Immediately
+he straightened up and his gray eyes narrowed with interest.
+
+"What is it, Skipper?" questioned the old captain, getting to his
+feet.
+
+"It looks like smoke," exclaimed Jim, "about three points on our
+starboard bow."
+
+"Maybe it's a steamer," said the captain. "We ought to be running
+across them now once in a while."
+
+"Possibly it's a volcano," suggested Jim.
+
+By this time the captain had got the glass from his cabin, and had it
+focused on the slender blue-gray column of smoke that was rising close
+to the southeastern horizon.
+
+"It's a ship, almost burned out," exclaimed the captain.
+
+"By jove!" cried Jim. "We will see exactly what it is," and he gave
+the order to Pete, who was at the wheel, to change the _Sea Eagle's_
+course accordingly.
+
+"I reckon nobody is alive aboard," remarked the captain. "She looks
+pretty well burned out."
+
+No sooner had the ship's course been changed, than every member of the
+crew was out on deck to see what was up, and all were intensely
+interested watching the column of smoke that now could be seen rising
+from a dark hull close to the water, marking one of those oft-repeated
+tragedies of the sea. Rapidly the gallant little _Sea Eagle_ plowed
+the blue surface of the ocean in a straight course towards the burning
+ship.
+
+Many were the conjectures as to how the destroyed ship came to be in
+her present hapless condition. Jo thought that she had probably caught
+afire and the crew had been compelled to abandon her, but the engineer
+shook his head at this theory.
+
+"I don't agree with you, Joseph. My idea is that she is a derelict
+that has been abandoned possibly years ago. Some ship has crossed her
+trail recently, and to get rid of her as an uncharted menace to ships
+in regular travel, has set fire to her, but without completing her
+destruction."
+
+"They are bad things to be lying around loose," said Jim. "If we had
+been off our course a little, and it had been some hours later, we
+would have stood a jolly good chance of running plump into this ship,
+and if we had not gone down, we would have been badly stove up."
+
+"You would have gone down," said the engineer briefly.
+
+"I suppose there are a good many of these derelicts floating around
+the oceans," remarked Juarez.
+
+"Yes," said the engineer, "and some of them have most interesting
+histories. There was a curious incident in regard to a barque named
+the _Norton_ that was abandoned in the Atlantic some years ago. The
+skipper and the crew were rescued by a sailing vessel, and, after a
+while, they drew near an English port.
+
+"The skipper of the _Norton_ was pacing the poop deck from force of
+habit, when he suddenly stopped as if petrified, and his jaw dropped,
+for there ahead of him alongside of a wharf was his lost and
+abandoned ship. The explanation was simple. She had been picked up by
+a passing steamer and towed into port, for salvage."
+
+The _Sea Eagle_ was now within a half mile of the derelict and she
+could be made out quite plainly. She was a good-sized wooden vessel, a
+three-sticker, but the masts had been broken off and the ship had been
+rendered entirely helpless. She was rolling sluggishly to the motion
+of the waves, without life or hope.
+
+"She's the _Maria Crothers_, London," said the captain from the upper
+deck, looking through the glass, "and she looks like she has been
+floating around for several years."
+
+In a few minutes the _Sea Eagle_ was lying to, a short distance from
+the derelict. It was evident that she had been abandoned a long time.
+The sides and bottom of the ship were encrusted with barnacles and
+long green streamers of sea weeds on her sides and bow gave her a most
+ancient and dilapidated appearance.
+
+In the center of the main deck smoke was slowly rising into the air
+from the charred timbers.
+
+"She is too water-logged to burn," said the captain.
+
+"We will try to blow her up, Captain," cried Jim. "She is a dangerous
+proposition so near to the coast."
+
+"It's a good idea, lad," agreed the captain.
+
+"Lower the boat, my hearties," ordered Jim with a grin.
+
+They put two kegs of powder into the boat, and with the material for a
+couple of long fuses, they started for the derelict, now but a short
+distance off. None of the boys will ever forget that boarding of the
+abandoned vessel, not on account of the danger, for there was none,
+but for the unusualness of the occasion and the picturesqueness of the
+scene.
+
+The sun was just setting as they rowed towards the _Maria Crothers_,
+or what was once that gallant vessel, and the crimson glow came over
+the slow-rolling swell and touched everything with a lurid light,
+especially the desolate derelict. As they were nearing the hulk, Tom
+exclaimed:
+
+"Look, there is a shark coming out from a hole under her bow!"
+
+Sure enough, with sinuous motion a long and ugly-looking shark swam
+slowly a short distance below the surface, taking on a greenish hue,
+from the color of the water. There was something singularly repellent
+about him and peculiarly sinister in his every motion.
+
+"If he gets too sassy, we will treat him like we did his friends and
+brethren near the coast of Maine," said Jim. "When we were in the
+canoes. Remember, Jeems?"
+
+"Don't mention it to me," warned Jeems. "I'm liable to have a chill."
+
+It was not difficult to board the derelict, when the boat was brought
+on the lee side, for the vessel was down well with the water. Jim
+jumped aboard and the others followed, except old Pete, who was at
+the oars; he kept the boat close while the barrels of powder were
+transferred.
+
+The boys found nothing on the old craft of especial interest. They
+could still see that the cabin had been a handsome one, with dark wood
+like mahogany and properly gilded, but everything was now mildewed or
+covered with green slime. There were sea things crawling everywhere.
+
+Jim found his work cut out for him to get the powder planted where it
+would do the best execution. Darkness came on, and he was busy aft
+with one keg while Juarez and the engineer were planting the other
+for'ard. They had got a number of lanterns from the ship to work by,
+and, from a distance they looked like glow worms on the dark surface
+of the waters.
+
+It was a most weird and peculiar sight, but after nearly two hours'
+work, everything was ready. Only Jim, Juarez and the engineer were
+left upon the derelict, with old Pete ready at the oars to pull away
+as soon as the men should jump into the boat after firing the fuses.
+
+"Already for'ard!" yelled Jim.
+
+"Ready," came Juarez's reply.
+
+They touched the long fuse and then ran and stepped lightly into the
+boat. Pete dug the oars into the water and away the boat leapt towards
+the _Sea Eagle_. She had cleared the derelict about a hundred feet,
+when with two dull shaking thuds, and a glare of red light at either
+end, the derelict was blown to destruction, and pieces of broken
+timber fell all about the boat. Some pieces fell even on the deck of
+the _Sea Eagle_. In a few minutes the broken hull had sunk below the
+dark waters of the Pacific. The work had been well done.
+
+Two days later the _Sea Eagle_ turned from the windy channel into her
+own harbor on the southern coast of California with the flag flying,
+and as the anchor chain rattled down into the quiet water, there came
+a salute from the two cannon on the upper deck. Then Jim turned and
+gripped the hand of his old friend.
+
+"Here you are at home, Captain. Now it's for the Lost Mine, boys."
+
+"And good luck to you," said the old captain heartily. "I and the _Sea
+Eagle_ will be here when you return."
+
+The boys at parting gave three rousing cheers.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+AN EXCITING CHARGE
+
+
+It was indeed a beautiful morning, with the sun shining with a clarity
+that is characteristic only of the higher altitudes. There was quite a
+procession coming up the steep mountain trail. As yet they could not
+be made out distinctly, as they were so far down the mountain side.
+Then they were lost to view in one of the folds of the slope.
+
+"I wonder whom those tenderfeet are?" The voice came from a man who
+was crouching behind a granite boulder. He had been watching the
+approaching party intently for some time. "One thing, sartain,"
+the voice continued, "them fellars will find trouble if they keep
+traveling in this neck of the woods."
+
+The speaker was not a prepossessing-looking party. He was of squat
+figure, very strongly built. His face and neck burned to a brick red.
+His shirt of a nondescript color was open at the neck, exposing a
+hairy throat. A rifle was gripped firmly in one powerful paw, and
+there was a knife and pistol in his belt.
+
+He was an ugly-looking customer, and it was evident that his mission
+was not a peaceful one. Once more he took a look down the trail. The
+approaching party was much nearer now and he could count the
+individuals.
+
+"Five!" he exclaimed. "Looks like they might give the boys trouble.
+That fellar in front has sartain got a fine horse."
+
+Already the voices of the five came clearly to his ears, and it would
+not be long before they would top the ridge, and the scout, for such
+he was, would be discovered.
+
+"It's time for me to scat!" he exclaimed.
+
+And he did, taking long swinging strides that soon took him out of
+sight of the ridge, into a belt of pines. Here the stranger stopped
+again and watched for the tenderfoot party to put in an appearance. He
+did not have long to wait, for there came the strong clear sound of
+voices, and then he saw a gallant figure on a gray horse ride into
+full view. This young fellow was dressed in blue, with a flannel shirt
+of the same color, and a gray sombrero, which was pushed back from his
+sunburnt forehead.
+
+A perfectly polished rifle was hung across his back, and there was a
+revolver in the holster at his hip. The young fellow rode his
+splendid animal with an ease and mastery that showed long experience.
+Behind the leader rode a shorter lad, but very stockily built, and of
+extremely dark complexion, with heavy black hair, cut square across.
+
+"That chap must be an Injun," remarked the watcher in the pines.
+
+But the reader who is more intelligent and better informed, knows
+otherwise, for he is acquainted with these riders and has been in
+their company before, and it is not necessary to pass the entire
+procession in review. The Frontier Boys were all there, and Jeems
+Howell likewise. The man in the pines was deeply interested in these
+mounted men, viewing them from his position back of a big pine, in
+front of which was a screen of brush.
+
+He saw that they were well mounted and armed, nor did they appear
+entirely like tenderfeet either. There was something in the way they
+rode and their general air that showed that they could take care of
+themselves. Once or twice he partially raised his rifle as though
+about to fire at the leader, but he evidently thought better of it,
+and contented himself with a mere reconnoissance.
+
+The Frontier Boys were unmindful that they were watched, but they
+were not careless. Juarez, especially, seemed on the alert, and
+even suspicious. He kept looking around and once he came to a halt.
+Swinging off his roan, he began to examine the ground.
+
+"Scent something, comrade?" inquired Jim gravely.
+
+"Something wrong around here," he said.
+
+"Panther, painter, or mountain lion?" inquired Tom.
+
+"Look out, he will bite you," volunteered Jo.
+
+Shaking his head, Juarez mounted his horse and took his place in line,
+and the procession started again, but always the red-faced, red-necked
+scout kept them in view for his own purposes. He did not have much
+trouble to keep up, for the boys did not hurry their horses. They had
+had a hard pull for several hours that morning, and Jim decided it was
+best to let them take it easy, as there still was plenty of hard work
+ahead.
+
+"How soon will we reach your ancient castle, Jeems?" inquired Jim.
+
+"In time for dinner, boss, I reckon," replied Jeems.
+
+"Dinner be ready for us?" inquired Tom hungrily.
+
+"Well, as I haven't seen my ancestral walls for nigh on to twenty
+years," replied Jeems, "I'm much afeard that the dinner is petrified
+by this time."
+
+"We don't mind that," laughed Jo. "Haven't we eaten grub in Mexican
+restaurants and along the border? Nothing is too tough for us."
+
+"That's so," agreed the chorus.
+
+"This country begins to look very familiar," soliloquized Jeems.
+"Here's a rock I've sat on many a time to rest coming home from a
+hunt, and down there are the three pines struck by lightning, on the
+Fourth of July, too----"
+
+"Go on with you," jeered Tom, "don't give us any tall yarn like that."
+
+"Halt! there he goes!" cried Juarez, bringing his rifle to his
+shoulder and aiming it at a fleeting shadow among the pines down the
+mountain slope. He did not fire, however, and without a minute's
+hesitation the boys turned their horses down the steep mountain slope
+towards the woods where the man had been detected by Juarez's
+observant eye.
+
+Away they went full tilt, and to an outsider it seemed certain that
+some one was sure to get his neck broken. Jo's horse did stumble,
+plowing its nose into the gravel, and sending Jo forward about a dozen
+feet, landing on shoulder and neck. Pretty well shaken up, he was too,
+but not injured.
+
+Tom came near getting mixed up in the mêlée, for he was just back of
+Jo, but missed him more by good luck than good management. There was
+no attempt on the part of any of the boys to stop to pick up Jo or to
+see how badly hurt he was. They presumed that if injured he would say
+something about it. So on went the gallant 400, their steeds leaping
+rocks and fallen trees, crashing through brush with powerful
+recklessness.
+
+A haze of dust soon hung above the cavalry charge, which was destined
+to come to an end when the line of pine trees was reached. But it
+seemed that Jim's Caliente was not going to halt for the solid pines
+even, for he charged full speed ahead, with all his fighting blood
+aroused.
+
+"Ahoy there, Jim!" yelled Tom, "better anchor your yacht."
+
+But James could not head him, pull as hard as he would, and he ducked
+his head low under a branch which threatened to brain him, scraped
+between two tall and massive pines, and finally brought his panting
+horse to a full stop in a dense clump of brush.
+
+But Jeems Howell seemed to be having the most interesting, if not the
+pleasantest, time of all. He was not a natural centaur anyway. He had
+tried his best to keep his little rat of a bay from joining in the
+chase, but without success. With his long legs stuck out in front and
+his eyes wide open with astonishment, he was pulling with all his
+might, but with no effect.
+
+It was a comical sight, the long-legged man yelling "Whoa!" "Whoa!"
+and the little pony scampering at top speed down the steep and sunny
+slope with the dust flying back at a great rate. Then of a sudden, the
+pony leaped right from under the long-shanked Jeems and he sat down
+upon the warm gravel, while the animal went on into the woods. As for
+the man, he made his escape into a neighboring gulch where he hid
+himself under a ledge, and was safe enough.
+
+That one movement which he had noted of Juarez's rifle when aimed at
+him, was sufficient to give him an idea of the mettle of the Frontier
+Boys. He was determined, however, not to get out of that section until
+he had seen these travelers properly located, so he waited.
+
+Meanwhile, the boys had got together, in a general council with only
+one absentee, viz: Jeems Howell, who was seated contentedly, if
+somewhat dazed, upon the mountain side. Then his absence was noted by
+the other boys.
+
+"Where is Jeems?" inquired Jo, who had recovered his horse and his
+equilibrium likewise.
+
+They looked around anxiously. "There's his pony over there," said
+Juarez, "having a good time grazing."
+
+"I suspect we will find Jeems grazing somewhere back here on the
+mountain," said Jim. "Jo, you go look for him, if you think you won't
+fall off, too."
+
+With a grunt Jo turned his horse at right angles, and went back up
+the mountain slope. He soon came upon Jeems seated placidly upon the
+ground apparently enjoying the view.
+
+"Lost something, Jeems?" he inquired.
+
+"Yes, my pony," he replied.
+
+"He is grazing down below," said Jo. "Why don't you get up?"
+
+"I'm grazing here," replied Jeems.
+
+"Gazing, I guess," grinned Jo.
+
+"Is it morning yet?" inquired Jeems.
+
+"It will be night before you get up, if you don't hustle," warned Jo.
+"Better go and get your horse and join the family council."
+
+"There shall be no vacant chair, I'll be there," and Jeems rose by
+sections.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+A CHASE
+
+
+"Are you sure you saw that fellow, Juarez?" asked Jo.
+
+"Certainly," replied the chief.
+
+"Of course he did," said Jim. "You don't suppose that Juarez would
+exclaim at a shadow. I got a glimpse of him myself."
+
+"What did he look like?" inquired Yankee Tom.
+
+Jim's face took on a look of settled gravity as he answered:
+
+"He was a tall dark-complected man, with a wart over his right eye,
+and he had a ring on his middle finger with his wife's picture
+engraved on it, and----"
+
+"Oh, shut up," growled Tom, "you are just kidding."
+
+"I didn't see anybody," put in Jeems Howell mildly. This remark was
+greeted with a roar of laughter.
+
+"I bet you didn't," jeered Tom. "All you could do was to yell 'Whoa!'"
+
+"But he didn't whoa!" said Jeems sadly, but truthfully.
+
+"You did," remarked Jim.
+
+"Somebody had to," explained Jeems, "so I decided it was up to me."
+
+"You mean," said the whimsical Jo, "down to you."
+
+"I suppose so."
+
+"He has made his escape anyway," said Tom.
+
+"So have our pack mules," cried Juarez, looking back up the mountain.
+
+"Maybe they have just grazed off," said Jim anxiously.
+
+This was serious business indeed, if their mules should take a notion
+to take the back trail with their grub and camp equipment. So the boys
+lost no time in getting back to the ridge and all thought of the
+stranger that they had tried to interview had left their minds for the
+present. When they got to the top of the ridge they found their worst
+fears realized. Juarez was the first to take in the situation, because
+his little roan was the fastest in a short dash. Juarez had urged his
+horse obliquely across the slope of the hill.
+
+"They have scooted for home, boys," he yelled.
+
+Sure enough there were the three beasts a mile down the trail and
+jogging steadily along with an evident intention in their mulish minds
+to go home and stay there. Now "home" was a hundred miles away, but
+that made no difference with their plans.
+
+"We have got to head 'em down this other side," cried Jim. "It's no
+use following them on the trail. They have got the start on us and
+when they see us coming it will make them hike all the faster."
+
+"You're right," said Juarez.
+
+"There is no use for all this bunch going," said Jim. "Jo, you and
+Tom and Jeems stay here. Keep my guns, I'm traveling light." He
+handed over his rifle and revolver to his brother and Juarez gave
+his to Jeems. Then they gave the cinches to their saddles an extra
+tightening, especially the back cinches, then they swung swiftly into
+the saddles.
+
+"Durn those mules," they cried and were off. Keeping their horses well
+in hand, for it promised to be a long hard race, they galloped along
+the ridge, keeping slightly below the summit. They were now on the
+opposite side of the ridge from where the trail was up which they had
+traveled. As the two headers-off got under way the gravel flew back
+from their horses' feet. At first the way was not very hard, but at
+the end of the first mile they came to a great field of broken rocks.
+
+Here they had to slacken speed and find their way among great rocks,
+broken, and with many miniature canyons and ravines among them. Once
+they rode under the shadow of a great slab of quartz, some eighty feet
+long and twenty feet in thickness; like a long flat bridge it was.
+
+"This is a sure interesting country," remarked Juarez.
+
+"I wish that we had time to look around a bit," replied Jim, "but I am
+afraid that those pesky mules are gaining on us right here."
+
+"We are almost out of this nest of rocks," encouraged Juarez.
+
+This was true, but now they had ahead of them a long slope with many
+fallen trees, but the boys could not stop for such trifles. Away they
+went, leaping the trunks of trees, twisting this way and that, but
+never slackening speed. If it was not for their anxiety, it would have
+been fun for the two of them, as there was enough danger and variety
+to make it interesting. Jim's big gray, which he had captured in
+Mexico and had named Caliente, jumped with great power and with
+remarkable lightness, considering his size, but Juarez's roan was as
+quick as a cat and just as light on its feet.
+
+"See that notch in the ridge," cried Jim, "about half a mile ahead?"
+
+"Yes," replied Juarez.
+
+"There's where we will cross and try to get ahead of those bucks."
+
+"We will make them hustle back," cried Juarez, grinding his teeth.
+
+"Sure," agreed Jim with a grin.
+
+In a short time they had reached the notch and found it to be
+something more than that, as it was quite a deep cut in the back of
+the ridge, and continued into a narrow ravine, which was quite heavily
+wooded, and down which ran a pretty little stream of the clearest
+crystal.
+
+"We ought to see those mules soon now," said Juarez.
+
+"There's the trail," said Jim, "just a bit of it high up."
+
+"I see it," replied Juarez.
+
+"We will cut it soon now," remarked Jim, "then we will head those
+Missouri runaways."
+
+But before they did that, a lively dash was before them, for suddenly
+they came in full view of the upper trail for a mile or more.
+
+"There are those rascals," cried Juarez, pointing with an excited
+hand.
+
+"I see them," said Jim.
+
+"Brethren," remarked the mule in the lead, to his long-eared comrades,
+"here come our masters to head us off. Let us run." He wig-wagged this
+piece of news with his long ears and a waggle of his short tail. They
+understood perfectly and acted in unison. They did not trot, but
+started at a swift, sharp lope down the trail. It was fortunate for
+the packs that the boys were old mountaineers and knew how to make
+them secure else they would have been jostled into the ravine below.
+
+The boys cut loose at full gallop down the ravine, utterly reckless
+of what might be ahead of them. They tore through the brush, crushing
+down every obstacle in their way, determined to head those mules or
+die in the attempt. They were mad through and through, and, for one,
+I can sympathize with them. They won the race by about twenty feet.
+Caliente with one last leap was in the trail.
+
+The mules saw that they were intercepted and came to a halt, and
+looked at Jim and Juarez with quiet unconcern, mingled with a slight
+surprise at being so rudely interrupted in their little jaunt.
+
+"You blasted, long-eared, rat-tailed beggars, get back where you
+belong," yelled Jim; "you hustle."
+
+"Give me a rock, I'll help 'em," cried Juarez.
+
+He reached from the saddle and picked up a number of fragments of
+broken granite, and Jim did the same. Then they began to pepper those
+mules with carefully aimed stones, sometimes striking their haunches
+and sometimes their ears, keeping them at a steady jog trot up the
+grade.
+
+"Take that, Missouri!" Jim would cry, flipping a stone at the leader.
+
+"Here's one for you, Pike County!" laughed Juarez, aiming at the
+second target.
+
+So they kept it up, thus getting even for all the trouble the runaways
+had made them, which was considerable. After a while they reached the
+top of the ridge, expecting to find Jo, Tom and Jeems waiting for
+them. But there was no sign of them anywhere.
+
+"What do you suppose has become of them?" inquired Juarez.
+
+"Maybe that mysterious stranger has stolen them," suggested Jim.
+
+"Let's see if we cannot find their tracks," said Juarez. This was done
+without difficulty.
+
+"Here's a track that looks like a gorilla's," remarked Jim, inspecting
+the dust of the trail.
+
+"Must be Jeems'," grinned Juarez.
+
+"These other tootsie tracks are Tommy's and Jo's, I reckon," said Jim.
+
+"But why did they walk instead of ride?" inquired Juarez.
+
+"They didn't intend to go far and thought it just as easy to walk,"
+explained Jim.
+
+Just then there came a faint halloo that caused the boys to look up.
+
+"There's Jeems, the beanstalk," cried Jim.
+
+"Where?" asked Juarez.
+
+"See that shadow standing on that rock way over yonder?" inquired Jim.
+
+"Yes."
+
+"That's him."
+
+"What do you suppose that they are doing over there?" asked Juarez.
+
+"We won't be long in finding out," replied Jim.
+
+"There's Jeems' castle," said Juarez, after they had ridden a few
+hundred yards, pointing to a speck high up on the mountain side.
+
+Juarez was right, for Jeems and the other boys soon met them with the
+news that they had located the cabin where they hoped to find the plan
+that would give them a clue to the location of the Lost Mine.
+
+"Have a hard chase after the mules, Jim?" inquired Jo as they climbed
+up a steep slope towards the cabin.
+
+"You ought to have been along," remarked Jim significantly.
+
+"I hope Juarez don't let 'em get away this time," said Tom.
+
+"If you must worry, why don't you take something probable," remarked
+Jim severely. "Like Jeems running off to become a circus rider."
+
+"You would have thought that he was a circus rider sure enough,"
+laughed Jo, "if you could have seen him riding down that slope this
+morning, with his feet stuck straight out in front of him, and yelling
+whoa to 'Mosquito.'"
+
+"I thought," said Jeems sadly, "that if I held my feet that way that
+they would offer enough resistance to the air to stop or slow up
+Mosquito,--but they didn't."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+THE DIAGRAM
+
+
+"What's the use of being a philosopher and a thinker, Jeems," inquired
+Jim, after the roar of laughter had spent itself at his ludicrous
+remark, "if you can't invent some way to stop a mite of a pony like
+Mosquito?"
+
+"There isn't any use trying to be a philosopher," said Jeems frankly,
+"when you are traveling with such a hair-brained gang as you fellows.
+A philosopher has to have time to think, and things keep happening so
+fast in your company, that you don't get time to breathe. If it isn't
+the mules running away it is Mosquito, and so it goes."
+
+"Cheer up, Jeems," said Jo. "Just wait until we begin to cruise around
+the world on our yacht, then you will get lots of time to
+philosophize."
+
+"Don't believe it," replied Jeems skeptically. "If it isn't pirates it
+will be sharks, and if it isn't them it will be octopuses."
+
+"In your case it is more likely to be the _mal de mer_," put in Jim
+with his easy command of French. I believe he had one other phrase
+that on occasion he could use.
+
+"I suppose that they say _de mer_ because they feel like demurring,"
+said Jo glibly.
+
+"_Sacre bleu_, Jo!" cried Jim, using his other phrase. "Don't be so
+smart."
+
+"Can't help it," replied Jo.
+
+"There will be a sudden and mysterious disappearance if you don't,"
+said Jim darkly. By this time they had climbed into clear view of
+Jeems' cabin.
+
+"Somebody has thrown a rock at your castle and caved the roof in,
+Jeems," declared Tom.
+
+"Lucky I wasn't home," replied Jeems philosophically.
+
+"It does look like an ancient ruin," said Jim, as they finally reached
+the little shelf on which the cabin was built.
+
+The passing years had evidently done their worst, a large boulder had
+come down from the mountain above and crashed the roof in. The rudely
+built chimney had been partially destroyed, and rats and squirrels
+were making themselves at home. Jeems stood looking sadly at his
+former cabin, for Jeems had a strain of sentiment in him and he had
+spent three interesting and quite happy years at this spot.
+
+"It's kind of like Rip Van Winkle returning home after his long
+absence, isn't it?" inquired Jo.
+
+"Only I don't see my faithful dog," replied the shepherd, waking from
+his reverie.
+
+"You must have built here for the view, Jeems," remarked Jim.
+
+"I used to sit out here on the shelf many a summer evening," said
+Jeems, "and look off towards the east till it got dark. I suspect
+that's what helped to make me kind of dreamy; those years."
+
+"Shouldn't wonder," said Jim.
+
+It was a wonderful view, and it held the boys for a minute, accustomed
+though they were to unusual scenes. There was a vastness and freedom
+about it that would be hard to equal. Range after range extended to
+the eastward, pine-clad, with deep valleys intervening; to the south
+some great rocky summits, blue, impalpable, mysterious, upon the verge
+of the horizon. Far below over a granite chasm wheeled an eagle on
+darkening wings. The wonderfully clear air was full of the murmur of
+the pines; the tone that sings of the days of primeval mystery. Far
+down below the boys could see Juarez with the horses and mules.
+
+"Hello, Juarez," cried Jim. Then in a few seconds came the answering
+call, clear and distinct.
+
+"It's wonderful how far you can hear, in this country," said Jo.
+
+"What are you fellows stopping so long to admire, scenery?" inquired
+Tom. "You would think that you never saw any before. Why don't you
+investigate the ruins and see if you can't find that plan of the 'Lost
+Mine.'"
+
+"Don't get excited, Tommy," urged Jim. "Maybe you won't be elected
+President of 'The Lost Mine Co.' anyway."
+
+"I'd rather be Treasurer anyhow," replied the practical Tom.
+
+"You'll be the janitor of the company," said Jim severely, "because
+you have had so much experience shoveling coal on the _Sea Eagle_."
+
+Tom's face flushed, and there was an early promise of a mixing up,
+when Jeems intervened.
+
+"Come, boys, never mind about fixing up your company, I'll show you
+where I hid that plan about twenty years ago."
+
+"It won't be any good now, after all that interval," declared the
+pessimistic Tom.
+
+In spite of Tom's prophecy the boys went heartily to work to clear
+away the débris so they could get at the particular stone behind
+which Jeems had hidden the document.
+
+"What shape was it?" inquired Jim.
+
+"Something like this," replied Jeems, kicking a stone near his foot.
+
+"Maybe that's it," said Tom.
+
+"No, it isn't. That stone was some narrower than this." After a half
+hour's industrious work they finally uncovered it, and very carefully
+lifted it out of its place. They leaned eagerly forward while Jim
+swept his hand around trying to locate it.
+
+"Hold a light so," he ordered.
+
+"Aye, aye, sir," replied Jo. Then under the quick flare of a match,
+Jim eagerly gripped a piece of yellowed cardboard.
+
+"This is her picture, boys!" he cried, with much sentiment.
+
+"Let's see the other side," said Tom.
+
+"It's going to be difficult to make this out," remarked Jim, after
+close scrutiny. He sat down upon a rock and began studying it, with
+the other boys looking over his shoulder.
+
+"That crooked line must mean a creek," said Jo.
+
+"I think it represents the top of a ridge," remarked Tom.
+
+"This other work of art below the ridge-creek appears to me to be a
+pine tree with a cross on one side of it."
+
+"You are right, Skipper," said Jeems. "I got as far as that tree, but
+that was my limit. I could not make any headway beyond that."
+
+"It looks to me as if that design further down were a pathway with a
+mill of some kind on one side and a cabin a little further down."
+
+"Good head, Tommy," said Jim patronizingly. "But what are those stars
+near the end of the line?"
+
+"They represent a snow storm, I guess," said Jo.
+
+"Oh, they do!" said Jim. "I suppose that is a hint it will be winter
+before we find anything. But what do these numbers below the stars
+mean? 400 -- + 1500 -- 30. Is that yards, feet, dollars, or
+doughnuts?"
+
+"Isn't that a cross marked before the 1500?" asked Tom the lynx-eyed.
+
+"I guess you are right," said Jim, "but I don't see as it helps any."
+
+"We might as well adjourn," remarked Jo, "we have got our plan, and we
+can spend some time studying it out. We have had plenty of exercise
+for one day and we can take our time to make a good camp."
+
+"All right," agreed Jim. "To-morrow it's all hands to try to locate
+the Lost Mine."
+
+It was clear sailing now for a ways, at least so it seemed, but things
+are rarely what they seem, and there was a certain party of men not
+many miles distant whose business in that part of the country was to
+locate the Frontier Boys, but of this they only had a dim suspicion
+from the sight of the man of whom Juarez had caught a fleeting
+glimpse.
+
+It did not take the boys long to cover the ground between the cabin
+and the place where they had left Juarez with the horses and mules. It
+was a little over half a mile from the shelf where the cabin stood to
+the group of pines where Juarez was. The upper half of the slope was
+covered with tall tufted grass and scattered rocks. The lower part was
+a long slide of sand.
+
+"I'll beat you tenderfeet down," vaunted Jim.
+
+"Let's get an even start and I'll show you," said Jo, who was in truth
+a fleet runner. "Jeems will give us the send-off, as he is the only
+one who has his revolver with him."
+
+So they lined up on the level place in front of the cabin, while
+Juarez, who felt that there was something in the wind, came out into
+the open and watched the proceedings with interest. He saw that a race
+was about to take place and he stood prepared to catch the winner.
+
+"Are you ready?" inquired Jeems in a shrill voice, and the three
+admitted that they were; then he extended his pistol over his head and
+fired. There was a sharp report, and away the boys leaped as though
+they, too, had been shot out of a gun. Down the steep slope they went
+over the tufted grass and rocks like bounding jack-rabbits. Jim was
+ten feet in the lead, then Jo, and Tom five feet behind him.
+
+My, but it was fun! I would give a good deal to be in that race. How
+the boys did jump! Jim with his long legs and stride seemed to have
+the advantage at first, but when they struck the long sand slide Jo
+began to pull up on his brother. Even the scout who was watching the
+race from a distant tree became so interested that he lost his caution
+for a moment and came into view.
+
+"I bet the little varmint beats the lanky guy," he said to himself.
+
+It seemed so, for half way down the slide the "little varmint" had
+crawled up even with Jim. They were going so fast that you could not
+see them for the haze, and the gravel and sand flew from before their
+feet like spray and they leaped fifteen to twenty feet at a stride. I
+tell you it was exciting work. Jo drew ahead and beat Jim about three
+feet, it was that close, and Tom "came tumbling after."
+
+"I get the prize," cried Jo, as soon as he could get his breath.
+
+"It's a silver water pitcher," said Juarez, giving him a big tin cup.
+
+"Look out, here comes Jeems on the warpath," cried Jim.
+
+They looked up and sure enough there he came full tilt, his long hair
+streaming in the breeze and his lanky legs reaching out like they were
+endowed with the wonderful seven-league boots. Here was fun.
+
+"He's drunk!" cried Juarez.
+
+"He is running away!" yelled Jim.
+
+"Whoa, Mosquito, whoa!" screamed Jo and Tom in unison.
+
+The scout who was roosting in the tree a quarter of a mile below,
+became so enthused at the sight of the lanky vision striding down the
+mountainside that he became convulsed with laughter. Just then Jeems,
+who was half way down the sand slide, accompanied by the wild yells
+of the boys who were watching him, struck, in one of his flying steps,
+a partially submerged rock.
+
+The effect was instantaneous and surprising, such was his momentum
+that he bounced high into the air and sprawled out like a gigantic
+flying squirrel for thirty feet or more before he came to earth, or
+rather dove to sand, and was lost in a cloud of dust. The boys rushed
+to pick up the remains.
+
+[Illustration: "LOOK OUT, HERE COMES JEEMS ON THE WARPATH."--P. 165.]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+THE CAMP IN THE VALLEY
+
+
+The dust settled and they were able to see Jeems in all his outlines.
+He seemed unhurt and in the possession of all his faculties, for he
+began to spout poetry to the boys after this wise:
+
+     "From morn till noon he fell, from noon
+     Till dewy eve then like a falling star
+     Dropt from the zenith."
+
+"Hurrah for Lucifer!" cried Jo, who knew something about literature.
+Jeems bowed.
+
+"What did you think you were, a flying squirrel?" inquired Tom.
+
+"I didn't think, I just flew," said Jeems, which was true.
+
+This incident likewise came near getting their enemy who was in
+hiding, for when he saw Jeems Howell perform his startling evolution
+in the air, he laughed so hard that he lost his balance and came
+crashing through the branches to the ground below and he lay there
+rolling over and over, not in the agony of a broken leg, but with
+uncontrollable laughter. As he told his pals later, "I never seen the
+likes of that performance. It was head and heels over any circus that
+'Green Ike' ever saw back in ole Missoury. (Green Ike so-called, not
+on account of the color of his skin, but of his eyes.) That fellar
+must have struck a spring board the way he went through the air."
+
+After the excitement had quieted down over Jeems Howell's flight
+through space, the boys took up the next order of the day, which was
+"forward march to their camping place for the night." It was now well
+along in the afternoon and the shadows were extending far down the
+slopes and across the valleys.
+
+"We must get to a place where there is good water," said Juarez, as
+they started on their way.
+
+"I wish we could find some grazing for the horses," mused Jim.
+
+"It's a long pull into that valley down there," remarked Jo, "but I
+guess we can make it."
+
+"I don't see why not," said Tom. "Our horses have had a long rest and
+ought to make fine time."
+
+They did succeed in finding an excellent camping place after riding
+down the mountain slopes for about five miles. They came into quite a
+broad valley with a beautiful stream of clear tumbling water flowing
+through the midst of it, and green meadows on either side.
+
+"I bet that's a fine trout stream," exclaimed Tom enthusiastically.
+
+"This is one of the best places that we ever had to camp in," cried
+Jo. "The only place I can remember that beat it was in Mexico near
+the trembling mountain where we were all shut in."
+
+"Here's the place for a camp," announced Jim. "This hill is away from
+the mountain slope far enough so that no enemy can crawl down under
+the protection of the trees. Then it can be defended, if necessary.
+For some reason, I would not like to camp out on that level meadow
+to-night."
+
+"You don't expect trouble with Indians, do you?" inquired Tom
+anxiously.
+
+"No," replied Jim, "but there are other bad men besides Indians."
+
+"You are right, Skipper," said the shepherd, "we are liable to find
+the worst kind of cutthroats and ruffians in this part of the
+country."
+
+"I guess we will be able to stand 'em off," said Jim, "without calling
+in the police."
+
+Then James swung himself off his horse at the foot of the long hill;
+Tom and Jo rather stiffly, for they were not yet used to active
+mountaineering after so much sea travel, while Jeems Howell stepped
+off his little bay pony. Now ensued a scene of much activity making
+camp. Each one had his work to do and it was done promptly.
+
+Juarez and Jim looked after the horses; rubbed them down, looked
+carefully after any strain or sore, and it was work that they loved
+to do. When the horses were sufficiently rested they were watered and
+fed, and from their splendid condition it was evident that they were
+well cared for. Caliente, Jim's charger, was in extra fine shape. His
+coat of mottled iron-gray fairly shone under Jim's brushing. When he
+had time he polished his hoofs. There was a real affection between
+the horse and his master. On more than one occasion his strength and
+fleetness had saved Jim's life. No one else was equal to controlling
+him.
+
+Jeems' and Tom's work was to look after the mules, take off their
+packs and feed and water the animals. Jeems seemed to get along with
+the mules all right, much better than he did with the horses. Perhaps
+the mules were philosophers. At least they were very wise animals,
+canny and self-controlled. No mule you notice will overeat even when
+he has a chance, but with a horse it is different.
+
+Jo's duties were very active ones. He had to move the goods, saddles,
+etc., into camp, and then get the wood for the fire. By this time one
+of the other boys would be free to help rig up the tent and another
+would fetch water. It was a lively, interesting scene and the boys
+enjoyed it thoroughly.
+
+Within an hour the work was all done, and the horses were grazing,
+with evident enjoyment of the freedom of roaming around over the wide
+meadow with its growth of luxuriant grass, this after the hard day's
+pull. The boys had built a roaring fire of logs fed by long pine
+cones, for the nights were cold at that altitude.
+
+"This would make a pretty fair sort of a fort," said Juarez, "if we
+had to defend it."
+
+"Not as good as the one Jim and I had when the Apaches attacked us in
+New Mexico, when we were separated from Tom and the Captain," remarked
+Jo wisely.
+
+"That was a natural fort," put in Jim, "but as Juarez says, we could
+stand off a crowd here, if we had a chance to fix it up a bit."
+
+"It's lucky that it stands clear of the mountain on this side, so that
+an enemy could not attack us from shelter," remarked Juarez. "It must
+be nearly three-quarters of a mile to the foot of the mountain on this
+side of the valley; perhaps further."
+
+"This hill must be all of one hundred and fifty feet high," said Tom.
+"I should like to see a crowd of Indians charge it."
+
+"You wouldn't," put in Juarez. "They never do a trick like that, but
+would hang around until we were starved out."
+
+"I tell you, lads, it won't be the Indians who will give us trouble,"
+remarked Jeems Howell, "but a gang of renegade white men and
+half-breeds. That's the crowd that will be on our trail."
+
+"I have a sort of feeling that there is a lion in our path," quoth
+James. "We will never get in the vicinity of the 'Lost Mine' without
+a fight. You mark my words. The sooner it comes the better."
+
+"I guess we had better get the horses corraled, hadn't we, Skipper?"
+inquired Juarez. "It's beginning to get dark."
+
+"Right you are," agreed Jim. "They have had a two-hour graze. We will
+take them down to water and then bring them into camp. Jo, you stay
+here and guard the goods."
+
+"Aye, aye, sir," said Jo.
+
+It was already growing dusk when the boys started across the level
+meadow to get the animals. They had no difficulty in picking up the
+trailing lariats. Only the mules acted rather queer. Their long ears
+were pitched forward and they were gazing fixedly in the direction
+of the mountain back of the camp. Then Missouri, the leader, a big
+buckskin with a brown stripe down his back, suddenly put his ears
+back and began to squeal loud and viciously.
+
+"What's the matter with old Missouri?" inquired Jeems anxiously. "You
+don't suppose that the grass has given him a pain in his tummy?"
+
+"No," said Jim, "the old chap scents trouble of some kind."
+
+"Maybe it's a mountain lion," suggested Tom, "that would make him act
+up."
+
+"Maybe," admitted Jim.
+
+Now they had arrived at the stream that was roaring through the
+meadow. It was no brook either, but a brawling stream about forty
+feet in width, very clear and wonderfully cold, as it came from the
+snow-clad summits to the northwest. There were a good many large
+boulders that checked its course and made a roaring music in the
+quiet of the valley. It was a full half mile from the hill where the
+camp was.
+
+"This would be a fine stream for trout," remarked Tom. "I wish we were
+going to stop in this valley long enough to give us a chance for some
+sport, but I suppose we will get up about four o'clock in the morning
+and chase over the mountains all day and then make a dry camp where
+our animals will be stampeded by the Indians."
+
+"You certainly are a croaker, Tommy," laughed Jim heartily, for Tom's
+pessimistic prophecies never failed to amuse his big brother, "but
+cheer up, I have about decided to stop here in the valley for a day or
+two and give the children a good time."
+
+"It won't be a bad idea, Skipper," remarked Juarez, "because it will
+give the horses a good rest and they have had a long, hard pull of it
+the past ten days, and will put them in good condition for the rest
+of the trip; perhaps, too, we can get a deer or two around here."
+
+"There formerly was and ought now to be deer in this valley or near
+it," put in Jeems. "This is just the kind of place for them to come
+for grazing and pasture."
+
+"It will help fill out our larder, too," said Tom.
+
+"You mean our stomachs," said Jeems whimsically, after his fashion.
+
+"I would like a mess of trout," remarked Tom. "I'm tired of salt
+horse."
+
+"What's the matter with Missouri?" said Jeems, "he won't drink."
+
+"You can't make him then," said Jim. "A mule is sure stubborn."
+
+The rest of the animals appeared willing enough, but it took quite a
+while, as only one could come down to the stream at a time. The banks,
+though not high, were cut through the turf and there was only one spot
+where there was a broken place and a couple of stones where the horses
+and mules could step down to the stream.
+
+"I guess Jo will begin to wonder what has become of us," said Jim, as
+the last horse drank his fill.
+
+When they turned the animals' heads towards the camp it had grown
+dark, while the great valley was filled with the loneliness and the
+deep shadows of the night. There was nothing to break the stillness
+but the tune of the tumbling stream and the monotone of the pine-clad
+slopes rising blackly on either side of the valley. The light of the
+campfire upon the hill sent up its distant glow.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+A SURPRISE
+
+
+Let us now return to Jo to keep him company during the absence of his
+brethren and companion-in-arms. He sat down by the fire on a rock with
+his legs stretched out before him, for he was rather tired, and his
+hands clasped back of his head. All about him were the shadows of the
+trees, but he was perfectly at his ease, though it would have been
+lonesome enough if he had not known that the rest of the gang was
+near.
+
+Still it would have been better if he had kept closer watch, for
+already the Frontier Boys had received warning that they were being
+trailed, and Jo should have seated himself in the door of the tent so
+that his back would have been protected, and he would have had the
+benefit of the fire just the same. He likewise naturally trusted to
+Jeems' shepherd dog to give him warning. The dog lay near the front
+of the tent with his nose over his paws and his brown eyes blinking
+toward the blaze.
+
+It was his presence that saved Jo at this time, nothing else. Shep
+jumped to his feet with a growl that grated along his back teeth, a
+growl that meant business and serious business, too.
+
+Let us see what was the cause of Shep's alarm. Just a little after the
+boys had left the hill to take the horses to water, the figure of a
+man could be seen coming stealthily out of the shadow of the pines
+upon the slope.
+
+He maneuvered so that the hill was between him and Skipper Jim's
+party, then he stood straight up and walked stealthily and carefully,
+but nevertheless swiftly, towards the camp. The man had made a slight
+miscalculation, for he supposed that the camp was deserted and that he
+could take what he wanted and destroy the rest before the boys could
+return. A crooked smile came over his face as he made his evil plans.
+He would go through the camp, take what was valuable, throw what he
+could not use on the campfire and as a last touch he would set fire to
+the tent.
+
+Then as the tenderfeet came rushing back filled with anger and fear at
+the sight of the burning tent, he would easily make his escape through
+the darkness to the protection of the mountains, where these boys
+would never get him. He would have, too, his booty, which he would
+hide in a cave he knew of, so that he would not have to divide with
+his gang. It was a beautiful plan and it appealed to him in several
+ways.
+
+"Those American pigs," he said, "they think through their snouts. They
+do not know enough to guard their camp in this country."
+
+But as we know, there was something of a surprise in store for this
+enterprising gentleman. It is evident that he was not the same fellow
+that Juarez had detected skulking in the woods that morning, for this
+was a Mexican who was stalking the boys' camp. He came swiftly through
+the grass, with a silence born of custom. It was well for him that he
+did, else Jo would have been on his trail in a minute.
+
+The Greaser, for such he deserves to be called, went cautiously up
+the slope of the hill, following a small depression which was a
+watercourse during the rainstorms. When he got within two-thirds of
+the top, he stopped as though he had been struck, for there was the
+figure of Jo seated on the rock between him and the fire. For a second
+his jaw dropped and his eyes opened wide. Then his cunning ferocity
+came to him.
+
+A tall bush and several trees intervened between him and Jo, utterly
+unconscious of his danger. Without a sound he crawled along, his
+poniard gripped between the gleam of his strong white teeth, which
+gave him a snarling and sinister appearance. His plan was evident. He
+did not dare to risk a shot, for that would give the alarm and he
+would have no chance for loot.
+
+Meanwhile, Jo continued entirely unconscious of the treacherous
+approach of this unseen foe. Jo was not thinking of any danger and
+his mind was far away on an excursion of its own, dreaming of the far
+corners of the earth to which they would sail, if by good fortune
+they found the treasure of the Lost Mine.
+
+But Jo was in an ace of taking a longer journey than any that he was
+at that moment dreaming of. The Mexican had got almost within striking
+distance of Jo and had risen to his feet, not seeing the dog, and was
+just drawing back his arm to throw the fatal knife when Shep gave his
+growl of warning at the figure he saw in the shadow back of his
+master.
+
+If Jo had been careless before he made up for it now. His experience
+stood him in good stead, for instead of rising to his feet to confront
+the danger as a tenderfoot would have done, he dropped down behind the
+rock as quickly as a pugilist ducks his opponent's lead. It was all
+that saved him. "Swish" swept the knife with a flash of steel through
+the air, where Jo's body had been the second before. Jo's pistol was
+in the tent on a box, but his hand, as he dropped, touched a stone.
+The reader perhaps remembers what an accurate shot Jo was with a ball
+or rock. If his memory goes back far enough he will recall what Jo did
+to the Apache when he was trying to sneak up on the boys' fort in New
+Mexico.
+
+As soon as the Mexican saw that he had missed his aim, he started
+to run. Jo saw his dark form a few feet away and hurled the rock,
+striking him behind the left shoulder and half knocking him down. Jo,
+the fleet of foot, was upon him in a couple of bounds, and now a
+furious struggle ensued between Jo and the Mexican. The Greaser was
+strong and wiry, also very desperate. Once he had Jo nearly gone, as
+he threw him to his knees, and put his weight upon his back to crush
+him down.
+
+With a quick shift Jo got to his feet again, and the struggle was
+renewed. Jo finally got his man near a rock that stood up a foot and
+a half above the ground. Exerting all of his lithe strength he shoved
+him back so that his heels struck the rock. As the man toppled, Jo
+threw his whole weight against him, and back he went with tremendous
+force, striking his head against a pine tree.
+
+This laid the Greaser out and Jo, panting heavily, dragged him into
+the firelight and in a minute more had him tied securely. Then he sat
+down on a rock, breathing hard, just as the voices of the returning
+boys could be heard at the foot of the hill as they were bringing in
+the horses. Jo said nothing, but sat quietly, knowing how surprised
+the boys would be to see this new addition to the family circle.
+
+"Didn't see any wild Injuns, did you, Jo?" It was Jim's cheery voice.
+
+"Narry Injun," replied Jo. Just then Caliente began to act up, surging
+around with his ears back and plunging to get away from Jim. Either he
+saw the Mexican or suspected his presence.
+
+"Whoa, you Tiger!" cried Jim, but he had quite a tussle with him
+before he got him subdued. Even then Caliente kept snorting at
+intervals, with his nostrils dilating. Then the boys came toward the
+campfire from the shadow of the trees. Meanwhile Jo had thrown a
+blanket over the inert form of the Mexican, and he looked like an
+irregular log of wood.
+
+Perhaps this was not a very gallant way to treat one's fallen foe,
+but you are not apt to feel very kindly towards a man who has just
+tried to throw a knife into your back. So Jo did not care much if he
+was sat upon and used for a sofa. This particular log was placed
+convenient to the fire.
+
+"You look rather rumpled and pale, Jo," grinned Jim. "Did a hoot owl
+scare you while we were gone?"
+
+"I bet Jo was hiding in the tent," jeered Tom, "with his head in the
+blankets."
+
+Jo looked kind of sheepish and very red in the face. It was evident
+that he was struggling with some hidden emotion. Jim started to sit
+down upon the convenient log, and Tom likewise, the latter growling:
+
+"You always try to get the best of everything."
+
+Then they sat down upon the supposed log. To their utter surprise and
+ultimate horror, the log began to twist and turn.
+
+"Whoopee!" yelled Tom, leaping six feet, it seemed, into the air,
+"it's a snake!" Jim rose more slowly, but very pale. He was deeply
+moved, not to say frightened. "Sancte Maria, Sancte Sebastina!" seemed
+the words issuing from the muffled folds of the blanket. Jim tore it
+off and there was the Mexican whom Jo had had the round-up with.
+
+"What!" cried Jim; "who is this?" Jeems' head was now looking between
+the flaps of the tent, into which he had dived headfirst when the log
+came to life.
+
+"It's one of the gang that has been trailing us," cried Jeems.
+
+Jo was rolling around in paroxysms of laughter.
+
+"Whoopee!" he cried in imitation of brother Tom, "it's a snake," then
+he went off into another fit.
+
+"You durned idiot," yelled the incensed Tom, "shut up laughing. I
+guess that fellow is a snake. You might have scared me into breaking
+a blood vessel."
+
+"I came near scaring you into breaking the record for the high jump,"
+panted Jo, weak from laughter.
+
+"But where did you capture this specimen, Jo?" asked Jim with a quiet
+smile. To tell the truth he was somewhat chagrined, for he could not
+deny even to himself that he had been badly frightened by Jo's trick.
+
+"Look a here, boys," cried Jeems, "here is where a knife has gone
+clean through the corner of this tent."
+
+"Sure enough," agreed Jim, examining the cut in the canvas.
+
+"Here's the weapon," said Juarez, who was quick to follow up a trail
+of any kind. He brought the dagger to the firelight, and they looked
+at it with interest. It had a very keen blade, sharp-pointed and two
+edged. The handle was richly engraved and of silver.
+
+"How is this, Jo?" inquired Jim. "Tell us the whole story even if it
+implicates your friend here, the human log." There was a grim quality
+in Jim's voice which made the Mexican roll his eyes viciously.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI
+
+THE GREASER
+
+
+"You are certainly a great chap for collecting knives," said Jim
+admiringly to his brother Jo. "Somebody is always giving you one or
+throwing it at you. Remember that Indian friend of yours who crept
+up on you that night in Kansas and threw the bowie at you?"
+
+"I'm not likely to forget that souvenir," grinned Jo. "But this fellow
+certainly was going to give me the best surprise of all. Was it not
+so, Señor Manuello Greasero?" and Jo gave the fellow a contemptuous
+stir with his foot and the Mexican responded with an open-mouthed
+snarl for all the world like a wild cat when you poke a stick at him.
+
+"It was a dirty, treacherous piece of business," said Jim, his face
+growing dark with anger. "I'm going to put this fellow to the
+question."
+
+But they made no headway with the prisoner, as he maintained a
+stubborn silence about himself and his associates. Finally Jim, tired
+and disgusted, rose to his feet and looked down at the Mexican.
+
+"Give me that dagger, Jo," he said. Jo handed over the silver-handled
+weapon, while the Mexican watched Jim with eyes of concentrated hate.
+He believed his last hour had come.
+
+"Have you got anything to say for yourself?" inquired Jim savagely, as
+he felt the edge of the knife with his thumb.
+
+"I want to see a priest," croaked the Mexican in a hoarse voice.
+
+"I can furnish you with a philosopher," said Jim. "Here, Jeems, can
+you offer any advice to this cutthroat or consolation either?"
+
+"I haven't any license to talk to the likes of him," said Jeems
+gravely. "He wants a guarantee for the next life and I won't give it
+to him. But I can tell him one thing, if he don't hang now, he will
+later."
+
+When the Mexican saw that his life was going to be spared, he may have
+been surprised, but he showed no sign of gratitude. It was now time
+for the boys to turn in, but of course the camp was not left without a
+guard. The night was divided up into watches. Tom was to watch until
+eleven; then Jeems Howell was to have the watch until one; Jim to
+three; Juarez to five, and Jo the hour until six.
+
+It was necessary to keep up a moderate fire, for the hours toward
+midnight were very cold. Tom kept moving around briskly when the
+others had turned into the tent.
+
+The boys did not lay awake a minute, for they were wholesomely tired
+and the clear, cold air, touched with the fragrance of the pines,
+caused them to sleep sound and hard. The light from the fire shone
+into the tent where the boys were stretched out, wrapped in their
+blankets. They did not have to sleep with one eye open, because they
+had confidence that the one on guard would warn them if any danger
+approached.
+
+Tom, as I have said, was on the alert. He moved around the camp,
+seeing that the horses were all right and going down the slope of the
+hill a ways in the darkness if he heard any suspicious sound, with his
+pistol gripped firmly in his hand and the faithful Shep pattering
+along at his heels. The dog was a good deal of company for Tom. Then
+they would return to the fire where the Mexican lay bound, with
+his hat pulled down over his head, but with his shifty black eyes
+continually on the alert. If he had any plan, he had no chance to
+carry it out while Tom was on duty.
+
+At eleven o'clock promptly, Tom stole into the tent, and stepping
+over Juarez waked up Jeems, who sat up with a tousled head of hair and
+sadly sleepy, but he took it all like a philosopher, and stooped out
+of the tent to take his watch on deck. A slight change had come over
+the weather. A few dark and heavy clouds were drifting high across the
+valley and there was a steady roar of wind among the pines upon the
+mountain slopes.
+
+The prisoner noticed the change of guard with interest. "I am thirsty,
+Señor," he said. The philosopher went and procured for him a drink. "A
+little closer to the fire now, Señor. I feel cold." The shepherd did
+as requested.
+
+"Don't ask me to make tea for you now, because I would have to
+refuse."
+
+The man gave no sign that he understood, and Jeems went back to the
+horses to see how they were getting along. It was quite a family party
+of animals and if one had been gone the others would have missed him
+sadly.
+
+They were all fastened to rather small trees back of the tent. The
+mules stood with heads slightly bent and perfectly still. Jeems went
+up to old Missouri, pulling his long ears affectionately, and his
+muleship did not seem to mind it in the least. As Jeems often said,
+they were kindred souls. The ponies stood with drooping heads. Jo's
+horse had his head resting over the neck of Tom's, for they were
+quite chums.
+
+But Jim's Caliente seemed restless and not quiet like the others. He
+had a good-sized pine for his anchorage, and was in the center of
+the group, while the others were tied in a circle around him. He was
+shaking his head and stamping his feet, but Jeems could not find that
+there was anything especially the matter with him.
+
+Just then the shepherd thought he heard something moving, or creeping
+through the brush below and he went cautiously down to investigate. He
+had got below the crest of the hill, about fifty feet, when he was
+sure that he saw something crouching and moving swiftly off through
+the darkness. He cried halt and was about to fire his revolver at it
+when the object disappeared as though the earth had swallowed it
+up. Then, too, Jeems was not a very ready hand with a pistol; few
+philosophers are; it requires an impulsive temperament to shoot
+offhand. Jeems made his way back to the camp debating in his mind
+whether he should wake up the boys and tell them what he had seen.
+This question was settled for him as soon as he arrived in front of
+the tent. One glance was enough, he saw that the Mexican prisoner
+had escaped. He was evidently clean gone.
+
+"He's gone, boys," cried Jeems, sticking his head into the tent.
+
+"Who's gone?" they cried, simultaneously sitting up.
+
+"The Mexican," replied Jeems.
+
+"How long?" cried Jim, getting outside of the tent in a jiffy.
+
+"I haven't been gone over five minutes, maybe eight, though," he added
+reflectively.
+
+"Good riddance to bad rubbish," was Jim's verdict.
+
+"I'm glad we do not have to have him around anyway," chimed in Jo.
+
+"But how did the beggar get away?" inquired Juarez. "He was tied tight
+enough, I reckon."
+
+"Here's the answer," said Jim, stooping over and picking up a piece of
+rope that lay on the edge of the circle of the firelight.
+
+"Why, it has been burned through!" exclaimed Juarez.
+
+"Exactly," replied Jim.
+
+"How did he get close enough to the fire to do that?" asked Tom.
+
+"I would have thought that he would have burnt himself up," said Jo.
+
+"It was simple enough," explained Jim. "A coal rolled close to him
+and he was able to get the rope that tied his hands against it and
+burnt through, and the rest was easy."
+
+"That was a pretty good trick," said Juarez. "We will have to remember
+that."
+
+"I would be afraid of burning myself," objected Tom.
+
+"That Mexican wouldn't feel it if you did put a live coal on him,"
+quoth Juarez. "They don't mind heat."
+
+"I bet he gets his gang on our trail," said Jo. "We will have to look
+out for trouble from now on."
+
+"We will be ready for them," remarked Jim significantly.
+
+"It looks a little bit like a thunderstorm, boys," said Juarez.
+
+"We had better peg that tent down tighter," said Jo. "It is going to
+blow, too, in a short while."
+
+The boys did not get things ship-shape any too soon. The black clouds
+were drifting in a gloomy procession over the great valley, then came
+a flash that showed the expanse of the level meadow in a green-white
+color and the somber pine-clad slopes, then the wind and rain
+together.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII
+
+HAIL
+
+
+The storm drifted steadily northward over the valley with its
+accompanying flashes of lightning, followed by volleys of rain mingled
+with the shot of hail. As soon as the boys heard the hail on the
+canvas roof of their tent they hustled out to put blankets on their
+horses, so as to protect them from the beating hail. They moved them
+under the protecting branches as much as possible and made them as
+snug as they could.
+
+"Remember the time we got into a hail storm in Kansas?" questioned Jo,
+as they walked back through the beating white pellets, that were
+getting larger every minute.
+
+"That was fun," laughed Tom. "We pretended that the hail was bullets
+and the one who was struck on the head was to be dead."
+
+"You were it," declared Jo.
+
+"I was not," said Tom decidedly.
+
+"We will leave it to this storm to decide," said Jo.
+
+"All right," agreed Tom.
+
+"Jeems to be the referee," said Jo.
+
+This was likewise acceptable to Tom. The hail was now coming faster
+and of good size, about as big as the end of one's thumb, but the boys
+did not seem to mind as they slouched along with their sombreros
+pulled down around their ears, thus affording pretty fair protection.
+Just then a big bullet of hail struck fairly on top of Tom's skull and
+bounced, the others saw, about six inches into the air.
+
+"Hurrah!" yelled Jo, "that proves it. You are it again. Isn't he
+judge?" this to Jeems.
+
+"You mean hit again, not 'it. I fear you are English," replied Jeems.
+
+"Don't insult me," said Jo, "I'm plain U. S. Southwest. But isn't Tom
+out?"
+
+"Yes," replied Jeems, "he is."
+
+"What!" cried Tom in great surprise, "did something strike me."
+
+"I always thought your head was thick," replied Jo contemptuously,
+"now I'm sure of it."
+
+By this time they had reached the shelter of the tent and stood
+looking out at the antics of the hail as it danced upon the hard
+ground and leaped from the surface of the rocks, and spatted into fire
+until a steam arose into the air. In a short time the ground was
+covered with several inches of whiteness.
+
+"Did you boys ever hear that old circus joke?" inquired Jeems, looking
+musingly out at the jumping hail.
+
+"Not recently," said Jo. "Fire away, Jeems, and relieve your mind."
+
+"Well, in the circus they have a king rigged up on a throne. Him in
+a red robe and a tinsel crown. All the varlets come in and bow low
+before his majesty. Then comes the clown and bows lower than the
+others.
+
+"'Hail! Hail!' he cries.
+
+"'How dare you hail,' roars the king, 'when I'm reigning!' Then the
+crowd yells."
+
+"That isn't so worse, Jeems," laughed Jo, and the rest joined in.
+
+"What's the difference, boys," questioned Jim, "between rain and a
+hen?"
+
+"Give it up," said the chorus.
+
+"The one lays the dust and the other dost lay."
+
+Then Jim leaped out of the tent to get away from the boys, who
+would have combined and given him a good licking in token of their
+appreciation of his brilliant wit. It was his turn to keep watch,
+anyway, and so he stayed out under a tree, while the boys went
+peacefully to sleep, with the hail beating on the canvas roof of their
+tent, confident that with Jim on deck they would be safe enough.
+
+How about the vanished Mexican? He had made his escape as Jim had
+said. Though stiff from being tightly bound and suffering from the
+blow he had got from the stone that Jo had thrown at him, he made
+quick time to the pine-clad slope of the mountain. He seemed to know
+the way even through the darkness of the forest of pine. After going
+half a mile he saw the outline of his horse hitched to a sapling.
+
+As soon as he was mounted he turned his animal's head down the slope
+until he came to the edge of the meadow. There he stopped for a moment
+and looked towards the star of the boys' campfire upon the hill, then
+he shook his fist in their direction, with an imprecation and a threat
+of what was going to happen to them in a short time. Finally he turned
+his mustang's head up the valley and rode at a slow dog trot through
+the darkness, groaning considerably with the pain that the jolting
+gave him.
+
+In a short time the storm overtook him and the falling hail made his
+pony hump himself threateningly, but his rider gave him a dig with his
+long and cruel spurs in the flank and that furnished the broncho with
+something else to think about. After several miles of hard travel, the
+two began going up steadily, along a narrow and steep trail, with the
+brawling stream below. The valley had narrowed into a deep canyon with
+great walls of pale granite, and uncountable black pines growing
+everywhere.
+
+The hail made the trail slippery and once the horse came near slipping
+into the depths of the gorge below, but with a tremendous straining
+effort the plucky animal scrambled back to safety. It was evident that
+his rider was born to be hanged, for he seemed able to escape every
+other form of death. Having regained the trail, he rode on for some
+distance, then he turned into a side canyon, and his knowing horse
+took him through the labyrinth of trees, until there appeared a light
+of a campfire at the end of the trail. The gaunt forms of some men
+could be seen moving around it.
+
+One of the men heard the approach of the Mexican and gave the alarm.
+In an instant no one was in sight, but there were a number of guns
+ready to take the number of the stranger whoever he might be. But the
+Mexican was on to their little ways. He reined in his horse, gave a
+low whistle, and called out something in Spanish and then rode up to
+the group.
+
+There were eight in the gang, including the stout red-necked man who
+had given the boys a chase early in the morning. The evident leader of
+the crowd was a lanky young fellow whose unusual length of limb did
+not indicate any frailty of physique. He was a man to be dreaded in
+any encounter. Gus Gols had a rather shock head of light hair, one
+bunch always sticking up; high cheek bones, a skin of dully burnished
+red, and rather small blue eyes, both keen and insolent in their gaze.
+He had a queer, aggressive way of hooking his head forward when
+speaking that was very noticeable.
+
+He was not vicious in speech, but he was in action, and was one of the
+most dangerous characters in the West. He had been cowboy, cattle
+rustler and road agent in different parts of the country west of the
+Missouri. Now he was at the head of a desperate gang who raided far
+and wide, taking gold from the pack trains or from the individual
+miner, where he had struck it rich; even making raids on the
+settlements on the western slope of the Sierras.
+
+It appeared as though the Frontier Boys were walking directly into
+the jaws of this desperate gang. They were already trailing them and
+might pounce upon them at any time. Physically it would seem that Jim
+himself would be no match for "Big Gus," as he was generally known in
+that section of the woods, but two of them, say Jim and Juarez, would
+have made it interesting for him.
+
+Gus Gols listened to his Mexican's story of adventure with much
+impassiveness, then he got slowly to his feet. He had made no comment
+to break the course of the Greaser's narrative, only eyeing him
+occasionally with a squint of his hard blue eyes.
+
+"I don't see, Mike" (his true name was Miguel José Maria, etc.), "why
+them fellars down there in the valley didn't choke the breath out of
+your black carcass; they must be soft ones, and I'm going to git their
+horses pretty soon now. I'm going to turn in, and I don't want you
+boys raising Cain around here. If you want to do any chawing be quiet
+about it, understand?"
+
+They understood perfectly; Miguel José Maria, better known as "Mike,"
+looking blackly at the slouching figure of "the boss," as the giant
+stooped his head through the low doorway of the cabin. What he
+muttered to himself was complimentary neither to Big Gus' character
+nor career, but he stood in great fear of him nevertheless. It was
+characteristic of Gus Gols' shrewdness that his gang was made up for
+the most part of Mexicans and half-breeds, with only two white men for
+lieutenants.
+
+He could dominate these mongrels and make them subservient. Also they
+had to be satisfied with a small part of the spoils, while with a gang
+of white men he would have been obliged to have divided up evenly and
+he would constantly have had to prove his right to leadership. He had
+drilled his motley crew until they were a very dangerous band of
+outlaws. Naturally the Mexicans and half-breeds were poor shots, but
+Big Gus had trained them until he had made good marksmen out of them,
+and cool under fire. He had used threats, cajolery and even occasional
+money prizes to obtain this result.
+
+From this it was evident that the Frontier Boys had their work cut out
+for them, with this dangerous gang barring their way and liable to
+attack them at any time. Gus Gols was even now making his plans for an
+ambush or a raid. The reports that his scouts had brought him in
+regard to the boys' horses had made him greedy to get hold of them.
+
+His own horseflesh was not in the best of shape. Besides, he needed
+ammunition and other supplies which the boys had so thoughtfully
+brought along. He chuckled to himself as he saw how easy it all was.
+What chance would those tenderfoot kids have against his cunning
+courage, strength and the odds of numbers? He would eat them alive. In
+truth there seemed excellent ground for his confidence and it would
+take something besides luck to save Jim and his followers at this
+crisis. It would require hard fighting and skillful strategy.
+
+"The Boss is planning some devilment or ruther," said the red-faced
+scout to the other white man. "It's a sartain sign when he chuckles
+to himself that a-way."
+
+"Your diagnosis is correct, Ephraim," replied his pal, giving his
+black moustache a delicate twist.
+
+"Better not let Big Gus hear you use such language, Edgar," said Eph,
+"because he's kind of tetchy sometimes."
+
+Edgar only laughed. He was an odd sheep to be in such a fold, for he
+looked more like a consumptive than an outlaw; his face had a decided
+pallor, and he was subject to a hacking cough. It was evident that he
+also gave some attention to dress and a real diamond shone in his
+shirt front, once white, but now of a dubious grime.
+
+But make no mistake. Next to the Boss he was the most dangerous man in
+the pack. He was a man with a certain amount of education, but it did
+him no good, and if he got near a piano, he could make it hum with
+harmony. His chief accomplishment, however, and one which made him
+valuable to his chief, was his ability to use a revolver with rapidity
+and precision.
+
+"You fellars better turn in;" it was the voice of Gus Gols; "I'm
+liable to give yer somethin' besides conversation in a day or two. I
+want yer to look pink and purty if we should happen to meet them swell
+tenderfeet. Shet up now." They "shet."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII
+
+A HOLIDAY
+
+
+"It's going to be a fine day," said Jim. He was standing in front of
+the tent on the hill and taking a preliminary look at the sky. It
+certainly had the appearance of being just as he said. The sun was
+sweeping the shining length of the valley with his fresh and early
+beams and there were a few fair, faint clouds drawn across the broad
+blue brow of morning.
+
+"There's nothing like the first break of day in the mountains," said
+Jeems. "I've seen it a hundred times and I never get tired of it."
+
+"It certainly makes you feel fine and fit, this air after a night's
+sleep," said Jo, who stood poised on the edge of the hill, with his
+hands resting lightly on his hips. He did look fit as he said, and the
+rest of the boys, too, with their sunbrowned faces and sinewy figures,
+every pound of which was bone and muscle. It gave one more confidence
+in their ability to stand off the outlaws. One look into their keen,
+alert eyes showed that they were not to be caught napping, either.
+
+"What's the program for to-day, Skipper?" asked Jeems.
+
+"Juarez and I are going after deer or any other game we can get," said
+Jim. "The rest of you can do what you feel like, only don't overexert
+yourselves."
+
+"I'm going fishing," declared Tom.
+
+"Me too," chimed in Jo.
+
+"I shall stay at home then," said Jeems, "and look after things until
+you children get back. I shan't mind a quiet day with no callers."
+
+"Don't be too sure about there being no callers, Jeems," warned
+Juarez. "Remember what happened to Jo last evening and be careful or
+you will be among the missing."
+
+"I don't know why the other party shouldn't be among the missing,"
+declared Jeems. "I'm a terrible fighter when I get started."
+
+"You would stop when the other fellow said 'ouch,'" remarked Tom, "and
+get a drink of water."
+
+"I'm not much of a mule when it comes to holding a grudge, and certain
+that's a fact," admitted Jeems.
+
+"You're all right," declared Jim with earnestness.
+
+"Sure you are," said the chorus, and Jeems in acknowledgment bowed
+low.
+
+"I thank your Royal Highnesses for your appreciation of your humble
+servant," he said.
+
+"You're welcome," replied Jim briefly.
+
+Jim and Juarez were soon on their chargers, and they made a fine
+appearance; Jim on his powerful animal, Caliente, with his strong,
+arched neck, body and hindquarters built for speed, and shoulders to
+crash through all barriers of an enemy; his gray mottled coat fairly
+glistened in the sun.
+
+Juarez's roan was a smaller horse than Caliente, but he, too, was
+fleet and of tireless endurance. He was somewhat wall-eyed and vicious
+at times, but Juarez was the master. The story of the capture of the
+horses is told in "Frontier Boys in Mexico," so I will not rehearse it
+here.
+
+No sooner had the two horsemen left the hill than they whirled their
+rifles over their heads and gave their horses the rein. Away they
+dashed at full speed over the level meadows, near the edge of the dark
+tree-clad slopes, as though they were reviewing the vast army of the
+pines.
+
+"There they go like wild Indians," said Tom. "We will have a quiet day
+now."
+
+In a few minutes Tom and Jo were going across the level meadow with
+the slender poles they had cut and the lines and hooks ready. As for
+Jeems, he proceeded to make himself comfortable, taking his blankets
+and spreading them out under the shade of a tree, stretching himself
+out upon them with his hands clasped under his head, and gazing at the
+distant clouds, drifting dreamily over the depths of blue, while there
+came through the sun-warmed air the continual murmur of insects.
+
+Near Jeems' side his faithful shepherd dog was curled up in lazy
+contentment, with his eyes peacefully closed, opening with an
+occasional blink, then closing again. It was a happy interval for
+Jeems, and he thoroughly enjoyed the quietness of the scene, for he
+was a philosopher by nature as well as by name, and he liked to have
+time for his own mind. "You can't hatch thoughts unless you sit on
+'em a while," was one of his quaint phrases.
+
+Meanwhile, Tom and Jo were walking across the sunny meadows with their
+minds filled with great expectations of the trout they were about to
+catch. It was a sort of a holiday for them, and they did not envy Jim
+and Juarez in the least, and were actually sorry for Jeems, since they
+were born fishermen. When they reached the stream they separated, Jo
+going up where there were some willow bushes overhanging the water,
+and Tom going down where he hoped to find some quiet pools.
+
+The whole valley was a scene of utmost peace, and no one would dream
+that there was war gathering, as it were, in the near future, but
+there undoubtedly was. The only bit of tactics that Jo had in his mind
+at present was how to get the big trout who lurked in the shadow of
+the limpid pool. He cast carefully and watched the float on his
+line with intense interest. Five minutes passed, then came the
+heart-throbbing second when the float went under and there was a
+strong, tense pull on the line. Steadily Jo pulled until there shone
+in the air a gleaming trout.
+
+It was a beauty with olive-green back, shading down the sides to white
+with spots of black and red. It was thirteen inches in length, and Jo
+promised himself quite a triumph over Tom when he should show him this
+prize. By noon Jo had caught ten fish varying from seven inches to a
+foot in length. He and Tom met down stream several miles, at noon.
+
+"What luck?" inquired Tom.
+
+"Better than yours," declared Jo proudly. "I've got the biggest fish."
+
+"You have not," said Tom, and to prove it he pulled out of his bag a
+good big trout.
+
+"There!"
+
+"Huh! You just wait," retorted Jo, fishing into his sack. "How does
+that strike you?" and he pulled out his champion.
+
+"Let's measure," said Tom. Jo's fish was a half inch longer, and he
+also had two more than his brother, for Tom had caught only eight.
+
+They ate their lunch on a little gravelly knoll where there were some
+pine trees not far from the stream.
+
+What with a couple of trout, backed by what they had brought, and the
+cold water from the stream, they fared very well, indeed.
+
+"I reckon we will do better than Jim and Juarez," said Tom. "I don't
+believe that they will get anything."
+
+"We ought to do well this afternoon," said Jo.
+
+And they did. By four o'clock they had a joint catch of thirty-five
+trout, and decided that was enough for the present. At Jo's suggestion
+they decided to give Jeems a surprise. So they approached the hill
+with due care, making their attack on the side towards the slope of
+the mountain which was best protected. They began their stealthy
+crawl up through the pine trees, until they came in sight of the camp.
+
+The first evidence they saw of Jeems was his feet sticking out, being
+quite prominent in their blue socks with white tips, he having removed
+his boots for comfort. His back was against a big pine, and he was
+peacefully asleep. Before he could move a rope was passed quickly
+around his chest and he was bound firmly to the tree by unseen hands.
+
+"Help!" he yelled. "Tom, Jo, come here quick, they've got me!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV
+
+BIG GUS AND HIS GANG
+
+
+Thus having got poor Jeems securely tied, Tom and Jo vamoosed down the
+hill shaking with laughter. Then they ran around the edge to the brook
+side of the hill and ran to Jeems' rescue, he yelling lustily for help.
+
+"Where did they go?" cried Jo.
+
+"Back to the woods," replied Jeems.
+
+"How many were they?" asked Tom.
+
+"I couldn't count 'em," answered Jeems.
+
+"What were you doing?" inquired Jo, "while these rascals were tying
+you?"
+
+"Nuthin'," replied Jeems.
+
+"I suppose you were asleep," put in Tom.
+
+"I was meditating," replied Jeems with dignity.
+
+"With your eyes shut," added Jo.
+
+"The best way," explained Jeems, "for in that way it shuts out every
+outside object, even outlaws."
+
+"I wonder what luck Jim and Juarez are having?" said Jo, changing the
+subject.
+
+"They ought to be showing up pretty soon now," remarked Tom.
+
+"Maybe they have got tied up too," said Jeems.
+
+Let us solve this for ourselves by following Jim and Juarez on their
+hunting expedition. Concluding their race, they settled down to the
+search for game. After going several miles they branched off to the
+northwest where a part of the valley formed a park with trees
+wide-spaced and grass. It was a beautiful place.
+
+"This is the kind of country to find deer in," said Juarez.
+
+"It does look good," said Jim. "We had better leave our horses here
+and try it on foot."
+
+"There is a thick clump of trees over there," remarked Juarez, "where
+it will be a safe place to tie them."
+
+Without more ado, the two boys made their way to the grove, which
+formed an excellent screen, for the trees were not pine, but a kind of
+alder with large round leaves, and around the grove was quite a thick
+growth of brush. With some difficulty they got into the center of the
+trees, and made their horses fast. Then they started to make their way
+out with their rifles ready.
+
+"Hello! What is that?" cried Juarez. "Didn't you hear it?" The boys
+stood perfectly still; then in a few seconds came two reports.
+
+"Somebody has got ahead of us," remarked Jim. "Those were rifle
+shots."
+
+"Lucky we got in here when we did," said Juarez.
+
+"There go five deer," cried Jim, "up the mountain opposite."
+
+"Sure enough," said Juarez. They were going like the wind and were
+soon lost to sight on the wooded slope of the mountain.
+
+"I wish they had come our way," declared Jim, in a disappointed tone.
+"Those rascals have spoiled our luck."
+
+"It wouldn't have been safe," replied Juarez cautiously. "It's some of
+this gang, that the Mexican came from, and they might outnumber us."
+
+"We will wait here a few minutes," said Jim. "Perhaps we will sight
+them." So the boys crouched at the edge of the grove with the brush
+for a screen, looking narrowly in the direction of the shots. A half
+hour passed, still they saw nothing, but they never stirred, and
+watched steadily. The Frontier Boys had acquired something of the
+patience of Indians when it came to lying in wait for an enemy.
+
+"There they come," at length said Juarez the keen-eyed. He had
+discovered several dark spots moving among the trees.
+
+"That's them," cried Jim eagerly. "Four of 'em."
+
+"If they cut our trail, we will have to fight," said Juarez, "unless
+we cut for camp."
+
+Jim shook his head. "I want to get a closer view of these beggars," he
+said.
+
+They were now coming within range, jogging along on their cayuses down
+the gentle incline between the trees. They had shot a couple of deer.
+
+"Three of them look like Mexicans," said Juarez. "I believe they are
+coming right by us."
+
+"If they do, we will jump the procession," said Jim.
+
+However, they did not get the chance, for when the hunters had come
+within about three hundred yards of the grove they turned at right
+angles and were lost to view behind a spur that ran from the southern
+ridge. Without a moment's hesitation, Jim and Juarez left their covert
+and took up the trail. It was dangerous work, but in their moccasined
+feet they did not make a sound.
+
+They crouched along at a good rate, always keeping near enough not to
+lose the rear horseman, who was a Mexican and rode stolidly forward.
+When they had the chance they closed up within a few yards of the men,
+so that they could overhear the scraps of conversation. Once they got
+a real scare when one of the Mexicans swung off his pony and came back
+looking for a cigarette that he had dropped.
+
+Jim and Juarez pressed back into a tall bush and stood there not
+daring to breathe, while the Mexican, with his eyes on the ground,
+came within a few feet of them, stooped and picked up his cigarette,
+and then the two boys heard the clatter of his horse's hoofs as he
+made haste to rejoin the rest of the procession. For two hours they
+followed the four horsemen through the big canyon, and the smaller
+side one, until they came within range of the camp of the enemy, in
+the pocket at the end of the side canyon.
+
+Here the boys had to use great caution. They worked around to the
+slope above the cabin of the Gus Gols gang. There they got their first
+view of the giant they had to deal with as he came into the open in
+front of his cabin, with his slouching walk. Six feet four in height,
+lanky in build but of wonderful muscular strength and endurance. He
+was bareheaded, with a tuft of light hair sticking straight up. His
+sun-burned neck was like a column.
+
+"You Eph!" he yelled. "Tell the Greasers and Ed I want to see 'em in
+the corral." Meaning the cabin.
+
+"All right, boss," came the answer in Eph's gruff voice.
+
+It was certainly an ugly-looking crowd that came from different
+directions in answer to Eph's summons. There were seven of the
+Greasers, so there was a total of ten ruffians gathered in the cabin.
+
+"I'm going to hear this pow-wow," said Juarez, handing Jim his rifle.
+Jim nodded and from his position behind a big pine stood ready to
+protect Juarez's retreat in case he was discovered by the outlaws.
+With nothing but his pistol and knife ready to his hand Juarez started
+on his dangerous mission.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV
+
+A NEW FORT
+
+
+He glided noiselessly down the slope, moving cautiously but quickly,
+until he came to the back of the cabin. It was not difficult for him
+to hear through the unstopped logs. Jim watched narrowly for the first
+move of discovery on the part of the outlaws. He could hear the rather
+high-pitched voice of Gus Gols occasionally, and the heavier one of
+Eph, but it was impossible for Jim to make out what was being said.
+
+He could tell it was something very interesting by the way Juarez
+was listening. Then Jim's heart stood still when he saw Juarez rise
+suddenly to his feet from his listening posture, for he knew by his
+action that he was in danger of discovery. As in truth he was, as you
+will see.
+
+The pow-wow had been going on for a few minutes when Juarez heard Gus
+Gols say:
+
+"You Eph, take a scout around the corral, and see if you kin discover
+any interested spectators hanging around. This is an important
+business, fellow cits and Greasers, so we will have to be keerful."
+
+So Eph started for the door on his tour of inspection, which he did
+not take very seriously, for he knew that there was no government
+official within a hundred miles. As for the tenderfeet in the valley,
+he never gave them a thought; they were probably staying close to
+camp, afraid that the bears would get them. As soon as Gus Gols spoke
+Juarez realized that he had no time to spare.
+
+If he retreated up the slope, he was almost certain to be seen, and
+that meant a running fight against the gang of ten men, with a very
+dubious prospect ahead. He must act quickly; there was no place near
+the cabin where he could hide. Already Eph had stepped outside the
+door. Now the roof of the cabin sloped to the back with overhanging
+boards. Juarez saw his chance; he grabbed one of the boards and lifted
+himself lightly up, and lay down flat just as Eph came around the
+corner of the cabin.
+
+Jim was quivering with the excitement of the situation. Eph took one
+careless look around, shook his head with the muttered comment that
+"The boss must be losing his nerve," and went in to report that all
+was quiet along the Potomac.
+
+Juarez did not get down from the roof of the cabin, but merely moved
+a little to where there was a convenient knothole, through which he
+could hear everything that was going on in the cabin.
+
+He stayed where he was for about ten minutes, lying as quiet as a
+lizard on a sun-warmed log, and this is no idle comparison, for the
+sun did shine down with lots of force; then he slowly and very
+carefully moved backwards, and let himself gingerly down to the
+ground, while Jim watched him intently, sure that he had found out
+something of importance.
+
+Not a word did Juarez say, but motioned Jim to follow him. When they
+had made their escape from the pocket, then Juarez spoke up.
+
+"That was a close call that time, Jim," he said.
+
+"You had me scared for a minute, Juarez," admitted Jim. "What's the
+news? Those fellows were planning some devilment."
+
+"They were," said Juarez. "They are going to attack our camp to-night,
+when we are asleep. Kill us and take our horses and supplies."
+
+"Oh! ho! Is that the ticket!" cried Jim. "I thought that rangy
+Maverick with the stick-up hair was a bad actor. Forewarned is
+forearmed. We will give that bunch a surprise party, but we will have
+to hustle, for it's a long ways to our horses yet."
+
+"I reckon we will have a couple of hours' leeway," said Juarez, "to
+get things in some sort of shape."
+
+"There will be plenty to do," said Jim briefly.
+
+As they swung along down the mountain side, Jim's mind was busy with
+plans of attack and defense. The two boys traveled like Indians with a
+swinging, easy stride that covered a lot of ground. How they did revel
+in the muscular exertion in that bracing air! It was fine to feel
+themselves equal to their task. Around and before them the scene was
+constantly changing.
+
+Now they were going through the pine forests, then into a canyon's
+depths with great walls that seemed to bear the blue skies above; next
+along a narrow trail, with flowering bushes hiding a little creek
+babbling a few feet below. Then, covered with dust, hands and faces
+baked brown with it, they came to the grove where they had left their
+horses tied.
+
+"It seems kind of good," said Juarez, "to have a horse to carry you."
+
+"I'm just tired enough to enjoy the change," said Jim.
+
+"It won't take us long to reach camp now," remarked Juarez.
+
+"Cut 'em loose!" yelled Jim, and with a raucous Indian warwhoop, they
+let their willing horses go. I tell you that was a wild ride for
+speed. Caliente thundered with great leaps over the level plain, and
+not far behind scampered Juarez's roan. The boys at the camp on the
+hill, hearing the clatter of horses' feet, knew that someone was
+approaching, and looked out.
+
+"Here they come like wild Indians!" exclaimed Tom.
+
+"Somebody chasing them?" inquired Jeems anxiously.
+
+"The same crowd that tied you, I reckon," said Tom, and, for some
+reason unknown to Jeems, they went into fits of laughter. In a short
+time Jim and Juarez were in their midst. They did not waste any time
+in greetings and idle chaff. They made clear to the rest of the boys
+in conclave assembled, that the time for action had arrived. Jeems
+heaved a sigh of regret. There seemed no chance for quiet and
+meditation. The other boys were calm, but serious.
+
+"Let the horses graze a while," said Jim. "We have got a couple of
+hours' leeway. Now we have got to build a stockade to protect our
+horses and ourselves."
+
+Five husky fellows can do a great deal in two hours and a half of
+daylight. Jim had thought out his plan and talked it over with Juarez,
+so there was no time lost in useless palaver. He had chosen a small
+open space where the horses had been tethered the night before as the
+place for the fort.
+
+Jim and Juarez, aided by Jo, went to work cutting down trees. They
+were old hands at this business, and it was a caution the way the
+trees crashed and fell. Tom and Jeems were kept busy dragging fallen
+logs from the slopes of the hill, and turning them up. In two hours'
+time the square, rude fort was well under way.
+
+Tom and Juarez were then sent to take the horses to the stream to
+water them, and after that, to fill up every available pot, pan and
+dish with water in case they should be besieged for any length of
+time. This being done all hands turned in again to work on the fort,
+until it grew too dark to see. Then a fire was built near the center
+of the hill, and by the glare of its light they were able to continue
+their work.
+
+Jim sent Juarez, now that the enemy might come at any time, to keep
+a lookout for them. He was the best of the boys for that work, being
+a natural scout, and of unusually keen vision, especially at night.
+There was a deep gully running from the foot of the hill to the slope
+of the mountain, and Juarez followed along that toward the mountain
+slope. Every once in a while he would climb up and look to see if
+there was any sign of the approaching gang.
+
+Juarez was confident that there would be no direct attack even under
+cover of the darkness of the night. For that was not the method of Gus
+Gols and his gang of outlaws. They would take the most secret way of
+approach. In fact, Juarez was positive that they would come by this
+same gully that he was in. Gus Gols had spoken of the gully in his
+pow-wow with his clan, but he had said nothing about his plan of
+attack. He kept all such things to himself. Juarez could hear clearly
+the sound of axes as the boys worked upon their fort on the hill.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI
+
+A NIGHT ATTACK
+
+
+The sound of the work on the hill carried far through the clear, quiet
+air, so that the outlaws, if they were anywhere near, would have had
+warning that preparations were being made to receive them. At last
+Juarez's vigilance was rewarded. He crouched, looking over the edge of
+the gully in the direction of the mountain with its heavily-wooded
+slope.
+
+He was positive that he saw a line of horsemen moving along the edge
+of the trees. Then he heard a horse's shoe strike a stone, and the
+low voices of men. A thrill went through him at the nearness of the
+encounter. Lucky that he and Jim had been on hand to hear the plans
+laid at the pow-wow, for they would in all probability have been
+captured or killed, since the outlaws could have rushed the camp
+easily. With only one of the boys on guard, there would have been
+no chance against the ten of them.
+
+"What are those tenderfeet a-doin' this time of night?" growled Gus
+Gols, bringing his column to a halt. "They seem to be mighty busy
+about something."
+
+"Maybe they have got wind of our doin's," said Eph. "I wouldn't be
+surprised if they weren't such tenderfeet after all."
+
+"I'm goin' to do a little lookin' ahead," remarked Gus. "We'll hitch
+our cayuses in the woods, and you boys stay with 'em."
+
+Then the leader of the gang left them and made his way to the edge of
+the pines. He stood looking at the hill with the light of the campfire
+shining on it like a big red star, and the sound of the axes came
+faint and clear to him. "They sure are getting ready for somebody,"
+growled the giant, "and I reckon it's us, but I'm going to find out
+for sartain. Where's that gully?" He stalked along until he found it,
+and then disappeared as though the earth had swallowed him.
+
+Now Juarez had been debating whether to go back and warn the boys that
+the enemy was approaching, or to find out more of what Gus Gols was
+going to do before reporting to Jim, the commander of the faithful.
+After a moment's hesitation, he decided to go ahead a ways further. At
+the time he made this decision Gus Gols had just entered the deep
+gully, and a head-on collision seemed imminent. It was a dangerous
+situation for Juarez.
+
+However, one thing was in his favor, he was on the alert, and the
+giant, who was coming down the gully, did not expect to find any of
+the boys abroad, supposing that they would stay close to camp and not
+venture forth in the darkness. He was soon to learn that these same
+boys were not to be trifled with. Juarez was going along quickly, but
+very carefully, when he suddenly stopped and listened.
+
+He could hear distinctly someone coming down the ravine. Just a few
+steps ahead of him was a shelf below the edge of the bank. Juarez made
+a spring and climbed up to the shelf in a jiffy, but he loosened a
+little dirt that slid down to the bottom of the gully. It made only a
+little noise, but enough to reach the ears of Gus Gols.
+
+He stopped as though petrified, glaring ahead through the darkness.
+For five minutes he stood thus with every sense ferociously alert.
+Then he went forward, but with extreme caution. Every few feet he
+examined the floor of the gully for the signs of some footprint.
+Juarez waited like a graven image, hoping that the man, whoever it
+might be, would continue up the gully; then he would follow and trap
+him when he reached the hill.
+
+Juarez could not be sure that there was only one. He could hear
+nothing, but he was certain that the man was very near. Some instinct
+told him that. Then beneath his eyes a long, bent, stealthy figure
+crept into view. Gols felt the footprints in the sand of the gully,
+then he glared up. He saw the stooping figure of Juarez and jumped
+instantly back around the curve of the bank.
+
+The game was up. Juarez leaped out on the level and made a dash for a
+boulder a short distance away. Just as he reached its shelter Gols
+fired, and the bullet zinged from the side of the rock off into the
+darkness. Then Gols got a surprise, for Juarez fired at a dark bunch
+looking over the edge of the gully. The bullet breezed his cheek and
+Gols ducked.
+
+The sound of the shots aroused both sides, and the battle was on.
+Juarez now backed cautiously down into a depression and ran with all
+his might to give the news to Jim. He got to the hill just in time to
+warn Jim and Jo not to go up the gully.
+
+"This is the way they will make their attack," said Juarez. "We can
+station ourselves behind these trees, and, when they come out of the
+gully, we will let 'em have it."
+
+"That's the scheme," agreed Jim. "Which one did you have the duel
+with, Juarez?"
+
+"The blond beauty himself," replied Juarez. "He didn't miss me far
+either, but I made him take to cover pretty quick."
+
+"They will be here in about fifteen minutes," said Jim. "We might as
+well get to our places."
+
+Tom was left in the stockade, and Jim and the other three boys took
+their stations behind convenient trees upon the slope of the hill
+commanding the entrance into the gully. Jim and Juarez were nearest to
+the foot of the hill, backed by Jo and Jeems. They did not have long
+to wait, though the twenty minutes seemed like several hours to Jo and
+Jeems, before there were signs of the approach of Gus Gols and his
+gang.
+
+Very carefully they came up the gully, with the tall giant in the lead
+and Eph close at his heels; behind them came three of the Mexicans,
+but where was Edgar, and the other four? Perhaps the boss was afraid
+lest the flashing diamond that Ed always wore in his shirt bosom might
+give their presence away. But without joking, it was strange that
+these five were not with the main party. It was hardly likely that Big
+Gus would leave that number with the horses. Where were they? We
+shall find out in a few minutes.
+
+"Don't you reckon those fellows have had time to make their move?"
+whispered Gus to his henchman Eph. They had halted in the darkness of
+the gully, about two hundred and fifty yards from the foot of the
+hill.
+
+"Ed's pretty quick," replied Eph. "He said that he wouldn't take more
+than a quarter of an hour."
+
+"I'll give him five minutes' leeway," said Gus. "Then we will jump
+these fellows." In a short time he looked at his watch by the quick
+flare of a match that showed his red, evil face with the squinting
+blue eyes.
+
+"All ready now, boys," he said in a low significant tone. "Give 'em
+the lead, but don't shoot the horses."
+
+As ill luck would have it, Jeems Howell, who was highest up on the
+hill, caught the first glimpse of the outlaws as they advanced up the
+gully. How it occurred he never could explain, but his rifle went off
+before he could aim. Instantly the gang dropped behind the bank and
+opened fire upon the hill.
+
+One volley had crashed out from Jim, Juarez and Jo, when Tom's
+agonized voice rang out:
+
+"Quick, boys, they are coming up the other side!"
+
+The Frontier Boys had been outgeneraled. There was no question about
+that, and they were in deadly peril. There was nothing for them to do
+but to retreat to the stockade before it was too late.
+
+"Come, boys!" cried Jim, and away they dashed up the side of the hill
+with Gus Gols and his crew in close pursuit. The bullets swept with
+deadly zing near them as they ran. As they neared the stockade Ed and
+his men came into view from the opposite side of the hill. Jim and
+Juarez dropped behind a rock and fired at the foremost of the crowd
+and they took to cover. Then they two got into the fort and were safe
+for the present.
+
+The first thing Juarez did was to climb into the branches of a big
+pine that had been left in the stockade. From this point of vantage he
+could see in which direction the enemy were. He did not have to wait
+long before he saw one of the crowd move cautiously from behind a tree
+and rush for a rock nearer the fort, but Juarez was ready for him, and
+fired. The man fell, and, then recovering his feet, rushed down the
+hill.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVII
+
+THE RETREAT
+
+
+This was the luckiest shot of the fight, for it was no other than Gus
+Gols himself whom Juarez had struck. There was a lull now, and the
+boys had time to breathe.
+
+"Jo, you get up into that tree and keep watch," said Jim, "while the
+rest of us take account of stock."
+
+"I guess those fellows have had enough to keep them quiet for a
+while," said Juarez. "It looked to me as though I had got their big
+chief with that shot."
+
+"It's half the battle if you have done that," said Jim. "Wait till
+daylight comes and we will make them skedaddle."
+
+"It's remarkable how quiet the horses took all this," said Tom.
+
+"Oh, they have been under fire before," said Jim. "You can trust 'em
+not to act up at a time like this."
+
+This was certainly true, though they were packed together close at
+the end of the corral-stockade. They made no disturbance and seemed
+to realize that their safety was being looked after by their old
+comrades, the Frontier Boys.
+
+"I'm kind of hungry," said Jim. "Let's have something to eat."
+
+"It's kind of late for supper," said Jeems, "but it's never too late
+to eat."
+
+So the boys made as good a meal in the darkness as they could, and
+felt better for it. They also drank sparingly of the water, for they
+did not know how long the siege would last. It was now about half-past
+one, and the boys were very anxious for the morning to break.
+
+About three o'clock there came a furious firing from behind a hastily
+constructed entrenchment at the end of the hill opposite where the
+boys had built their stockade.
+
+Most of the bullets buried themselves harmlessly in the soft wood of
+the pine logs that made the walls of the stockade. The boys replied
+with accuracy, but they were careful not to waste their ammunition. At
+last the dawn broke clear, and with the first gleam of light the boys
+looked eagerly out to see if the enemy still held the hill.
+
+"They have vamoosed," said Juarez after making a careful
+reconnoissance. This was true, but the boys found that the fight was
+not yet entirely over, for when they appeared in full view on the hill
+there came a volley from the bank of the creek half a mile distant,
+which was the nearest shelter that could be obtained on that side.
+
+The height of the hill made the first flight of bullets fall somewhat
+short, and, before the crowd could fire again, the boys had got out of
+danger and returned the fire with interest. They had the advantage,
+too, in firing down instead of up, and they kept the enemy close to
+cover.
+
+About the middle of the morning there was a furious fusillade from
+both sides, the creek bank and the gully, against the stockade, which
+was beginning to show quite a scarred appearance. The boys replied
+with vigor; then suddenly the firing slackened and then ceased
+altogether.
+
+"I believe they have quit," declared Jo.
+
+"I wouldn't be too sure," warned Jim.
+
+"There they go up through those willows, near the creek," said Juarez.
+
+"That's where I caught the trout," said Jo. He evidently considered it
+a more historic spot than where the fort stood, being a true
+fisherman.
+
+"I really believe they are quitting," announced Tom.
+
+"It's possible their ammunition has run low," suggested Jim.
+
+"Another thing," put in Jo, "if big Gus is badly hurt, the rest of
+that gang won't hold together."
+
+"That's so," agreed Juarez. "Those Greasers are never to be trusted."
+
+"He has bullied 'em too," said Jim, "and they would naturally turn on
+him. But if you treat the Mexicans fair and square, you would find
+that they weren't such a bad lot after all."
+
+"Just as soon try to tame hyenas," said Tom.
+
+"You are prejudiced, Thomas," reasoned Jeems. "That comes from being
+an Anglo-Saxon."
+
+"He's an _angler_-Saxon, you mean," said Jo. They all laughed at this.
+
+"That's pretty good for you," said Jim. "Keep on you will be a wit."
+
+"I am already," replied Jo modestly.
+
+It seemed kind of natural to hear the boys joking so light-heartedly,
+and like old times. The battle was over without any dramatic crisis.
+Things do happen that way sometimes, and the boys were perfectly
+satisfied to have it end without any grand blow out or blow up. They
+soon found out that the enemy had indeed retreated, for they went up
+the gully, that is, Jim and Juarez did, with due caution, and found
+that Gus Gols and his gang had gone. They discovered the place where
+their horses had been hitched.
+
+"Good riddance to bad rubbish," said Jim enthusiastically.
+
+"I wonder if they will attack us again to-night?" questioned Juarez.
+
+"We will be ready for them if they do," remarked Jim.
+
+"I suppose we will start to-morrow," said Juarez, as the two walked
+back across the level meadow towards the hill.
+
+"Yes, if the coast is clear," remarked Jim. "We can't afford to lose
+any more time."
+
+"They are almost sure to lay for us in the canyon," remarked Juarez.
+"We will have to find some other way."
+
+"One of us will go this afternoon," said Jim, "and see if we can't
+strike a new trail."
+
+It was now noon and the boys sat down to a quiet meal, with trout as
+the main dish, and how they did enjoy it!
+
+"Gosh, boys," exclaimed Jo, "but it does seem nice to sit down to a
+meal without the bullets buzzing around."
+
+"We will get so that we won't mind bullets any more than mosquitoes,"
+said Tom.
+
+"Listen to him!" grinned Jim. "Won't he surprise the natives when we
+get back to Homeville with his stories of flying bullets, war, and
+border ruffians."
+
+"Why not?" retorted Tom sullenly. "What's the use of going through all
+this business if you can't tell about it?"
+
+"Sure thing," said Jim.
+
+"When are we going home?" asked Jo fervently.
+
+Jim hesitated a minute, and then he brought his clenched fist down on
+his knee.
+
+"We will go home, boys," he declared, "before we start on our trip
+around the world."
+
+"I begin to feel homesick already," declared Jo.
+
+"We will stop in Kansas," said Juarez, his face brightening, "and see
+my folks."
+
+"Certainly we will," agreed Jim.
+
+"I bet Juanita has grown into a young lady," remarked Juarez.
+
+"Your father and mother will be plumb glad to see you," said Jo.
+
+"You fellows, too; they think just as much of you as they do of me.
+And they ought to, seeing how you and Captain Graves rescued Juanita
+from the Indians in Colorado."
+
+"Will we stop and see the captain in his cabin on the Plateau?" asked
+Tom eagerly.
+
+"Sure," declared Jim. "We will spend a few days with him. He is too
+old a friend to pass by."
+
+"Won't it be great!" exclaimed Jo. "What will the folks and all the
+fellars think when they see us coming on our chargers down the main
+street of Maysville?"
+
+"I reckon about everybody will take to the woods. Think it is band of
+wild Indians coming down on them."
+
+"We will have to hurry and find that mine," said Tom, "before we can
+strike the back trail for home."
+
+"I have a kind of feeling in my bones," said Jim, "that we are going
+to find that mine pretty soon now."
+
+"We ain't more than one day's ride from the section where it is," said
+Jeems.
+
+"I'm going to look for a new trail this afternoon," said Jim. "You
+boys can work around home."
+
+"It's about time those mules and horses had some water," remarked
+Juarez.
+
+"Think it's safe?" inquired Jo.
+
+"To make sure, I'll take a gallop up the valley a ways," said Jim, "to
+see if they have cleared out."
+
+"That's the idea," agreed Juarez. "I'll take the creek side on my
+roan."
+
+In five minutes they were mounted and galloped off, Jim scouting along
+the mountain slope and Juarez taking the other side. They met at the
+end of the valley where the trail started up the big canyon. Here they
+dismounted and examined the ground carefully.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII
+
+A NEW START
+
+
+"They have vamoosed all right," announced Juarez after examining the
+trail.
+
+"The whole pack of 'em, too," affirmed Jim.
+
+"Perhaps we can get a view of them," added Juarez.
+
+"We will hitch our horses here," remarked Jim, "and try a squint up
+the trail from that grove yonder."
+
+This they did, and from their point of vantage they were able to see a
+part of the trail, two miles distant, where it curved around a
+shoulder of the mountain.
+
+"Maybe they have got beyond that point," suggested Jim.
+
+"Hardly," replied Juarez. "That's a long steep climb up there. They
+will have to go slow if any of 'em are hurt."
+
+The boys waited a few minutes with eyes intent upon the trail. Then
+they saw a man on horseback ride into view, then another and another,
+until seven had gone round the shoulder of the mountain.
+
+"That isn't all," said Jim, "there's three missing."
+
+"Maybe that Gus Gols is knocked out," said Juarez.
+
+"It begins to look like it," said Jim.
+
+"There they come," cried Juarez. "He is hurt some, for it takes two
+of his men to hold him on his horse."
+
+"They are not likely to bother us now then," said Jim, "but all the
+same I am going to see if we cannot find a safe way around."
+
+"All right, Jim," agreed Juarez. "I will go back to camp and look
+after things."
+
+So they separated. Towards evening Jim came riding into camp, with
+Caliente showing the effects of a hard climb. Jim dismounted rather
+wearily.
+
+"Well, what luck?" inquired the boys.
+
+"There is a way around," he said. "It's tough in places, but we can
+make it all right."
+
+"We ought to get an early start," said Juarez.
+
+"You are right there," agreed Jim. "We will turn in early this
+evening."
+
+So they did, and by half-past two Jim sounded the early rising alarm.
+The boys all got up with alacrity, except Tom, who did considerable
+growling, as was his custom, but if Tom wanted sympathy he would have
+to find it in the dictionary, as the fellow said.
+
+The boys lighted a fire within the stockade to get their breakfast by,
+but it was hidden so that no hint of their plans would be given to a
+watchful enemy. The boys felt jovial when they got fairly waked up.
+The air was cold and bracing, and they all felt that the end of their
+long journey was drawing near.
+
+By four o'clock everything was ready for the start. The mules were
+packed, and the boys rode out in silence through the starry darkness
+across the level floor of the valley. Jim was in the lead, and the
+rest followed in order. Instead of going up the main trail through the
+big canyon, Jim bore to the right, making straight through the park
+where the men had killed the deer.
+
+It was well for the Frontier Boys that they took this way, for Eph,
+Ed and a number of Mexicans were lying in ambush at a narrow and
+hidden part of the trail, and, with one concerted rush, were ready to
+send the boys down five hundred feet. Whether the Frontier Boys would
+have been so rash as to have walked blindfolded into this trap is
+doubtful. Nevertheless, when they took the other way they escaped a
+very serious danger.
+
+When the first steel shining rays of dawn struck the slope of the
+mountain above them the boys had climbed up several thousand feet and
+could see the valley below and the distant snow-clad peaks to the
+south, rosy with the first touch of morning. It was a beautiful sight,
+and the boys turned sideways in their saddles, taking it all in when
+their horses stopped to breathe.
+
+"Going to take us above timber-line, Jim?" inquired Juarez.
+
+"He's going to lose us," complained Tom.
+
+"Then there would be a lost kid to go with the Lost Mine," declared
+Jim humorously. "Yes, boys, I'm going to take you above timber-line."
+
+"Well," said Jeems philosophically, "it is a whole lot better than
+going over the range altogether, as might have been the case if we had
+taken the trail through the big canyon over yonder."
+
+"Say, Jeems!" exclaimed Jo, with a catch in his voice, "you never told
+Jim and Juarez about the time you was sitting with your back to a tree
+and they slipped up and tied you, and if we hadn't come along there
+was no telling what might have happened to you."
+
+"That was a close call," said Jeems. "It was when you, Jim and Juarez
+were off hunting, and the boys had gone fishing. They got back just
+in the nick of time." Then he went solemnly to work to tell of the
+thrilling escape he had had. At the climax of his narrative, Tom and
+Jo burst into roars of laughter.
+
+"What's the matter with you two guys?" inquired Jim. "I bet my hat
+that you were at the bottom of this rascality."
+
+The two admitted their guilt, and, after his surprise was over, Jeems
+took it good-naturedly, while even Jim had to laugh, for it was
+certainly a successful practical joke.
+
+"Sometime," said Jim prophetically, "you two kittens will get caught
+up with."
+
+The boys had now ridden above the stunted trees that marked the limits
+of timber line, but they did not cross over the barren, rocky summit
+that rose above them for two thousand feet, covered with a broad
+mantle of snow, but instead bore south through a deep gorge, that
+threatened to close its rocky jaws upon them at every turn. But Jim
+was too good a scout to lead them where they would be trapped.
+
+Before noon they had made their way out of the gorge and were upon the
+northwestern slope of the great mountain. Looking off, while they gave
+their horses time to breathe, they saw a somewhat different looking
+section of the range than that which they had been traveling through
+the past day. From the height where they now stood the vast region
+beneath them was made up of low mountains, extending onward like
+recurring billows of the sea, hemmed in by peaks and higher mountains.
+
+"Down there somewhere is the Lost Mine," said Jim, with a sweep of his
+hand.
+
+"Talk about a needle in a haystack," growled Tom, "this beats it."
+
+"You talk as if you were sitting on the needle," declared Jim. "Try to
+talk cheerful even if you do feel bad."
+
+"It isn't quite as bad as it looks, Tom," said Jeems encouragingly.
+"You see that mountain with the rocky hump on it. That mine, according
+to my calculations from the chart we have, ought to be there or within
+two miles of it."
+
+"We will dig over every inch of that mountain," declared Tom, his
+eyes shining with enthusiasm, for he dearly loved money.
+
+"We don't want you to become a miser, Tom," said Jim judiciously, "so
+I will appoint a committee to take care of your share."
+
+"Eh?" cried Tom, his jaw dropping, then recovering, he yelled, "No
+you won't, James Darlington, I'll go to law. You can't cheat me of
+my rights." Tom was pale with anger and Jim was disgusted.
+
+"Ah, go on with you," he said, "you are nothing but an Eastern money
+shark, anyway."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIX
+
+THE SEARCH
+
+
+The mountain of the Lost Mine, as it may be called for the purposes
+of identification, did not seem more than half a day's journey from
+the divide where the boys first saw it, but it took them two days of
+hard marching before they reached its vicinity, so deceitful are the
+distances in the high altitudes.
+
+Now, behold them, camped in a shallow little valley, between two spurs
+of the Lost Mine mountain, their tent pitched on a small shelf back
+from a little stream that went singing along to a larger one, between
+its willow bushes, and over glistening boulders of polished granite.
+There was a growth of grass on either side of the creek, where the
+horses could graze. Altogether it was a restful place to camp in,
+after the grandeur of the great mountains that had surrounded them,
+and the savage gorges they had ridden through. There was a sense of
+rest and satisfaction that the Frontier Boys felt in having arrived at
+the goal of their long journey by land and sea. True, they did not
+know exactly the position of the Lost Mine, but they hoped to find it
+with the help of the diagram which they were fortunate enough to
+possess.
+
+"Let's have a look at that faded heirloom of yours," said Jim to
+Jeems, as they sat on some rocks around the campfire, on the evening
+of their arrival.
+
+"All right, Skipper," said Jeems cheerfully. Then he took his faded
+coat and carefully unpinned the inside pocket, and put in his hand and
+pulled out nothing.
+
+"It's gone," he exclaimed, his face paling. "I've been robbed."
+
+"I bet it was those Greasers," declared Jo, hastily, but with
+conviction. Jim looked at brothers Jo and Tom narrowly, then he put a
+heavy and accusing hand on their joint shoulders, or their shoulder
+joints, if you prefer it that way.
+
+"You are the Greasers," he said severely. "Now cough up." Jo reached
+down guiltily into his pistol pocket and fished up the required
+document.
+
+"I don't know exactly what to do with these fellows," said Jim
+magisterially, giving them each a shake under his big clutch.
+
+"Leave us alone! That's what you can do," said Tom grumpily, but Jim
+went on without noticing Tom's remark.
+
+"This is their third offense, and I reckon we will have to hang 'em
+this time if we can find a tree strong enough to stand the strain of
+two such rascals at once."
+
+"I tell you a better scheme," said Jeems Howell with a twinkle in his
+eye. "Get a twig of the tree and touch 'em up with that."
+
+"That's the idea," agreed Jim. "Bring me the switches, Juarez."
+
+"Aye, aye, sir," said Juarez cheerfully, and he started on his
+commission. The implied indignity of a switching was too much for the
+two youths. They would have much preferred to be hanged, so they
+prepared to leave home immediately and without due notice. Father
+Jim's grasp relaxed for a moment, and, with a wrench, both boys tore
+themselves loose and sped away in the darkness, and from this outer
+darkness they hurled remarks and pieces of dirt and small stones at
+the three about the campfire, just as other small bad boys would do;
+but the grown-ups paid no attention to the culprits, merely pulled
+their sombreros down around their ears and began a diligent study of
+the diagram of the Lost Mine. So absorbed were they after a while
+that they forgot the outlanders, when they crept into camp.
+
+"Let's see," said Juarez. "Where are we on this diagram?"
+
+"We passed by the pine tree with the cross cut on one side," said
+Jeems, "the other day."
+
+"That crooked line below there is the trail in this valley," said Jo,
+who was too interested to keep at a safe distance.
+
+"If it is anything crooked, you and Tom ought to be experts," said
+Jim, looking keenly at the two ex-fugitives. They said nothing by way
+of retort, considering that silence was the better part of wit on this
+particular occasion.
+
+"If that line is a path," said Juarez, "those drawings on either side
+represent buildings of some sort."
+
+"But how about the figures at the bottom of the diagram?" inquired
+Jeems. "I can't make them out."
+
+"Four hundred+1500-30," read Jim. "I can add it up if that will do any
+good."
+
+"The best thing we can do," said Jeems, the philosopher, "is to go to
+bed and tackle this proposition in the morning."
+
+This the boys did, but it was a hard thing for them to get to sleep,
+so busy were their brains, and they all dreamed diagram, mysterious
+combinations of figures and lines. When they awoke the next morning,
+it was with the same happy sense of anticipation that the small boy
+wakes up on the morning of the glorious Fourth.
+
+As soon as it was light enough to see, the Frontier Boys started out
+to solve the location of the Lost Mine. Each one had a copy of the
+diagram with him, also a pick or a shovel, and powder for blasting.
+Jim and Juarez worked together, Tom and Jo also, while Jeems Howell
+was a lone prospector, and it seemed indeed like old times to him.
+
+For a short ways they went all together up the shallow valley; then,
+after going a half mile, they took separate courses, Jim and Juarez
+following the line of the overgrown trail up the valley, and Jeems
+striking straight up the slope of the mountain. Tom and Jo wandered
+around eagerly and inconsequentially, expecting to see the opening to
+the Lost Mine at any moment.
+
+Jeems was the first to make a discovery of importance, but bearing
+only indirectly on the location of the mine. After climbing up about
+five hundred feet he saw that there had been a tremendous landslide
+down the southern slope of the mountain.
+
+"Some earthquake did that," he said, "and not very recently either. I
+bet that the lost mine is under the slide." Just then he heard Jim's
+voice in a faint halloo below him. He felt sure that they had made a
+discovery likewise. He strode eagerly down the slope to tell Jim and
+Juarez what he had found out, and to see about their discovery.
+
+"We have found part of the cabin that's in the diagram," cried Juarez
+as soon as Jeems hove in sight.
+
+"It was the landslide did that," declared Jeems, and he told them of
+his discovery. The boys were jubilant, and rightly so, for at last
+they had struck the trail.
+
+The point of departure had been found, for a heavy storm had uncovered
+one end of a demolished cabin, over which a part of the landslide had
+swept.
+
+"This is the further one," said Jim.
+
+"Yes, the other one is on the upper side of the old trail and is
+covered deep," said Juarez.
+
+"Now let's take those figures in feet first," said Jim.
+
+"I'll pace in yards," said Jeems, "we may save time that way," and he
+started off from the side of the discovered cabin, while Jim and
+Juarez measured the distance in feet, 400 straight up the valley, then
+1500 at right angles, and this brought them to a point well up on the
+side of the mountain.
+
+"Thirty feet straight down and we will know our fate," said Jim.
+
+They practically had all day before them and they set busily to work
+with pick and shovel, beginning at a point below where they had set
+the mark.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXX
+
+THE LOST MINE AGAIN
+
+
+Fortunately it was not heavy going, as the dirt and gravel was
+comparatively loose, and in the morning of the next day about ten
+o'clock, they came to a nest of rocks which barred their way. By hard
+efforts and by loosening a large stone there was a narrow rift made,
+through which they crawled, with Juarez in the lead.
+
+"Here's the entrance," he cried, his voice sounding hollow from the
+interior.
+
+"The Lost Mine!" yelled Tom, and in a second they were all together
+in the entrance, and with a rousing cheer at what promised to be the
+successful end of all their trials and dangers, then home again, and
+after that their journey on the _Sea Eagle_ into foreign countries
+and searching strange corners of the earth.
+
+"Light up, boys," said Jim. "We will soon see what we have ahead of
+us."
+
+"We will have to be careful," warned Juarez, "there is no telling what
+we will meet, we are always running into excitement of some sort."
+
+"I guess not," replied Jeems, "we have had enough to last us for a
+lifetime. Let's wind this business up quietly."
+
+"Agreed," said Jim. "We will make up for it later. Forward, march!"
+
+With pine torches they went forward through the gloom, the light
+showing that the entrance to the mine had been buttressed with pine
+timber, but this extended only a few feet, and then they came to a
+narrow rift between dripping rocks.
+
+"Low bridge, Jeems," cried Jo.
+
+"This looks to me to be a cave," said Jim.
+
+"It don't keep it from being a pocket mine, even if it is a cave,"
+said Jeems wisely.
+
+"You ought to know, Jeems," said Juarez, "as you were a prospector
+before we were born."
+
+"Oh, I'm not that old," protested Jeems. "Here we are getting to the
+workings now."
+
+"Sure enough," cried Jim, a thrill of interest in his voice.
+
+"Here is where they have picked out some nuggets," said Jo.
+
+"It won't be far to the find now," said Tom, shaking with excitement.
+
+Jeems was looking closely with his trained eyes along the walls and
+into every crevice and upon the shelves of stone, for the sides of
+the cave-mine were not smooth, but singularly rugged.
+
+"Struck it rich, boys!" Jeems cried suddenly, as he held the flame of
+his torch near the wall. "Give me the pick, take the lamp, Tom." It
+was the ultimate moment of triumph for the Frontier Boys. Carefully,
+but with skillful precision, Jeems brought the pick down upon the
+surface of the wall where it was roughened into little mounds.
+
+"That don't look like gold," said Tom. "It's nothing but dingy rock."
+Jeems only smiled at Tom's comment, as he swung his pick in the light
+of the flaming torches.
+
+"That's stone-stain, Tom," he said, then a loosened nugget fell to the
+floor of the cave. Jo picked it up and there was the yellow gleam of
+gold under the wavering light of the torches.
+
+"There's a whole nest of them," cried Tom.
+
+"I wonder where the goose is that laid them?" questioned Jo.
+
+"I'm going to find a nest for myself," said Juarez.
+
+It was a most interesting search, and each of the boys made finds of
+their own. Jim discovered a square yard of nuggets, not close set, of
+course, but there must have been twenty of varying sizes, and Juarez
+made the biggest individual find of a nugget that was five inches tall
+and three thick. Every second the other boys expected to make a
+discovery that would discount Juarez.
+
+After the first excitement was over, they settled down to systematic
+work. It was necessary to send someone back for the lanterns so that
+they could have steady light to work by; but who should go? That was
+the painful question. The work was so interesting that they all
+naturally wanted to stay on the job.
+
+"Let Jeems go," said the generous Tom. "It's an old story to him
+anyway." The good-natured Jeems would probably have allowed himself to
+be imposed upon, but Jim put his foot down upon Tom's proposition.
+
+"No you don't," he said. "We will draw lots to decide." As luck or
+fate would have it, Tom got the shortest straw, or, rather, sliver of
+pine, and had to go after the lanterns. Tom was a picture of the heart
+bowed down when the decision went against him, and the boys laughed at
+his woe-begone face.
+
+"Maybe you will be able to find an honest man with your lantern, Tom,"
+said Jim consolingly.
+
+"I wouldn't come to this gang," he retorted bitterly, and to prove
+the sincerity of his belief, he took his little pile of nuggets to
+Jeems.
+
+"Take care of these till I get back," he said. Then his two brothers
+went into convulsions of merriment at this token of Tom's regard.
+
+"If you didn't steal them you would be sure to hide 'em," he said, and
+there was considerable truth in his last observation.
+
+"If you are going to make a bank out of Jeems, you will have to pay
+him interest," remarked Jo derisively. Tom regarded Jeems doubtfully
+and then, reassured by his belief in the latter's generosity, he made
+off on his errand.
+
+"There is one good thing about Tom's going," said Juarez, "he will
+hustle more than any of us."
+
+"No doubt about that," laughed Jim. "He will scorch a trail down the
+mountain all right."
+
+It was true that Tom made extraordinary time, for he was desperately
+afraid lest his comrades-in-arms would get all the nuggets, but he
+need not have been so worried, for the boys worked busily night and
+day for the greater part of a week before Jim gave the orders to break
+camp. There was bitter rebellion on the part of Tom, and he was backed
+by Jo.
+
+"You can stay," Jim said finally. "We have enough, and more than
+enough. If we don't pull up stakes now, we will be snowed under. A
+storm will strike us at this altitude any time at this season. We did
+not come here to spend the winter and we are not prepared for it.
+What's the use of the gold? It won't buy us anything if we are nothing
+but beautiful frozen corpses."
+
+"You hit the nail on the head that time, Skipper," said Jeems Howell,
+the philosopher. "Gold is no good if you are dead. Men kill their
+souls getting it, too, pretty often in this world." Tom had to give
+in, but he kept growling under his breath, and Jim turned on him
+fiercely.
+
+"Another growl out of you, Tom Darlington, and I'll give you a sound
+thrashing. I'm using my best judgment and I am not going to be
+pestered from here to the coast with your growling sulks. That's
+straight. You cheer up." Tom cheered.
+
+They got an early start one morning and turned their horses' heads
+southward. The gold was evenly divided, and the burden imposed equally
+upon the three mules. The triumphant procession started, with Jim
+mounted jauntily on his white charger, Caliente, followed by Juarez
+and the rest in order.
+
+It was certainly a happy crowd when they had finally started on their
+return trip to the coast. The talk was all of their plans for the
+future, about their home-going, all of which is related in the
+"Frontier Boys in the Saddle," for it was a longish journey and a
+thrilling one, and then home. Juarez did not say much, but it was
+evident that his mind was busy thinking of his people on the Kansas
+farm outside of River Bend.
+
+"It will be too late in the season when we get to your place, Juarez,
+for a game of baseball," remarked Jo.
+
+"It's too bad," replied Juarez. "It would be fine sport to beat those
+Hughsonville fellows again."
+
+"I'm not so sure that I could pitch a baseball now," said Jo. "It's a
+long time since I have had one in my hand."
+
+"That would be all right," said Jim easily. "We would have Jeems for
+umpire, and he would help us out."
+
+"Now, boys, don't you go to planning trouble for me," expostulated
+Jeems. "I don't mind dodging sharks and being tied up by fierce
+outlaws, like Jo and Tom, but I won't be an umpire."
+
+"That's settled," laughed Jo. "Anyway, if we can't indulge in
+baseball, we will have a game of horseshoes, behind the blacksmith's
+shop at River Bend.
+
+"I wonder how the _Sea Eagle_ and the old Captain are getting along?"
+said Jeems.
+
+"We will see in about ten days," replied Jim. "But I'm not worrying
+with the old man and the engineer aboard. We will stop long enough to
+say howdy to 'em, leave our gold or most of it aboard ship and then
+hike for home."
+
+"Do you think it will be safe on the ship, Jim?" inquired Jo
+anxiously.
+
+"As safe as anywhere," said Jim nonchalantly.
+
+The Frontier Boys rode steadily southward, taking a more direct way
+and an easier one than that by which they had come. They took no
+chance of running into Gus Gols or his gang of cutthroats. They were
+fortunate in not being molested or way-laid, and for the first five
+days the weather was fine, but the morning of the sixth day it began
+to snow just as they rode out of camp. The boys did not worry,
+however, as they were through the worst of the mountain trip. Indeed,
+they rather enjoyed the soft and silent fall of the snow; it was a
+change.
+
+"Boys, this is Christmas weather!" cried Jeems.
+
+"We will spend our Christmas at home this year, boys!" said Jim,
+turning in the saddle and looking down the line, each one riding
+jauntily and easily through the rapidly falling snow that softly
+flaked their weather-hued faces and starred the coats of their horses.
+"All in favor of this proposition say aye!" continued Jim.
+
+"Aye!" roared the boys in chorus.
+
+"You, too, Jeems," urged Jim, "won't leave you out. Make it unanimous
+this time!"
+
+And they did. As for the reader, he must not be left out in the cold
+and the snow, and he, too, is invited to be present at the boys'
+Christmas at home, for it is bound to be a jolly affair, and the
+Frontier Boys are nothing if not hospitable. The record of their trip
+overland eastward and of their home-coming is bound to be full of
+interest and incident; for the boys, besides being hospitable, are
+also very enterprising and venturesome.
+
+
+
+
+      *      *      *      *      *
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's note:
+
+Minor changes have been made to correct typesetters' errors; otherwise,
+every effort has been made to remain true to the author's words and
+intent.
+
+
+
+***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS***
+
+
+******* This file should be named 32253-8.txt or 32253-8.zip *******
+
+
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/2/2/5/32253
+
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
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+<head>
+<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" />
+<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Frontier Boys in the Sierras, by Wyn Roosevelt</title>
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+<body>
+<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Frontier Boys in the Sierras, by Wyn
+Roosevelt, Illustrated by S. Schneider</h1>
+<pre>
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at <a href = "http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre>
+<p>Title: The Frontier Boys in the Sierras</p>
+<p>       Or, The Lost Mine</p>
+<p>Author: Wyn Roosevelt</p>
+<p>Release Date: May 4, 2010  [eBook #32253]</p>
+<p>Language: English</p>
+<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p>
+<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS***</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<h4>E-text prepared by D Alexander<br />
+    and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br />
+    (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net/c/">http://www.pgdp.net</a>)<br />
+    from page images generously made available by<br />
+    Internet Archive<br />
+    (<a href="http://www.archive.org/">http://www.archive.org</a>)</h4>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;" cellpadding="10">
+  <tr>
+    <td valign="top">
+      Note:
+    </td>
+    <td>
+      Images of the original pages are available through
+      Internet Archive. See
+      <a href="http://www.archive.org/details/frontierboysinsi00roosrich">
+      http://www.archive.org/details/frontierboysinsi00roosrich</a>
+	</td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr class="full" />
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 315px;">
+<img src="images/icover.jpg" width="315" height="500" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="large" />
+
+<h1>THE FRONTIER BOYS</h1>
+
+<p class="center"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><i>IN THE</i></span></p>
+
+<h1>SIERRAS</h1>
+
+<p class="center"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><i>OR</i></span></p>
+
+<h2><i>THE LOST MINE</i></h2>
+
+<h3>BY</h3>
+
+<h2>CAPT. WYN ROOSEVELT</h2>
+
+<p class="center"><i>Illustrated by</i><br />
+<i>S. SCHNEIDER</i></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 111px;">
+<img src="images/i001.jpg" width="111" height="100" alt="" title="" />
+</div>
+
+<h4>NEW YORK</h4>
+<h3>A. L. CHATTERTON COMPANY</h3>
+<h4>PUBLISHERS</h4>
+
+<hr class="large" />
+
+<div class="centerbox bbox">
+<p> By the same Author                   <br />
+                                      <br />
+ FRONTIER BOYS ON THE OVERLAND TRAIL  <br />
+ FRONTIER BOYS IN COLORADO            <br />
+ FRONTIER BOYS IN THE ROCKIES         <br />
+ FRONTIER BOYS IN THE GRAND CANYON    <br />
+ FRONTIER BOYS IN MEXICO              <br />
+ FRONTIER BOYS ON THE COAST           <br />
+ FRONTIER BOYS IN HAWAII              <br />
+ FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS         <br />
+ FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SADDLE          </p></div>
+
+<p class="center">Copyright 1909<br />
+<span class="smcap">Chatterton-Peck Co.</span></p>
+
+<hr class="large" />
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/i003.jpg" class="jpg" width="500" height="338" alt="&#8220;the mexican had got almost within striking distance.&#8221;&mdash;P. 179." title="" />
+<span class="caption">&#8220;<span class="smcap">the mexican had got almost within striking distance.</span>&#8221;&mdash;P. <a href="#Page_179">179</a>.</span>
+</div>
+
+<hr class="large" />
+<h2>CONTENTS</h2>
+
+<div class="centered">
+<table border="0" width="70%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" summary="CONTENTS">
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right"><small>Chapter</small></td>
+<td align="left">&nbsp;</td>
+<td align="right"><small>Page</small></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">I.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">In the Channel</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_9">9</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">II.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">Farewell To Hawaii</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_17">17</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">III.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">Jeems&#8217; Story</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_25">25</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">IV.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">The Lost Mine</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_33">33</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">V.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">Working the Ship</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_41">41</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">VI.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">Dangerous Work</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_49">49</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">VII.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">What They Saw</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_57">57</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">VIII.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">A Race</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_66">66</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">IX.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">The Engineer</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_75">75</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">X.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">The Russian</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_85">85</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XI.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">A Conspiracy</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_94">94</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XII.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">The Green Ghosts</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_103">103</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XIII.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">Tom&#8217;s Bad Luck</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_112">112</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XIV.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">The Trial</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_121">121</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XV.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">&#8220;The Maria Crothers&#8221;</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_130">130</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XVI.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">An Exciting Charge</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_140">140</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XVII.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">A Chase</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_148">148</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XVIII.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">The Diagram</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_157">157</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XIX.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">The Camp in the Valley</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_167">167</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XX.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">A Surprise</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_176">176</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XXI.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">The Greaser</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_185">185</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XXII.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">Hail</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_192">192</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XXIII.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">A Holiday</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_202">202</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XXIV.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">Big Gus and His Gang</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_209">209</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XXV.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">A New Fort</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_215">215</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XXVI.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">A Night Attack</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_222">222</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XXVII.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">The Retreat</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_229">229</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XXVIII.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">A New Start</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_237">237</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XXIX.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">The Search</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_244">244</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr>
+<td align="right">XXX.</td>
+<td align="left"><span class="smcap">The Lost Mine Again</span></td>
+<td align="right"><a href="#Page_251">251</a></td></tr>
+</table></div>
+
+<hr class="large" />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p><h1>The Frontier Boys in the<br />
+Sierras</h1>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I</h2>
+
+<h3>IN THE CHANNEL</h3>
+
+<p>&#8220;By Jove, Jim!&#8221; exclaimed Jo Darlington, &#8220;but this sea is something
+fierce! For one I will be mighty glad when we get clear of the
+Hawaiian channels and out into the open.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It is lively going,&#8221; yelled Jim, above the roar of the wind, as he
+and his brother Jo were standing together on the bridge of their ship,
+&#8220;but I guess the <i>Sea Eagle</i> will weather it, if we don&#8217;t run into
+another vessel in the dark. How about it, Captain?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The captain, who was the rather bent figure of an old man, was clothed
+in a heavy woolen jacket, buttoned across his chest. He stopped and
+regarded Jim fixedly in the semi-light on the bridge.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s that, Skipper?&#8221; he roared hoarsely, &#8220;weather this? Why, this
+ain&#8217;t no sea, and the <i>Sea Eagle</i> is a staunch boat. Why, lad, you
+must be joking.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I was,&#8221; replied Jim, laughing. &#8220;I just want to reassure brother
+Jo,&mdash;that was all.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Somebody ought to go and cheer up Tom and Jeems Howell,&#8221; remarked Jo,
+in order to give himself some sea standing in the eyes of Captain
+Kerns. &#8220;They are as sick as puppies down in the cabin.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t blame &#8217;em much,&#8221; cried Jim, &#8220;this motion would upset a shark&#8217;s
+liver.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>If you have read &#8220;The Frontier Boys in Hawaii,&#8221; you will be well
+acquainted with these conversationalists on the good sea-going yacht,
+the <i>Sea Eagle</i>, but if not, you will have to be introduced, &#8220;Mr.
+Reader, this is Skipper James Darlington.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Happy to make your acquaintance, hope you are a good sailor?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Mr. Reader, allow me to present Captain Kerns.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Captain Kerns merely grunts, and, kind Mr. Reader, you must overlook
+his lack of formality, because the captain is an old salt and his
+manners are a little briny.</p>
+
+<p>In way of further explanation, I may say that the Frontier Boys are
+just returning from a trip to Hawaii in which they have explored the
+wonderful crater of Haleapala on the Island of Maui, and their ship
+the <i>Sea Eagle</i>, whose capture is another <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span>story, is pointing her prow
+eastward through the rough channel that separates Hawaii and Maui.</p>
+
+<p>They are en route to the coast of California, and as soon as they land
+they have planned to make an exploring expedition into the wilds of
+The Sierra Nevadas, in search of a lost mine, rumors of which have
+come to their ears. Besides the three Frontier Boys and their comrade
+Juarez, there is their friend Jeems Howell, a shepherd and
+philosopher, from a small island off the coast of California; Captain
+Kerns, a retired ship&#8217;s master who was persuaded to come along merely
+to supervise; Jim, the oldest of the three brothers, being the acting
+commander, though generally referred to as skipper. And besides these,
+there is old Pete, an ancient mariner, the engineer, and a sturdy boy
+below who does a good deal of the stoking.</p>
+
+<p>Besides these <i>dramatis person&aelig;</i>, there is a general chorus of Mermen
+and Mermaids, sharks, porpoises, sea serpents <i>et al.</i>; as Jo
+Darlington would say, it was the sharks that <i>et all</i>. But this is no
+reflection upon the appetites of the boys, which was invariably good,
+if we may except Tom Darlington and Jeems Howell just at the present
+moment.</p>
+
+<p>Now, on with the voyage: as the principals have been introduced and
+are ready, they can come to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span>close grips with the ocean and all its
+dangers, so that the referee, being the writer, has made his exit
+through the ropes, allowing a free field and no favor. It is a tough
+beginning as far as sea way goes. The hour is close upon midnight in
+mid-channel, and that is no dream even on so staunch a little craft as
+the <i>Sea Eagle</i>.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That time she lapped the starboard boat into the water,&#8221; yelled Jim.
+&#8220;Hold steady now, lads.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Then up rose the ship on the other roll to larboard; over, over, over
+she went; would she never stop? Then with a straining of all her
+timbers, that had all the effort of severe muscular tension, she did
+stop, then back she rolled on the other tack which was equally as
+sharp, the brass balls on top of her masts pointing from star to star,
+describing, it seemed, almost a semi-circle.</p>
+
+<p>To make it more interesting the <i>Sea Eagle</i> would then dip under a
+huge wave and the water would swish and roll aft along the main deck.
+The wind whistled and hummed through the taut ropes, and altogether it
+was a lively night, even if the sturdy old captain did discount its
+terrors. Occasionally Jim and Jo would slide across the bridge and
+bring up against the side; but as a rule they kept their sea legs in
+good shape.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Hold on, Juarez,&#8221; cried Jim, as he saw a dark form emerge from the
+companionway, &#8220;here comes a big wave.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>But with the roar of the sea and the wind Juarez did not hear the
+warning, and had just started across the deck when under went the <i>Sea
+Eagle</i>, and a tremendous wave swept aft, submerging the bulwarks. It
+caught Juarez off his feet and swirled him toward the side. He would
+not have lived a minute in those rearing, plunging seas.</p>
+
+<p>As he was swept over, he caught frantically at an iron stanchion and
+barely gripped it, and before he could make an effort to help himself
+he was submerged in the water, the sea tugging at him as though it
+were an hungry animal. Hardy as Juarez was, he could not help but feel
+a thrill of terror; it seemed as if the waves desperately clutched at
+him.</p>
+
+<p>Jim was filled with horror when he saw Juarez apparently carried
+overboard. He shook off the captain&#8217;s grip; the latter thought that
+Jim was going to spring over after his friend, which act he knew would
+result in two lives being thrown away. So he leaped to the main deck.
+Then he saw Juarez struggling to get aboard before the next <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span>wave
+came. He sprang to his help and with a powerful pull yanked him in.</p>
+
+<p>They braced themselves against the attack of a second wave that swept
+the deck and then they were &#8220;high and dry&#8221; on the bridge, drenched to
+the skin, but entirely safe, and none the worse for their impromptu
+bath.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That was a close call, Juarez,&#8221; said Jo sympathetically.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Another call like that and I won&#8217;t be tu hum,&#8221; replied Juarez with a
+grin.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Next time take a look for&#8217;ard, lad,&#8221; said the captain, who had joined
+the group in the shelter of the deck house; &#8220;we could never have
+picked you up on a dark night like this.&#8221; Then he went back to his
+station on the bridge. The hardy old sailor would never have dreamed
+of making much ado about any accident no matter how serious. If the
+party came through alive, that was sufficient to show that it was not
+very bad. The Frontier Boys, too, had absorbed a good deal of that
+philosophy in the course of many dangers which they had so fortunately
+outlived.</p>
+
+<p>When daylight came, the <i>Sea Eagle</i> had battered her way through the
+rough channel, its waters tortured by rapid currents and terrific
+cross seas, and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span>was now pitching along the windward coast of the big
+Island of Hawaii, with its twin volcanic summits nearly fourteen
+thousand feet in height. It was not smooth going yet by any means, but
+better than during the night.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Get up, Tom, and look at the scenery.&#8221; It was Jim&#8217;s cheerful voice,
+addressed to Tom, who lay pale and rather wan in his bunk.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve got no use for scenery,&#8221; growled Tom, &#8220;unless I can get close
+enough to it to put my foot on it. I want something solid.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;How would a beefsteak do, Tom?&#8221; It was Jo, who was looking over Jim&#8217;s
+shoulder. At the mention of food, Tom seemed endowed with sudden
+energy and reached down, and grabbing up a shoe, hurled it at the two
+in the doorway. They ducked and the missile barely grazed the beard of
+the old captain, who was coming aft, and then it went overboard.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;By Thundas!&#8221; he exclaimed, opening his eyes wide with surprise, &#8220;who
+kicked that?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Tom threw it, sir,&#8221; said Jim with a burst of laughter he could not
+control, at sight of the captain&#8217;s astonished visage, &#8220;but he meant it
+for us, because we were guying him.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll forgive him on account of his intentions,&#8221; <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span>grinned the captain.
+&#8220;I only wish he had swatted you.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Tom was much relieved to hear this expression of opinion on the part
+of the captain, of whom he stood in considerable awe. From fright to
+relief was such a revulsion of feeling that Tom forgot to be sea-sick,
+and he began to mend from that moment, so that he was able to be
+present for duty when breakfast was served.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I thought you were sick abed,&#8221; remarked Jim, opening his eyes with
+surprise.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I was,&#8221; replied Tom, &#8220;until I threw up that shoe, now I feel fine and
+fit to eat a square meal.&#8221;</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II</h2>
+
+<h3>FAREWELL TO HAWAII</h3>
+
+<p>Jeems Howell was the only one of the hardy Frontier group who was
+unable to be present at breakfast that fine morning.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;How are you feeling, Jeems,&#8221; inquired Jo, looking in upon the
+sufferer a little later. &#8220;Don&#8217;t you think that you could eat a little
+something if you were propped up with pillows?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;No, no, lad,&#8221; said Jeems sadly. &#8220;I feel that I ain&#8217;t long for this
+world.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t know what you call it then,&#8221; remarked the incorrigible Jo,
+&#8220;you are six feet four and that seems to me to be pretty long for this
+world or any other.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Jeems laughed so heartily at this that he too began forthwith to
+recuperate. Then he got out on the land side of the deck and, though
+the sun was of a sufficient warmth to satisfy the most exacting, he
+kept a heavy shawl wrapped around his shoulders.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Durned old woman,&#8221; growled the captain when <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span>he caught sight of the
+figure seated between the cabin and the rail. &#8220;He ought to be for&#8217;ard
+scrubbing deck.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>However, Skipper Jim was more lenient, and only laughed at the
+captain&#8217;s severity, for he knew that the old fellow&#8217;s bark was much
+worse than his bite. In fact, no work was being done aboard ship that
+morning, for all hands were given a chance for a long last look at
+Hawaii. Never again were they to behold a more beautiful scene than
+the panorama that traveled steadily along with the <i>Sea Eagle</i> that
+morning.</p>
+
+<p>The soft radiance flooded the deeply azure sea, and the tropic island
+of vivid and varied green. The four boys stood leaning lazily on the
+ship&#8217;s rail, gazing in silence at the view that was passing before
+them. Their sombreros shaded their eyes, but the glare from the water
+shone upon their faces of healthy bronze, and they did not seem to
+mind it in the least. The old captain sat upon the bridge in his old
+armchair, with his old comrade, the tortoise-shell cat, dozing and
+blinking at his feet, a true picture of furry felicity.</p>
+
+<p>So the crew of the <i>Sea Eagle</i> passed in review this coast of Hawaii,
+with black precipices, that rose in a continuous line of palisades
+from out the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span>sea, with no white beach shelving down. The great green
+surges, with the force of the Pacific behind them, rolled against the
+perpendicular walls, the dark surfaces of which were veined at
+frequent intervals by the silvery lines of the waterfalls, or graced
+by the vines which fell in straight lines, or were looped in varied
+shapes.</p>
+
+<p>Beyond these cliffs there rose the splendid slopes, with here and
+there groves of royal palms and slender cocoa trees, fit temples for
+the gods of ancient Hawaii who were supposed to dwell in streams and
+groves and mountains. Still higher up the mountain side grew the
+forests of creamy koa, inlaid among the dark-leaved kukui.</p>
+
+<p>At times the skirts of the clouds, heavy with moisture, dragged along
+the lower slopes, and a soft gloom would diffuse itself over the
+landscape. Then the sun would roll the mists aside for the moment, and
+the light would fall upon tropical vales, hills and mountain slopes,
+with all the vividness of the early spring and yet with the full, rich
+splendor of summer.</p>
+
+<p>No wonder the Frontier Boys were silent as they gazed upon this scene
+of varied and unusual beauty, so different from the wild and barren
+grandeur of the mountain ranges in their own <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span>country, and the arid
+deserts they had traveled over.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;d hate to fall overboard here,&#8221; exclaimed Tom, &#8220;it looks all-fired
+deep.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The captain says that along these island coasts,&#8221; remarked Juarez,
+&#8220;is some of the deepest seas in the world.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Say, Jeems,&#8221; cried Juarez to the invalid, &#8220;wade out here and see how
+deep it is.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;If you really want to know I&#8217;ll tell you,&#8221; responded Jeems, the
+philosopher. &#8220;Off this coast it&#8217;s between five and seven thousand
+feet.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Whew!&#8221; whistled Jim, &#8220;over a mile, how is that for down?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It makes me shiver to think of it,&#8221; exclaimed Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Hello, boys!&#8221; cried Jeems, &#8220;there is a big fire over on the other
+side of the Island.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I should say!&#8221; commented Jim earnestly. &#8220;Look at that smoke rolling
+up.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It must be a forest fire,&#8221; put in Jo. &#8220;Reminds me of our Colorado
+experiences.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I tell you what, boys, let&#8217;s make a landing and take a look at it,&#8221;
+cried Juarez. &#8220;There&#8217;s a fine harbor ahead of us!&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Old Captain Kerns was taking a deep interest in <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span>the conversation, as
+was evident, as he looked down from the quarter deck at the boys.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s that you lads were saying, about a big fire somewheres?&#8221; he
+inquired. &#8220;I hope it hain&#8217;t aboard ship.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;No, no, Captain,&#8221; replied Jim reassuringly, &#8220;we meant that big smoke
+over on the other side of the island. Juarez wants to make a landing,
+so as we can see it to better advantage. We don&#8217;t want to miss any
+excitement.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You lads are always so eager,&#8221; replied the captain. &#8220;Why don&#8217;t you
+wait until you get back here sometime?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It will be burned out long before we get back,&#8221; said Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well,&#8221; said the captain slowly, &#8220;that smoke has been there for nigh
+onto a thousand years, and is liable to be there for some time yet.
+That&#8217;s the volcano of Kilu&aelig;a.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>How the captain roared then; for an instant the boys were dumfounded,
+then they gave themselves up to hilarious mirth.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s certainly one on us boys,&#8221; cried Jim. &#8220;We can&#8217;t tell a volcano
+when we see it. We ought to have stayed on the old farm and dug
+potatoes.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span></p><p>After the ship had turned northward from the coast of Hawaii the boys
+set to work about their usual tasks aboard ship. Jim took the wheel;
+Juarez went below to work with the engineer, with whom he was quite
+chummy; Jeems and Jo scrubbed decks, while Tom was busy in the galley
+preparing the dinner. All the boys were pretty fair cooks, but Tom&#8217;s
+cooking probably had more style to it, though he was not quite a
+French chef.</p>
+
+<p>The old captain had turned into his cabin on the quarter deck to take
+a good nap in his bunk, while the cat, whom he named Ulysses, both on
+account of his wisdom and because he had been a great traveler, was
+curled up in the chair beside him. So the day went quickly and
+cheerfully by,&mdash;the first day at sea.</p>
+
+<p>In the late afternoon all hands were on deck to take their last look
+at Hawaii, that was fast becoming a mythical island on the enchanted
+border of the horizon. The bulk of the Island of Hawaii was
+encompassed with an atmosphere of wonderful blue, rising from out the
+dusk, which shrouded the distant sea, and its two great volcanic
+cones, that rose to the glow of the sunset, were touched with a
+delicate pink.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We have had a fine time down there in Hawaii, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span>boys,&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;but
+I&#8217;m glad we are headed for home.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I suppose you will try to locate that lost mine in the Sierras?&#8221; said
+Tom, &#8220;that Jeems spoke about the other day.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;If there is anything lost we are the ones to locate it,&#8221; said Jo.
+&#8220;There is no doubt about that.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We must get Jeems to tell us more about it,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;Perhaps we
+can get him to tune up this evening after supper.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Time to put up the lights, Captain?&#8221; inquired Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Yes, Juarez,&#8221; replied Jim. &#8220;You may attend to it.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t see what&#8217;s the use,&#8221; remarked Tom. &#8220;We won&#8217;t probably see a
+ship until we get near the coast of California.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t make any difference,&#8221; replied Jim. &#8220;That&#8217;s the law of the sea
+and you can&#8217;t ever tell what you will run against.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Juarez did not wait to hear the discussion, but went after the red and
+the green lanterns. He placed the red on the starboard side for&#8217;ard in
+a wooden bracket well up, and the green was placed on the port side,
+or the left, and they shone through <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span>the bronze dusk that obscured the
+rolling sea, like separate jewels, the emerald and the ruby.</p>
+
+<p>It was a happy group that gathered around the supper table in the
+cabin that evening, for the boys were homeward bound. The windows of
+the skylight were wide open, because it was a typical tropical
+night&mdash;warm and balmy&mdash;and the great lamp that swung over the table
+with its brass reflector served to make it warmer still.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Tell us something more about that lost mine you were telling about
+the other day, Jeems,&#8221; piped up Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t tell Tom first,&#8221; warned Jim, &#8220;because if you do, he will have
+all the shares sold before we arrive.&#8221; There was a general laugh at
+this because Tom was strictly business when it came to money.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Wait till we get on deck, then I&#8217;ll spout,&#8221; said Jeems.</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III</h2>
+
+<h3>JEEMS&#8217; STORY</h3>
+
+<p>So the clan shortly after supper gathered at the after hatch on the
+main deck to hear what Jeems had to tell them in regard to this stray,
+lost, or stolen mine in the depths of the Sierra Nevadas. The captain
+was seated in his old chair upon the quarter deck, and, in the
+gloaming, puffing thoughtfully at his weathered old pipe, meditating,
+like as not, on the days of long ago, when he was as full of life as
+that bunch now talking and laughing on the main deck.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;This is a fine old night,&#8221; declared Jo, as he stretched himself
+comfortably out on the canvas cover of the hatch.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I never saw so many stars before,&#8221; declared Tom, &#8220;must be a million
+in sight.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Not so, son,&#8221; remarked Jeems. &#8220;There is not more than three thousand
+visible to the naked eye.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Go on with you,&#8221; said Tom, conclusively, &#8220;you needn&#8217;t tell me that.
+It&#8217;s as much of a yarn as your story of the lost mine.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t mind him, Jeems,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;Let&#8217;s hear your tale of woe about
+this mine that somebody lost.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well,&#8221; remarked Jeems, &#8220;if you children will be quiet and don&#8217;t
+interrupt, I&#8217;ll begin. First make yourselves comfortable.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This the boys proceeded to do; Jim and Juarez stretched their long
+legs out on the deck, with their backs against the hatch, while Tom
+started to make himself content and at ease by using Jo&#8217;s stomach for
+a pillow. This, however, did not agree with Jo&#8217;s idea of comfort, or
+perhaps it was his stomach that it did not agree with. However that
+may be, there was a cat fight on the hatch, Jo and Tom grappling with
+each other and struggling over and over. Jim was about to jump in and
+separate them, when he saw that they were likely to roll off the hatch
+on to the deck, and then he would not have interfered for anything.</p>
+
+<p>The two combatants were so interested that they did not see or care.
+Then they poised on the edge and, as the ship gave a roll, over they
+went, just missing Jeems&#8217; shepherd dog, who was peacefully lying, nose
+over paws, upon the deck. This unexpected avalanche sent him howling
+for&#8217;ard for safety.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span></p><p>Then still clutching each other they rolled into the scuppers, Tom
+striving to get a strangle hold on brother Jo, and the latter chugging
+Tom in the side with his free fist. At this juncture Jim took a hand,
+not in the interest of peace, but because he wanted to hear the
+shepherd&#8217;s yarn. So he yanked them apart, none too gently.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Ain&#8217;t you ashamed of yourselves?&#8221; exclaimed Jim severely, &#8220;mussing up
+my clean deck and scaring Jeems&#8217; dog into a fit.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m no sofa pillow,&#8221; panted Jo. &#8220;Tom will find that out.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll put you children on either side of the hatch if you don&#8217;t
+behave,&#8221; advised Jim, &#8220;and make you sit there.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Like to see you try it,&#8221; replied Tom belligerently.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Send &#8217;em to bed without any supper,&#8221; put in Juarez jocosely.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;d give &#8217;em a taste of the rope&#8217;s end.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It was the old captain&#8217;s voice rumbling down from the quarter deck.
+He, too, had been aroused by the sound of the scuffle. Tom glanced up
+at him with an apprehensive eye, for he stood in considerable awe of
+the old sailor, and quieted right down.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;They will be good boys now, Captain,&#8221; grinned Jim. &#8220;Their feelings
+were temporarily upset.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It seemed to be an upset of some kind,&#8221; replied the captain with a
+grim smile, and went back to his chair.</p>
+
+<p>Peace being restored, Jeems began his narrative in the slow, drawling
+manner characteristic of his mode of speech. He was leaning forward
+with his elbows on his knees, and his gray eyes&mdash;large and
+open&mdash;seemed to be looking dreamily over the dusky sea, that was
+rolling languidly through the warm darkness of the night.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It was a some different sort of night than this when I first heard
+tell of the mine, which maybe you boys think you will find some trace
+of, being young and hopeful and full of action.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Now, Jeems, don&#8217;t get personal,&#8221; warned Jim. &#8220;We aren&#8217;t as young as
+we act.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I know it, Skipper,&#8221; admitted Jeems; &#8220;but as I was going to tell you,
+this night I was speaking of, it had started in to snow something
+fierce. I was young then myself, and had been prospectin&#8217; all day and
+had come home to my little cabin that was under the shelter of a huge
+ledge in the mid-Sierras.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I can tell you, lads, I was mighty glad to be out <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span>of the storm that
+night, and I pitied any poor prospector who might be caught out in it.
+My cabin was smaller than the one I had on the Island off the coast,
+where you first discovered me, but it was comfortable and warm, and
+well sheltered from the wind.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I had built a big stone fireplace in one corner of the cabin, and had
+big sticks of pine piled up to the roof and a lot just outside of the
+door. You know how pitch pine will burn.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Needn&#8217;t tell us,&#8221; cried the audience in chorus.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Besides wood, I had enough grub to stand a siege, as I was always
+forehanded.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Must have been durn lonesome,&#8221; commented Jo. &#8220;Grub and firewood ain&#8217;t
+everything.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That sort of business would just suit me,&#8221; put in Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well, I wasn&#8217;t entirely alone,&#8221; said the shepherd.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Wife with you?&#8221; cut in Tom, who could be over-smart at times. Jim
+noticed that the shepherd winced at the careless question, and he put
+a grip on Tom&#8217;s knee that meant that the said Tom had better keep his
+mouth shut.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;A man don&#8217;t take his wife into such a wilderness as that,&#8221; said Jim.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Go on, Jeems, and there won&#8217;t be any more personal interruptions.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well, Skipper, as I was agoin&#8217; to say, I had with me a big hound, one
+that had followed me on my trips ever since he was a puppy. A
+prospector had given him to me when I was sluicing for gold on Rainbow
+Creek. He was a smooth, black-skinned dog, with stubby ears, and a jaw
+on him like a prize fighter. He was equal to anything in a fight short
+of a grizzly, and I valued his company considerable, I can tell you.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I should like to have seen a scrap between him and Captain Graves&#8217;
+Santa Anna.&#8221; (This was on the back trail when the Frontier Boys were
+in Colorado), said Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Get Jo and Tom to mixing it,&#8221; laughed Jim, &#8220;and you&#8217;ll have some idea
+of what it would be like.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>At this point the boys were surprised to see Jeems become angry at
+Juarez&#8217;s innocent interruption. It was the first time that the boys
+had ever seen Jeems Howell anything but good-natured, no matter what
+happened, or what prank was played on him. But, as Jo remarked later,
+&#8220;Human nature is a mighty uncertain business, and everybody has got a
+cranky spot in &#8217;em if you just happen to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span>strike it at the explosive
+time.&#8221; Which is a mighty true observation, which you can prove to your
+own satisfaction any day in the week. The writer being example No. 1,
+and you, indulgent reader, example No. 2.</p>
+
+<p>Jim and Juarez, by their combined and genial efforts, pulled Jeems out
+of the sulks and on to his own sunny level once more. Then he took up
+his narrative again.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well, boys, it don&#8217;t seem that I have got any right to criticize that
+black hound&#8217;s temper, considering my own.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Anybody is apt to get riled once in a lifetime, Jeems,&#8221; said Jim,
+&#8220;even Tom here has been known to act up occasionally.&#8221; Tom joined in
+the laugh because he had a notoriously quick temper, and complete
+serenity was restored.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That hound would never make friends with anyone except me,&#8221; continued
+Jeems, &#8220;and I could always depend on his watchfulness to warn me of
+the approach of any marauder. It was a wild country, and with bad
+Indians and worse white men you always had to be on your guard. Still
+on this night I tell ye of, the storm was so wild and fierce that I
+did not believe anyone would be abroad who had any sort of a place to
+stay in.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Before turning in, I stepped outside to see how things were going.
+The hound followed close on my heels. I closed the door tight and
+stood in the darkness with my old gray hat pulled down close around my
+head. I could scarcely see. The snow was swirling from the ledge above
+my cabin, and was blown out in great sheets into the night.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Then the hound began to growl kind of low, and his hair was
+bristling, but he did not show any sudden desire to take a jump down
+the mountain side, as he would under ordinary circumstances, and I
+didn&#8217;t urge him because I thought he showed mighty good sense.&#8221;</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV</h2>
+
+<h3>THE LOST MINE</h3>
+
+<p>&#8220;&#8216;Anybody down thar?&#8217; I yelled, but my voice was blown down my throat,
+and you couldn&#8217;t have heard it six feet away, as the wind was doing
+all the talking that night. So I stepped back into my cabin, followed
+by the dog, who kept growling to himself like a man with a grouch.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;No sooner was I inside than I let the heavy bar down across the door,
+and, when it fell into place, I drew a full breath, for I felt nervous
+at the action of the dog, and it was terrible lonesome, just as bad as
+being adrift on a raft in this ocean.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;d take the land every time,&#8221; cut in Tom. &#8220;It&#8217;s what&#8217;s under you
+makes you so scarey on the ocean.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t know but that the constant motion of the sea makes it kind of
+company for a man,&#8221; remarked Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t tell me that,&#8221; said the shepherd with a quizzical look in his
+eyes, &#8220;from my recent experience that same motion will separate you
+from what is nearest to you. Anyhow, after I had put on a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span>big log of
+pine on the coals in the fireplace, and the flame began to blaze up, I
+felt more cheerful, for it seemed to make my cabin alive with a hearty
+glow.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;After I had toasted my blankets thoroughly, I wrapped them around me,
+and laid down near the fire, with my rifle near me. The big hound was
+just back a bit, between me and the door, and I felt quite secure and
+perfectly comfortable. I was tired, too, for I had been working hard
+all day, and I soon dropped off into a sound sleep.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I do not know how long I had slept, when I sat up suddenly throwing
+the blankets off from me and grabbing my rifle. The fire had died down
+and there was that chill in the air that cramps a man&#8217;s blood. The
+cabin was full of shadows, except the dying glow on the stone hearth.
+The dog had risen and was growling towards the door. Then I heard the
+blow of a stick, I suppose it was, against the door.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I tell you, it made me feel scared, coming in the dead of night, in
+such a lonesome, utterly desolate place. I was kind of superstitious
+in those days, too, and I was afraid of what was outside there,
+because it didn&#8217;t seem possible for anything human to have reached my
+isolated cabin <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span>on such a night. Again came the blow upon the door;
+then I crossed to the window and very cautiously looked out.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It had evidently heard me or divined that I was at the window, for I
+saw pressed against the pane and almost touching my face, it seemed,
+the dark visage of a man with wild, black eyes. The dog saw him too,
+but as he did not seem to be inspired with his usual ferocity, I
+decided to take a chance and let him in. I would not have kept the Old
+Boy himself out on a night like that.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;So with my weapon ready, I unbarred the door, and the man stumbled
+in. I saw that he was not an American, but belonged to some dark race,
+probably a Spaniard. When I got a good look at his face, I saw that my
+unbidden guest was no other than Rodrigo Sandez, who was fabled all
+through that region to have found the entrance to the famous Lost
+Mine, whose wealth had been coupled with legends for many years.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It seems that this mine had been known to the earliest Spanish
+explorers, many of whom went back to Spain fabulously rich. Then, for
+many years, all trace had been lost of it, and numerous miners and
+prospectors laughed incredulously at any mention of it. Then came
+Rodrigo Sandez <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span>with his friend, who likewise was Spanish, or as I
+think Spanish-Mexican, and rediscovered the Lost Mine, probably
+through some information long hidden, that had come to them in Mexico,
+through some unknown sources.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The man was half frozen from exposure to the elements, and when he
+was thawed out physically, it did the same for his powers of speech. I
+eagerly hoped that he would have something to say that would give me a
+clue to the whereabouts of that mine, not that I expected he would
+make me his heir, but I was anxious to make a stake in those days, for
+one reason, if not for another, so I had hopes.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;In the three weeks that he stayed in my cabin before the storm broke,
+not a hint could I get out of him, though he would talk volubly about
+other matters, telling me of his travels in Mexico and South America.
+All the time he was with me I kept wondering what had become of his
+partner, but when I had it on the tip of my tongue to ask him,
+something in his manner of looking at me held me back.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Physically he was not impressive, this man, being short and stocky.
+His complexion was very dark, and his hair was short and bristly. But
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span>there was a peculiar power in his eyes at times, and when he was
+disturbed about anything, instead of becoming sharp and brilliant they
+took on a kind of glaze, that gave you a creepy feeling when he looked
+at you.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I might say right here that though Sandez and his partner had been
+trailed many times in the effort to find where this mine was located,
+they were always lost track of. Either they dropped out of sight as
+though the earth had swallowed them, or something happened to the
+party that was following them.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;When Sandez left my cabin to go on his way south, the weather having
+cleared, I decided to take up his back trail in hope of finding some
+trace of his partner, and thus getting a possible clue to the location
+of the mine. So I started out one clear, cold day, with my dog for
+guide and company.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I knew the general direction that the two partners traveled, for
+their trail was not lost until they had gone some twenty miles
+northwest of my cabin. I made fast time over the frozen snow on my
+skis, until by noon I had covered nigh onto fifteen miles. The dog was
+trotting along ahead of me when suddenly he disappeared into a deep
+gulch.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;In a second or two he set up a howl long-drawn-out and I knew then
+that he had found the quarry. I discovered the body of the man under
+some thick bushes at the bottom of the gulch. He had not been frozen
+to death either, for there was a slit in his back, where the knife had
+been driven.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;No wonder that I had found it hard to ask the Se&ntilde;or Sandez what had
+become of his partner. Here was the answer. It was evident that this
+deed of treachery had been the end of a bitter quarrel, perhaps over
+the division of the wealth or some other matter of dispute. I always
+felt that there was more back of it than appeared on the surface. I
+found nothing to establish the identity of the dead man, neither his
+name nor his place of residence.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I did find, however, in an inner pocket the picture of a rather
+pretty Spanish woman, and on the back of it was drawn a diagram
+showing a certain part of the mountain. I instantly jumped to the
+conclusion that it was the clue to the Lost Mine. I spent several
+months thereafter trying to locate the place. I got most of the way by
+the map and then I came to a mark that fooled me completely, and I
+lost the trail.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;What did you do with that diagram, Jeems?&#8221; asked Jim intently.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I kept it back of a rock in the chimney of my cabin, and it&#8217;s there
+yet for all I know.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Unless the mountain rats have chewed it up,&#8221; remarked Tom gloomily.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I suppose you can find that cabin of yours, can&#8217;t you?&#8221; inquired
+Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a good many years, but I reckon I could,&#8221; Jeems replied.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well, I reckon you will have the chance,&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;just as soon as
+we land.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That yarn of yours was not only interesting, Jeems, but it has some
+practical value,&#8221; remarked Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Ahoy there, Skipper,&#8221; boomed out the old captain&#8217;s voice from the
+quarter deck. &#8220;It&#8217;s about time the man at the wheel was relieved.&#8221; Jim
+sprang to his feet, and gave his head a hard thump with his fist to
+wake himself up.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Right, Captain,&#8221; he replied, &#8220;I&#8217;ve been sitting here listening to a
+yarn and forgetting my work. Jo, to the wheel. I&#8217;ll stand watch.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Then he leaped up the steep steps leading to the quarter deck, closely
+followed by Jo, who took Pete&#8217;s place at the wheel, while that worthy
+went <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span>below; and the captain turned into his cabin on the quarter deck
+without more ado. If anyone besides Jim had been so forgetful, there
+would have been a vast amount of growling on his part, but Jim was a
+favorite.</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V</h2>
+
+<h3>WORKING THE SHIP</h3>
+
+<p>It was now ten o&#8217;clock, and the ship steadily held her way over the
+plunging seas, and the wind came from out the vague spaces of the
+night, not chill, but bracing. How Jim loved it! Sometimes he felt
+when he was pacing the deck at night on watch, that he liked the ocean
+even better than the mountains.</p>
+
+<p>As he strode back and forth he thought and pondered over Jeems&#8217; story.
+Suppose they should find this rich pocket mine of gold in the Sierras,
+what would they do with the money? Jim was not grasping and the mere
+idea of getting rich did not appeal to him. &#8220;A fool can make money,&#8221;
+he had sometimes said, &#8220;but it takes a wise man to spend it.&#8221; Then he
+brought his fist down hard upon the rail.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve got it, Jo,&#8221; he cried, &#8220;if we find that mine, we will take a
+trip around the world and see if we can&#8217;t discover something new.
+We&#8217;ve got the ship already.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What do we need of more money?&#8221; asked Jo. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span>&#8220;Let&#8217;s head her around now
+and strike out for the Philippines. We have got some of that treasure
+left that we discovered in Mexico.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I wonder what Pap would say,&#8221; replied Jim, lowering his voice, &#8220;if he
+found that he had been shanghied in any such fashion. I suspicion that
+there would be a mutiny aboard this craft.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I forgot about him,&#8221; admitted Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Another thing, you don&#8217;t realize how much money it takes to keep a
+yacht going, even if we are under sail part of the time. This boat has
+got to be overhauled when we get to port. Drydocked for one thing,
+liable to cost $500; then the engines will have to be overhauled. Next
+coal and provisions&mdash;&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I reckon we had better discover that mine,&#8221; agreed Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s where you show your good sense,&#8221; concluded Jim.</p>
+
+<p>So as the schooner yacht went northward following her unseen path
+through the darkness, the boys&#8217; minds were busy with their plans for
+the future. For one, I envy them their buoyant freedom, their hearty
+comradeship, and their chance for new and varying adventure. Yet they
+had earned much of the good fortune that had come to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span>them by their
+pluck in danger and their cheerful endurance of hardship.</p>
+
+<p>At two o&#8217;clock Tom was called on deck to take the wheel, and Jeems
+Howell to stand watch. Not a very strong maritime team, to be sure,
+but with the calm mild weather it was safe enough, and the captain was
+near at hand if any trouble should arise suddenly from out the
+darkness of the sea.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Do you suppose you two land lubbers can manage, without running us
+aground?&#8221; inquired Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Aye, aye, sir!&#8221; replied Jeems cheerfully.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m just as liable to run this thing in a circle,&#8221; replied Tom, &#8220;and
+we will butt into Hawaii before we know it.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>As a matter of fact, the boys were all pretty fair sort of sailors by
+this time, in a kind of make-shift practical way. They had received
+good instruction from old Pete, and capable supervision from the old
+captain, and it gave them confidence to have him back of them in case
+anything unusual should come up.</p>
+
+<p>Juarez, who was really a mechanical genius, went below in the
+engine-room to relieve the engineer. He spent his happiest hours in a
+pair of greasy jumpers working over the engine, feeding it with oil,
+polishing it until it shone, and giving <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span>it constant attention. The
+taciturn engineer had taken quite a fancy to Juarez, who was himself
+as silent as an Indian. He had taught Juarez a great deal about his
+intricate trade, and the pupil had been quick to profit, always
+watching and observing, and saying little.</p>
+
+<p>It seemed to Juarez that he was at the center of things when he was
+watching over the throbbing, steady, ceaseless movement of the engine;
+and shut off from the outside world, his thoughts seemed to time with
+the steady, powerful harmony of the mechanism, with its living spirit
+of steam within the polished framework. Many a boy who reads these
+lines will envy Juarez Hoskins, assistant engineer of the <i>Sea Eagle</i>,
+and will understand his feelings perhaps even better than the writer.</p>
+
+<p>Nor did Juarez mind the heat, as with the jumper fastened over his
+brown naked shoulders, and bare head, he went busily about the
+engine-room whistling softly to himself. Old Pete passed near on his
+way into the hold, and in a short time up came the boy stoker, black
+as a gnome and cheerful as a darkey, for he was Irish, which I take to
+be a Hibernian remark.</p>
+
+<p>Thus with the exception of Pete the Frontier Boys were in charge of
+their ship and running it <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span>all right too. There was no question that
+this practise cruise to Hawaii was a fine thing for them, and after it
+was over they would be well qualified to take the <i>Sea Eagle</i> wherever
+their fancy might dictate, or where necessity might require.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning broke bright and balmy and the boys settled down to
+regular sea routine: scrubbing decks, steering, polishing the
+brasswork, and last, but not least, cooking. Some things were now
+present on the bill of fare which were absent when they sailed from
+the coast. For instance, there were bananas, some yellow and ripe,
+others a bright green which would ripen on the voyage.</p>
+
+<p>There was also half a bushel of mangoes, a most delicious fruit of
+juicy yellow meat, and a tart flavor hidden among its sweetness. There
+was also a small barrel of poi, the staple Hawaiian article of diet,
+of which the boys had grown very fond during their short sojourn in
+Hawaii. It was a thick bluish paste, and most nutritious.</p>
+
+<p>Poi was made from a native root called taro, of mottled bluish-white
+meat. This was pounded up with water to a thick consistency and
+according to the native custom eaten from bowls into which the two
+forefingers were dipped, whirled around and then transferred quickly
+and gracefully to the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span>mouth. It was an interesting spectacle to see
+Tom, for instance, seated on a hatch, his bare legs crossed before
+him, and a bowl of poi between them. Then Tom would throw his head
+back and pop his two fingers into his mouth with much and evident
+enjoyment.</p>
+
+<p>Now poi is very fattening and the boys used to tease Jeems Howell
+about his getting a corporation, as he was naturally as thin as a
+slab. &#8220;You would look funny waddling around the deck, Jeems,&#8221; said
+Jim, &#8220;and the fat shaking on your tummy when you laughed.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Could use me for ballast then, Skipper,&#8221; he would remark, &#8220;but I
+ain&#8217;t worrying any. When I see myself fat I&#8217;ll believe it and not
+before.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>One day the dead calm of sea monotony was broken by a breeze of
+excitement. It was morning and Tom was at the wheel, while on the
+bridge was Juarez keeping a sharp lookout, as was his custom, although
+there was not much to expect in the way of interest. As far as
+sighting a sail, that was most unlikely, for this part of the ocean
+through which they were traveling was nothing but a blue desert, as
+far as other ships were concerned.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s that coming now?&#8221; cried Juarez. &#8220;I can&#8217;t make it out.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Where?&#8221; asked Tom eagerly.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Low down on the northeast quarter,&#8221; said Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I see what you mean,&#8221; remarked Tom, but he too was puzzled.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll get the glass,&#8221; suggested Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>This done, he took a good long pull at it, his legs well braced
+against the roll of the ship, and making a very nautical figure
+indeed. Then he made out the enemy clearly; three big black hulls they
+were, and then from the bow of one a column of steam&mdash;or was it
+water?&mdash;went slanting into the air. Juarez&#8217;s frame stiffened with
+interest and excitement.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Whales!&#8221; he cried.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s that, lad?&#8221; It was the captain, who was supposedly asleep in
+his cabin, which was the deck house, but he responded quickly to the
+magic word, &#8220;Whales.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Gimme the glass,&#8221; he ordered, his hand outstretched. The boys watched
+him with interested attention. &#8220;Three of &#8217;em,&#8221; he cried. &#8220;Gosh! I wish
+I was younger.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>By this time the whole Frontier gang was present on the quarter deck
+looking at the dark spots on the blue ocean that now had become
+visible to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span>the naked eye. To say that they were interested was to put
+it very mildly. There was a strange interest to these marine monsters.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Let&#8217;s get one of those fellows,&#8221; cried Juarez. &#8220;We have a couple of
+harpoons.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Get ready, boys,&#8221; cried Jim. &#8220;It&#8217;s a go.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What!&#8221; roared the captain. &#8220;You boys can&#8217;t spear a whale even if you
+did get nigh him. He would spank you to kingdom come with his tail.
+You stay right here where I can keep an eye on you. The idea of you
+tackling a whale. Why, it&#8217;s plumb ridiculous. Just a passel of kittens
+when it comes to whaling.&#8221; Then he stopped to blow, entirely
+exhausted.</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI</h2>
+
+<h3>DANGEROUS WORK</h3>
+
+<p>However foolhardy the proposition, the boys were determined, and then
+they were in the majority, so they overruled the captain. A chance
+like that was not to be permitted to slip. They had hunted bears,
+mountain lions, Indians, outlaws, ducks and much other game, but never
+had whales come within range before, and at least they were going to
+try to make their preliminary acquaintance.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well, boys, as I ain&#8217;t responsible to your parents, yer might jest as
+well end yer lives by the flap of a whale&#8217;s tail as go on to be hung,
+because that, in my opinion, will come to you sooner or later, being
+so reckless.&#8221; But down in his heart the old fellow was pleased with
+their enterprise and pluck.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Better come along and take care of us, Captain,&#8221; urged Jim, &#8220;so these
+fellows won&#8217;t bite us.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;All the fishing I&#8217;ll ever do now will be for minnows over the rail,&#8221;
+replied the captain. &#8220;My whaling days are over.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;The only whaling I know about,&#8221; remarked Jo, &#8220;was what I used to get
+in school.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You would get some more of the same kind now,&#8221; remarked Jim briefly,
+&#8220;if I could spare the time.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Now, you have to spare the rod,&#8221; replied the irrepressible and
+irresponsible Jo. He ducked quickly as Jim hit at him, but there was
+no time for further discipline or discussion, so Jo escaped the
+merited punishment that was due him.</p>
+
+<p>The boat was lowered, and the harpoon with its apparently endless coil
+of rope, was made ready. All this was done under the careful
+instruction of Captain Kerns, who knew the business of whaling
+thoroughly, and was determined that the venturesome boys should not be
+entirely helpless through ignorance. As for the harpoon, that was the
+property originally of the former owner of the <i>Sea Eagle</i>, Captain
+Bill Broom, of interesting memory. What pleasure he would have felt to
+see the Frontier Boys start out on their perilous expedition, sure
+that the whales would wreak vengeance upon the daring boys who had
+finally given him such a bitter defeat!</p>
+
+<p>Everything was now ready, and the selected crew was prepared to pull
+away from the ship. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span>They were delaying only for a few last words and
+instructions. Nor was the crew of the boat made up exactly as the
+reader might imagine, for Tom was left aboard and Jeems Howell was
+taken in his place.</p>
+
+<p>There were two reasons for this. In the first place, Jeems, though
+lanky and thin, was really very strong and could do better work at the
+oars than Tom; the other reason had to do with an incident that
+happened in the attack the boys had made on a sand cone in the crater
+of Haleakala, the said cone being defended by a number of savages.</p>
+
+<p>Tom had at that time failed to protect Jim when he was attacking the
+savages, due to nervousness, and Jeems had to come to the rescue. I do
+not know whether he appreciated the distinction of being chosen on
+this particular occasion or not, but he had to accept the honor thus
+thrust upon him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Good-bye, Tom,&#8221; cried Jim; &#8220;I&#8217;ll leave you my blessing, if the whale
+takes a chaw out of us.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;d rather you would leave me something valuable like your gold
+watch,&#8221; replied the mercenary Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll make you my sole heir, Tommy,&#8221; cried Jo. &#8220;I&#8217;ve got some debts
+back home that you can have.&#8221; Then the boat pulled away from the ship.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t forget, lads,&#8221; roared the captain in farewell, &#8220;that whales
+ain&#8217;t fools because they are big. Look out for &#8217;em.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Aye, aye, sir,&#8221; came back the answer clear and strong.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Good luck,&#8221; yelled the captain, and the boys waved their hands in
+reply.</p>
+
+<p>But no sooner had they pulled away than he got the other boat ready to
+launch in case it should be needed and a couple of life preservers
+were gotten ready, with a line attached, for no one knew better than
+the old sailor the dangerous undertaking on which the boys had
+launched.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile they were making good time over the slow, lazy swell towards
+the whales that could be seen floating easily along two miles distant.
+Jo was pulling the stroke oars, and Jeems was pulling the other pair
+directly behind him. Jo was a fair oarsman and Jeems was capable of
+keeping up with him.</p>
+
+<p>They discovered that there was an excitement and interest in rowing on
+the ocean that was not present in the same form of exercise on a lake
+or river, for there was a vitality, breadth and power about the sea
+that was lacking in the others. I tell you, they felt rather small and
+puny as they <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span>pulled the boat steadily over the swells that played
+gently with their craft, as though the old ocean was in a lazy playful
+mood, just like a tiger when it rolls sinuously upon its back fondling
+some object.</p>
+
+<p>Jim was in the bow of the boat, ready to use the harpoon when the time
+should come. Once or twice he stood up in the bow and plunged it down
+into the blue bosom of a rounded wave with all his force, the water
+slashing white from the track of the tearing weapon.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Better save your strength,&#8221; warned Juarez, who was at the steering
+oar.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Just getting warmed up, lad,&#8221; said Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Think you can fetch him, Jim?&#8221; inquired Jo anxiously.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Sure,&#8221; replied his older brother confidently. &#8220;I reckon a whale is no
+tougher than a grizzly, and we&#8217;ve got them.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Not with a harpoon,&#8221; remarked Jeems Howell. &#8220;You won&#8217;t be more than
+able to tickle the leviathan with that weapon.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>But Jim scoffed at his prophecy, for there was this about James that
+helped him in a crisis like the present, that he had perfect
+confidence in himself which had been fortified by several narrow
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span>escapes. But here was an occasion where his good luck in danger was
+apt to be thoroughly tried out.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Whales are something like elephants, it seems to me,&#8221; said Jeems
+Howell. &#8220;They are big, dangerous and very intelligent.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The elephant beats the whale when it comes to ears,&#8221; remarked Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;But makes it up with his tail,&#8221; laughed Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Now, boys,&#8221; warned Jim, &#8220;be careful; no more talking. We will soon be
+within range.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>A strained, intense silence settled over the boat. All was expectation
+and suppressed excitement. I do not suppose that the gentle reader can
+realize the feeling of the boys at this moment, as he has probably
+never stalked a whale in the open ocean, but perhaps he can imagine
+something of what they felt.</p>
+
+<p>One thing favored the young whale hunters, and that was the fact that
+the whales were taking things very softly and slowly, their big bodies
+barely moving through the water. They seemed to be enjoying the calm
+of the clear morning, and were taking an ocean stroll as it were.</p>
+
+<p>The bull, some sixty feet in length, was in the lead; at some little
+distance to the east was the cow and a young whale near her side. It
+was a wonderful <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span>sight to see the big black fellow forging slowly in
+advance, his head a long, square promontory rising from the water, and
+his body a half-submerged island.</p>
+
+<p>But what power and strength was there in that great body and what
+temerity it was for the boys to tackle him; they should have been glad
+to let him go on his way unmolested, if he would do the same for them.
+But the boys had no such thought. Under the silent direction of Jim&#8217;s
+hand the boat made a circle and swept around back of the great mammal
+coming up on the far side. As the chase came near its end the pulses
+of the boys quickened. There was a wonderful excitement in closing in
+with this king of all the oceans.</p>
+
+<p>Jim crouched in the bow, the harpoon clutched in his right hand. Now
+the boat was within fifty feet of the whale, who was evidently not yet
+aware of their near proximity, as he could not see anything
+approaching along the side. It was indeed a thrilling moment. Jim rose
+to his full height in the bow, with the harpoon poised above his
+shoulder, a powerful and athletic figure.</p>
+
+<p>The boat was now alongside the monster, and then with all his strength
+of body, arm and shoulder, he plunged the harpoon down deep into <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span>the
+great black body, following the instructions of the captain as near as
+he could; he was but an amateur, after all, and he missed a vital
+spot.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Back up, boys!&#8221; he yelled.</p>
+
+<p>Down dug the poised oars into the water, and the boat tried
+frantically to get out of the deadly circumference of the wounded
+whale&#8217;s wrath. Instead of sounding down, as he would have done if
+vitally wounded, he thrashed and pounded the ocean into foam. There
+was no escape for the boat apparently.</p>
+
+<p>With an exclamation of horror, Captain Kerns turned his ship&#8217;s prow
+straight for the scene of the disaster, for he saw what had happened.
+It was enough to startle even a man so hardened to sights of danger as
+the captain. As for Tom, when he saw the beginning of the accident, he
+pressed his hand close against his eyes to shut out what promised to
+be terrible destruction for his two brothers, and his two tried
+comrades.</p>
+
+<p>Pete was at the wheel, his old weathered face pale and intent upon the
+scene not so distant. He had grown fond of the boys and could scarcely
+bear to look upon their overwhelming danger.</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII</h2>
+
+<h3>WHAT THEY SAW</h3>
+
+<p>When the whale was in his first flurry of pain, he sent the boat high
+into the air with one stroke of his mighty tail, and like loose
+articles the boys were scattered out of it into the boiling vortex of
+water. This was the sight that had called forth the alarm on board the
+<i>Sea Eagle</i>, and made the captain spring to quick action.</p>
+
+<p>No time was to be lost, for the boys were as helpless as straws in the
+maelstrom. One thing was fortunate, they were all pretty fair
+swimmers, but that would not help them if the whale should, in his
+fury, chance to see them. But here, their very insignificance saved
+them from his first rush. The mother and her young had taken the alarm
+and were forging away to the southward.</p>
+
+<p>The boys were now but several dark spots in the swirling waters. Jo
+had the closest call, for one of the flukes of the whale&#8217;s tail swept
+a huge wave over him, and he thought he was going to be carried to the
+bottom of the ocean. Jim at the very first had called out a warning,
+&#8220;Boys, keep away <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span>from the boat.&#8221; It was a lucky thing that he did so.
+For as soon as the whale caught sight of it he made a furious surge
+for it, and, opening his great jaws, he caught it squarely across the
+middle.</p>
+
+<p>There was a crunching sound, only more intense, as when a dog crushes
+a bone. As Jo said afterward, &#8220;It wasn&#8217;t more than a toothpick for
+him.&#8221; Meanwhile the boys were swimming in the opposite direction as
+fast as their arms and feet could propel them. The whale now became
+aware of a new enemy bearing down upon him.</p>
+
+<p>Only this was even larger than he was, though of the same color. It
+was making a chug-chug sound as it came towards him. In the dim brain
+of the whale was an idea struggling for birth. Was this a strange sea
+monster that was going to contest with him the supremacy of the seas,
+or was it some of his antediluvian ancestors come back to earth, I
+mean to sea, again?</p>
+
+<p>There the reasoning of the whale stopped. A sudden blind fury came
+over him and he charged for the <i>Sea Eagle</i>. Two rifle shots rang out
+from the deck of the ship, and one tore deep into the black carcass.
+Then the monster threw his flukes into the air and down he sounded
+towards the depths of the sea.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span></p><p>In a moment the yacht was alongside the exhausted swimmers, and they
+were hauled aboard. Jeems Howell was about done for, and had to be
+worked over for some time; Jo also had shipped considerable salt
+water, but Jim and Juarez were in tolerable condition considering the
+experience they had been through.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I hope you lads are satisfied now,&#8221; grumbled the captain.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;He chawed our boat to kindling wood,&#8221; said Jim, looking ruefully to
+where the fragments strewed the sea.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;He would have done the same by you, if we hadn&#8217;t come along,&#8221;
+remarked the captain. &#8220;Served you right, too.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I hate not getting him, that&#8217;s what worries me,&#8221; said Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;How did you feel when he tilted you and the boat up in the air?&#8221;
+inquired Tom curiously.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Can&#8217;t say,&#8221; replied Jim. &#8220;It was so sudden, and I didn&#8217;t take any
+notes.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I felt like I was going to be another Jonah,&#8221; remarked Jo feebly.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s the Jonah,&#8221; remarked the captain, pointing a contemptuous thumb
+at Jeems, who had just gotten to his feet.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;How can I ever thank you, Captain?&#8221; asked Jeems Howell, who had a sly
+streak of humor at times. &#8220;You saved my life at the risk of your own.
+It was a noble deed, and one long&mdash;&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Oh, g&#8217;wan with you,&#8221; cried the captain. &#8220;I don&#8217;t want none of your
+banquet speeches.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>To escape the infliction, he retreated to the quarter deck, where he
+stood ready to repel any thankful survivors who might creep upon him.
+Tom was busy asking questions about the whole unfortunate business,
+for he had a very inquisitive mind, had Tom. Jeems, however, was the
+only one among the gallant survivors inclined to humor him. Jim was
+looking longingly over the expanse of ocean, not thinking of his
+dripping clothes, but as though he had lost something, as indeed he
+had. He was minus one large whaleboat and one small boat. It was not
+the boat, however, that he was looking for, and no one but Jim would
+have taken a continued interest in his whaleship but would have given
+him up for lost.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
+<img src="images/i058.jpg" class="jpg ispace" width="500" height="329" alt="&#8220;jim stood prepared to aim.&#8221;&mdash;P.61.   Frontier Boys in Sierras." title="" />
+<span class="caption">&#8220;<span class="smcap">jim stood prepared to aim</span>.&#8221;&mdash;P. <a href="#Page_61">61</a>.</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&#8220;There he blows!&#8221; he cried suddenly. &#8220;Let&#8217;s try for him again.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;No more of that,&#8221; roared the captain. &#8220;Not while I&#8217;m alive on this
+boat.&#8221; Jim smiled. He had not really intended to go after him in the
+boat <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span>because he realized how foolhardy such a performance would be, but he
+had another scheme in mind, and he prepared to carry it out.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Come on, boys, let&#8217;s give him a shot from the cannon,&#8221; he cried.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s the idea!&#8221; exclaimed Juarez. &#8220;We will bring the ship up close
+enough to get a good aim.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;d like to get even with him for the kick he gave me,&#8221; cried Jo
+viciously.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well, you boys are the beatingest,&#8221; remarked the captain.</p>
+
+<p>But he made no objection to this plan, and took the wheel himself, so
+as to maneuver the <i>Sea Eagle</i> to within good striking distance of the
+big mammal. Meanwhile, the boys lost no time in getting the small
+cannon ready for the fray. All was excitement and energy. Here was a
+target worth shooting at. The whale seemed to be resting after his
+recent exertions, and was rolling easily on the surface of the ocean.</p>
+
+<p>Tom stripped the jacket of canvas from the shining gun of brass,
+Juarez and Jo got the ammunition from the hold, and soon had the
+charge ready to fire. Jim stood prepared to aim. The boys waited
+impatiently for the right moment to come, when the yacht would be as
+close to the quarry <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span>as it would be wise to venture. Steadily the
+little ship bore down toward the whale, keeping half quartered to it.</p>
+
+<p>It seemed that he must take alarm and the boys held their breath in
+fear lest the monster should take fright and make a sudden
+disappearance into the depths. The harpoon still sticking high up on
+his side gave a line to aim by. Then Jim depressed the muzzle of the
+cannon until it was point blank at the long black target now shelving
+up from the blue surface of the ocean. Just as the whale wakened to
+his danger, Jim pulled the lanyard and fired. There was a roar, a
+white gush of smoke, and the shell tore into the vitals of the great
+whale.</p>
+
+<p>Then there was action to which the disturbance when the whale was
+harpooned was a mere flurry. He thrashed the ocean into foam and the
+blood from his wound dyed the waters crimson. At last he rose bodily
+in the air and fell back upon the surface of the ocean with a mighty
+whack that could have been heard for miles. The waters retreated from
+his fall in great waves that made the little steamer rock.</p>
+
+<p>There was great jubilation on the deck of the <i>Sea Eagle</i> when Jim
+made that shot, which was not <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span>so remarkable either, when one
+considers the size of the target and the nearness of the object aimed
+at. But the captain was decidedly enthusiastic over Jim&#8217;s success, and
+clapped him heartily on the back with manifest approval.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You ought to be in the navy, lad,&#8221; he cried. &#8220;You are a born American
+gunner. Old Paul Jones ought to have had you.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That wasn&#8217;t a hard shot, Captain,&#8221; remarked Jim. &#8220;It was your
+navigating that really deserves the credit.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Too bad we have to leave him,&#8221; said the captain. &#8220;That fellow would
+be good for a lot of oil.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I should like a closer look at him,&#8221; urged Jim. &#8220;I believe I&#8217;ll lower
+the other boat and board him.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I reckon he can&#8217;t do you any harm now, Skipper,&#8221; said the captain,
+&#8220;and I suppose a whale does look cur&#8217;us to you. I see by that harpoon
+that you made a pretty good shot with the iron; just a little nearer
+to the shoulder and you would have fetched him.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The boat was all ready to lower and in a jiffy they had it in the
+water. Tom was allowed to go along this time, but Jeems Howell was
+among the missing, he absolutely and steadfastly refused to go on the
+excursion.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Come along, Jeems,&#8221; urged Jo. &#8220;You never saw a dead whale.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;But I have seen a live one, and my curiosity is satisfied,&#8221; replied
+Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;He won&#8217;t bite you, jump in,&#8221; said Tom, who was quite brave now.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;How do I know that he is really dead?&#8221; replied Jeems. &#8220;Like as not he
+will give a last flop and crush you. The deck for me.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Realizing that it was useless to urge Jeems the boys pulled away from
+the <i>Sea Eagle</i>, and rowed over to the dead whale.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;My! but he is a monster,&#8221; said Juarez. &#8220;Let&#8217;s board him.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;All right,&#8221; agreed Jim.</p>
+
+<p>So Tom jammed the bow of the boat against the whale&#8217;s side, and the
+three J&#8217;s&mdash;Jim, Jo and Juarez&mdash;made a landing on Whale Island. It made
+Jo feel a little squeamish standing upon the mass of the dead monster
+that yielded under his foot. It seemed that his tread must surely
+cause the whale to make a final effort to get rid of his enemies.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;He must be all of seventy feet,&#8221; cried Jim, pacing as far as he
+could.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;His head is eight or ten feet long,&#8221; said Juarez.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Too bad you can&#8217;t take some of him for a souvenir,&#8221; said Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We are mighty glad that he didn&#8217;t get any of us for a souvenir,&#8221;
+remarked Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m going to get my harpoon any way,&#8221; said Jim. As he wrenched at it,
+the whale suddenly rose with a gentle heave, and Jo was almost
+paralyzed with fright, and even Juarez turned somewhat pale. However,
+it was only an unusually large wave that had raised the whale up and
+allowed the placid carcass to slide down again.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Ahoy there, squall coming!&#8221; hailed the captain&#8217;s voice from the
+quarter deck of the <i>Sea Eagle</i>. &#8220;Get aboard quick.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The boys obeyed, but with obvious reluctance, for the whale had much
+of interest for them yet. But they saw the squall whitening over the
+ocean from the northwest quarter, and coming with great rapidity.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We don&#8217;t want to worry the old man any more to-day,&#8221; suggested Jim,
+&#8220;so we will pull for the shore.&#8221;</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII</h2>
+
+<h3>A RACE</h3>
+
+<p>Even then they were none too quick, for as they were swinging the boat
+to the davits the squall struck the <i>Sea Eagle</i>, heeling her well
+over, and there was a rush and roar of wind and flying spray from the
+yeasty seas. It was fun while it lasted. The prow of the ship was
+turned eastward once more, leaving the whale, but not alone.</p>
+
+<p>Already the birds were gathering to their feast, and from all
+directions cut the dark-finned sharks to get their share. In a short
+time all was turmoil about the whale, fluttering wings and whirling
+foamy water. This was too good a target for the boys, so they decided
+to give the crazy cannibal crew a surprise.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Let&#8217;s give those beggars a farewell salute, Juarez,&#8221; cried Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m with you,&#8221; he replied.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s the distance?&#8221; inquired Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Quarter of a mile,&#8221; hazarded Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s nearer a half,&#8221; replied Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It don&#8217;t look it,&#8221; put in Jo.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;That&#8217;s because objects on the ocean seem nearer than they do on
+land.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Why is that so?&#8221; inquired the ever inquisitive Tom.</p>
+
+<p>Jim was clearly stumped by this inquiry, but he did not let on that he
+was puzzled in the least.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;No time to tell you now. That gun is about ready to fire.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You don&#8217;t know,&#8221; jeered Tom, &#8220;that&#8217;s just an excuse.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Show you later if you can&#8217;t study it out for yourself,&#8221; remarked Jim
+nonchalantly.</p>
+
+<p>Juarez now had the cannon loaded and ready to fire. The <i>Sea Eagle</i>
+was moving obliquely away from the storm-center and it was a very
+difficult shot, but still a possible one on account of the size of the
+target. The old captain took much interest in the skill of his prot&eacute;g&eacute;
+Jim, whom he considered worthy to be enrolled in the straight-shooting
+American navy. He stood with his sturdy figure well braced and the
+glass in hand ready to mark a successful shot.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t you think you have got that weepin&#8217; raised a leetle too high?&#8221;
+he inquired anxiously of Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m aiming a little over, sir,&#8221; replied Jim, &#8220;because <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span>I think the
+shell will fall a little in that distance.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I guess you know your business better than I do, Skipper,&#8221; replied
+the captain. &#8220;I was no shot &#8217;cept with a blunderbuss that would
+scatter.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Make a bull&#8217;s-eye, Jim,&#8221; urged Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You mean a whale&#8217;s eye,&#8221; put in Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Humph!&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;don&#8217;t talk that way; you will make me miss.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You mean&mdash;&mdash;&#8221; Jo got no further, for Jim held up a cautionary hand.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Ready now,&#8221; he cried.</p>
+
+<p>The captain clapped the spy-glass to his eye, there was a roar and the
+quarter deck shook under their feet, then the captain shook the glass
+above his head.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Yer struck into the shark gang, Skipper,&#8221; he cried, &#8220;I said you would
+be a recruit for John Paul Jones.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Let me have a chance,&#8221; said Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;All right,&#8221; agreed Jim, &#8220;I don&#8217;t want to be a hog.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>So Jo took his turn. With due deliberation he aimed the shining little
+cannon aft toward the distant fray. Then he fired, but the shot sent
+up a spurt from a wave some distance short.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;We are getting too far away,&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;to get in an accurate shot.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Say, Jim,&#8221; put in Tom, &#8220;you haven&#8217;t told me why things seem closer on
+the ocean than they do on land.&#8221; If pertinacity meant success in life,
+Tom Darlington would no doubt reach the top of the ladder. Jim was
+somewhat surprised, and he did not want to admit ignorance, so he
+sparred for time.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Now, Thomas,&#8221; said James, &#8220;I am not paid to do your thinking for you,
+but if you will sit down and think for ten minutes and if at the end
+of that time you have not reached a logical conclusion, I will explain
+the matter to you.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Ho! Professor!&#8221; railed Tom, pulling out his silver timepiece, which
+was so heavy that it would be a dangerous weapon if thrown, &#8220;if you
+ain&#8217;t ready with your explanation you will lose your place.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Jim took this warning with perfect nonchalance, but his mind was very
+active just the same trying to solve this problem, because Tom would
+never let up on him if he found out that he was bluffing. But why was
+an object nearer, anyway, in appearance on the ocean than on land?
+Why? Perhaps it was the difference in atmosphere. No, for in <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span>high
+altitudes things appeared closer on account of the clarity of the air
+than they did at sea level.</p>
+
+<p>Six minutes passed, still no answer had come to Jim, yet he was
+perfectly calm and contained as though he were the perfection of
+wisdom. He folded his arms across his chest and regarded Tom serenely
+as he sat on the opposite side of the deck on a coil of rope,
+regarding his big brother skeptically. Eight minutes had passed, and
+Tom, taking out his watch, recorded the fact with quiet triumph.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Eight minutes and a quarter,&#8221; he declared, &#8220;and no land in sight
+yet.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Eight and a half,&#8221; he tolled, &#8220;nine!&#8221; Jim was apparently entirely
+composed, but his mind had not yet reached a complete explanation. It
+was, however, on the right track, but the time was short.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Ten,&#8221; cried Tom. &#8220;Speak up, Professor.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s your place first,&#8221; he replied.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Give it up.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Now listen carefully,&#8221; began Jim in a magisterial manner, &#8220;and if
+there is anything you don&#8217;t quite understand, raise your hand.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Humph!&#8221; grunted Tom, &#8220;I guess that I can understand anything you can
+tell me.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well, children, it&#8217;s this way,&#8221; continued Jim. &#8220;When you are upon the
+land and you look at <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span>something in the distance your eyesight is
+stretched from point to point by intervening objects, while on the
+ocean your vision instead of being stretched out collapses as it were
+because there is a monotonous level between your eye and the object.
+Now I hope you will remember what I have just told you, children.
+School is dismissed.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Jo seemed to be unduly impressed with the idea that he was a schoolboy
+again, so he grabbed Tom&#8217;s hat and made as if he was going to throw it
+overboard. Tom made a grab for Jo and missed, then there was a great
+chase around the main deck. Jo was very fleet of foot and gained on
+his pursuer, until Tom saw that he must resort to stratagem; so no
+sooner had Jo disappeared around the corner of the quarter deck than
+Tom doubled back on his own trail, to the cook&#8217;s galley, that had a
+door opening on either side, so that one could step into either
+passageway.</p>
+
+<p>Tom leaped into the galley, and was quick to the other door, that he
+opened a wee bit; he saw that Jo had just swerved into the passageway
+and down he came full tilt toward where Tom lay in ambush, swinging
+the latter&#8217;s captured hat in his hand. Tom watched him eagerly, then
+he sprang out from his hiding place directly in front of the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span>flying
+Jo, who was utterly surprised, but he was under such headway that he
+could not stop.</p>
+
+<p>Tom met him squarely and down they went in a heap, the lurch of the
+ship sending Jo&#8217;s head heavily against an iron stanchion. His body
+gave a jerk and quiver, then he stretched out unconscious. We all know
+that skylarking of that kind sometimes produces the worst accidents.
+Naturally Tom was terribly frightened, for he thought Jo was killed,
+and he did look it, stretched out, with his eyes closed.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Jim!&#8221; cried Tom, &#8220;Jim! come here quick.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>There was something in Tom&#8217;s voice that made Jim appear in a hurry.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Get the brandy,&#8221; he said. Tom lost no time in getting the bottle out
+of a locker in the main cabin. When he returned he found Juarez and
+Jeems standing near looking very sober, while the old captain and Jim
+worked over him.</p>
+
+<p>The Frontier Boys had gone through many dangers unscathed, and it
+seemed terrible that Jo should be so badly hurt in a moment of play.
+In fifteen minutes&#8217; time, however, Jo was partially himself, but he
+could not walk and had to be helped to his cabin, and that night he
+had a high fever, but next day he was quite himself, due mainly to a
+rugged constitution.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span></p><p>A few days later the weather began to change. The sea became rough and
+boisterous, with head winds and decidedly colder, but the boys did not
+complain, in fact they rather liked it, as they were strong and hardy
+and enjoyed battling with the elements.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s the sweaters for us now,&#8221; said Jo, coming out on deck, to find
+the nasty gray sea swept by rain squalls, and the deck sodden and the
+sky sullen.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I like it,&#8221; declared Juarez, &#8220;the tropics are all right for a few
+weeks, but I couldn&#8217;t stand it for long.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s because you lads are stormy petrels,&#8221; remarked Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;If by that poetic symbol you mean that we are always in trouble,&#8221;
+replied Jim, &#8220;you certainly have struck it.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Then the boys went below to get their respective sweaters, the colors
+being chosen according to their individual taste. Tom&#8217;s was black,
+which is no insinuation against his character; Jim&#8217;s was blue; Juarez
+the same color and Jo&#8217;s red. As for hats, they still wore their
+weather-beaten sombreros. They were just the hats for this kind of
+weather.</p>
+
+<p>The evening came on dark and blustery and with a steady beating rain
+from the northwest. All <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span>about, the seas were humping through the
+darkness. But the <i>Sea Eagle</i> was a staunch boat, well built, and well
+ballasted, and though she shipped a few seas and the spray flew high
+over her bridge, she did not roll or plunge unduly.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Sort of a nasty night, Jim,&#8221; remarked Jo, as their dark forms emerged
+on deck from the companionway.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s dark and threatening,&#8221; replied Jim, &#8220;and looks fierce, but for
+real high rolling give me that first night in the channel between Maui
+and Hawaii.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Jo made some remark, but a sudden gust of wind took it out of his
+mouth and anyone to leeward would have got the benefit of it. The only
+light forward was a glow that came from the engine-room. Jim and Jo
+stepped inside out of the storm and found Juarez there as usual, and
+Tom was seated on a step. He was watching the two men moving around
+the shining engine, which worked smoothly and unceasingly, and its
+condition showed how carefully it was tended.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Gosh! but it is good to get inside here out of the storm,&#8221; exclaimed
+Jim. The engineer nodded pleasantly, as he was a man of few words.</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX</h2>
+
+<h3>THE ENGINEER</h3>
+
+<p>The engineer of the <i>Sea Eagle</i> has not received much attention,
+either in this book or in the one just preceding, but this is not
+because he, John Berwick, was not worthy of consideration, but because
+he was apparently a very quiet man, whose conversation was generally
+confined to monosyllables; likewise his work kept him out of the
+limelight, as it were.</p>
+
+<p>But word had come via Juarez, who of all the crew was the only one
+whom the engineer admitted into his confidence to any degree, that
+John Berwick had really a most interesting career. This was true to a
+far greater extent than the boys knew. A sailor like old Pete or a
+mariner like Captain Kerns would see the shores of many countries and
+land in numerous ports, but learn nothing of the real people, or the
+nature of the countries.</p>
+
+<p>But with the engineer it had been an entirely different proposition.
+He came of a good family and had received an excellent education, but
+from his youth he had been wild and adventurous, and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span>was always
+traveling, by different ways and in varying occupations, going into
+the interiors of little-known countries and becoming acquainted with
+the nature and character of their inhabitants.</p>
+
+<p>As he is a man well worth knowing, I will describe his appearance for
+the benefit of the reader. As to age, John Berwick might be anywhere
+from thirty-five to forty years. In height, five feet nine, with
+rather square shoulders, and neither light nor heavy in build, but
+with a frame that indicated quickness and great powers of endurance.</p>
+
+<p>He was evidently one of those men who have a certain care to their
+physical condition, without overdoing it and making physical prowess a
+hobby. He had found out the value of health, and condition. In his
+travels in remote lands, if he had gotten sick, there would be no one
+to bother with him, and he would be left to die, so he reasoned that
+it was better to be a live man than something more wretched than a
+sick dog.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I used to smoke like a chimney, Ezac,&#8221; he once said to Juarez. He
+never called the latter by his full name, it being either &#8220;War&#8221; or
+&#8220;Ezac,&#8221; according to his mood, &#8220;but I quit about five years ago. I
+didn&#8217;t make any resolution about it either and would smoke now if I
+wished to.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;I suppose you felt miserable for a while after you quit?&#8221; said
+Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;No, strange to say, I didn&#8217;t. In fact, I began to feel fine and fit
+in a week or two and I found that I could meet any crisis that came up
+on the level, and did not have to make an effort of the will to step
+up to it and brace myself to it as I used to. But I&#8217;m not preaching.
+Smoke if you want to, Ezac.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t want to,&#8221; replied Juarez, &#8220;and what&#8217;s the use of taking up
+with something you don&#8217;t care for? Just so much extra baggage.&#8221;
+Berwick smiled at this, showing his fine white teeth.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well, now, &#8216;War,&#8217; that&#8217;s unusual sense for a kid, I must say. The
+fact that you don&#8217;t want a thing for a boy of your years is no
+argument. It may be smoking or chewing or something else that will
+make &#8217;em devilish sick, but a kid will do it just for a show and to
+make an impression on his friends what a terrible character he is.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;None of us are like that,&#8221; said Juarez. &#8220;Perhaps it is because we
+have seen plenty of real life on the frontier and have had plenty of
+excitement and adventure without resorting to foolishness.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Something in that, Ezac,&#8221; nodded Berwick.</p>
+
+<p>This will serve as an introduction to this interesting <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span>man, before we
+listen, with the Frontier Boys, to the story that he has to tell. I
+may add here that John Berwick had dark hair, thinning in front and
+brushed straight with the forehead, dark hazel eyes, generally
+pleasant in expression, but capable of becoming harsh and hard with
+anger. He wore a rather slight dark moustache above a mouth
+thin-lipped and wide. The chin was square, and the whole complexion of
+the face rather dark.</p>
+
+<p>The boys had never gathered before in the engine-room in a body, and
+as Jeems Howell&#8217;s tall figure loomed in the doorway the gathering was
+complete. It was because the boys had never imposed on him that the
+engineer was inclined to be gracious, on this occasion. Then, too,
+there was something about the warm interior of the engine-room,
+contrasted with the storm outside, that lent itself to good
+comradeship and anecdote.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I suppose that you boys have never traveled a great deal, except in
+the West, have you?&#8221; questioned John Berwick.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s right, Mr. Berwick,&#8221; said Jim; &#8220;we expect to visit a few other
+countries, though, before long, if we find this &#8216;Lost Mine&#8217; we are
+looking for. You know you can&#8217;t travel without money.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Not in your own yacht,&#8221; replied Berwick.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;I generally walked, or,&#8221; seeing a gleam of humor in Jim&#8217;s eye, &#8220;or
+worked my passage.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We will stick to our yacht,&#8221; remarked Jim, &#8220;seeing that we have it on
+our hands.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Quite right, too,&#8221; replied the engineer.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You must have had some rather unusual experiences in your travels,&#8221;
+prompted Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Juarez says that you have been pretty much all over the world.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s so,&#8221; replied the engineer, &#8220;but I do not know as I have
+learned enough to pay me for the exertion.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Tell the boys about that time you traveled in Russia,&#8221; said Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Which time?&#8221; questioned Berwick.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t you know?&#8221; asked Juarez, slightly confused, &#8220;when you were
+riding in the railroad carriage?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;And got rather hungry?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Sure, that&#8217;s it,&#8221; said Juarez, smiling.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s only an anecdote,&#8221; replied the engineer. &#8220;But I will tell it
+if you think it will interest.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Being assured on this point, he began:</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I suppose you boys know what it is to be hungry?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I have got a pretty good idea of it after eating <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span>one of Tom&#8217;s
+dinners,&#8221; remarked Jim. &#8220;You see he don&#8217;t believe in having anything
+left over. Thinks it&#8217;s wasteful, so he just cooks dabs of things as
+though we had no more appetites than a group of maiden ladies who were
+taking afternoon tea.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>There was a general laugh at this, the exaggeration being so manifest
+that even Tom joined in, still there was some truth in Jim&#8217;s jocose
+remarks, for Tom did have a &#8220;close&#8221; side to him, which showed even in
+cooking. It was always evident that Thomas Darlington would become the
+financier among the Frontier Boys. After the laughter had died down
+the engineer took up the Russian incident again.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I venture to say that my hunger on the occasion I am about to speak
+of was somewhat more real than yours, Skipper. I was traveling
+first-class from St. Petersburg and heading for the German frontier.
+Very foolishly I did not provide myself with a hamper of provisions,
+supposing that I would be able to get food along the way. I never made
+that particular mistake again.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I had plenty of money in those days, and was traveling, as I say,
+first-class. When I got in my compartment at St. Petersburg I supposed
+at first <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span>that I was going to have it all to myself, and I was very
+well pleased because I could take things easy and sleep undisturbed
+through the most of what promised to be a very dreary trip.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It was then about eight o&#8217;clock in the morning, and snowing
+furiously, and I could scarcely see the outlines of the handsome
+station through the storm of snow. But it was very comfortable in my
+compartment, which I was pleased to note was of unusual elegance. So I
+did not mind the delay at first.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I noticed that the cushions of the seats were of a deep softness and
+of a rich crimson velvet. There were likewise hangings over the
+windows, with heavy golden tassels on the same. Then I observed a
+crest stamped on the embossed leather upon the inside of the door, and
+it was also repeated in gold upon the back of the seats.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I must admit that this seemed a good deal of style, but I did not
+consider it any too much for a representative American citizen
+traveling abroad. I was a fool in those days, but made up in audacity
+what I lacked in wit. After a half hour had passed beyond the schedule
+time set for the train&#8217;s starting, I began to get uneasy and was just
+about to get out of the compartment to help move things <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span>along, when I
+saw a gorgeous sleigh drive up in front of the station.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There was a splendid ermine robe thrown over the back, and two plumes
+in front. The horses were fine animals too, driven three abreast after
+the Russian fashion; over the one in the center was a single arch on
+which jingled the merry bells. The middle horse was a great black, and
+his comrades on either side were gray, the very symbols of the snowy
+landscape.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;From the furs of the sleigh emerged a gigantic Russian,
+blonde-bearded, and under his fur overcoat was some sort of a military
+uniform. I watched him with interest as he came toward the train,
+accompanied by the station-master, and met by the salutes of the
+soldiers, who are everywhere in Russia.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;He came straight towards the carriage where I was seated in lonely
+pomp, and I had just time to seat myself in the opposite corner of the
+compartment when the door was thrown open, and&mdash;enter his royal
+nibs&mdash;the Archduke Alexandewitch or something or other. At least this
+was high nobility of some kind. His bearded face was very red, and his
+system had evidently been warmed by something besides exercise.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;His eyes were blurred, and, coming from the light into the
+semi-darkness of the carriage, he did not see me. A guard deposited a
+hamper within, and he and the station-master bowed profoundly to me
+likewise, evidently taking me for some exalted personage, possibly the
+Czar, who, however, was a giant of a man while I was only medium in
+height. So it must have been someone else.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You certainly were a cool hand,&#8221; remarked Jim admiringly. &#8220;I never
+could have done that.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Nor I, either,&#8221; was the chorus of the other boys.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Just my bloomin&#8217; cheek, as an English pal of mine used to say,&#8221; the
+engineer continued, &#8220;and nothing that I&#8217;m very proud of now, but it
+was the only thing that would have pulled me through that fix. No
+sooner was his Nibs seated in the train than it started.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It made me rather tired to think that we had been delayed for that
+big pig of a Russian, though I suppose in the United States a train
+would have been held for some big-bellied politician with a pull, so
+that I need not have felt so aggrieved at this happening in darkest
+Russia. But I looked at the big Russian in disgust nevertheless. Then
+he saw <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span>me sitting quietly near the window opposite. One moment he was
+a picture of amazement, and then he let a roar out of him that shook
+things.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I did not naturally understand what the Russian was saying, so I just
+had to let him roar, and made a few gestures for myself. I feared at
+first that he would have a fit of apoplexy, as he grew redder in the
+face than ever, but having expressed himself to his full satisfaction,
+with a final threat he sat down. I supposed that I should be shot or
+sent into exile at the first stop.&#8221;</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X"></a>CHAPTER X</h2>
+
+<h3>THE RUSSIAN</h3>
+
+<p>&#8220;The first thing his Royal Highness did was to open the neat-looking
+wicker hamper and take out a cut-glass bottle encased in silver, the
+contents of which he poured into a dainty-looking glass. He took a
+number of drinks, but without asking me to join, which I thought was
+very impolite of him. Then he settled himself for a nap, first drawing
+out a huge pistol which he placed near him on the cushions.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It was, of course, a silly thing for him to do, but then the man was,
+I thought, more than half drunk. When he first drew, I was afraid that
+he was going to blow me to pieces then and there, and I was ready for
+him. But when he laid it down and dropped off into a heavy sleep, I
+could have laughed.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I would have taken a nap myself, but his stentorian snores made it
+impossible. There was nothing to see outside but a dreary scene
+through the snow that was coming down in fine, white driving
+particles. At times there would be distant <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span>forests of rather stunted
+pines, but for the most part, only the desolate stretch of plains.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Once in a while we would come to a stop at a small station, but only
+for a short time, and then the train with its long line of
+flat-looking coaches, would rumble out over the barren plain.
+By-and-by I began to feel very hungry and I realized that there was
+going to be no stop for meals, as the other passengers, more familiar
+with the custom of the country, had no doubt provided themselves with
+hampers of provisions.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I looked at the Grand Duke or whatever it might be, and he was
+sleeping as only a big man who is quite intoxicated can sleep. Then my
+eye wandered to the hamper. Instantly my hunger hardened into
+resolution. I was not going to starve with that within my reach. I
+stooped down and picked it up, then opened it on my knee.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I had never seen anything more dainty, and more elegant, than was the
+arrangement of that basket. As for the contents, well, I can only
+recall, I cannot describe. For warming tea there was an arrangement of
+silver and ebony in one compartment. Likewise a roasted fowl in a
+delicious sauce, and stuffed with chestnuts. Also bread and caviar,
+the latter a Russian delicacy of fish-roe or eggs.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t like that,&#8221; cut in Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;How do you know?&#8221; reproved Joe, &#8220;you never tried it.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Fish eggs!&#8221; exclaimed Tom with a grimace.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You would have turned up your nose at birds&#8217; nests too,&#8221; said Jim,
+&#8220;until the Captain told us how fine they were, and not at all like we
+supposed.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Yes,&#8221; nodded the engineer, &#8220;birds&#8217; nests are all right, I&#8217;ve eaten
+them in China. They are gathered before the birds ever nest in them.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;But go on with your story, I&#8217;m anxious to see how you made out. It
+was certainly an interesting experience,&#8221; urged Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I should say so,&#8221; chorused the boys.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m glad you like it,&#8221; remarked the engineer, &#8220;and it was an
+entertaining situation, especially the lunch part of it. Where was I?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Caviar,&#8221; suggested Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Oh, yes. Well, on the bill of fare were different cakes, jellies and
+jams, all beautifully put up. As to the liquors, there were half a
+dozen different bottles, as I have said of cut glass, in filigree
+silver holders, with his Nib&#8217;s crests on the tops, engraved in silver.
+It was all beautiful to look upon. One liquor green, oh, such a lovely
+green, as a French poet says the color of a mermaid&#8217;s eyes. Another
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span>purple, another the color of honey. But I had sense enough left not
+to take any of them, else I would have had no senses left, which would
+have been bad under the circumstances, for I might have wakened up to
+find myself at the sudden end of a rope, or sitting out on the lonely
+plains with some bruises and no friends.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;So I contented myself with several nice cups of tea, with a bit of
+lemon in them, and the rest of the bill of fare. That roasted fowl was
+remarkably good, and as for the sauce&mdash;&mdash;! I was on the point of
+asking his Royal Highness for the recipe, but he was sleeping so
+soundly that I felt that it was a pity to disturb him. Just then I
+noticed that the pistol near his hand was about to fall to the floor
+with the jolting of the car, so I put the hamper reluctantly aside and
+caught the pistol.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I stood with it in my hand regarding it with interest. A clumsy
+weapon indeed, though of beautiful workmanship. I hesitated, holding
+the weapon carefully.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Did you think of shooting him?&#8221; inquired Tom tremulously.</p>
+
+<p>John Berwick smiled and shook his head. &#8220;No, not that. I was not a
+nihilist. You see I had plenty to eat, why should I be? Nevertheless,
+I came to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span>a quick decision. I went to the window opposite, and opened
+it very carefully, no wider than I had to, and launched it safely out
+into a snowdrift. Then I closed the window quickly, but stood
+perfectly still, for I was aware that the giant back of me was
+stirring, a draught of the fresh air had awakened him. It appeared
+that my sin had found me out.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Standing perfectly quiet, I turned my head slowly and saw that the
+Russian had merely changed his position, and had gone off into another
+slumber. So I leisurely finished my lunch, enjoying the preserves and
+other dainties hugely. After this part of the performance was
+completed, I put everything back into the hamper with the utmost
+neatness. To tell the honest truth, there was not a great deal left to
+repack, a part of the chicken, and some bread and caviar, which to the
+appetite of a Russian would be no more than a lamb chop to a hungry
+tiger.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Gosh!&#8221; exclaimed Jim again, &#8220;but you surely had your nerve with you.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Yes,&#8221; acquiesced the engineer, &#8220;and a full stomach, which is a good
+thing to have along with your nerve. I have noticed that some times
+the two go well together. However, the liquor was <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span>untouched, and I
+hoped that he would take some more and thus again become oblivious to
+everything else. One thing reassured me, and that was, that I had got
+rid of his revolver or rather pistol. I was not afraid of his shooting
+me, but had been afraid of his braining me with the butt end of it.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It had now grown very dusk in the carriage, and outside the storm was
+sweeping over the vast plain in white swirls, and still the train
+lumbered westward. I decided to save the guard the trouble of lighting
+up, so I attended to that myself, and pulled the dark hood over the
+thick glass that was set in the center of the top of the compartment,
+so that his royal Nibs could have his siesta undisturbed.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Then I sat myself down in the corner of the carriage, and pulled out
+my cigarette case, selected one and lighted it.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;&#8216;I trust your Highness will not mind the smoke?&#8217; I remarked in a low
+tone, as I gave a delicate puff into the air, but I guess that his
+Royal Highness did, for in a few moments he stirred ponderously, and
+finally sat up. Then a look of utter amazement came into his face when
+he saw me seated there in the corner with a cigarette in my <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span>fingers.
+His little puffed eyes opened as wide as they could.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;&#8216;Poof!&#8217; blew out through his bewhiskered mouth, expressing utmost
+disdain and indignation. Then he totally ignored my presence, and
+picking up the hamper, he set it before him. The crucial moment had
+come, and I must confess that I felt a few creeps of apprehension go
+over me. As for his Royal Highness, his whole attitude was of great
+hunger about to be satisfied.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It showed in his popped eyes and the workings of his large,
+full-lipped mouth. Then he flung back the top of the hamper and leaned
+forward eagerly. If his first amazement was utter this was too utter.
+He sat bolt upright for a second, then he dived at the basket again.
+He poked around in it. He shook it vigorously, but no provisions
+miraculously appeared. It was appalling, beyond belief. He took out a
+small mirror and regarded himself very carefully, and then solemnly he
+nodded. It was none other than himself, his Royal Highness Michael
+Palanovitch, and this before him was his Honorable Hamper, but like
+old Mother Hubbard&#8217;s cupboard, it was entirely bare. It was too much
+for my sense of humor and from my corner there came a suppressed
+snort.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Instantly his Royal Highness grasped the situation and I thought that
+he was going to grasp me at the same time. I never saw such rage and I
+immediately became very sober and entirely innocent. He stormed, he
+raved, I am afraid he swore, though I could not understand all he
+said. It was a roar of sound and a frazzle of language. He tore at his
+hair and raged like a caged lion.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I saw visions of the knout and exile in Siberia. I protested my
+innocence, and my profound sorrow at the sad state of his larder. I
+used both language and pantomime. &#8216;I am an American, Monsieur,&#8217; I
+cried, &#8216;I cannot eat anything cooked in Russia, it does not agree with
+me.&#8217; I protested with such vehemence and with such utter innocence
+that his Highness finally quieted down, partly from sheer exhaustion,
+possibly from lack of food.&#8221; There was a twinkle in the speaker&#8217;s eye,
+and the boys roared. &#8220;When he had become quiet, I, with a low bow,
+went to the hamper and produced the piece of chicken that was left and
+presented it to him with much humility.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;His amazement knew no bounds at this performance of mine, and his
+face showed it. Then his mood suddenly changed, and he burst into
+homeric laughter. It was so extraordinary, that <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span>it struck him as
+humorous. Part of the joke being that I was a foreigner, especially an
+American, of whom anything might be expected. On the basis of this
+incident he immediately accepted me into a jovial comradeship.
+Whenever it struck him he would burst into a roar of laughter. So,
+behold me, when the train finally did stop at a brilliantly lighted
+station, wherein was a really palatial dining-room, walking arm in arm
+with his Royal Highness, Archduke Michael, and receiving the salutes
+of the soldiery and the plaudits of admiring citizens.&#8221;</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI"></a>CHAPTER XI</h2>
+
+<h3>A CONSPIRACY</h3>
+
+<p>There was a moment&#8217;s silence when the engineer had finished his
+unusual and most entertaining narrative. It seemed to them so vivid
+had been his story, that instead of being on a ship in the mid-Pacific
+in the midst of a blustery rainstorm that they were in far-off Russia,
+and as the tale ended they could see a picture before their eyes.</p>
+
+<p>There was the long train, covered and crusted with snow, standing
+alongside the station. In the light of large lamps shining brilliantly
+upon the snow, was the gigantic Russian in his fur coat, arm-in-arm
+with the slight, dark American. Their steps were directed towards the
+long dining-room that shone in singular attraction out of the storm
+and cold. The many round tables set with glowing whiteness and with
+gleam of silver. The high-backed chairs of some black wood. At one end
+of the long dining-room a tea urn of huge proportions shining like
+silver. So the boys sat for some minutes in complete silence, under
+the spell of the story; then Tom spoke up:</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;I should have thought, Mr. Berwick, that you would have been fired
+out of the carriage at St. Petersburg when his Nibs arrived.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It was curious,&#8221; admitted the engineer. &#8220;I have never quite
+understood it.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I reckon it was your audacity that helped you out,&#8221; said Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Or, rather helped you in,&#8221; remarked the incorrigible Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I have thought of that, as an explanation,&#8221; said Berwick.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Or, you may have resembled some High Duke or other,&#8221; suggested Jim,
+&#8220;and that let you through.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m greatly flattered,&#8221; said Berwick with a slight smile. &#8220;That may
+have been the solution, but I have partially figured that my success
+was due to the odd character of my Russian friend. I discovered later
+that he was a Grand Duke, well known in a social rather than a
+political way and famous for his eccentricities. He spent much of his
+time in Paris and favored foreigners rather than his own countrymen,
+so I was probably taken for one of his French cronies. I saw him some
+years later in Paris, but I did not try to revive the
+acquaintanceship, but then I was not hungry.&#8221; Jo <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span>was about to open
+his mouth to make a pun when Jim interfered.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t you dare to say anything about being hampered or unhampered,&#8221;
+he warned. The engineer laughed heartily. He liked the boys for their
+boyish qualities, which were very refreshing to him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;How did you ever get down to this work?&#8221; asked Tom bluntly, &#8220;after
+you had been hobnobbing with Dukes and living in Paris?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I do not believe you boys will understand me,&#8221; he replied musingly,
+&#8220;it would not be in the nature of things that you should. I did not
+come down to this work, but up to it. After traveling for a great many
+years over the world, I got to living a very idle and useless life on
+the continent. But it palled on me after a while. I was in good
+health, and had money, but I was tired of myself, thoroughly and
+entirely bored. By the way, I might illustrate this unpleasant
+condition of things by a high and mighty example. Did you ever hear of
+Charles IX. of France?&#8221; This was a question the boys were anxious to
+answer, just to show that they knew something besides roughing it, and
+to prove their intelligence to the engineer, who in a quiet way always
+put them on their mettle, but to tell the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span>truth they were rather
+rusty on all branches of learning, but Jo and Tom were both fond of
+history and had read a good deal of it at odd times. Tom was the first
+to jump into the ring of knowledge, with the four-ounce gloves of
+information, but ignorance ducked his first wild swing and was thus
+saved a knockout.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Oh, yes,&#8221; he replied glibly, &#8220;Charles IX. was the son of Henry of
+Navarre.&#8221; The engineer shook his head slightly.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You are away off, Tom,&#8221; declared Jo. &#8220;His mother was Catherine de
+M&eacute;dici and Henri III. was his brother. Maybe he was the nephew or
+cousin of Henry of Navarre. I wish I had a history here and I would
+look it up.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Partly right and partly wrong, Jo,&#8221; said Berwick. &#8220;Catherine de
+M&eacute;dici was the mother of Charles IX., whose sister, Margaret of
+Navarre, married Henry of Navarre. But this is the point I want to
+make. Charles IX. finally got so tired of the pomps and ceremonies of
+the court after a while that he had a forge fixed up in his palace and
+there he used to make and hammer out horseshoes. That,&#8221; he concluded
+with a smile, &#8220;is why I took up my work. I was tired of useless
+idleness. There is a constant live interest in this business of
+running <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span>an engine that I like. Now I must get at it, and good-night
+to you.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Good-night, Mr. Berwick,&#8221; replied the boys, and made their way out of
+the engine-room on to the storm-swept deck, all except Juarez, who
+stayed to work with the engineer.</p>
+
+<p>The boys separated to their respective duties. Jeems took the boy&#8217;s
+task of stoking, Jim was at the wheel, sending Pete below to the
+forecastle to take a good sleep. Tom and Jo were detailed to go to
+their respective cabins and turn in for the night, as the old captain
+had rather perversely taken it into his head to stand watch on the
+bridge, though Jim had tried to dissuade him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It won&#8217;t do your rheumatism any good, Captain,&#8221; warned Jim. &#8220;It&#8217;s
+mighty wet and cold on the bridge and the wind is rushing fierce.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Trying to make me out an old man,&#8221; growled the captain, much
+aggrieved. &#8220;I guess I can stand as much as any of you boys. I&#8217;ve
+weathered many a storm in my day.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You are tough as a knot yet, Captain,&#8221; said Jim soothingly.</p>
+
+<p>So it happened that the captain in his heavy storm coat stood on the
+bridge, while the rain swished and swirled over the tossing seas, and
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span>swept the decks, so that it was much pleasanter in the cabin than
+abroad, but Jim enjoyed nothing more in sailoring than to be at the
+wheel a night like this, guiding his craft plunging through the heavy
+waves in the darkness. There was a fascination about it, the obedience
+of the ship to the helm, the following of the mysterious guidance of
+the needle, the standing fixed against the rush of wind and rain, the
+familiar feeling of the spokes of the wheel, like grasping the bridle
+reins when riding a spirited horse, all this went to make up Jim&#8217;s
+liking for this work.</p>
+
+<p>Now being anxious for the welfare of Tom and Jo, let us see if they
+are safely tucked away in their little cribs. We find that they are
+not, so mischief must be afoot, and it is. It seems that neither Jo
+nor Tom were in any mood to go to sleep, and their minds were busy
+with the story that the engineer had told them. They felt a desire to
+emulate him. So they lay awake and thought what they might do to make
+life interesting on the ocean wave.</p>
+
+<p>Tom thought of surprising the captain and Jim by making weird sounds
+back of the cabin on the quarter deck and robing himself in a white
+sheet at the same time. A most excellent plan indeed, both worthies
+being such timid characters. But <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span>Tom gave up the idea of this
+surprise for fear the tables might be turned on him and then he would
+get a taste of the rope&#8217;s end for fair, so he had another thought
+coming.</p>
+
+<p>The idea that came to Jo in the silent night watches was to give Jeems
+a benefit while he was busy stoking, but there was one difficulty here
+that it was almost impossible to get down into the hold without being
+discovered, so that plan had to be given up. Then an inspiration came
+to Tom.</p>
+
+<p>He got hastily up, and went to Jo&#8217;s cabin, which was just forward of
+his on the main deck. You see there were three cabins on a side; each
+of the boys had one and the engineer the sixth. Tom did not stop to
+knock, and slid Jo&#8217;s cabin door noiselessly back, but the wakeful Jo
+heard him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Who&#8217;s there?&#8221; he demanded in a gruff voice.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t shoot. It&#8217;s me, Tom,&#8221; replied a low voice.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well, Mr. Tom, what are you doing up so early in the morning?&#8221;
+inquired Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve got a scheme,&#8221; said Tom in the low voice of a conspirator.
+&#8220;Let&#8217;s surprise old Pete and the boy in the forecastle.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s dark as a cave down there,&#8221; said Jo. &#8220;They will be sure to hear
+us.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;We will wear our moccasins,&#8221; replied Tom, &#8220;and there isn&#8217;t any
+bric-a-brac to knock over.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I tell you what!&#8221; cried Jo, exhilarated by a sudden and brilliant
+idea. &#8220;Let&#8217;s rub matches on our faces, when we go down.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Same as Jim did when we were in the Hollow Mountain, and he surprised
+those Hawaiian Priests!&#8221; exclaimed Tom. &#8220;Gee! but you have got a good
+head on you, Jo. That&#8217;s what we will do.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Here&#8217;s plenty of matches,&#8221; said Jo. &#8220;We must be careful and not let
+them get too damp. Another thing, we will have to look out and not let
+the Captain see us, or Jim, either, or there will be something
+brewing.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What do you suppose the old gentleman would do to us if he saw us
+snooping along?&#8221; inquired Tom apprehensively, for he stood in much awe
+of the captain.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You had better stay in your little crib if you are so alarmed,&#8221;
+remarked Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m ready when you are,&#8221; said Tom gruffly.</p>
+
+<p>Then they started moving silently along the deck, though the fierce
+wind that swept the ship gave them an excellent protection. Still they
+proceeded very cautiously, keeping close to the galley and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span>the wall
+of the engine-room. Just then the shepherd&#8217;s dog jumped up from the
+shelter where he was waiting for his master to come up from below.</p>
+
+<p>He barked furiously at first when he saw the two shadowy forms coming
+towards him, then Jo spoke to him in a low voice, and the dog,
+recognizing him, lay down in his dry shelter again. But the captain
+was on the alert. He came to that side of the quarter deck and looked
+over.</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII"></a>CHAPTER XII</h2>
+
+<h3>THE GREEN GHOSTS</h3>
+
+<p>&#8220;I wonder what made that pup break loose like that?&#8221; he remarked.
+&#8220;Must have seen something unusual.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>He waited for a short time looking down to the deck below, and the
+boys, Tom and Jo, directly beneath him, hugged as close to the wall as
+they could. Then the <i>Sea Eagle</i> gave a heavy lurch, and Tom lost his
+grip, and much terrified, rolled to the bulwarks, in a dark bundle,
+but fortunately the captain had made up his mind that it was a false
+alarm and had gone back to the bridge.</p>
+
+<p>Tom lay in the scuppers not daring to move, and imagining that the
+captain&#8217;s baleful eye was glaring down on him from the quarter deck.
+As Jo would have said if he had dared open his mouth, there would not
+have been any quarter in spite of the deck, but he was muzzled by
+circumstances. Another heavy roll heaved the frightened Tom back
+against Jo, who had a purchase on an iron ring. Jo grabbed him and
+held on.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Stay anchored, you idiot,&#8221; said Jo in a hoarse <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span>whisper. &#8220;You will
+give us away if you aren&#8217;t careful.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Can&#8217;t help it,&#8221; growled Tom. &#8220;The old ship rolls so.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Now is our chance, come,&#8221; whispered Jo.</p>
+
+<p>The next dash brought them to a temporary safe anchorage directly
+underneath the bridge. So far the practical jokers had rather had it
+put on them, for they had been badly scared and an occasional wave
+that came over the bow of the <i>Sea Eagle</i> threatened the two gallant
+Frontier Boys with a severe ducking.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Skylarking is all right,&#8221; whispered Jo to his comrade in mischief,
+&#8220;but this sealarking is different.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;If you were going to be hung you would try to pun,&#8221; growled Tom.</p>
+
+<p>By stealthy observation they found that there was no chance for them
+to reach the hood of the forecastle on the forward deck without being
+seen by the keen-eyed captain.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Think up some scheme, Jo,&#8221; urged Tom, &#8220;to distract the old boy&#8217;s
+attention or he will spot us sure.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Jo thought a minute, then he discovered what he imagined would be a
+fine scheme.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;You stay here, Tom,&#8221; he whispered, and sped back towards the cabin.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;He need not have told me that,&#8221; grumbled Tom. &#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t be apt to
+stay anywhere else.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile, Jo had reached his cabin, and he hastily pushed the sliding
+door open and went in. He was not long in getting what he was after.
+It was a ship&#8217;s bell, with a history to it, that he had picked up in
+Hawaii&mdash;the bell, not the history. Holding the clapper tight so that
+it would not betray him, Jo made his way quickly to the ladder-like
+stairs leading to the quarter deck and tied it underneath, in such a
+way that it was sure to ring.</p>
+
+<p>This promised to be a double-barreled joke, and they would be lucky if
+the recoil did not kick them over. When it was properly fastened Jo
+let go of it and sped back to Tom. Scarcely had he reached his fellow
+conspirator than there came the clear metallic ring of a ship&#8217;s bell.
+Weird and uncanny it sounded through the stormy darkness of the night.
+The old captain could scarcely believe his ears. Then came that
+startling vibration again.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;By Thundas, what&#8217;s that?&#8221; he cried.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It sounded to me like a ship&#8217;s bell,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;I&#8217;d soon find out,
+if you would take the wheel, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span>sir.&#8221; Growling something, the old fellow
+made in the direction of the sound, and Jo and Tom scudded for the
+forecastle, which they reached without being discovered.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile, the captain had come to the ladder leading from the quarter
+deck to the main deck, and the tolling came from the darkness, just
+beneath his feet. There was a strain of superstition in him, as in all
+sailors, and he had heard yarns of ghostly bells on haunted ships that
+tolled for the dead about to be. And it shook the old fellow&#8217;s nerve.
+Just then the shepherd&#8217;s dog began to howl dismally and this put the
+seal on matters as far as the captain was concerned.</p>
+
+<p>He could not locate the continued tolling, so he returned to the
+bridge and reported the fact to Jim, with his own view of the case.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t wonder at it either, Skipper,&#8221; he said in tremulous tones.
+&#8220;This was once a pirate&#8217;s ship, and I don&#8217;t need to tell you anything
+about its former captain, Bill Broom. There&#8217;s been many a deed of
+blood done aboard this ship.&#8221; Jim felt generally angry, but not at the
+captain, whom he understood, but he hated to have the ship of which he
+was fond, given a bad name.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Take the wheel, sir,&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;and I&#8217;ll find <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span>out in a jiffy what&#8217;s
+wrong. If this ship is harboring any ghosts, I&#8217;ll fumigate them out.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a job for a young man,&#8221; replied the captain, taking the wheel.
+&#8220;I wish you good luck, Skipper.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>No sooner did the captain take the helm than Jim strode across the
+quarter deck in the direction of the tolling sound. It was weird
+enough to give almost anyone the creeps. Just imagine for yourself how
+it would be, with that metallic sound coming out of the stormy
+darkness. Fortunately for him, Jim was not imaginative, and did not
+see things unless he was shown. He reached the top of the ladder, and
+the tolling was just beneath his feet. He started down and then
+something happened.</p>
+
+<p>Let us return to the two desperate characters, to wit: Tom and Jo,
+whose malign efforts had started all this trouble. When we left them,
+they were in the steep ladder-way leading down into the forecastle.
+They stopped there for a minute, panting both with excitement and from
+the dash they had made. It was as dark as pitch below them, but they
+could hear the stentorian snore of Pete and the sturdy Irish lad, who
+did the most of the stoking.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Give me some more matches, Jo,&#8221; whispered Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t you laugh and give us away,&#8221; warned Jo.</p>
+
+<p>Here they proceeded to rub the sulphur on their faces until their
+countenances took on a ghostly greenish-white hue. Then they crept
+down the steps into the dark forecastle.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Who&#8217;s that?&#8221; cried Pete, who slept with one eye open after the manner
+of sailors.</p>
+
+<p>The boys gave a deep groan and then Irish roused up. Pete was already
+wide awake, and aghast at what he saw, two greenish-white faces in the
+gloom and with audible groans too. At first he was paralyzed, then
+Irish broke the spell.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Howly Saints!&#8221; he yelled, &#8220;it&#8217;s the devil!&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Then he sprang from his bunk yelling at every second, and made for the
+ladder. Pete wasted no breath in yells. He put it into action. When
+the boy gave his first yell the old sailor likewise jumped for the
+ladder; no matter if he did have to pass within a few inches of those
+ghostly ghosts, the fresh air for him.</p>
+
+<p>It was a case of two minds with but a single thought, for old Pete and
+the boy met at the ladder and then there was a wild scramble. First
+Pete would start part way up and Irish would pull him <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span>down, then the
+boy would get up a ways and Pete would yank him deckward and the boy
+was yelling for help with every breath. It was a regular cat fight and
+Tom and Jo were weak from suppressed laughter, at the exhibition. It
+was funny in a way, but those laugh best who laugh last sometimes, as
+Jo and Tom were likely to find out.</p>
+
+<p>Finally the boy did get out on deck with Pete at his heels, and they
+ran aft yelling at the tops of their voices.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Murther!&#8221; &#8220;Haul in,&#8221; according to their different modes of
+expressions.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s the matter with you wild Indians?&#8221; roared the captain from his
+station at the wheel. &#8220;Get below there till you are called.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It was lucky for them that he was not free to get at them, for the old
+captain was doubly irritated by their outcry since he had been
+somewhat nervous himself. Pete and the lad ran aft as though the devil
+indeed was after them. Jim heard the commotion just as he started down
+the ladder, and in a jiffy he had collared the runaways.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Here, shut up!&#8221; he yelled, shaking them fiercely. &#8220;What&#8217;s all this
+noise about?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It took a couple of minutes before he could get anything coherent out
+of them. When he found out <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span>what they had to tell he started for the
+forecastle, grabbing a belaying pin on his way. He was thoroughly
+aroused, and he knew something was wrong, but he could not divine what
+it was.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s the matter with those boobies?&#8221; cried the captain when he saw
+the tall figure in the darkness making for the forecastle.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Think they have seen ghosts,&#8221; yelled Jim, &#8220;as near as I can make out,
+dreaming, I guess.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;d give &#8217;em something to dream about if I could lay hands on them,&#8221;
+said the captain. Jim laughed and strode to the hood of the
+forecastle.</p>
+
+<p>Now let us see what had become of the two practical jokers. It looked
+very much as though they were trapped and the joke had turned out more
+seriously than they expected, as is often the case, and they knew it
+would go hard with them when they were captured.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We have got to hide,&#8221; cried Jo, &#8220;those idiots have roused the whole
+ship. I didn&#8217;t think they would act like that.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We will probably be keel-hauled for this,&#8221; said Tom. &#8220;Where are you
+going to hide, Jo?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t know, but we have got to hide somewhere, and soon, too.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Jo was more daring than Tom, and he made a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span>dash for the deck with the
+hope that he would be able to get back to his cabin and be innocently
+asleep when an investigation should be made, but no sooner did he get
+out than he saw that all retreat was cut off, for he could dimly see
+Jim&#8217;s form coming along the passageway. He hesitated for a second
+undecided which way to turn, then he crouched quickly in the direction
+of the bow. It had come to him like an inspiration. There was a
+covered cubby hole roofed over, where old chains and such things were
+kept, in the bow.</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII"></a>CHAPTER XIII</h2>
+
+<h3>TOM&#8217;S BAD LUCK</h3>
+
+<p>Jo crawled as far back as he could into his hiding place, bumping his
+head and bruising his knees on the rusty chains, and in the remotest
+corner he crouched much like a scared kitten. He had just got safely
+hidden when Jim reached the hood of the forecastle.</p>
+
+<p>Then Jim descended in search of the ghosts. No sooner had he lighted a
+lantern than Pete appeared hobbling down the steps into the dim
+interior with the bell, that Jo had tied to the ladder, in his hand.
+This the old sailor felt would give the clue to the mystery, and it
+did.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Here, Skipper, I found this tied aft.&#8221; Jim took it and recognized it
+at a glance.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Ho! ho!&#8221; he cried, &#8220;this is some of Jo&#8217;s work. He and Tom have been
+up to some devilment. I bet my sombrero that those two rascals were
+the ghosts you saw.&#8221; But the old sailor did not want to give up the
+dubious honor of having seen some live spirits, and so he stuck to his
+story.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;But these were real ghosts, sir. I seen &#8217;em with my two eyes, and
+their faces were white and green, like nothing human.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s shure roight, sor,&#8221; declared the boy who had now put in a
+cautious appearance. &#8220;My grandfather has seen ghosts in his time.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Jim laughed and began an examination of the floor, whirling the light
+from the lantern slowly around until he came to some damp footprints
+in the middle of the floor.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;These ghosts must have worn moccasins,&#8221; Jim remarked, &#8220;for if I don&#8217;t
+mistake that is the sign of &#8217;em, and they got their feet damp. You
+stay here long enough and you will probably hear them sneeze.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;But how was they complected that way?&#8221; questioned old Pete, his face
+growing very red with the possibility of his being made a fool of by a
+couple of kids.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I guess they were bilious, those ghosts,&#8221; remarked Jim, &#8220;or maybe it
+was sulphur they rubbed on. They once saw me scare some savages that
+way down in Hawaii.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I call it a durned outrage, on an old man like me, to have a couple
+of fool kids play a trick like that. I hurt my leg too, Skipper.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;How was that?&#8221; inquired Jim, not without malice aforethought.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well, you see, it was this a way, Skipper,&#8221; explained old Pete
+shamefacedly, &#8220;I seen this peculiar object or two in the forecastle,
+and I says to myself, &#8216;The skipper ought to know about this,&#8217; so I
+jumps up and starts to report it to you&mdash;&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I had the same thought, sor,&#8221; cut in the boy.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Yes, and he got in my way going up the ladder, and I fell and cut my
+leg.&#8221; He showed the place to Jim, and the latter, though trying hard
+not to laugh at the old chap&#8217;s explanations of his scare, was justly
+indignant when he saw that he was hurt.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Those beggars must be hiding here,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They certainly haven&#8217;t
+got aft. We will soon root &#8217;em out and I&#8217;ll give them something to
+remember this performance by as long as they live.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Then began a systematic search of the forecastle. Of course they did
+not find Jo, for, as we know, he was safely hidden on deck, but Tom
+was in the forecastle, and was bound to be discovered sooner or later
+in so small a space.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Look under the bunks on that side, boys,&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;I&#8217;ll take this.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Aye, aye, sir-sor,&#8221; was the reply.</p>
+
+<p>But after a most careful search, turning over <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span>blankets and bedding,
+no one was found. Jim swung the lantern under the dark ladder, but no
+one was there. Where could they be? They must be within a few feet of
+them and yet they could not see them.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s odd about them,&#8221; remarked Jim, coming to a halt in the middle of
+the floor. &#8220;They seem to have vanished.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I reckon it was ghosts, after all,&#8221; said old Pete.</p>
+
+<p>The only pieces of furniture in the place were a small trunk belonging
+to the boy, an impossible hiding place for lads the size of Jo or
+Tom&mdash;and Pete&#8217;s battered old sea-chest. This latter Pete opened, it
+was not locked, and saw only a heap of old clothes.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Not here, Skipper,&#8221; he said, shutting down the lid with a snap.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;They must have got up on deck then,&#8221; said Jim, puzzled.</p>
+
+<p>So the party adjourned to the deck, Jim carrying the lantern to aid
+him in the search.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What did you find?&#8221; roared the captain.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It was Tom and Jo, sir,&#8221; yelled Jim, &#8220;but we can&#8217;t locate them. Have
+you seen them skulking aft, Captain?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Nobody has gone by me,&#8221; cried the captain. &#8220;They must be for&#8217;ard.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Just then Juarez joined in the search.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Look in the bow,&#8221; he advised, when he found how matters stood.</p>
+
+<p>So paying no attention to the water and spray that came over the bow,
+they made their way forward, Jim in the lead with the lantern. He
+swung the light in among the chains, but a deep shadow cast by the
+lantern hid Jo, who laid low, making himself as small as possible, his
+head buried close to the deck.</p>
+
+<p>But Juarez&#8217;s keen eyes saw a dark object crouching in the furthest
+corner. He dived past Jim and caught hold of the cowering Jo and in
+spite of his struggles pulled him to the surface. Jo appeared like a
+much disheveled criminal when he was dragged out.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well,&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;you are a pretty looking fellow. Where&#8217;s your pal?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Tom?&#8221; questioned Jo grumpily. &#8220;He was in the forecastle when I saw
+him last.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You will have to pay for this night&#8217;s rumpus,&#8221; warned Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Near made me break my leg,&#8221; growled Pete, &#8220;with your foolin&#8217;.&#8221; In
+spite of his present predicament <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span>Jo could not help laughing heartily
+at the recollection of old Pete and the boy scrambling like a couple
+of scared cats up the ladder of the forecastle.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You won&#8217;t feel so gay when we get through with you,&#8221; said Jim. He
+marched him with a heavy hand to the cabin which he occupied, shoved
+the angry and resisting Joseph within and shut and locked the door.
+Then they started out in a final search for Tom, the only one of this
+desperate gang of night marauders that now remained uncaptured.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I declare, I don&#8217;t know what has become of that boy,&#8221; said Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;He couldn&#8217;t have fallen overboard?&#8221; questioned Juarez. Jim negatived
+that idea emphatically.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Tom&#8217;s too cautious for that,&#8221; he said.</p>
+
+<p>Where was he? The reader knows well enough, being an adept on solving
+all these mysteries. He was in old Pete&#8217;s sea-chest hidden down under
+the clothes, and Pete, whose eyesight was not as good as it once was,
+had failed to see any sign of him. Now, when he heard Jim and the rest
+go on deck, he decided that it was time to get out of his
+uncomfortable prison, which was much too cramped.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span></p><p>What was his dismay to find that he was indeed a prisoner, for when
+old Pete had shut down the top of the chest it had fastened shut. Tom
+began to feel stifled for air, partly imagination on his part, and
+partly fact. It was true that some air could get in, through where the
+rope handles went, but not much. Tom struggled till he got his hand in
+his pocket, hoping to find his knife with which he would cut the rope
+handles and push the pieces through the holes and thus get enough air
+to sustain life, but as luck would have it, his knife was not there.</p>
+
+<p>He began to pant now, and gasp and think of all the horrible tales he
+had ever read of people being buried alive and of similar tragedies,
+until he was almost hysterical. He yelled for help, but his voice was
+muffled, and besides there was none to hear. He tried to attract
+attention by beating with his hands against the top of the chest.</p>
+
+<p>After what seemed an interminable time, the half-fainting Tom heard
+feet clattering down the steep ladder into the forecastle, and this
+brought him partially to.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Jim, get me out,&#8221; he cried, and his voice came feebly to the ears of
+the searchers.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I heard Tom,&#8221; cried Juarez.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 330px;">
+<img src="images/i117.jpg" class="jpg ispace" width="330" height="500" alt="&#8220;tom did not try to make his escape.&#8221;&mdash;P 119." title="" />
+<span class="caption">&#8220;<span class="smcap">tom did not try to make his escape</span>.&#8221;&mdash;P. <a href="#Page_119">119</a>.</span>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Sounded like a cat mewing,&#8221; remarked the unfeeling Jim. &#8220;Listen.&#8221;
+Again they heard it and a faint pounding inside the sea-chest.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s in that chest,&#8221; cried Jim, and he tried to open it.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Locked in,&#8221; said Juarez. &#8220;Let Pete open it.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Pete came forward, after fishing a key out of the depths of his
+pocket.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Lucky I could find it,&#8221; he said. Then he flung the top of the chest
+back. Tom did not try to make his escape, or put up a fight of any
+kind, for he was all in, and was only too glad to be captured, for, as
+he figured, and quite correctly, that even the captain could not put
+him in a worse place than he had put himself.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You look more like a ghost than the other one,&#8221; said Jim with a grin.</p>
+
+<p>After he was sufficiently revived, he, too, was locked up, and further
+proceedings were put off until the morrow. In the meantime it was
+decided to have a little fun with these practical jokers on the next
+day, so as to teach them the seriousness of life on the ocean wave.</p>
+
+<p>So at ten the next morning a court-martial was held in the dining
+saloon. As the weather still remained dark and overcast, it was
+necessary to have <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span>the big lamp over the table lit. The judges were
+the captain, who sat at one end of the table, and Juarez, who was at
+his left, and Jim, at the right. For once the captain took off his old
+cap and showed a bald, pink dome, with tufted gray at the side. His
+face wore a grimness that betokened hanging for the culprits&mdash;nothing
+less. The court was ready.</p>
+
+<p>Then there was a clattering of feet on the stairs, and the prisoners
+were brought in by the sheriff, who was none other than the tall
+shepherd. They were tied with ropes, that is, their hands were, and
+their hang-dog looks were enough to condemn them. They did not dare
+face the captain, who was regarding them with great severity, but
+looked askance at Jim, who paid no attention to them, but was busy
+making notes on a pad of paper before him on the table.</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV"></a>CHAPTER XIV</h2>
+
+<h3>THE TRIAL</h3>
+
+<p>The sheriff was compelled to leave his prisoners in the hands of the
+court and hasten on deck to take the wheel, as the ship was
+short-handed, nearly the whole crew being present on court-martial
+duty. The prisoners were represented by John Berwick, the engineer,
+who entered into their defense with much interest and eclat. The
+specifications were in two charges, it being related:</p>
+
+<p>I. &#8220;That Joseph Darlington, a native of New York State, and Thomas
+Darlington, a native of Missouri,&#8221; read Jim with sonorous voice. At
+the word Missouri, John Berwick, the counsel for the defendants, was
+on his feet in an instant. He said:</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I move this honorable court that specification No. I be quashed, it
+being therein erroneously stated that my client, Thomas Darlington,
+comes from Missouri.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Motion to squash denied,&#8221; said James severely, not being entirely at
+home in legal phraseology.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Then, your Honors, I move to amend, by striking out the word
+&#8216;Missouri,&#8217; and substituting that <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span>of New York, this being a manifest
+attempt to prejudice the case of my client, the prosecution, no doubt,
+being desirous of proving that this innocent lad was one of the
+notorious Jesse James gang, that operated in Missouri and the
+Southwest.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The defendants&#8217; attorney stood tapping the table before him with one
+long finger and gazing earnestly at the court, which seemed to be
+struggling hard to suppress some deep and hidden emotion.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The amendment is allowed,&#8221; gasped Jim, gazing over the heads of the
+two sullen-looking prisoners. Then the first charge, as amended read:</p>
+
+<p>I. &#8220;That Joseph Darlington, a native of New York, and Thomas
+Darlington, likewise a native of New York, are hereby charged with
+conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, in that they did on the
+night of August eighteenth, 18&mdash;, feloniously steal through the
+darkness into the apartments (better known as fo&#8217;scle) of one, Peter
+McCloskey, and of one, Aloyisius Durgan (minor), and did with malice
+aforethought, disturb the peace, quiet and sleep of the said McCloskey
+and the said Durgan, by representing themselves to be ghosts, with
+green faces&#8221; (here Tom snickered, but one look from the captain at the
+head of the table <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span>sobered him, indeed, it was the captain&#8217;s presence
+on this trying occasion that lent dignity and reality to the scene,
+for he evidently meant business, and his sternness was rounded out by
+the impressiveness of his polished dome. When quiet settled heavily
+once more upon the trial, James resumed his reading of the charge),
+&#8220;representing themselves to be ghosts with green faces, to the grave
+detriment of the peace of mind of the said McCloskey and said Durgan,
+and furthermore, causing them severe bodily contusions and bruises
+upon their limbs while attempting to escape from said ghosts, at the
+time and place before mentioned, thus unfitting them for active
+service aboard their ship, the <i>Sea Eagle</i>, James Darlington, Master.&#8221;
+At this last statement Captain Kerns leaned forward over the table,
+and regarded the two prisoners with great severity, and they felt in
+their bones that they were going to catch it. They looked appealingly
+at Juarez, but he appeared entirely oblivious of their presence.</p>
+
+<p>II. &#8220;Furthermore, it is charged that the said Joseph Darlington and
+Thomas Darlington on the night of the 18th of August, 18&mdash;, did resist
+their superior officer&mdash;&mdash;&#8221; Here Tom growled something in the ear of
+his attorney, who immediately <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span>rose to his feet and said, &#8220;My client
+objects to the word superior, as not being true and applicable, he
+says that the aforesaid officer only thinks that he is superior.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;This objection is overruled,&#8221; said Jim, the judge, his mouth
+twitching; &#8220;by superior is meant commanding officer.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Certainly, Skipper,&#8221; rumbled the captain; &#8220;you&#8217;re right. Don&#8217;t let
+&#8217;em give you any nonsense, you are in command of this ship.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Nothing more from Tom, and the reading continued. &#8220;Therefore, the two
+defendants are charged with mutiny on the high seas.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Are you ready to plead to these specifications?&#8221; inquired Jim,
+looking at the prisoners&#8217; counsel.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We are,&#8221; replied John Berwick.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What is your plea?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Not guilty, your Honors.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We will proceed to trial,&#8221; said Jim solemnly.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;They deserve the rope&#8217;s end for their impudence,&#8221; growled the
+captain.</p>
+
+<p>Old Pete was the first witness and he was much impressed by the
+dignity of the court, as was evident as he limped in with his hat, or
+rather cap, in hand. He took the stand, which was an armchair placed
+facing the court, beyond the end of the table. No <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span>sooner had he
+seated himself than the <i>Sea Eagle</i> gave a sudden lurch to the
+starboard, and he would have gone, chair and all, into the wall if
+John Berwick had not caught him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Beg pardon, your Honors, but this thing ain&#8217;t anchored right.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What is your name?&#8221; inquired Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Peter McCloskey, sir.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Where were you born, Mr. McCloskey?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;On a farm near Darien, Connecticut,&#8221; was the answer.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What is your present occupation?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I am sailor aboard the <i>Sea Eagle</i>, sir.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;And where were you on the night of August 18th?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I was asleep in the fo&#8217;scle of the <i>Sea Eagle</i>, sir.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Tell what occurred, if anything.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This Peter McCloskey did with much enthusiasm and picturesque detail,
+and then John Berwick, the attorney for the prisoners, started in to
+cross-examine the witness, who kept himself firmly anchored by means
+of two large feet outspread at separate angles.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Now, Peter,&#8221; he commenced suavely, &#8220;tell the court how much you drank
+on the eventful night of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span>the 18th of August, when you saw these
+remarkable apparitions.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well, your Honors,&#8221; said Pete, hesitatingly, &#8220;you know how it is
+yourselves. I took a nip before I turned in. Old bones have to be
+warmed somehow.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Exactly,&#8221; said the prisoners&#8217; attorney. &#8220;Now, McCloskey, tell the
+court if you were not in a condition to see things on the night in
+question.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;No, sir, Mr. Berwick, I was as sober as a judge when I woke up and
+saw those green things staring at me.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Are you sure, Peter, that you didn&#8217;t dream all this?&#8221; inquired
+Berwick.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I didn&#8217;t dream this, sir,&#8221; replied Peter, showing a bruise on his
+leg.</p>
+
+<p>This was quite unanswerable, and old Pete was allowed to go with the
+honors of war, and he was followed on the stand by the Irish lad, who
+was a willing witness and had many remarkable things to tell about
+ghosts, their natures and dispositions and their actions on the old
+sod of Ireland, where green-faced ghosts no doubt abounded. As his
+story confirmed old Pete&#8217;s, things looked dubious for Tom and Jo.</p>
+
+<p>Their attorney, however, made an eloquent plea <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span>for the life and
+liberty of the two prisoners at the bar. He said in part:</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I ask your Honors to deal leniently with these two lads and to recall
+how much they have had to contend with in their short young lives.
+They have had only the harshest surroundings. Having come under the
+baleful influence of Captain Bill Broom, the former owner of this
+vessel, you cannot rightly blame them for their strong sense of humor.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I think that a reprimand is due them for their infraction of the
+ship&#8217;s discipline and for resisting their <i>superior</i> officer&#8221; (a grin
+from Jim), &#8220;but I ask this Honorable Court to remember their tender
+years and to deal gently with the prisoners. If you do not, I fear
+that ghosts with green faces will haunt your fevered sleep forever. I
+leave their fate in your hands.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Bowing low, the attorney for the prisoners sat down. Then the culprits
+were sent back to their cabin-cell while the judges took their fate
+under advisement. There was quite a lengthy discussion. Juarez being
+influenced by his friend, the engineer, was in favor of having the
+captain give them a severe call down, and let it go at that. While the
+captain himself favored the rope&#8217;s end and imprisonment <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span>in the
+lazaret that had not been used since old Broom&#8217;s day.</p>
+
+<p>It was their resistance to the skipper that added to his severity, for
+he was a firm believer in discipline. But Jim suggested a more
+reasonable course that would better favor the ends of justice (which
+was not the rope&#8217;s end)&mdash;than that which the other two judges
+recommended. His plan was finally adopted; then the bound prisoners
+were summoned before the August Court. (That is a pun the writer will
+have to make for Jo, as he is not in his normal spirits.)</p>
+
+<p>They stood at the end of the table, looking sullen and defiant, and
+evidently expecting the worst.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It is the finding of the court that you, Joseph Darlington and Thomas
+Darlington,&#8221; read Jim with much emphasis and in a sonorous voice, &#8220;are
+guilty on both charges of the specifications, and by the unanimous
+judgment of the court, you are sentenced,&#8221; Jim paused to give due
+impressiveness to the following words; meanwhile the two boys paled
+slightly, &#8220;sentenced to hard labor, shoveling coal, until Pete and the
+boy get over their lameness. This sentence to be immediately
+executed.&#8221; And it was.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m glad the sentence is going to be executed <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span>instead of us,&#8221; said
+Jo as he was sent below with his comrade in crime to get busy feeding
+the insatiable furnace. Altogether the boys were pleased to get off
+without the rope&#8217;s end being used on them.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That was a good sentence, Judge,&#8221; said John Berwick to Jim after the
+court had adjourned. &#8220;It met the case, for the real damage done was
+having Pete and the boy laid off on account of their prank.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s it,&#8221; remarked Jim. &#8220;Then, too, Jo and Tom are husky and hard
+workers, and, with them shoveling coal, we ought to get to the coast
+now in a few days.&#8221;</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV"></a>CHAPTER XV</h2>
+
+<h3>&#8220;THE MARIA CROTHERS&#8221;</h3>
+
+<p>As the boys drew near the end of the voyage, they began to be anxious
+to see the land once more, not that they were tired of the sea, for
+they had come to regard the <i>Sea Eagle</i> as their home, and every plank
+was familiar to them. Moreover, there was nothing equal to the freedom
+of life on the ocean wave, but they were anxious to start for the
+Sierras to attempt the discovery of the Lost Mine, so that perchance
+they could take a trip around the world.</p>
+
+<p>According to their calculations it was now only a question of a few
+days before they would make the harbor from which they had sailed a
+few months before. Jim was on the quarter deck talking over matters
+with Captain Kerns. It was a very pleasant afternoon, with a clear
+shining sun, and a sparkling sea, and sufficient breeze to make the
+air alive. The captain was seated in his scarred but comfortable
+armchair. That was the only piece of furniture which he had brought
+with him from his cabin on the coast. He wore his heavy <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span>woolen jacket
+buttoned across his chest because it was cool even in the sun. Jim
+leaned easily against the rail, dressed in his well-remembered blue
+flannel shirt, and trousers to match, with the gray sombrero pushed
+back from his forehead. His bronzed face and keen gray eyes determined
+him to be a very fair specimen of the American boy when in top-notch
+condition.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I hope you will be able to look after the <i>Sea Eagle</i>, Captain,&#8221;
+propounded Jim, &#8220;while we are in the mountains.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The captain mused for a while, pursing up his eyes, then he took his
+short blackened pipe out of his mouth.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll do it, Skipper,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I&#8217;m fond of this yere boat, and it&#8217;s
+like home to me. Then, too, I like you boys. There&#8217;s nothin&#8217; of the
+fresh, gabby kid about any of you. I&#8217;ll do it fer you, Skipper.&#8221; And
+the bargain was sealed with a warm grip between the two friends.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s one thing I ought to speak about though,&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;and that
+is in regard to old Bill Broom, the pirate, who had the <i>Sea Eagle</i>
+before we took her. He is a revengeful old beggar and may make you
+trouble if he gets a chance.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I never really met Broom, though I came near <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span>it once,&#8221; remarked the
+old captain grimly, &#8220;but if he is wise, he won&#8217;t come bothering around
+me or the <i>Sea Eagle</i> either.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I expect old Pete will stay aboard and the boy,&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;so you
+won&#8217;t be without some company.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve always got &#8216;Lyssus&#8217; here,&#8221; grinned the captain, picking up the
+big tortoise shell that was purring around his legs. &#8220;I don&#8217;t want any
+better company than him.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;He is a good old fellow,&#8221; said Jim, playfully nipping the cat&#8217;s ears
+with his fingers, &#8220;and a mighty good sailor, too.&#8221; Just then Jim
+chanced to look up, scanning the expanse of sea ahead, not with the
+expectation of seeing anything, but just force of habit. Immediately
+he straightened up and his gray eyes narrowed with interest.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What is it, Skipper?&#8221; questioned the old captain, getting to his
+feet.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It looks like smoke,&#8221; exclaimed Jim, &#8220;about three points on our
+starboard bow.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Maybe it&#8217;s a steamer,&#8221; said the captain. &#8220;We ought to be running
+across them now once in a while.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Possibly it&#8217;s a volcano,&#8221; suggested Jim.</p>
+
+<p>By this time the captain had got the glass from <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span>his cabin, and had it
+focused on the slender blue-gray column of smoke that was rising close
+to the southeastern horizon.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a ship, almost burned out,&#8221; exclaimed the captain.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;By jove!&#8221; cried Jim. &#8220;We will see exactly what it is,&#8221; and he gave
+the order to Pete, who was at the wheel, to change the <i>Sea Eagle&#8217;s</i>
+course accordingly.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I reckon nobody is alive aboard,&#8221; remarked the captain. &#8220;She looks
+pretty well burned out.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>No sooner had the ship&#8217;s course been changed, than every member of the
+crew was out on deck to see what was up, and all were intensely
+interested watching the column of smoke that now could be seen rising
+from a dark hull close to the water, marking one of those oft-repeated
+tragedies of the sea. Rapidly the gallant little <i>Sea Eagle</i> plowed
+the blue surface of the ocean in a straight course towards the burning
+ship.</p>
+
+<p>Many were the conjectures as to how the destroyed ship came to be in
+her present hapless condition. Jo thought that she had probably caught
+afire and the crew had been compelled to abandon her, but the engineer
+shook his head at this theory.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t agree with you, Joseph. My idea is <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span>that she is a derelict
+that has been abandoned possibly years ago. Some ship has crossed her
+trail recently, and to get rid of her as an uncharted menace to ships
+in regular travel, has set fire to her, but without completing her
+destruction.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;They are bad things to be lying around loose,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;If we had
+been off our course a little, and it had been some hours later, we
+would have stood a jolly good chance of running plump into this ship,
+and if we had not gone down, we would have been badly stove up.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You would have gone down,&#8221; said the engineer briefly.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I suppose there are a good many of these derelicts floating around
+the oceans,&#8221; remarked Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Yes,&#8221; said the engineer, &#8220;and some of them have most interesting
+histories. There was a curious incident in regard to a barque named
+the <i>Norton</i> that was abandoned in the Atlantic some years ago. The
+skipper and the crew were rescued by a sailing vessel, and, after a
+while, they drew near an English port.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The skipper of the <i>Norton</i> was pacing the poop deck from force of
+habit, when he suddenly stopped as if petrified, and his jaw dropped,
+for there ahead <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span>of him alongside of a wharf was his lost and
+abandoned ship. The explanation was simple. She had been picked up by
+a passing steamer and towed into port, for salvage.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The <i>Sea Eagle</i> was now within a half mile of the derelict and she
+could be made out quite plainly. She was a good-sized wooden vessel, a
+three-sticker, but the masts had been broken off and the ship had been
+rendered entirely helpless. She was rolling sluggishly to the motion
+of the waves, without life or hope.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;She&#8217;s the <i>Maria Crothers</i>, London,&#8221; said the captain from the upper
+deck, looking through the glass, &#8220;and she looks like she has been
+floating around for several years.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>In a few minutes the <i>Sea Eagle</i> was lying to, a short distance from
+the derelict. It was evident that she had been abandoned a long time.
+The sides and bottom of the ship were encrusted with barnacles and
+long green streamers of sea weeds on her sides and bow gave her a most
+ancient and dilapidated appearance.</p>
+
+<p>In the center of the main deck smoke was slowly rising into the air
+from the charred timbers.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;She is too water-logged to burn,&#8221; said the captain.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;We will try to blow her up, Captain,&#8221; cried Jim. &#8220;She is a dangerous
+proposition so near to the coast.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a good idea, lad,&#8221; agreed the captain.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Lower the boat, my hearties,&#8221; ordered Jim with a grin.</p>
+
+<p>They put two kegs of powder into the boat, and with the material for a
+couple of long fuses, they started for the derelict, now but a short
+distance off. None of the boys will ever forget that boarding of the
+abandoned vessel, not on account of the danger, for there was none,
+but for the unusualness of the occasion and the picturesqueness of the
+scene.</p>
+
+<p>The sun was just setting as they rowed towards the <i>Maria Crothers</i>,
+or what was once that gallant vessel, and the crimson glow came over
+the slow-rolling swell and touched everything with a lurid light,
+especially the desolate derelict. As they were nearing the hulk, Tom
+exclaimed:</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Look, there is a shark coming out from a hole under her bow!&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Sure enough, with sinuous motion a long and ugly-looking shark swam
+slowly a short distance below the surface, taking on a greenish hue,
+from the color of the water. There was something singularly <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span>repellent
+about him and peculiarly sinister in his every motion.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;If he gets too sassy, we will treat him like we did his friends and
+brethren near the coast of Maine,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;When we were in the
+canoes. Remember, Jeems?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t mention it to me,&#8221; warned Jeems. &#8220;I&#8217;m liable to have a chill.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It was not difficult to board the derelict, when the boat was brought
+on the lee side, for the vessel was down well with the water. Jim
+jumped aboard and the others followed, except old Pete, who was at the
+oars; he kept the boat close while the barrels of powder were
+transferred.</p>
+
+<p>The boys found nothing on the old craft of especial interest. They
+could still see that the cabin had been a handsome one, with dark wood
+like mahogany and properly gilded, but everything was now mildewed or
+covered with green slime. There were sea things crawling everywhere.</p>
+
+<p>Jim found his work cut out for him to get the powder planted where it
+would do the best execution. Darkness came on, and he was busy aft
+with one keg while Juarez and the engineer were planting the other
+for&#8217;ard. They had got a number of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span>lanterns from the ship to work by,
+and, from a distance they looked like glow worms on the dark surface
+of the waters.</p>
+
+<p>It was a most weird and peculiar sight, but after nearly two hours&#8217;
+work, everything was ready. Only Jim, Juarez and the engineer were
+left upon the derelict, with old Pete ready at the oars to pull away
+as soon as the men should jump into the boat after firing the fuses.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Already for&#8217;ard!&#8221; yelled Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Ready,&#8221; came Juarez&#8217;s reply.</p>
+
+<p>They touched the long fuse and then ran and stepped lightly into the
+boat. Pete dug the oars into the water and away the boat leapt towards
+the <i>Sea Eagle</i>. She had cleared the derelict about a hundred feet,
+when with two dull shaking thuds, and a glare of red light at either
+end, the derelict was blown to destruction, and pieces of broken
+timber fell all about the boat. Some pieces fell even on the deck of
+the <i>Sea Eagle</i>. In a few minutes the broken hull had sunk below the
+dark waters of the Pacific. The work had been well done.</p>
+
+<p>Two days later the <i>Sea Eagle</i> turned from the windy channel into her
+own harbor on the southern coast of California with the flag flying,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span>and as the anchor chain rattled down into the quiet water, there came
+a salute from the two cannon on the upper deck. Then Jim turned and
+gripped the hand of his old friend.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Here you are at home, Captain. Now it&#8217;s for the Lost Mine, boys.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;And good luck to you,&#8221; said the old captain heartily. &#8220;I and the <i>Sea
+Eagle</i> will be here when you return.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The boys at parting gave three rousing cheers.</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVI" id="CHAPTER_XVI"></a>CHAPTER XVI</h2>
+
+<h3>AN EXCITING CHARGE</h3>
+
+<p>It was indeed a beautiful morning, with the sun shining with a clarity
+that is characteristic only of the higher altitudes. There was quite a
+procession coming up the steep mountain trail. As yet they could not
+be made out distinctly, as they were so far down the mountain side.
+Then they were lost to view in one of the folds of the slope.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I wonder whom those tenderfeet are?&#8221; The voice came from a man who
+was crouching behind a granite boulder. He had been watching the
+approaching party intently for some time. &#8220;One thing, sartain,&#8221; the
+voice continued, &#8220;them fellars will find trouble if they keep
+traveling in this neck of the woods.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The speaker was not a prepossessing-looking party. He was of squat
+figure, very strongly built. His face and neck burned to a brick red.
+His shirt of a nondescript color was open at the neck, exposing a
+hairy throat. A rifle was gripped firmly in one powerful paw, and
+there was a knife and pistol in his belt.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span></p><p>He was an ugly-looking customer, and it was evident that his mission
+was not a peaceful one. Once more he took a look down the trail. The
+approaching party was much nearer now and he could count the
+individuals.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Five!&#8221; he exclaimed. &#8220;Looks like they might give the boys trouble.
+That fellar in front has sartain got a fine horse.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Already the voices of the five came clearly to his ears, and it would
+not be long before they would top the ridge, and the scout, for such
+he was, would be discovered.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s time for me to scat!&#8221; he exclaimed.</p>
+
+<p>And he did, taking long swinging strides that soon took him out of
+sight of the ridge, into a belt of pines. Here the stranger stopped
+again and watched for the tenderfoot party to put in an appearance. He
+did not have long to wait, for there came the strong clear sound of
+voices, and then he saw a gallant figure on a gray horse ride into
+full view. This young fellow was dressed in blue, with a flannel shirt
+of the same color, and a gray sombrero, which was pushed back from his
+sunburnt forehead.</p>
+
+<p>A perfectly polished rifle was hung across his back, and there was a
+revolver in the holster at <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span>his hip. The young fellow rode his
+splendid animal with an ease and mastery that showed long experience.
+Behind the leader rode a shorter lad, but very stockily built, and of
+extremely dark complexion, with heavy black hair, cut square across.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That chap must be an Injun,&#8221; remarked the watcher in the pines.</p>
+
+<p>But the reader who is more intelligent and better informed, knows
+otherwise, for he is acquainted with these riders and has been in
+their company before, and it is not necessary to pass the entire
+procession in review. The Frontier Boys were all there, and Jeems
+Howell likewise. The man in the pines was deeply interested in these
+mounted men, viewing them from his position back of a big pine, in
+front of which was a screen of brush.</p>
+
+<p>He saw that they were well mounted and armed, nor did they appear
+entirely like tenderfeet either. There was something in the way they
+rode and their general air that showed that they could take care of
+themselves. Once or twice he partially raised his rifle as though
+about to fire at the leader, but he evidently thought better of it,
+and contented himself with a mere reconnoissance.</p>
+
+<p>The Frontier Boys were unmindful that they were watched, but they were
+not careless. Juarez, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span>especially, seemed on the alert, and even
+suspicious. He kept looking around and once he came to a halt.
+Swinging off his roan, he began to examine the ground.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Scent something, comrade?&#8221; inquired Jim gravely.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Something wrong around here,&#8221; he said.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Panther, painter, or mountain lion?&#8221; inquired Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Look out, he will bite you,&#8221; volunteered Jo.</p>
+
+<p>Shaking his head, Juarez mounted his horse and took his place in line,
+and the procession started again, but always the red-faced, red-necked
+scout kept them in view for his own purposes. He did not have much
+trouble to keep up, for the boys did not hurry their horses. They had
+had a hard pull for several hours that morning, and Jim decided it was
+best to let them take it easy, as there still was plenty of hard work
+ahead.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;How soon will we reach your ancient castle, Jeems?&#8221; inquired Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;In time for dinner, boss, I reckon,&#8221; replied Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Dinner be ready for us?&#8221; inquired Tom hungrily.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well, as I haven&#8217;t seen my ancestral walls for <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span>nigh on to twenty
+years,&#8221; replied Jeems, &#8220;I&#8217;m much afeard that the dinner is petrified
+by this time.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We don&#8217;t mind that,&#8221; laughed Jo. &#8220;Haven&#8217;t we eaten grub in Mexican
+restaurants and along the border? Nothing is too tough for us.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s so,&#8221; agreed the chorus.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;This country begins to look very familiar,&#8221; soliloquized Jeems.
+&#8220;Here&#8217;s a rock I&#8217;ve sat on many a time to rest coming home from a
+hunt, and down there are the three pines struck by lightning, on the
+Fourth of July, too&mdash;&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Go on with you,&#8221; jeered Tom, &#8220;don&#8217;t give us any tall yarn like that.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Halt! there he goes!&#8221; cried Juarez, bringing his rifle to his
+shoulder and aiming it at a fleeting shadow among the pines down the
+mountain slope. He did not fire, however, and without a minute&#8217;s
+hesitation the boys turned their horses down the steep mountain slope
+towards the woods where the man had been detected by Juarez&#8217;s
+observant eye.</p>
+
+<p>Away they went full tilt, and to an outsider it seemed certain that
+some one was sure to get his neck broken. Jo&#8217;s horse did stumble,
+plowing its nose into the gravel, and sending Jo forward about a dozen
+feet, landing on shoulder and neck. Pretty well shaken up, he was too,
+but not injured.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span></p><p>Tom came near getting mixed up in the m&ecirc;l&eacute;e, for he was just back of
+Jo, but missed him more by good luck than good management. There was
+no attempt on the part of any of the boys to stop to pick up Jo or to
+see how badly hurt he was. They presumed that if injured he would say
+something about it. So on went the gallant 400, their steeds leaping
+rocks and fallen trees, crashing through brush with powerful
+recklessness.</p>
+
+<p>A haze of dust soon hung above the cavalry charge, which was destined
+to come to an end when the line of pine trees was reached. But it
+seemed that Jim&#8217;s Caliente was not going to halt for the solid pines
+even, for he charged full speed ahead, with all his fighting blood
+aroused.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Ahoy there, Jim!&#8221; yelled Tom, &#8220;better anchor your yacht.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>But James could not head him, pull as hard as he would, and he ducked
+his head low under a branch which threatened to brain him, scraped
+between two tall and massive pines, and finally brought his panting
+horse to a full stop in a dense clump of brush.</p>
+
+<p>But Jeems Howell seemed to be having the most interesting, if not the
+pleasantest, time of all. He was not a natural centaur anyway. He had
+tried <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span>his best to keep his little rat of a bay from joining in the
+chase, but without success. With his long legs stuck out in front and
+his eyes wide open with astonishment, he was pulling with all his
+might, but with no effect.</p>
+
+<p>It was a comical sight, the long-legged man yelling &#8220;Whoa!&#8221; &#8220;Whoa!&#8221;
+and the little pony scampering at top speed down the steep and sunny
+slope with the dust flying back at a great rate. Then of a sudden, the
+pony leaped right from under the long-shanked Jeems and he sat down
+upon the warm gravel, while the animal went on into the woods. As for
+the man, he made his escape into a neighboring gulch where he hid
+himself under a ledge, and was safe enough.</p>
+
+<p>That one movement which he had noted of Juarez&#8217;s rifle when aimed at
+him, was sufficient to give him an idea of the mettle of the Frontier
+Boys. He was determined, however, not to get out of that section until
+he had seen these travelers properly located, so he waited.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile, the boys had got together, in a general council with only
+one absentee, viz: Jeems Howell, who was seated contentedly, if
+somewhat dazed, upon the mountain side. Then his absence was noted by
+the other boys.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Where is Jeems?&#8221; inquired Jo, who had recovered his horse and his
+equilibrium likewise.</p>
+
+<p>They looked around anxiously. &#8220;There&#8217;s his pony over there,&#8221; said
+Juarez, &#8220;having a good time grazing.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I suspect we will find Jeems grazing somewhere back here on the
+mountain,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;Jo, you go look for him, if you think you won&#8217;t
+fall off, too.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>With a grunt Jo turned his horse at right angles, and went back up the
+mountain slope. He soon came upon Jeems seated placidly upon the
+ground apparently enjoying the view.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Lost something, Jeems?&#8221; he inquired.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Yes, my pony,&#8221; he replied.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;He is grazing down below,&#8221; said Jo. &#8220;Why don&#8217;t you get up?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m grazing here,&#8221; replied Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Gazing, I guess,&#8221; grinned Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Is it morning yet?&#8221; inquired Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It will be night before you get up, if you don&#8217;t hustle,&#8221; warned Jo.
+&#8220;Better go and get your horse and join the family council.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There shall be no vacant chair, I&#8217;ll be there,&#8221; and Jeems rose by
+sections.</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVII" id="CHAPTER_XVII"></a>CHAPTER XVII</h2>
+
+<h3>A CHASE</h3>
+
+<p>&#8220;Are you sure you saw that fellow, Juarez?&#8221; asked Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Certainly,&#8221; replied the chief.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Of course he did,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;You don&#8217;t suppose that Juarez would
+exclaim at a shadow. I got a glimpse of him myself.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What did he look like?&#8221; inquired Yankee Tom.</p>
+
+<p>Jim&#8217;s face took on a look of settled gravity as he answered:</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;He was a tall dark-complected man, with a wart over his right eye,
+and he had a ring on his middle finger with his wife&#8217;s picture
+engraved on it, and&mdash;&mdash;&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Oh, shut up,&#8221; growled Tom, &#8220;you are just kidding.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I didn&#8217;t see anybody,&#8221; put in Jeems Howell mildly. This remark was
+greeted with a roar of laughter.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I bet you didn&#8217;t,&#8221; jeered Tom. &#8220;All you could do was to yell &#8216;Whoa!&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;But he didn&#8217;t whoa!&#8221; said Jeems sadly, but truthfully.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You did,&#8221; remarked Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Somebody had to,&#8221; explained Jeems, &#8220;so I decided it was up to me.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You mean,&#8221; said the whimsical Jo, &#8220;down to you.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I suppose so.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;He has made his escape anyway,&#8221; said Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;So have our pack mules,&#8221; cried Juarez, looking back up the mountain.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Maybe they have just grazed off,&#8221; said Jim anxiously.</p>
+
+<p>This was serious business indeed, if their mules should take a notion
+to take the back trail with their grub and camp equipment. So the boys
+lost no time in getting back to the ridge and all thought of the
+stranger that they had tried to interview had left their minds for the
+present. When they got to the top of the ridge they found their worst
+fears realized. Juarez was the first to take in the situation, because
+his little roan was the fastest in a short dash. Juarez had urged his
+horse obliquely across the slope of the hill.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;They have scooted for home, boys,&#8221; he yelled.</p>
+
+<p>Sure enough there were the three beasts a mile <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span>down the trail and
+jogging steadily along with an evident intention in their mulish minds
+to go home and stay there. Now &#8220;home&#8221; was a hundred miles away, but
+that made no difference with their plans.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We have got to head &#8217;em down this other side,&#8221; cried Jim. &#8220;It&#8217;s no
+use following them on the trail. They have got the start on us and
+when they see us coming it will make them hike all the faster.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You&#8217;re right,&#8221; said Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There is no use for all this bunch going,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;Jo, you and Tom
+and Jeems stay here. Keep my guns, I&#8217;m traveling light.&#8221; He handed
+over his rifle and revolver to his brother and Juarez gave his to
+Jeems. Then they gave the cinches to their saddles an extra
+tightening, especially the back cinches, then they swung swiftly into
+the saddles.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Durn those mules,&#8221; they cried and were off. Keeping their horses well
+in hand, for it promised to be a long hard race, they galloped along
+the ridge, keeping slightly below the summit. They were now on the
+opposite side of the ridge from where the trail was up which they had
+traveled. As the two headers-off got under way the gravel flew back
+from their horses&#8217; feet. At first the way was not very hard, but at
+the end of the first mile they came to a great field of broken rocks.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span></p><p>Here they had to slacken speed and find their way among great rocks,
+broken, and with many miniature canyons and ravines among them. Once
+they rode under the shadow of a great slab of quartz, some eighty feet
+long and twenty feet in thickness; like a long flat bridge it was.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;This is a sure interesting country,&#8221; remarked Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I wish that we had time to look around a bit,&#8221; replied Jim, &#8220;but I am
+afraid that those pesky mules are gaining on us right here.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We are almost out of this nest of rocks,&#8221; encouraged Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>This was true, but now they had ahead of them a long slope with many
+fallen trees, but the boys could not stop for such trifles. Away they
+went, leaping the trunks of trees, twisting this way and that, but
+never slackening speed. If it was not for their anxiety, it would have
+been fun for the two of them, as there was enough danger and variety
+to make it interesting. Jim&#8217;s big gray, which he had captured in
+Mexico and had named Caliente, jumped with great power and with
+remarkable lightness, considering his size, but Juarez&#8217;s roan was as
+quick as a cat and just as light on its feet.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;See that notch in the ridge,&#8221; cried Jim, &#8220;about half a mile ahead?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Yes,&#8221; replied Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s where we will cross and try to get ahead of those bucks.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We will make them hustle back,&#8221; cried Juarez, grinding his teeth.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Sure,&#8221; agreed Jim with a grin.</p>
+
+<p>In a short time they had reached the notch and found it to be
+something more than that, as it was quite a deep cut in the back of
+the ridge, and continued into a narrow ravine, which was quite heavily
+wooded, and down which ran a pretty little stream of the clearest
+crystal.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We ought to see those mules soon now,&#8221; said Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s the trail,&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;just a bit of it high up.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I see it,&#8221; replied Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We will cut it soon now,&#8221; remarked Jim, &#8220;then we will head those
+Missouri runaways.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>But before they did that, a lively dash was before them, for suddenly
+they came in full view of the upper trail for a mile or more.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There are those rascals,&#8221; cried Juarez, pointing with an excited
+hand.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;I see them,&#8221; said Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Brethren,&#8221; remarked the mule in the lead, to his long-eared comrades,
+&#8220;here come our masters to head us off. Let us run.&#8221; He wig-wagged this
+piece of news with his long ears and a waggle of his short tail. They
+understood perfectly and acted in unison. They did not trot, but
+started at a swift, sharp lope down the trail. It was fortunate for
+the packs that the boys were old mountaineers and knew how to make
+them secure else they would have been jostled into the ravine below.</p>
+
+<p>The boys cut loose at full gallop down the ravine, utterly reckless of
+what might be ahead of them. They tore through the brush, crushing
+down every obstacle in their way, determined to head those mules or
+die in the attempt. They were mad through and through, and, for one, I
+can sympathize with them. They won the race by about twenty feet.
+Caliente with one last leap was in the trail.</p>
+
+<p>The mules saw that they were intercepted and came to a halt, and
+looked at Jim and Juarez with quiet unconcern, mingled with a slight
+surprise at being so rudely interrupted in their little jaunt.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You blasted, long-eared, rat-tailed beggars, get back where you
+belong,&#8221; yelled Jim; &#8220;you hustle.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Give me a rock, I&#8217;ll help &#8217;em,&#8221; cried Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>He reached from the saddle and picked up a number of fragments of
+broken granite, and Jim did the same. Then they began to pepper those
+mules with carefully aimed stones, sometimes striking their haunches
+and sometimes their ears, keeping them at a steady jog trot up the
+grade.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Take that, Missouri!&#8221; Jim would cry, flipping a stone at the leader.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Here&#8217;s one for you, Pike County!&#8221; laughed Juarez, aiming at the
+second target.</p>
+
+<p>So they kept it up, thus getting even for all the trouble the runaways
+had made them, which was considerable. After a while they reached the
+top of the ridge, expecting to find Jo, Tom and Jeems waiting for
+them. But there was no sign of them anywhere.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What do you suppose has become of them?&#8221; inquired Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Maybe that mysterious stranger has stolen them,&#8221; suggested Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Let&#8217;s see if we cannot find their tracks,&#8221; said Juarez. This was done
+without difficulty.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Here&#8217;s a track that looks like a gorilla&#8217;s,&#8221; remarked Jim, inspecting
+the dust of the trail.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Must be Jeems&#8217;,&#8221; grinned Juarez.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;These other tootsie tracks are Tommy&#8217;s and Jo&#8217;s, I reckon,&#8221; said Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;But why did they walk instead of ride?&#8221; inquired Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;They didn&#8217;t intend to go far and thought it just as easy to walk,&#8221;
+explained Jim.</p>
+
+<p>Just then there came a faint halloo that caused the boys to look up.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s Jeems, the beanstalk,&#8221; cried Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Where?&#8221; asked Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;See that shadow standing on that rock way over yonder?&#8221; inquired Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Yes.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s him.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What do you suppose that they are doing over there?&#8221; asked Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We won&#8217;t be long in finding out,&#8221; replied Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s Jeems&#8217; castle,&#8221; said Juarez, after they had ridden a few
+hundred yards, pointing to a speck high up on the mountain side.</p>
+
+<p>Juarez was right, for Jeems and the other boys soon met them with the
+news that they had located the cabin where they hoped to find the plan
+that would give them a clue to the location of the Lost Mine.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Have a hard chase after the mules, Jim?&#8221; inquired <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span>Jo as they climbed
+up a steep slope towards the cabin.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You ought to have been along,&#8221; remarked Jim significantly.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I hope Juarez don&#8217;t let &#8217;em get away this time,&#8221; said Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;If you must worry, why don&#8217;t you take something probable,&#8221; remarked
+Jim severely. &#8220;Like Jeems running off to become a circus rider.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You would have thought that he was a circus rider sure enough,&#8221;
+laughed Jo, &#8220;if you could have seen him riding down that slope this
+morning, with his feet stuck straight out in front of him, and yelling
+whoa to &#8216;Mosquito.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I thought,&#8221; said Jeems sadly, &#8220;that if I held my feet that way that
+they would offer enough resistance to the air to stop or slow up
+Mosquito,&mdash;but they didn&#8217;t.&#8221;</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVIII" id="CHAPTER_XVIII"></a>CHAPTER XVIII</h2>
+
+<h3>THE DIAGRAM</h3>
+
+<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s the use of being a philosopher and a thinker, Jeems,&#8221; inquired
+Jim, after the roar of laughter had spent itself at his ludicrous
+remark, &#8220;if you can&#8217;t invent some way to stop a mite of a pony like
+Mosquito?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There isn&#8217;t any use trying to be a philosopher,&#8221; said Jeems frankly,
+&#8220;when you are traveling with such a hair-brained gang as you fellows.
+A philosopher has to have time to think, and things keep happening so
+fast in your company, that you don&#8217;t get time to breathe. If it isn&#8217;t
+the mules running away it is Mosquito, and so it goes.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Cheer up, Jeems,&#8221; said Jo. &#8220;Just wait until we begin to cruise around
+the world on our yacht, then you will get lots of time to
+philosophize.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t believe it,&#8221; replied Jeems skeptically. &#8220;If it isn&#8217;t pirates it
+will be sharks, and if it isn&#8217;t them it will be octopuses.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;In your case it is more likely to be the <i>mal de</i> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span><i>mer</i>,&#8221; put in Jim
+with his easy command of French. I believe he had one other phrase
+that on occasion he could use.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I suppose that they say <i>de mer</i> because they feel like demurring,&#8221;
+said Jo glibly.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;<i>Sacre bleu</i>, Jo!&#8221; cried Jim, using his other phrase. &#8220;Don&#8217;t be so
+smart.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Can&#8217;t help it,&#8221; replied Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There will be a sudden and mysterious disappearance if you don&#8217;t,&#8221;
+said Jim darkly. By this time they had climbed into clear view of
+Jeems&#8217; cabin.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Somebody has thrown a rock at your castle and caved the roof in,
+Jeems,&#8221; declared Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Lucky I wasn&#8217;t home,&#8221; replied Jeems philosophically.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It does look like an ancient ruin,&#8221; said Jim, as they finally reached
+the little shelf on which the cabin was built.</p>
+
+<p>The passing years had evidently done their worst, a large boulder had
+come down from the mountain above and crashed the roof in. The rudely
+built chimney had been partially destroyed, and rats and squirrels
+were making themselves at home. Jeems stood looking sadly at his
+former cabin, for Jeems had a strain of sentiment in him <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span>and he had
+spent three interesting and quite happy years at this spot.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s kind of like Rip Van Winkle returning home after his long
+absence, isn&#8217;t it?&#8221; inquired Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Only I don&#8217;t see my faithful dog,&#8221; replied the shepherd, waking from
+his reverie.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You must have built here for the view, Jeems,&#8221; remarked Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I used to sit out here on the shelf many a summer evening,&#8221; said
+Jeems, &#8220;and look off towards the east till it got dark. I suspect
+that&#8217;s what helped to make me kind of dreamy; those years.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Shouldn&#8217;t wonder,&#8221; said Jim.</p>
+
+<p>It was a wonderful view, and it held the boys for a minute, accustomed
+though they were to unusual scenes. There was a vastness and freedom
+about it that would be hard to equal. Range after range extended to
+the eastward, pine-clad, with deep valleys intervening; to the south
+some great rocky summits, blue, impalpable, mysterious, upon the verge
+of the horizon. Far below over a granite chasm wheeled an eagle on
+darkening wings. The wonderfully clear air was full of the murmur of
+the pines; the tone that sings of the days of primeval mystery. Far
+down below the boys could see Juarez with the horses and mules.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Hello, Juarez,&#8221; cried Jim. Then in a few seconds came the answering
+call, clear and distinct.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s wonderful how far you can hear, in this country,&#8221; said Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What are you fellows stopping so long to admire, scenery?&#8221; inquired
+Tom. &#8220;You would think that you never saw any before. Why don&#8217;t you
+investigate the ruins and see if you can&#8217;t find that plan of the &#8216;Lost
+Mine.&#8217;&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t get excited, Tommy,&#8221; urged Jim. &#8220;Maybe you won&#8217;t be elected
+President of &#8216;The Lost Mine Co.&#8217; anyway.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;d rather be Treasurer anyhow,&#8221; replied the practical Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You&#8217;ll be the janitor of the company,&#8221; said Jim severely, &#8220;because
+you have had so much experience shoveling coal on the <i>Sea Eagle</i>.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Tom&#8217;s face flushed, and there was an early promise of a mixing up,
+when Jeems intervened.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Come, boys, never mind about fixing up your company, I&#8217;ll show you
+where I hid that plan about twenty years ago.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It won&#8217;t be any good now, after all that interval,&#8221; declared the
+pessimistic Tom.</p>
+
+<p>In spite of Tom&#8217;s prophecy the boys went heartily to work to clear
+away the d&eacute;bris so they could get <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span>at the particular stone behind
+which Jeems had hidden the document.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What shape was it?&#8221; inquired Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Something like this,&#8221; replied Jeems, kicking a stone near his foot.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Maybe that&#8217;s it,&#8221; said Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;No, it isn&#8217;t. That stone was some narrower than this.&#8221; After a half
+hour&#8217;s industrious work they finally uncovered it, and very carefully
+lifted it out of its place. They leaned eagerly forward while Jim
+swept his hand around trying to locate it.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Hold a light so,&#8221; he ordered.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Aye, aye, sir,&#8221; replied Jo. Then under the quick flare of a match,
+Jim eagerly gripped a piece of yellowed cardboard.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;This is her picture, boys!&#8221; he cried, with much sentiment.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Let&#8217;s see the other side,&#8221; said Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s going to be difficult to make this out,&#8221; remarked Jim, after
+close scrutiny. He sat down upon a rock and began studying it, with
+the other boys looking over his shoulder.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That crooked line must mean a creek,&#8221; said Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I think it represents the top of a ridge,&#8221; remarked Tom.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;This other work of art below the ridge-creek appears to me to be a
+pine tree with a cross on one side of it.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You are right, Skipper,&#8221; said Jeems. &#8220;I got as far as that tree, but
+that was my limit. I could not make any headway beyond that.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It looks to me as if that design further down were a pathway with a
+mill of some kind on one side and a cabin a little further down.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Good head, Tommy,&#8221; said Jim patronizingly. &#8220;But what are those stars
+near the end of the line?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;They represent a snow storm, I guess,&#8221; said Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Oh, they do!&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;I suppose that is a hint it will be winter
+before we find anything. But what do these numbers below the stars
+mean? 400 &mdash; + 1500 &mdash; 30. Is that yards, feet, dollars, or
+doughnuts?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Isn&#8217;t that a cross marked before the 1500?&#8221; asked Tom the lynx-eyed.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I guess you are right,&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;but I don&#8217;t see as it helps any.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We might as well adjourn,&#8221; remarked Jo, &#8220;we have got our plan, and we
+can spend some time studying it out. We have had plenty of exercise
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span>for one day and we can take our time to make a good camp.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;All right,&#8221; agreed Jim. &#8220;To-morrow it&#8217;s all hands to try to locate
+the Lost Mine.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It was clear sailing now for a ways, at least so it seemed, but things
+are rarely what they seem, and there was a certain party of men not
+many miles distant whose business in that part of the country was to
+locate the Frontier Boys, but of this they only had a dim suspicion
+from the sight of the man of whom Juarez had caught a fleeting
+glimpse.</p>
+
+<p>It did not take the boys long to cover the ground between the cabin
+and the place where they had left Juarez with the horses and mules. It
+was a little over half a mile from the shelf where the cabin stood to
+the group of pines where Juarez was. The upper half of the slope was
+covered with tall tufted grass and scattered rocks. The lower part was
+a long slide of sand.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll beat you tenderfeet down,&#8221; vaunted Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Let&#8217;s get an even start and I&#8217;ll show you,&#8221; said Jo, who was in truth
+a fleet runner. &#8220;Jeems will give us the send-off, as he is the only
+one who has his revolver with him.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>So they lined up on the level place in front of the cabin, while
+Juarez, who felt that there was <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span>something in the wind, came out into
+the open and watched the proceedings with interest. He saw that a race
+was about to take place and he stood prepared to catch the winner.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Are you ready?&#8221; inquired Jeems in a shrill voice, and the three
+admitted that they were; then he extended his pistol over his head and
+fired. There was a sharp report, and away the boys leaped as though
+they, too, had been shot out of a gun. Down the steep slope they went
+over the tufted grass and rocks like bounding jack-rabbits. Jim was
+ten feet in the lead, then Jo, and Tom five feet behind him.</p>
+
+<p>My, but it was fun! I would give a good deal to be in that race. How
+the boys did jump! Jim with his long legs and stride seemed to have
+the advantage at first, but when they struck the long sand slide Jo
+began to pull up on his brother. Even the scout who was watching the
+race from a distant tree became so interested that he lost his caution
+for a moment and came into view.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I bet the little varmint beats the lanky guy,&#8221; he said to himself.</p>
+
+<p>It seemed so, for half way down the slide the &#8220;little varmint&#8221; had
+crawled up even with Jim. They were going so fast that you could not
+see <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span>them for the haze, and the gravel and sand flew from before their
+feet like spray and they leaped fifteen to twenty feet at a stride. I
+tell you it was exciting work. Jo drew ahead and beat Jim about three
+feet, it was that close, and Tom &#8220;came tumbling after.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I get the prize,&#8221; cried Jo, as soon as he could get his breath.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a silver water pitcher,&#8221; said Juarez, giving him a big tin cup.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Look out, here comes Jeems on the warpath,&#8221; cried Jim.</p>
+
+<p>They looked up and sure enough there he came full tilt, his long hair
+streaming in the breeze and his lanky legs reaching out like they were
+endowed with the wonderful seven-league boots. Here was fun.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s drunk!&#8221; cried Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;He is running away!&#8221; yelled Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Whoa, Mosquito, whoa!&#8221; screamed Jo and Tom in unison.</p>
+
+<p>The scout who was roosting in the tree a quarter of a mile below,
+became so enthused at the sight of the lanky vision striding down the
+mountainside that he became convulsed with laughter. Just then Jeems,
+who was half way down the sand <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span>slide, accompanied by the wild yells
+of the boys who were watching him, struck, in one of his flying steps,
+a partially submerged rock.</p>
+
+<p>The effect was instantaneous and surprising, such was his momentum
+that he bounced high into the air and sprawled out like a gigantic
+flying squirrel for thirty feet or more before he came to earth, or
+rather dove to sand, and was lost in a cloud of dust. The boys rushed
+to pick up the remains.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 327px;">
+<img src="images/i166.jpg" class="jpg ispace" width="327" height="500" alt="&#8220;look out, here comes jeems on the warpath.&#8221;&mdash;P. 165." title="" />
+<span class="caption">&#8220;<span class="smcap">look out, here comes jeems on the warpath</span>.&#8221;&mdash;P. <a href="#Page_165">165</a>.</span>
+</div>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIX" id="CHAPTER_XIX"></a>CHAPTER XIX</h2>
+
+<h3>THE CAMP IN THE VALLEY</h3>
+
+<p>The dust settled and they were able to see Jeems in all his outlines.
+He seemed unhurt and in the possession of all his faculties, for he
+began to spout poetry to the boys after this wise:</p>
+
+<div class="centerbox2 bbox2"><p>&#8220;From morn till noon he fell, from noon<br />
+Till dewy eve then like a falling star<br />
+Dropt from the zenith.&#8221;</p></div>
+
+<p>&#8220;Hurrah for Lucifer!&#8221; cried Jo, who knew something about literature.
+Jeems bowed.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What did you think you were, a flying squirrel?&#8221; inquired Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I didn&#8217;t think, I just flew,&#8221; said Jeems, which was true.</p>
+
+<p>This incident likewise came near getting their enemy who was in
+hiding, for when he saw Jeems Howell perform his startling evolution
+in the air, he laughed so hard that he lost his balance and came
+crashing through the branches to the ground below and he lay there
+rolling over and over, not in the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span>agony of a broken leg, but with
+uncontrollable laughter. As he told his pals later, &#8220;I never seen the
+likes of that performance. It was head and heels over any circus that
+&#8216;Green Ike&#8217; ever saw back in ole Missoury. (Green Ike so-called, not
+on account of the color of his skin, but of his eyes.) That fellar
+must have struck a spring board the way he went through the air.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>After the excitement had quieted down over Jeems Howell&#8217;s flight
+through space, the boys took up the next order of the day, which was
+&#8220;forward march to their camping place for the night.&#8221; It was now well
+along in the afternoon and the shadows were extending far down the
+slopes and across the valleys.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We must get to a place where there is good water,&#8221; said Juarez, as
+they started on their way.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I wish we could find some grazing for the horses,&#8221; mused Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a long pull into that valley down there,&#8221; remarked Jo, &#8220;but I
+guess we can make it.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t see why not,&#8221; said Tom. &#8220;Our horses have had a long rest and
+ought to make fine time.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>They did succeed in finding an excellent camping place after riding
+down the mountain slopes for about five miles. They came into quite a
+broad <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span>valley with a beautiful stream of clear tumbling water flowing
+through the midst of it, and green meadows on either side.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I bet that&#8217;s a fine trout stream,&#8221; exclaimed Tom enthusiastically.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;This is one of the best places that we ever had to camp in,&#8221; cried
+Jo. &#8220;The only place I can remember that beat it was in Mexico near the
+trembling mountain where we were all shut in.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Here&#8217;s the place for a camp,&#8221; announced Jim. &#8220;This hill is away from
+the mountain slope far enough so that no enemy can crawl down under
+the protection of the trees. Then it can be defended, if necessary.
+For some reason, I would not like to camp out on that level meadow
+to-night.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You don&#8217;t expect trouble with Indians, do you?&#8221; inquired Tom
+anxiously.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;No,&#8221; replied Jim, &#8220;but there are other bad men besides Indians.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You are right, Skipper,&#8221; said the shepherd, &#8220;we are liable to find
+the worst kind of cutthroats and ruffians in this part of the
+country.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I guess we will be able to stand &#8217;em off,&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;without calling
+in the police.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Then James swung himself off his horse at the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span>foot of the long hill;
+Tom and Jo rather stiffly, for they were not yet used to active
+mountaineering after so much sea travel, while Jeems Howell stepped
+off his little bay pony. Now ensued a scene of much activity making
+camp. Each one had his work to do and it was done promptly.</p>
+
+<p>Juarez and Jim looked after the horses; rubbed them down, looked
+carefully after any strain or sore, and it was work that they loved to
+do. When the horses were sufficiently rested they were watered and
+fed, and from their splendid condition it was evident that they were
+well cared for. Caliente, Jim&#8217;s charger, was in extra fine shape. His
+coat of mottled iron-gray fairly shone under Jim&#8217;s brushing. When he
+had time he polished his hoofs. There was a real affection between the
+horse and his master. On more than one occasion his strength and
+fleetness had saved Jim&#8217;s life. No one else was equal to controlling
+him.</p>
+
+<p>Jeems&#8217; and Tom&#8217;s work was to look after the mules, take off their
+packs and feed and water the animals. Jeems seemed to get along with
+the mules all right, much better than he did with the horses. Perhaps
+the mules were philosophers. At least they were very wise animals,
+canny and self-controlled. No mule you notice will overeat even <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span>when
+he has a chance, but with a horse it is different.</p>
+
+<p>Jo&#8217;s duties were very active ones. He had to move the goods, saddles,
+etc., into camp, and then get the wood for the fire. By this time one
+of the other boys would be free to help rig up the tent and another
+would fetch water. It was a lively, interesting scene and the boys
+enjoyed it thoroughly.</p>
+
+<p>Within an hour the work was all done, and the horses were grazing,
+with evident enjoyment of the freedom of roaming around over the wide
+meadow with its growth of luxuriant grass, this after the hard day&#8217;s
+pull. The boys had built a roaring fire of logs fed by long pine
+cones, for the nights were cold at that altitude.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;This would make a pretty fair sort of a fort,&#8221; said Juarez, &#8220;if we
+had to defend it.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Not as good as the one Jim and I had when the Apaches attacked us in
+New Mexico, when we were separated from Tom and the Captain,&#8221; remarked
+Jo wisely.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That was a natural fort,&#8221; put in Jim, &#8220;but as Juarez says, we could
+stand off a crowd here, if we had a chance to fix it up a bit.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s lucky that it stands clear of the mountain on this side, so that
+an enemy could not attack us <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span>from shelter,&#8221; remarked Juarez. &#8220;It must
+be nearly three-quarters of a mile to the foot of the mountain on this
+side of the valley; perhaps further.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;This hill must be all of one hundred and fifty feet high,&#8221; said Tom.
+&#8220;I should like to see a crowd of Indians charge it.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You wouldn&#8217;t,&#8221; put in Juarez. &#8220;They never do a trick like that, but
+would hang around until we were starved out.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I tell you, lads, it won&#8217;t be the Indians who will give us trouble,&#8221;
+remarked Jeems Howell, &#8220;but a gang of renegade white men and
+half-breeds. That&#8217;s the crowd that will be on our trail.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I have a sort of feeling that there is a lion in our path,&#8221; quoth
+James. &#8220;We will never get in the vicinity of the &#8216;Lost Mine&#8217; without a
+fight. You mark my words. The sooner it comes the better.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I guess we had better get the horses corraled, hadn&#8217;t we, Skipper?&#8221;
+inquired Juarez. &#8220;It&#8217;s beginning to get dark.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Right you are,&#8221; agreed Jim. &#8220;They have had a two-hour graze. We will
+take them down to water and then bring them into camp. Jo, you stay
+here and guard the goods.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Aye, aye, sir,&#8221; said Jo.</p>
+
+<p>It was already growing dusk when the boys started across the level
+meadow to get the animals. They had no difficulty in picking up the
+trailing lariats. Only the mules acted rather queer. Their long ears
+were pitched forward and they were gazing fixedly in the direction of
+the mountain back of the camp. Then Missouri, the leader, a big
+buckskin with a brown stripe down his back, suddenly put his ears back
+and began to squeal loud and viciously.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s the matter with old Missouri?&#8221; inquired Jeems anxiously. &#8220;You
+don&#8217;t suppose that the grass has given him a pain in his tummy?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;No,&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;the old chap scents trouble of some kind.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Maybe it&#8217;s a mountain lion,&#8221; suggested Tom, &#8220;that would make him act
+up.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Maybe,&#8221; admitted Jim.</p>
+
+<p>Now they had arrived at the stream that was roaring through the
+meadow. It was no brook either, but a brawling stream about forty feet
+in width, very clear and wonderfully cold, as it came from the
+snow-clad summits to the northwest. There were a good many large
+boulders that checked its course and made a roaring music in <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span>the
+quiet of the valley. It was a full half mile from the hill where the
+camp was.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;This would be a fine stream for trout,&#8221; remarked Tom. &#8220;I wish we were
+going to stop in this valley long enough to give us a chance for some
+sport, but I suppose we will get up about four o&#8217;clock in the morning
+and chase over the mountains all day and then make a dry camp where
+our animals will be stampeded by the Indians.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You certainly are a croaker, Tommy,&#8221; laughed Jim heartily, for Tom&#8217;s
+pessimistic prophecies never failed to amuse his big brother, &#8220;but
+cheer up, I have about decided to stop here in the valley for a day or
+two and give the children a good time.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It won&#8217;t be a bad idea, Skipper,&#8221; remarked Juarez, &#8220;because it will
+give the horses a good rest and they have had a long, hard pull of it
+the past ten days, and will put them in good condition for the rest of
+the trip; perhaps, too, we can get a deer or two around here.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There formerly was and ought now to be deer in this valley or near
+it,&#8221; put in Jeems. &#8220;This is just the kind of place for them to come
+for grazing and pasture.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It will help fill out our larder, too,&#8221; said Tom.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;You mean our stomachs,&#8221; said Jeems whimsically, after his fashion.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I would like a mess of trout,&#8221; remarked Tom. &#8220;I&#8217;m tired of salt
+horse.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s the matter with Missouri?&#8221; said Jeems, &#8220;he won&#8217;t drink.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You can&#8217;t make him then,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;A mule is sure stubborn.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The rest of the animals appeared willing enough, but it took quite a
+while, as only one could come down to the stream at a time. The banks,
+though not high, were cut through the turf and there was only one spot
+where there was a broken place and a couple of stones where the horses
+and mules could step down to the stream.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I guess Jo will begin to wonder what has become of us,&#8221; said Jim, as
+the last horse drank his fill.</p>
+
+<p>When they turned the animals&#8217; heads towards the camp it had grown
+dark, while the great valley was filled with the loneliness and the
+deep shadows of the night. There was nothing to break the stillness
+but the tune of the tumbling stream and the monotone of the pine-clad
+slopes rising blackly on either side of the valley. The light of the
+campfire upon the hill sent up its distant glow.</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XX" id="CHAPTER_XX"></a>CHAPTER XX</h2>
+
+<h3>A SURPRISE</h3>
+
+<p>Let us now return to Jo to keep him company during the absence of his
+brethren and companion-in-arms. He sat down by the fire on a rock with
+his legs stretched out before him, for he was rather tired, and his
+hands clasped back of his head. All about him were the shadows of the
+trees, but he was perfectly at his ease, though it would have been
+lonesome enough if he had not known that the rest of the gang was
+near.</p>
+
+<p>Still it would have been better if he had kept closer watch, for
+already the Frontier Boys had received warning that they were being
+trailed, and Jo should have seated himself in the door of the tent so
+that his back would have been protected, and he would have had the
+benefit of the fire just the same. He likewise naturally trusted to
+Jeems&#8217; shepherd dog to give him warning. The dog lay near the front of
+the tent with his nose over his paws and his brown eyes blinking
+toward the blaze.</p>
+
+<p>It was his presence that saved Jo at this time, nothing else. Shep
+jumped to his feet with a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span>growl that grated along his back teeth, a
+growl that meant business and serious business, too.</p>
+
+<p>Let us see what was the cause of Shep&#8217;s alarm. Just a little after the
+boys had left the hill to take the horses to water, the figure of a
+man could be seen coming stealthily out of the shadow of the pines
+upon the slope.</p>
+
+<p>He maneuvered so that the hill was between him and Skipper Jim&#8217;s
+party, then he stood straight up and walked stealthily and carefully,
+but nevertheless swiftly, towards the camp. The man had made a slight
+miscalculation, for he supposed that the camp was deserted and that he
+could take what he wanted and destroy the rest before the boys could
+return. A crooked smile came over his face as he made his evil plans.
+He would go through the camp, take what was valuable, throw what he
+could not use on the campfire and as a last touch he would set fire to
+the tent.</p>
+
+<p>Then as the tenderfeet came rushing back filled with anger and fear at
+the sight of the burning tent, he would easily make his escape through
+the darkness to the protection of the mountains, where these boys
+would never get him. He would have, too, his booty, which he would
+hide in a cave he knew of, so that he would not have to divide with
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span>his gang. It was a beautiful plan and it appealed to him in several
+ways.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Those American pigs,&#8221; he said, &#8220;they think through their snouts. They
+do not know enough to guard their camp in this country.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>But as we know, there was something of a surprise in store for this
+enterprising gentleman. It is evident that he was not the same fellow
+that Juarez had detected skulking in the woods that morning, for this
+was a Mexican who was stalking the boys&#8217; camp. He came swiftly through
+the grass, with a silence born of custom. It was well for him that he
+did, else Jo would have been on his trail in a minute.</p>
+
+<p>The Greaser, for such he deserves to be called, went cautiously up the
+slope of the hill, following a small depression which was a
+watercourse during the rainstorms. When he got within two-thirds of
+the top, he stopped as though he had been struck, for there was the
+figure of Jo seated on the rock between him and the fire. For a second
+his jaw dropped and his eyes opened wide. Then his cunning ferocity
+came to him.</p>
+
+<p>A tall bush and several trees intervened between him and Jo, utterly
+unconscious of his danger. Without a sound he crawled along, his
+poniard <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span>gripped between the gleam of his strong white teeth, which
+gave him a snarling and sinister appearance. His plan was evident. He
+did not dare to risk a shot, for that would give the alarm and he
+would have no chance for loot.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile, Jo continued entirely unconscious of the treacherous
+approach of this unseen foe. Jo was not thinking of any danger and his
+mind was far away on an excursion of its own, dreaming of the far
+corners of the earth to which they would sail, if by good fortune they
+found the treasure of the Lost Mine.</p>
+
+<p>But Jo was in an ace of taking a longer journey than any that he was
+at that moment dreaming of. The Mexican had got almost within striking
+distance of Jo and had risen to his feet, not seeing the dog, and was
+just drawing back his arm to throw the fatal knife when Shep gave his
+growl of warning at the figure he saw in the shadow back of his
+master.</p>
+
+<p>If Jo had been careless before he made up for it now. His experience
+stood him in good stead, for instead of rising to his feet to confront
+the danger as a tenderfoot would have done, he dropped down behind the
+rock as quickly as a pugilist ducks his opponent&#8217;s lead. It was all
+that <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span>saved him. &#8220;Swish&#8221; swept the knife with a flash of steel through
+the air, where Jo&#8217;s body had been the second before. Jo&#8217;s pistol was
+in the tent on a box, but his hand, as he dropped, touched a stone.
+The reader perhaps remembers what an accurate shot Jo was with a ball
+or rock. If his memory goes back far enough he will recall what Jo did
+to the Apache when he was trying to sneak up on the boys&#8217; fort in New
+Mexico.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the Mexican saw that he had missed his aim, he started to
+run. Jo saw his dark form a few feet away and hurled the rock,
+striking him behind the left shoulder and half knocking him down. Jo,
+the fleet of foot, was upon him in a couple of bounds, and now a
+furious struggle ensued between Jo and the Mexican. The Greaser was
+strong and wiry, also very desperate. Once he had Jo nearly gone, as
+he threw him to his knees, and put his weight upon his back to crush
+him down.</p>
+
+<p>With a quick shift Jo got to his feet again, and the struggle was
+renewed. Jo finally got his man near a rock that stood up a foot and a
+half above the ground. Exerting all of his lithe strength he shoved
+him back so that his heels struck the rock. As the man toppled, Jo
+threw his whole weight <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span>against him, and back he went with tremendous
+force, striking his head against a pine tree.</p>
+
+<p>This laid the Greaser out and Jo, panting heavily, dragged him into
+the firelight and in a minute more had him tied securely. Then he sat
+down on a rock, breathing hard, just as the voices of the returning
+boys could be heard at the foot of the hill as they were bringing in
+the horses. Jo said nothing, but sat quietly, knowing how surprised
+the boys would be to see this new addition to the family circle.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Didn&#8217;t see any wild Injuns, did you, Jo?&#8221; It was Jim&#8217;s cheery voice.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Narry Injun,&#8221; replied Jo. Just then Caliente began to act up, surging
+around with his ears back and plunging to get away from Jim. Either he
+saw the Mexican or suspected his presence.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Whoa, you Tiger!&#8221; cried Jim, but he had quite a tussle with him
+before he got him subdued. Even then Caliente kept snorting at
+intervals, with his nostrils dilating. Then the boys came toward the
+campfire from the shadow of the trees. Meanwhile Jo had thrown a
+blanket over the inert form of the Mexican, and he looked like an
+irregular log of wood.</p>
+
+<p>Perhaps this was not a very gallant way to treat <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span>one&#8217;s fallen foe,
+but you are not apt to feel very kindly towards a man who has just
+tried to throw a knife into your back. So Jo did not care much if he
+was sat upon and used for a sofa. This particular log was placed
+convenient to the fire.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You look rather rumpled and pale, Jo,&#8221; grinned Jim. &#8220;Did a hoot owl
+scare you while we were gone?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I bet Jo was hiding in the tent,&#8221; jeered Tom, &#8220;with his head in the
+blankets.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Jo looked kind of sheepish and very red in the face. It was evident
+that he was struggling with some hidden emotion. Jim started to sit
+down upon the convenient log, and Tom likewise, the latter growling:</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You always try to get the best of everything.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Then they sat down upon the supposed log. To their utter surprise and
+ultimate horror, the log began to twist and turn.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Whoopee!&#8221; yelled Tom, leaping six feet, it seemed, into the air,
+&#8220;it&#8217;s a snake!&#8221; Jim rose more slowly, but very pale. He was deeply
+moved, not to say frightened. &#8220;Sancte Maria, Sancte Sebastina!&#8221; seemed
+the words issuing from the muffled folds of the blanket. Jim tore it
+off and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span>there was the Mexican whom Jo had had the round-up with.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What!&#8221; cried Jim; &#8220;who is this?&#8221; Jeems&#8217; head was now looking between
+the flaps of the tent, into which he had dived headfirst when the log
+came to life.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s one of the gang that has been trailing us,&#8221; cried Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>Jo was rolling around in paroxysms of laughter.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Whoopee!&#8221; he cried in imitation of brother Tom, &#8220;it&#8217;s a snake,&#8221; then
+he went off into another fit.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You durned idiot,&#8221; yelled the incensed Tom, &#8220;shut up laughing. I
+guess that fellow is a snake. You might have scared me into breaking a
+blood vessel.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I came near scaring you into breaking the record for the high jump,&#8221;
+panted Jo, weak from laughter.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;But where did you capture this specimen, Jo?&#8221; asked Jim with a quiet
+smile. To tell the truth he was somewhat chagrined, for he could not
+deny even to himself that he had been badly frightened by Jo&#8217;s trick.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Look a here, boys,&#8221; cried Jeems, &#8220;here is <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span>where a knife has gone
+clean through the corner of this tent.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Sure enough,&#8221; agreed Jim, examining the cut in the canvas.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Here&#8217;s the weapon,&#8221; said Juarez, who was quick to follow up a trail
+of any kind. He brought the dagger to the firelight, and they looked
+at it with interest. It had a very keen blade, sharp-pointed and two
+edged. The handle was richly engraved and of silver.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;How is this, Jo?&#8221; inquired Jim. &#8220;Tell us the whole story even if it
+implicates your friend here, the human log.&#8221; There was a grim quality
+in Jim&#8217;s voice which made the Mexican roll his eyes viciously.</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXI" id="CHAPTER_XXI"></a>CHAPTER XXI</h2>
+
+<h3>THE GREASER</h3>
+
+<p>&#8220;You are certainly a great chap for collecting knives,&#8221; said Jim
+admiringly to his brother Jo. &#8220;Somebody is always giving you one or
+throwing it at you. Remember that Indian friend of yours who crept up
+on you that night in Kansas and threw the bowie at you?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m not likely to forget that souvenir,&#8221; grinned Jo. &#8220;But this fellow
+certainly was going to give me the best surprise of all. Was it not
+so, Se&ntilde;or Manuello Greasero?&#8221; and Jo gave the fellow a contemptuous
+stir with his foot and the Mexican responded with an open-mouthed
+snarl for all the world like a wild cat when you poke a stick at him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It was a dirty, treacherous piece of business,&#8221; said Jim, his face
+growing dark with anger. &#8220;I&#8217;m going to put this fellow to the
+question.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>But they made no headway with the prisoner, as he maintained a
+stubborn silence about himself and his associates. Finally Jim, tired
+and disgusted, rose to his feet and looked down at the Mexican.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Give me that dagger, Jo,&#8221; he said. Jo handed over the silver-handled
+weapon, while the Mexican watched Jim with eyes of concentrated hate.
+He believed his last hour had come.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Have you got anything to say for yourself?&#8221; inquired Jim savagely, as
+he felt the edge of the knife with his thumb.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I want to see a priest,&#8221; croaked the Mexican in a hoarse voice.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I can furnish you with a philosopher,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;Here, Jeems, can
+you offer any advice to this cutthroat or consolation either?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I haven&#8217;t any license to talk to the likes of him,&#8221; said Jeems
+gravely. &#8220;He wants a guarantee for the next life and I won&#8217;t give it
+to him. But I can tell him one thing, if he don&#8217;t hang now, he will
+later.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>When the Mexican saw that his life was going to be spared, he may have
+been surprised, but he showed no sign of gratitude. It was now time
+for the boys to turn in, but of course the camp was not left without a
+guard. The night was divided up into watches. Tom was to watch until
+eleven; then Jeems Howell was to have the watch until one; Jim to
+three; Juarez to five, and Jo the hour until six.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span></p><p>It was necessary to keep up a moderate fire, for the hours toward
+midnight were very cold. Tom kept moving around briskly when the
+others had turned into the tent.</p>
+
+<p>The boys did not lay awake a minute, for they were wholesomely tired
+and the clear, cold air, touched with the fragrance of the pines,
+caused them to sleep sound and hard. The light from the fire shone
+into the tent where the boys were stretched out, wrapped in their
+blankets. They did not have to sleep with one eye open, because they
+had confidence that the one on guard would warn them if any danger
+approached.</p>
+
+<p>Tom, as I have said, was on the alert. He moved around the camp,
+seeing that the horses were all right and going down the slope of the
+hill a ways in the darkness if he heard any suspicious sound, with his
+pistol gripped firmly in his hand and the faithful Shep pattering
+along at his heels. The dog was a good deal of company for Tom. Then
+they would return to the fire where the Mexican lay bound, with his
+hat pulled down over his head, but with his shifty black eyes
+continually on the alert. If he had any plan, he had no chance to
+carry it out while Tom was on duty.</p>
+
+<p>At eleven o&#8217;clock promptly, Tom stole into the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span>tent, and stepping
+over Juarez waked up Jeems, who sat up with a tousled head of hair and
+sadly sleepy, but he took it all like a philosopher, and stooped out
+of the tent to take his watch on deck. A slight change had come over
+the weather. A few dark and heavy clouds were drifting high across the
+valley and there was a steady roar of wind among the pines upon the
+mountain slopes.</p>
+
+<p>The prisoner noticed the change of guard with interest. &#8220;I am thirsty,
+Se&ntilde;or,&#8221; he said. The philosopher went and procured for him a drink. &#8220;A
+little closer to the fire now, Se&ntilde;or. I feel cold.&#8221; The shepherd did
+as requested.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t ask me to make tea for you now, because I would have to
+refuse.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The man gave no sign that he understood, and Jeems went back to the
+horses to see how they were getting along. It was quite a family party
+of animals and if one had been gone the others would have missed him
+sadly.</p>
+
+<p>They were all fastened to rather small trees back of the tent. The
+mules stood with heads slightly bent and perfectly still. Jeems went
+up to old Missouri, pulling his long ears affectionately, and his
+muleship did not seem to mind it in the least. As Jeems often said,
+they were kindred souls. The ponies stood with drooping heads. Jo&#8217;s
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span>horse had his head resting over the neck of Tom&#8217;s, for they were
+quite chums.</p>
+
+<p>But Jim&#8217;s Caliente seemed restless and not quiet like the others. He
+had a good-sized pine for his anchorage, and was in the center of the
+group, while the others were tied in a circle around him. He was
+shaking his head and stamping his feet, but Jeems could not find that
+there was anything especially the matter with him.</p>
+
+<p>Just then the shepherd thought he heard something moving, or creeping
+through the brush below and he went cautiously down to investigate. He
+had got below the crest of the hill, about fifty feet, when he was
+sure that he saw something crouching and moving swiftly off through
+the darkness. He cried halt and was about to fire his revolver at it
+when the object disappeared as though the earth had swallowed it up.
+Then, too, Jeems was not a very ready hand with a pistol; few
+philosophers are; it requires an impulsive temperament to shoot
+offhand. Jeems made his way back to the camp debating in his mind
+whether he should wake up the boys and tell them what he had seen.
+This question was settled for him as soon as he arrived in front of
+the tent. One glance was enough, he saw that the Mexican prisoner had
+escaped. He was evidently clean gone.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;He&#8217;s gone, boys,&#8221; cried Jeems, sticking his head into the tent.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Who&#8217;s gone?&#8221; they cried, simultaneously sitting up.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The Mexican,&#8221; replied Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;How long?&#8221; cried Jim, getting outside of the tent in a jiffy.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I haven&#8217;t been gone over five minutes, maybe eight, though,&#8221; he added
+reflectively.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Good riddance to bad rubbish,&#8221; was Jim&#8217;s verdict.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m glad we do not have to have him around anyway,&#8221; chimed in Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;But how did the beggar get away?&#8221; inquired Juarez. &#8220;He was tied tight
+enough, I reckon.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Here&#8217;s the answer,&#8221; said Jim, stooping over and picking up a piece of
+rope that lay on the edge of the circle of the firelight.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Why, it has been burned through!&#8221; exclaimed Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Exactly,&#8221; replied Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;How did he get close enough to the fire to do that?&#8221; asked Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I would have thought that he would have burnt himself up,&#8221; said Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It was simple enough,&#8221; explained Jim. &#8220;A <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span>coal rolled close to him
+and he was able to get the rope that tied his hands against it and
+burnt through, and the rest was easy.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That was a pretty good trick,&#8221; said Juarez. &#8220;We will have to remember
+that.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I would be afraid of burning myself,&#8221; objected Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That Mexican wouldn&#8217;t feel it if you did put a live coal on him,&#8221;
+quoth Juarez. &#8220;They don&#8217;t mind heat.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I bet he gets his gang on our trail,&#8221; said Jo. &#8220;We will have to look
+out for trouble from now on.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We will be ready for them,&#8221; remarked Jim significantly.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It looks a little bit like a thunderstorm, boys,&#8221; said Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We had better peg that tent down tighter,&#8221; said Jo. &#8220;It is going to
+blow, too, in a short while.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The boys did not get things ship-shape any too soon. The black clouds
+were drifting in a gloomy procession over the great valley, then came
+a flash that showed the expanse of the level meadow in a green-white
+color and the somber pine-clad slopes, then the wind and rain
+together.</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXII" id="CHAPTER_XXII"></a>CHAPTER XXII</h2>
+
+<h3>HAIL</h3>
+
+<p>The storm drifted steadily northward over the valley with its
+accompanying flashes of lightning, followed by volleys of rain mingled
+with the shot of hail. As soon as the boys heard the hail on the
+canvas roof of their tent they hustled out to put blankets on their
+horses, so as to protect them from the beating hail. They moved them
+under the protecting branches as much as possible and made them as
+snug as they could.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Remember the time we got into a hail storm in Kansas?&#8221; questioned Jo,
+as they walked back through the beating white pellets, that were
+getting larger every minute.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That was fun,&#8221; laughed Tom. &#8220;We pretended that the hail was bullets
+and the one who was struck on the head was to be dead.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You were it,&#8221; declared Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I was not,&#8221; said Tom decidedly.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We will leave it to this storm to decide,&#8221; said Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;All right,&#8221; agreed Tom.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Jeems to be the referee,&#8221; said Jo.</p>
+
+<p>This was likewise acceptable to Tom. The hail was now coming faster
+and of good size, about as big as the end of one&#8217;s thumb, but the boys
+did not seem to mind as they slouched along with their sombreros
+pulled down around their ears, thus affording pretty fair protection.
+Just then a big bullet of hail struck fairly on top of Tom&#8217;s skull and
+bounced, the others saw, about six inches into the air.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Hurrah!&#8221; yelled Jo, &#8220;that proves it. You are it again. Isn&#8217;t he
+judge?&#8221; this to Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You mean hit again, not &#8217;it. I fear you are English,&#8221; replied Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t insult me,&#8221; said Jo, &#8220;I&#8217;m plain U. S. Southwest. But isn&#8217;t Tom
+out?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Yes,&#8221; replied Jeems, &#8220;he is.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What!&#8221; cried Tom in great surprise, &#8220;did something strike me.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I always thought your head was thick,&#8221; replied Jo contemptuously,
+&#8220;now I&#8217;m sure of it.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>By this time they had reached the shelter of the tent and stood
+looking out at the antics of the hail as it danced upon the hard
+ground and leaped from the surface of the rocks, and spatted into fire
+until a steam arose into the air. In a short time the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span>ground was
+covered with several inches of whiteness.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Did you boys ever hear that old circus joke?&#8221; inquired Jeems, looking
+musingly out at the jumping hail.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Not recently,&#8221; said Jo. &#8220;Fire away, Jeems, and relieve your mind.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well, in the circus they have a king rigged up on a throne. Him in a
+red robe and a tinsel crown. All the varlets come in and bow low
+before his majesty. Then comes the clown and bows lower than the
+others.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;&#8216;Hail! Hail!&#8217; he cries.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;&#8216;How dare you hail,&#8217; roars the king, &#8216;when I&#8217;m reigning!&#8217; Then the
+crowd yells.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That isn&#8217;t so worse, Jeems,&#8221; laughed Jo, and the rest joined in.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s the difference, boys,&#8221; questioned Jim, &#8220;between rain and a
+hen?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Give it up,&#8221; said the chorus.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The one lays the dust and the other dost lay.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Then Jim leaped out of the tent to get away from the boys, who would
+have combined and given him a good licking in token of their
+appreciation of his brilliant wit. It was his turn to keep watch,
+anyway, and so he stayed out under a tree, while the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span>boys went
+peacefully to sleep, with the hail beating on the canvas roof of their
+tent, confident that with Jim on deck they would be safe enough.</p>
+
+<p>How about the vanished Mexican? He had made his escape as Jim had
+said. Though stiff from being tightly bound and suffering from the
+blow he had got from the stone that Jo had thrown at him, he made
+quick time to the pine-clad slope of the mountain. He seemed to know
+the way even through the darkness of the forest of pine. After going
+half a mile he saw the outline of his horse hitched to a sapling.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as he was mounted he turned his animal&#8217;s head down the slope
+until he came to the edge of the meadow. There he stopped for a moment
+and looked towards the star of the boys&#8217; campfire upon the hill, then
+he shook his fist in their direction, with an imprecation and a threat
+of what was going to happen to them in a short time. Finally he turned
+his mustang&#8217;s head up the valley and rode at a slow dog trot through
+the darkness, groaning considerably with the pain that the jolting
+gave him.</p>
+
+<p>In a short time the storm overtook him and the falling hail made his
+pony hump himself threateningly, but his rider gave him a dig with his
+long <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span>and cruel spurs in the flank and that furnished the broncho with
+something else to think about. After several miles of hard travel, the
+two began going up steadily, along a narrow and steep trail, with the
+brawling stream below. The valley had narrowed into a deep canyon with
+great walls of pale granite, and uncountable black pines growing
+everywhere.</p>
+
+<p>The hail made the trail slippery and once the horse came near slipping
+into the depths of the gorge below, but with a tremendous straining
+effort the plucky animal scrambled back to safety. It was evident that
+his rider was born to be hanged, for he seemed able to escape every
+other form of death. Having regained the trail, he rode on for some
+distance, then he turned into a side canyon, and his knowing horse
+took him through the labyrinth of trees, until there appeared a light
+of a campfire at the end of the trail. The gaunt forms of some men
+could be seen moving around it.</p>
+
+<p>One of the men heard the approach of the Mexican and gave the alarm.
+In an instant no one was in sight, but there were a number of guns
+ready to take the number of the stranger whoever he might be. But the
+Mexican was on to their little ways. He reined in his horse, gave a
+low whistle, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span>and called out something in Spanish and then rode up to
+the group.</p>
+
+<p>There were eight in the gang, including the stout red-necked man who
+had given the boys a chase early in the morning. The evident leader of
+the crowd was a lanky young fellow whose unusual length of limb did
+not indicate any frailty of physique. He was a man to be dreaded in
+any encounter. Gus Gols had a rather shock head of light hair, one
+bunch always sticking up; high cheek bones, a skin of dully burnished
+red, and rather small blue eyes, both keen and insolent in their gaze.
+He had a queer, aggressive way of hooking his head forward when
+speaking that was very noticeable.</p>
+
+<p>He was not vicious in speech, but he was in action, and was one of the
+most dangerous characters in the West. He had been cowboy, cattle
+rustler and road agent in different parts of the country west of the
+Missouri. Now he was at the head of a desperate gang who raided far
+and wide, taking gold from the pack trains or from the individual
+miner, where he had struck it rich; even making raids on the
+settlements on the western slope of the Sierras.</p>
+
+<p>It appeared as though the Frontier Boys were <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span>walking directly into
+the jaws of this desperate gang. They were already trailing them and
+might pounce upon them at any time. Physically it would seem that Jim
+himself would be no match for &#8220;Big Gus,&#8221; as he was generally known in
+that section of the woods, but two of them, say Jim and Juarez, would
+have made it interesting for him.</p>
+
+<p>Gus Gols listened to his Mexican&#8217;s story of adventure with much
+impassiveness, then he got slowly to his feet. He had made no comment
+to break the course of the Greaser&#8217;s narrative, only eyeing him
+occasionally with a squint of his hard blue eyes.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t see, Mike&#8221; (his true name was Miquel Jos&eacute; Maria, etc.), &#8220;why
+them fellars down there in the valley didn&#8217;t choke the breath out of
+your black carcass; they must be soft ones, and I&#8217;m going to git their
+horses pretty soon now. I&#8217;m going to turn in, and I don&#8217;t want you
+boys raising Cain around here. If you want to do any chawing be quiet
+about it, understand?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>They understood perfectly; Miguel Jos&eacute; Maria, better known as &#8220;Mike,&#8221;
+looking blackly at the slouching figure of &#8220;the boss,&#8221; as the giant
+stooped his head through the low doorway of the cabin. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span>What he
+muttered to himself was complimentary neither to Big Gus&#8217; character
+nor career, but he stood in great fear of him nevertheless. It was
+characteristic of Gus Gols&#8217; shrewdness that his gang was made up for
+the most part of Mexicans and half-breeds, with only two white men for
+lieutenants.</p>
+
+<p>He could dominate these mongrels and make them subservient. Also they
+had to be satisfied with a small part of the spoils, while with a gang
+of white men he would have been obliged to have divided up evenly and
+he would constantly have had to prove his right to leadership. He had
+drilled his motley crew until they were a very dangerous band of
+outlaws. Naturally the Mexicans and half-breeds were poor shots, but
+Big Gus had trained them until he had made good marksmen out of them,
+and cool under fire. He had used threats, cajolery and even occasional
+money prizes to obtain this result.</p>
+
+<p>From this it was evident that the Frontier Boys had their work cut out
+for them, with this dangerous gang barring their way and liable to
+attack them at any time. Gus Gols was even now making his plans for an
+ambush or a raid. The reports that his scouts had brought him in
+regard to the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span>boys&#8217; horses had made him greedy to get hold of them.</p>
+
+<p>His own horseflesh was not in the best of shape. Besides, he needed
+ammunition and other supplies which the boys had so thoughtfully
+brought along. He chuckled to himself as he saw how easy it all was.
+What chance would those tenderfoot kids have against his cunning
+courage, strength and the odds of numbers? He would eat them alive. In
+truth there seemed excellent ground for his confidence and it would
+take something besides luck to save Jim and his followers at this
+crisis. It would require hard fighting and skillful strategy.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The Boss is planning some devilment or ruther,&#8221; said the red-faced
+scout to the other white man. &#8220;It&#8217;s a sartain sign when he chuckles to
+himself that a-way.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Your diagnosis is correct, Ephraim,&#8221; replied his pal, giving his
+black moustache a delicate twist.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Better not let Big Gus hear you use such language, Edgar,&#8221; said Eph,
+&#8220;because he&#8217;s kind of tetchy sometimes.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Edgar only laughed. He was an odd sheep to be in such a fold, for he
+looked more like a consumptive than an outlaw; his face had a decided
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span>pallor, and he was subject to a hacking cough. It was evident that he
+also gave some attention to dress and a real diamond shone in his
+shirt front, once white, but now of a dubious grime.</p>
+
+<p>But make no mistake. Next to the Boss he was the most dangerous man in
+the pack. He was a man with a certain amount of education, but it did
+him no good, and if he got near a piano, he could make it hum with
+harmony. His chief accomplishment, however, and one which made him
+valuable to his chief, was his ability to use a revolver with rapidity
+and precision.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You fellars better turn in;&#8221; it was the voice of Gus Gols; &#8220;I&#8217;m
+liable to give yer somethin&#8217; besides conversation in a day or two. I
+want yer to look pink and purty if we should happen to meet them swell
+tenderfeet. Shet up now.&#8221; They &#8220;shet.&#8221;</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIII" id="CHAPTER_XXIII"></a>CHAPTER XXIII</h2>
+
+<h3>A HOLIDAY</h3>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s going to be a fine day,&#8221; said Jim. He was standing in front of
+the tent on the hill and taking a preliminary look at the sky. It
+certainly had the appearance of being just as he said. The sun was
+sweeping the shining length of the valley with his fresh and early
+beams and there were a few fair, faint clouds drawn across the broad
+blue brow of morning.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s nothing like the first break of day in the mountains,&#8221; said
+Jeems. &#8220;I&#8217;ve seen it a hundred times and I never get tired of it.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It certainly makes you feel fine and fit, this air after a night&#8217;s
+sleep,&#8221; said Jo, who stood poised on the edge of the hill, with his
+hands resting lightly on his hips. He did look fit as he said, and the
+rest of the boys, too, with their sunbrowned faces and sinewy figures,
+every pound of which was bone and muscle. It gave one more confidence
+in their ability to stand off the outlaws. One look into their keen,
+alert eyes showed that they were not to be caught napping, either.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;What&#8217;s the program for to-day, Skipper?&#8221; asked Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Juarez and I are going after deer or any other game we can get,&#8221; said
+Jim. &#8220;The rest of you can do what you feel like, only don&#8217;t overexert
+yourselves.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m going fishing,&#8221; declared Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Me too,&#8221; chimed in Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I shall stay at home then,&#8221; said Jeems, &#8220;and look after things until
+you children get back. I shan&#8217;t mind a quiet day with no callers.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t be too sure about there being no callers, Jeems,&#8221; warned
+Juarez. &#8220;Remember what happened to Jo last evening and be careful or
+you will be among the missing.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t know why the other party shouldn&#8217;t be among the missing,&#8221;
+declared Jeems. &#8220;I&#8217;m a terrible fighter when I get started.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You would stop when the other fellow said &#8216;ouch,&#8217;&#8221; remarked Tom, &#8220;and
+get a drink of water.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m not much of a mule when it comes to holding a grudge, and certain
+that&#8217;s a fact,&#8221; admitted Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You&#8217;re all right,&#8221; declared Jim with earnestness.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Sure you are,&#8221; said the chorus, and Jeems in acknowledgment bowed
+low.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I thank your Royal Highnesses for your appreciation of your humble
+servant,&#8221; he said.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You&#8217;re welcome,&#8221; replied Jim briefly.</p>
+
+<p>Jim and Juarez were soon on their chargers, and they made a fine
+appearance; Jim on his powerful animal, Caliente, with his strong,
+arched neck, body and hindquarters built for speed, and shoulders to
+crash through all barriers of an enemy; his gray mottled coat fairly
+glistened in the sun.</p>
+
+<p>Juarez&#8217;s roan was a smaller horse than Caliente, but he, too, was
+fleet and of tireless endurance. He was somewhat wall-eyed and vicious
+at times, but Juarez was the master. The story of the capture of the
+horses is told in &#8220;Frontier Boys in Mexico,&#8221; so I will not rehearse it
+here.</p>
+
+<p>No sooner had the two horsemen left the hill than they whirled their
+rifles over their heads and gave their horses the rein. Away they
+dashed at full speed over the level meadows, near the edge of the dark
+tree-clad slopes, as though they were reviewing the vast army of the
+pines.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There they go like wild Indians,&#8221; said Tom. &#8220;We will have a quiet day
+now.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>In a few minutes Tom and Jo were going across <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span>the level meadow with
+the slender poles they had cut and the lines and hooks ready. As for
+Jeems, he proceeded to make himself comfortable, taking his blankets
+and spreading them out under the shade of a tree, stretching himself
+out upon them with his hands clasped under his head, and gazing at the
+distant clouds, drifting dreamily over the depths of blue, while there
+came through the sun-warmed air the continual murmur of insects.</p>
+
+<p>Near Jeems&#8217; side his faithful shepherd dog was curled up in lazy
+contentment, with his eyes peacefully closed, opening with an
+occasional blink, then closing again. It was a happy interval for
+Jeems, and he thoroughly enjoyed the quietness of the scene, for he
+was a philosopher by nature as well as by name, and he liked to have
+time for his own mind. &#8220;You can&#8217;t hatch thoughts unless you sit on &#8217;em
+a while,&#8221; was one of his quaint phrases.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile, Tom and Jo were walking across the sunny meadows with their
+minds filled with great expectations of the trout they were about to
+catch. It was a sort of a holiday for them, and they did not envy Jim
+and Juarez in the least, and were actually sorry for Jeems, since they
+were born fishermen. When they reached the stream they separated, Jo
+going up where there were some <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span>willow bushes overhanging the water,
+and Tom going down where he hoped to find some quiet pools.</p>
+
+<p>The whole valley was a scene of utmost peace, and no one would dream
+that there was war gathering, as it were, in the near future, but
+there undoubtedly was. The only bit of tactics that Jo had in his mind
+at present was how to get the big trout who lurked in the shadow of
+the limpid pool. He cast carefully and watched the float on his line
+with intense interest. Five minutes passed, then came the
+heart-throbbing second when the float went under and there was a
+strong, tense pull on the line. Steadily Jo pulled until there shone
+in the air a gleaming trout.</p>
+
+<p>It was a beauty with olive-green back, shading down the sides to white
+with spots of black and red. It was thirteen inches in length, and Jo
+promised himself quite a triumph over Tom when he should show him this
+prize. By noon Jo had caught ten fish varying from seven inches to a
+foot in length. He and Tom met down stream several miles, at noon.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What luck?&#8221; inquired Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Better than yours,&#8221; declared Jo proudly. &#8220;I&#8217;ve got the biggest fish.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;You have not,&#8221; said Tom, and to prove it he pulled out of his bag a
+good big trout.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There!&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Huh! You just wait,&#8221; retorted Jo, fishing into his sack. &#8220;How does
+that strike you?&#8221; and he pulled out his champion.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Let&#8217;s measure,&#8221; said Tom. Jo&#8217;s fish was a half inch longer, and he
+also had two more than his brother, for Tom had caught only eight.</p>
+
+<p>They ate their lunch on a little gravelly knoll where there were some
+pine trees not far from the stream.</p>
+
+<p>What with a couple of trout, backed by what they had brought, and the
+cold water from the stream, they fared very well, indeed.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I reckon we will do better than Jim and Juarez,&#8221; said Tom. &#8220;I don&#8217;t
+believe that they will get anything.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We ought to do well this afternoon,&#8221; said Jo.</p>
+
+<p>And they did. By four o&#8217;clock they had a joint catch of thirty-five
+trout, and decided that was enough for the present. At Jo&#8217;s suggestion
+they decided to give Jeems a surprise. So they approached the hill
+with due care, making their attack on the side towards the slope of
+the mountain which was best protected. They began their <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span>stealthy
+crawl up through the pine trees, until they came in sight of the camp.</p>
+
+<p>The first evidence they saw of Jeems was his feet sticking out, being
+quite prominent in their blue socks with white tips, he having removed
+his boots for comfort. His back was against a big pine, and he was
+peacefully asleep. Before he could move a rope was passed quickly
+around his chest and he was bound firmly to the tree by unseen hands.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Help!&#8221; he yelled. &#8220;Tom, Jo, come here quick, they&#8217;ve got me!&#8221;</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIV" id="CHAPTER_XXIV"></a>CHAPTER XXIV</h2>
+
+<h3>BIG GUS AND HIS GANG</h3>
+
+<p>Thus having got poor Jeems securely tied, Tom and Jo vamoosed down the
+hill shaking with laughter. Then they ran around the edge to the brook
+side of the hill and ran to Jeems&#8217; rescue, he yelling lustily for
+help.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Where did they go?&#8221; cried Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Back to the woods,&#8221; replied Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;How many were they?&#8221; asked Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I couldn&#8217;t count &#8217;em,&#8221; answered Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What were you doing?&#8221; inquired Jo, &#8220;while these rascals were tying
+you?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Nuthin&#8217;,&#8221; replied Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I suppose you were asleep,&#8221; put in Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I was meditating,&#8221; replied Jeems with dignity.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;With your eyes shut,&#8221; added Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The best way,&#8221; explained Jeems, &#8220;for in that way it shuts out every
+outside object, even outlaws.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I wonder what luck Jim and Juarez are having?&#8221; said Jo, changing the
+subject.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;They ought to be showing up pretty soon now,&#8221; remarked Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Maybe they have got tied up too,&#8221; said Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>Let us solve this for ourselves by following Jim and Juarez on their
+hunting expedition. Concluding their race, they settled down to the
+search for game. After going several miles they branched off to the
+northwest where a part of the valley formed a park with trees
+wide-spaced and grass. It was a beautiful place.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;This is the kind of country to find deer in,&#8221; said Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It does look good,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;We had better leave our horses here
+and try it on foot.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There is a thick clump of trees over there,&#8221; remarked Juarez, &#8220;where
+it will be a safe place to tie them.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Without more ado, the two boys made their way to the grove, which
+formed an excellent screen, for the trees were not pine, but a kind of
+alder with large round leaves, and around the grove was quite a thick
+growth of brush. With some difficulty they got into the center of the
+trees, and made their horses fast. Then they started to make their way
+out with their rifles ready.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Hello! What is that?&#8221; cried Juarez. &#8220;Didn&#8217;t <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span>you hear it?&#8221; The boys
+stood perfectly still; then in a few seconds came two reports.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Somebody has got ahead of us,&#8221; remarked Jim. &#8220;Those were rifle
+shots.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Lucky we got in here when we did,&#8221; said Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There go five deer,&#8221; cried Jim, &#8220;up the mountain opposite.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Sure enough,&#8221; said Juarez. They were going like the wind and were
+soon lost to sight on the wooded slope of the mountain.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I wish they had come our way,&#8221; declared Jim, in a disappointed tone.
+&#8220;Those rascals have spoiled our luck.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It wouldn&#8217;t have been safe,&#8221; replied Juarez cautiously. &#8220;It&#8217;s some of
+this gang, that the Mexican came from, and they might outnumber us.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We will wait here a few minutes,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;Perhaps we will sight
+them.&#8221; So the boys crouched at the edge of the grove with the brush
+for a screen, looking narrowly in the direction of the shots. A half
+hour passed, still they saw nothing, but they never stirred, and
+watched steadily. The Frontier Boys had acquired something of the
+patience of Indians when it came to lying in wait for an enemy.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;There they come,&#8221; at length said Juarez the keen-eyed. He had
+discovered several dark spots moving among the trees.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s them,&#8221; cried Jim eagerly. &#8220;Four of &#8217;em.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;If they cut our trail, we will have to fight,&#8221; said Juarez, &#8220;unless
+we cut for camp.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Jim shook his head. &#8220;I want to get a closer view of these beggars,&#8221; he
+said.</p>
+
+<p>They were now coming within range, jogging along on their cayuses down
+the gentle incline between the trees. They had shot a couple of deer.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Three of them look like Mexicans,&#8221; said Juarez. &#8220;I believe they are
+coming right by us.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;If they do, we will jump the procession,&#8221; said Jim.</p>
+
+<p>However, they did not get the chance, for when the hunters had come
+within about three hundred yards of the grove they turned at right
+angles and were lost to view behind a spur that ran from the southern
+ridge. Without a moment&#8217;s hesitation, Jim and Juarez left their covert
+and took up the trail. It was dangerous work, but in their moccasined
+feet they did not make a sound.</p>
+
+<p>They crouched along at a good rate, always keeping near enough not to
+lose the rear horseman, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span>who was a Mexican and rode stolidly forward.
+When they had the chance they closed up within a few yards of the men,
+so that they could overhear the scraps of conversation. Once they got
+a real scare when one of the Mexicans swung off his pony and came back
+looking for a cigarette that he had dropped.</p>
+
+<p>Jim and Juarez pressed back into a tall bush and stood there not
+daring to breathe, while the Mexican, with his eyes on the ground,
+came within a few feet of them, stooped and picked up his cigarette,
+and then the two boys heard the clatter of his horse&#8217;s hoofs as he
+made haste to rejoin the rest of the procession. For two hours they
+followed the four horsemen through the big canyon, and the smaller
+side one, until they came within range of the camp of the enemy, in
+the pocket at the end of the side canyon.</p>
+
+<p>Here the boys had to use great caution. They worked around to the
+slope above the cabin of the Gus Gols gang. There they got their first
+view of the giant they had to deal with as he came into the open in
+front of his cabin, with his slouching walk. Six feet four in height,
+lanky in build but of wonderful muscular strength and endurance. He
+was bareheaded, with a tuft of light hair sticking <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span>straight up. His
+sun-burned neck was like a column.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You Eph!&#8221; he yelled. &#8220;Tell the Greasers and Ed I want to see &#8217;em in
+the corral.&#8221; Meaning the cabin.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;All right, boss,&#8221; came the answer in Eph&#8217;s gruff voice.</p>
+
+<p>It was certainly an ugly-looking crowd that came from different
+directions in answer to Eph&#8217;s summons. There were seven of the
+Greasers, so there was a total of ten ruffians gathered in the cabin.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m going to hear this pow-wow,&#8221; said Juarez, handing Jim his rifle.
+Jim nodded and from his position behind a big pine stood ready to
+protect Juarez&#8217;s retreat in case he was discovered by the outlaws.
+With nothing but his pistol and knife ready to his hand Juarez started
+on his dangerous mission.</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXV" id="CHAPTER_XXV"></a>CHAPTER XXV</h2>
+
+<h3>A NEW FORT</h3>
+
+<p>He glided noiselessly down the slope, moving cautiously but quickly,
+until he came to the back of the cabin. It was not difficult for him
+to hear through the unstopped logs. Jim watched narrowly for the first
+move of discovery on the part of the outlaws. He could hear the rather
+high-pitched voice of Gus Gols occasionally, and the heavier one of
+Eph, but it was impossible for Jim to make out what was being said.</p>
+
+<p>He could tell it was something very interesting by the way Juarez was
+listening. Then Jim&#8217;s heart stood still when he saw Juarez rise
+suddenly to his feet from his listening posture, for he knew by his
+action that he was in danger of discovery. As in truth he was, as you
+will see.</p>
+
+<p>The pow-wow had been going on for a few minutes when Juarez heard Gus
+Gols say:</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You Eph, take a scout around the corral, and see if you kin discover
+any interested spectators hanging around. This is an important
+business, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span>fellow cits and Greasers, so we will have to be keerful.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>So Eph started for the door on his tour of inspection, which he did
+not take very seriously, for he knew that there was no government
+official within a hundred miles. As for the tenderfeet in the valley,
+he never gave them a thought; they were probably staying close to
+camp, afraid that the bears would get them. As soon as Gus Gols spoke
+Juarez realized that he had no time to spare.</p>
+
+<p>If he retreated up the slope, he was almost certain to be seen, and
+that meant a running fight against the gang of ten men, with a very
+dubious prospect ahead. He must act quickly; there was no place near
+the cabin where he could hide. Already Eph had stepped outside the
+door. Now the roof of the cabin sloped to the back with overhanging
+boards. Juarez saw his chance; he grabbed one of the boards and lifted
+himself lightly up, and lay down flat just as Eph came around the
+corner of the cabin.</p>
+
+<p>Jim was quivering with the excitement of the situation. Eph took one
+careless look around, shook his head with the muttered comment that
+&#8220;The boss must be losing his nerve,&#8221; and went in to report that all
+was quiet along the Potomac.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span></p><p>Juarez did not get down from the roof of the cabin, but merely moved a
+little to where there was a convenient knothole, through which he
+could hear everything that was going on in the cabin.</p>
+
+<p>He stayed where he was for about ten minutes, lying as quiet as a
+lizard on a sun-warmed log, and this is no idle comparison, for the
+sun did shine down with lots of force; then he slowly and very
+carefully moved backwards, and let himself gingerly down to the
+ground, while Jim watched him intently, sure that he had found out
+something of importance.</p>
+
+<p>Not a word did Juarez say, but motioned Jim to follow him. When they
+had made their escape from the pocket, then Juarez spoke up.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That was a close call that time, Jim,&#8221; he said.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You had me scared for a minute, Juarez,&#8221; admitted Jim. &#8220;What&#8217;s the
+news? Those fellows were planning some devilment.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;They were,&#8221; said Juarez. &#8220;They are going to attack our camp to-night,
+when we are asleep. Kill us and take our horses and supplies.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Oh! ho! Is that the ticket!&#8221; cried Jim. &#8220;I thought that rangy
+Maverick with the stick-up hair was a bad actor. Forewarned is
+forearmed. We will give that bunch a surprise party, but we will <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span>have
+to hustle, for it&#8217;s a long ways to our horses yet.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I reckon we will have a couple of hours&#8217; leeway,&#8221; said Juarez, &#8220;to
+get things in some sort of shape.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There will be plenty to do,&#8221; said Jim briefly.</p>
+
+<p>As they swung along down the mountain side, Jim&#8217;s mind was busy with
+plans of attack and defense. The two boys traveled like Indians with a
+swinging, easy stride that covered a lot of ground. How they did revel
+in the muscular exertion in that bracing air! It was fine to feel
+themselves equal to their task. Around and before them the scene was
+constantly changing.</p>
+
+<p>Now they were going through the pine forests, then into a canyon&#8217;s
+depths with great walls that seemed to bear the blue skies above; next
+along a narrow trail, with flowering bushes hiding a little creek
+babbling a few feet below. Then, covered with dust, hands and faces
+baked brown with it, they came to the grove where they had left their
+horses tied.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It seems kind of good,&#8221; said Juarez, &#8220;to have a horse to carry you.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m just tired enough to enjoy the change,&#8221; said Jim.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;It won&#8217;t take us long to reach camp now,&#8221; remarked Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Cut &#8217;em loose!&#8221; yelled Jim, and with a raucous Indian warwhoop, they
+let their willing horses go. I tell you that was a wild ride for
+speed. Caliente thundered with great leaps over the level plain, and
+not far behind scampered Juarez&#8217;s roan. The boys at the camp on the
+hill, hearing the clatter of horses&#8217; feet, knew that someone was
+approaching, and looked out.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Here they come like wild Indians!&#8221; exclaimed Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Somebody chasing them?&#8221; inquired Jeems anxiously.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The same crowd that tied you, I reckon,&#8221; said Tom, and, for some
+reason unknown to Jeems, they went into fits of laughter. In a short
+time Jim and Juarez were in their midst. They did not waste any time
+in greetings and idle chaff. They made clear to the rest of the boys
+in conclave assembled, that the time for action had arrived. Jeems
+heaved a sigh of regret. There seemed no chance for quiet and
+meditation. The other boys were calm, but serious.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Let the horses graze a while,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;We have got a couple of
+hours&#8217; leeway. Now we have <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span>got to build a stockade to protect our
+horses and ourselves.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Five husky fellows can do a great deal in two hours and a half of
+daylight. Jim had thought out his plan and talked it over with Juarez,
+so there was no time lost in useless palaver. He had chosen a small
+open space where the horses had been tethered the night before as the
+place for the fort.</p>
+
+<p>Jim and Juarez, aided by Jo, went to work cutting down trees. They
+were old hands at this business, and it was a caution the way the
+trees crashed and fell. Tom and Jeems were kept busy dragging fallen
+logs from the slopes of the hill, and turning them up. In two hours&#8217;
+time the square, rude fort was well under way.</p>
+
+<p>Tom and Juarez were then sent to take the horses to the stream to
+water them, and after that, to fill up every available pot, pan and
+dish with water in case they should be besieged for any length of
+time. This being done all hands turned in again to work on the fort,
+until it grew too dark to see. Then a fire was built near the center
+of the hill, and by the glare of its light they were able to continue
+their work.</p>
+
+<p>Jim sent Juarez, now that the enemy might come at any time, to keep a
+lookout for them. He was <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span>the best of the boys for that work, being a
+natural scout, and of unusually keen vision, especially at night.
+There was a deep gully running from the foot of the hill to the slope
+of the mountain, and Juarez followed along that toward the mountain
+slope. Every once in a while he would climb up and look to see if
+there was any sign of the approaching gang.</p>
+
+<p>Juarez was confident that there would be no direct attack even under
+cover of the darkness of the night. For that was not the method of Gus
+Gols and his gang of outlaws. They would take the most secret way of
+approach. In fact, Juarez was positive that they would come by this
+same gully that he was in. Gus Gols had spoken of the gully in his
+pow-wow with his clan, but he had said nothing about his plan of
+attack. He kept all such things to himself. Juarez could hear clearly
+the sound of axes as the boys worked upon their fort on the hill.</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVI" id="CHAPTER_XXVI"></a>CHAPTER XXVI</h2>
+
+<h3>A NIGHT ATTACK</h3>
+
+<p>The sound of the work on the hill carried far through the clear, quiet
+air, so that the outlaws, if they were anywhere near, would have had
+warning that preparations were being made to receive them. At last
+Juarez&#8217;s vigilance was rewarded. He crouched, looking over the edge of
+the gully in the direction of the mountain with its heavily-wooded
+slope.</p>
+
+<p>He was positive that he saw a line of horsemen moving along the edge
+of the trees. Then he heard a horse&#8217;s shoe strike a stone, and the low
+voices of men. A thrill went through him at the nearness of the
+encounter. Lucky that he and Jim had been on hand to hear the plans
+laid at the pow-wow, for they would in all probability have been
+captured or killed, since the outlaws could have rushed the camp
+easily. With only one of the boys on guard, there would have been no
+chance against the ten of them.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What are those tenderfeet a-doin&#8217; this time of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span>night?&#8221; growled Gus
+Gols, bringing his column to a halt. &#8220;They seem to be mighty busy
+about something.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Maybe they have got wind of our doin&#8217;s,&#8221; said Eph. &#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t be
+surprised if they weren&#8217;t such tenderfeet after all.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m goin&#8217; to do a little lookin&#8217; ahead,&#8221; remarked Gus. &#8220;We&#8217;ll hitch
+our cayuses in the woods, and you boys stay with &#8217;em.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Then the leader of the gang left them and made his way to the edge of
+the pines. He stood looking at the hill with the light of the campfire
+shining on it like a big red star, and the sound of the axes came
+faint and clear to him. &#8220;They sure are getting ready for somebody,&#8221;
+growled the giant, &#8220;and I reckon it&#8217;s us, but I&#8217;m going to find out
+for sartain. Where&#8217;s that gully?&#8221; He stalked along until he found it,
+and then disappeared as though the earth had swallowed him.</p>
+
+<p>Now Juarez had been debating whether to go back and warn the boys that
+the enemy was approaching, or to find out more of what Gus Gols was
+going to do before reporting to Jim, the commander of the faithful.
+After a moment&#8217;s hesitation, he decided to go ahead a ways further. At
+the time he made this decision Gus Gols had just <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span>entered the deep
+gully, and a head-on collision seemed imminent. It was a dangerous
+situation for Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>However, one thing was in his favor, he was on the alert, and the
+giant, who was coming down the gully, did not expect to find any of
+the boys abroad, supposing that they would stay close to camp and not
+venture forth in the darkness. He was soon to learn that these same
+boys were not to be trifled with. Juarez was going along quickly, but
+very carefully, when he suddenly stopped and listened.</p>
+
+<p>He could hear distinctly someone coming down the ravine. Just a few
+steps ahead of him was a shelf below the edge of the bank. Juarez made
+a spring and climbed up to the shelf in a jiffy, but he loosened a
+little dirt that slid down to the bottom of the gully. It made only a
+little noise, but enough to reach the ears of Gus Gols.</p>
+
+<p>He stopped as though petrified, glaring ahead through the darkness.
+For five minutes he stood thus with every sense ferociously alert.
+Then he went forward, but with extreme caution. Every few feet he
+examined the floor of the gully for the signs of some footprint.
+Juarez waited like a graven image, hoping that the man, whoever it
+might be, would continue up the gully; then he <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span>would follow and trap
+him when he reached the hill.</p>
+
+<p>Juarez could not be sure that there was only one. He could hear
+nothing, but he was certain that the man was very near. Some instinct
+told him that. Then beneath his eyes a long, bent, stealthy figure
+crept into view. Gols felt the footprints in the sand of the gully,
+then he glared up. He saw the stooping figure of Juarez and jumped
+instantly back around the curve of the bank.</p>
+
+<p>The game was up. Juarez leaped out on the level and made a dash for a
+boulder a short distance away. Just as he reached its shelter Gols
+fired, and the bullet zinged from the side of the rock off into the
+darkness. Then Gols got a surprise, for Juarez fired at a dark bunch
+looking over the edge of the gully. The bullet breezed his cheek and
+Gols ducked.</p>
+
+<p>The sound of the shots aroused both sides, and the battle was on.
+Juarez now backed cautiously down into a depression and ran with all
+his might to give the news to Jim. He got to the hill just in time to
+warn Jim and Jo not to go up the gully.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;This is the way they will make their attack,&#8221; said Juarez. &#8220;We can
+station ourselves behind <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span>these trees, and, when they come out of the
+gully, we will let &#8217;em have it.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s the scheme,&#8221; agreed Jim. &#8220;Which one did you have the duel
+with, Juarez?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The blond beauty himself,&#8221; replied Juarez. &#8220;He didn&#8217;t miss me far
+either, but I made him take to cover pretty quick.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;They will be here in about fifteen minutes,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;We might as
+well get to our places.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>Tom was left in the stockade, and Jim and the other three boys took
+their stations behind convenient trees upon the slope of the hill
+commanding the entrance into the gully. Jim and Juarez were nearest to
+the foot of the hill, backed by Jo and Jeems. They did not have long
+to wait, though the twenty minutes seemed like several hours to Jo and
+Jeems, before there were signs of the approach of Gus Gols and his
+gang.</p>
+
+<p>Very carefully they came up the gully, with the tall giant in the lead
+and Eph close at his heels; behind them came three of the Mexicans,
+but where was Edgar, and the other four? Perhaps the boss was afraid
+lest the flashing diamond that Ed always wore in his shirt bosom might
+give their presence away. But without joking, it was strange that
+these five were not with the main party. It was hardly likely that Big
+Gus would leave that <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span>number with the horses. Where were they? We
+shall find out in a few minutes.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t you reckon those fellows have had time to make their move?&#8221;
+whispered Gus to his henchman Eph. They had halted in the darkness of
+the gully, about two hundred and fifty yards from the foot of the
+hill.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Ed&#8217;s pretty quick,&#8221; replied Eph. &#8220;He said that he wouldn&#8217;t take more
+than a quarter of an hour.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll give him five minutes&#8217; leeway,&#8221; said Gus. &#8220;Then we will jump
+these fellows.&#8221; In a short time he looked at his watch by the quick
+flare of a match that showed his red, evil face with the squinting
+blue eyes.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;All ready now, boys,&#8221; he said in a low significant tone. &#8220;Give &#8217;em
+the lead, but don&#8217;t shoot the horses.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>As ill luck would have it, Jeems Howell, who was highest up on the
+hill, caught the first glimpse of the outlaws as they advanced up the
+gully. How it occurred he never could explain, but his rifle went off
+before he could aim. Instantly the gang dropped behind the bank and
+opened fire upon the hill.</p>
+
+<p>One volley had crashed out from Jim, Juarez and Jo, when Tom&#8217;s
+agonized voice rang out:</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Quick, boys, they are coming up the other side!&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The Frontier Boys had been outgeneraled. There was no question about
+that, and they were in deadly peril. There was nothing for them to do
+but to retreat to the stockade before it was too late.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Come, boys!&#8221; cried Jim, and away they dashed up the side of the hill
+with Gus Gols and his crew in close pursuit. The bullets swept with
+deadly zing near them as they ran. As they neared the stockade Ed and
+his men came into view from the opposite side of the hill. Jim and
+Juarez dropped behind a rock and fired at the foremost of the crowd
+and they took to cover. Then they two got into the fort and were safe
+for the present.</p>
+
+<p>The first thing Juarez did was to climb into the branches of a big
+pine that had been left in the stockade. From this point of vantage he
+could see in which direction the enemy were. He did not have to wait
+long before he saw one of the crowd move cautiously from behind a tree
+and rush for a rock nearer the fort, but Juarez was ready for him, and
+fired. The man fell, and, then recovering his feet, rushed down the
+hill.</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVII" id="CHAPTER_XXVII"></a>CHAPTER XXVII</h2>
+
+<h3>THE RETREAT</h3>
+
+<p>This was the luckiest shot of the fight, for it was no other than Gus
+Gols himself whom Juarez had struck. There was a lull now, and the
+boys had time to breathe.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Jo, you get up into that tree and keep watch,&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;while the
+rest of us take account of stock.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I guess those fellows have had enough to keep them quiet for a
+while,&#8221; said Juarez. &#8220;It looked to me as though I had got their big
+chief with that shot.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s half the battle if you have done that,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;Wait till
+daylight comes and we will make them skedaddle.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s remarkable how quiet the horses took all this,&#8221; said Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Oh, they have been under fire before,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;You can trust &#8217;em
+not to act up at a time like this.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This was certainly true, though they were packed together close at the
+end of the corral-stockade. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span>They made no disturbance and seemed to
+realize that their safety was being looked after by their old
+comrades, the Frontier Boys.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m kind of hungry,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;Let&#8217;s have something to eat.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s kind of late for supper,&#8221; said Jeems, &#8220;but it&#8217;s never too late
+to eat.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>So the boys made as good a meal in the darkness as they could, and
+felt better for it. They also drank sparingly of the water, for they
+did not know how long the siege would last. It was now about half-past
+one, and the boys were very anxious for the morning to break.</p>
+
+<p>About three o&#8217;clock there came a furious firing from behind a hastily
+constructed entrenchment at the end of the hill opposite where the
+boys had built their stockade.</p>
+
+<p>Most of the bullets buried themselves harmlessly in the soft wood of
+the pine logs that made the walls of the stockade. The boys replied
+with accuracy, but they were careful not to waste their ammunition. At
+last the dawn broke clear, and with the first gleam of light the boys
+looked eagerly out to see if the enemy still held the hill.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;They have vamoosed,&#8221; said Juarez after making a careful
+reconnoissance. This was true, but <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span>the boys found that the fight was
+not yet entirely over, for when they appeared in full view on the hill
+there came a volley from the bank of the creek half a mile distant,
+which was the nearest shelter that could be obtained on that side.</p>
+
+<p>The height of the hill made the first flight of bullets fall somewhat
+short, and, before the crowd could fire again, the boys had got out of
+danger and returned the fire with interest. They had the advantage,
+too, in firing down instead of up, and they kept the enemy close to
+cover.</p>
+
+<p>About the middle of the morning there was a furious fusillade from
+both sides, the creek bank and the gully, against the stockade, which
+was beginning to show quite a scarred appearance. The boys replied
+with vigor; then suddenly the firing slackened and then ceased
+altogether.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I believe they have quit,&#8221; declared Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t be too sure,&#8221; warned Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There they go up through those willows, near the creek,&#8221; said Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s where I caught the trout,&#8221; said Jo. He evidently considered it
+a more historic spot than where the fort stood, being a true
+fisherman.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I really believe they are quitting,&#8221; announced Tom.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s possible their ammunition has run low,&#8221; suggested Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Another thing,&#8221; put in Jo, &#8220;if big Gus is badly hurt, the rest of
+that gang won&#8217;t hold together.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s so,&#8221; agreed Juarez. &#8220;Those Greasers are never to be trusted.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;He has bullied &#8217;em too,&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;and they would naturally turn on
+him. But if you treat the Mexicans fair and square, you would find
+that they weren&#8217;t such a bad lot after all.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Just as soon try to tame hyenas,&#8221; said Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You are prejudiced, Thomas,&#8221; reasoned Jeems. &#8220;That comes from being
+an Anglo-Saxon.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s an <i>angler</i>-Saxon, you mean,&#8221; said Jo. They all laughed at this.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s pretty good for you,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;Keep on you will be a wit.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I am already,&#8221; replied Jo modestly.</p>
+
+<p>It seemed kind of natural to hear the boys joking so light-heartedly,
+and like old times. The battle was over without any dramatic crisis.
+Things do happen that way sometimes, and the boys were perfectly
+satisfied to have it end without any grand blow out or blow up. They
+soon found out that the enemy had indeed retreated, for <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span>they went up
+the gully, that is, Jim and Juarez did, with due caution, and found
+that Gus Gols and his gang had gone. They discovered the place where
+their horses had been hitched.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Good riddance to bad rubbish,&#8221; said Jim enthusiastically.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I wonder if they will attack us again to-night?&#8221; questioned Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We will be ready for them if they do,&#8221; remarked Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I suppose we will start to-morrow,&#8221; said Juarez, as the two walked
+back across the level meadow towards the hill.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Yes, if the coast is clear,&#8221; remarked Jim. &#8220;We can&#8217;t afford to lose
+any more time.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;They are almost sure to lay for us in the canyon,&#8221; remarked Juarez.
+&#8220;We will have to find some other way.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;One of us will go this afternoon,&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;and see if we can&#8217;t
+strike a new trail.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It was now noon and the boys sat down to a quiet meal, with trout as
+the main dish, and how they did enjoy it!</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Gosh, boys,&#8221; exclaimed Jo, &#8220;but it does seem nice to sit down to a
+meal without the bullets buzzing around.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;We will get so that we won&#8217;t mind bullets any more than mosquitoes,&#8221;
+said Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Listen to him!&#8221; grinned Jim. &#8220;Won&#8217;t he surprise the natives when we
+get back to Homeville with his stories of flying bullets, war, and
+border ruffians.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Why not?&#8221; retorted Tom sullenly. &#8220;What&#8217;s the use of going through all
+this business if you can&#8217;t tell about it?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Sure thing,&#8221; said Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;When are we going home?&#8221; asked Jo fervently.</p>
+
+<p>Jim hesitated a minute, and then he brought his clenched fist down on
+his knee.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We will go home, boys,&#8221; he declared, &#8220;before we start on our trip
+around the world.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I begin to feel homesick already,&#8221; declared Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We will stop in Kansas,&#8221; said Juarez, his face brightening, &#8220;and see
+my folks.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Certainly we will,&#8221; agreed Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I bet Juanita has grown into a young lady,&#8221; remarked Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Your father and mother will be plumb glad to see you,&#8221; said Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You fellows, too; they think just as much of you as they do of me.
+And they ought to, seeing <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span>how you and Captain Graves rescued Juanita
+from the Indians in Colorado.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Will we stop and see the captain in his cabin on the Plateau?&#8221; asked
+Tom eagerly.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Sure,&#8221; declared Jim. &#8220;We will spend a few days with him. He is too
+old a friend to pass by.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Won&#8217;t it be great!&#8221; exclaimed Jo. &#8220;What will the folks and all the
+fellars think when they see us coming on our chargers down the main
+street of Maysville?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I reckon about everybody will take to the woods. Think it is band of
+wild Indians coming down on them.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We will have to hurry and find that mine,&#8221; said Tom, &#8220;before we can
+strike the back trail for home.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I have a kind of feeling in my bones,&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;that we are going
+to find that mine pretty soon now.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We ain&#8217;t more than one day&#8217;s ride from the section where it is,&#8221; said
+Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m going to look for a new trail this afternoon,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;You
+boys can work around home.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s about time those mules and horses had some water,&#8221; remarked
+Juarez.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;Think it&#8217;s safe?&#8221; inquired Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;To make sure, I&#8217;ll take a gallop up the valley a ways,&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;to
+see if they have cleared out.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s the idea,&#8221; agreed Juarez. &#8220;I&#8217;ll take the creek side on my
+roan.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>In five minutes they were mounted and galloped off, Jim scouting along
+the mountain slope and Juarez taking the other side. They met at the
+end of the valley where the trail started up the big canyon. Here they
+dismounted and examined the ground carefully.</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVIII" id="CHAPTER_XXVIII"></a>CHAPTER XXVIII</h2>
+
+<h3>A NEW START</h3>
+
+<p>&#8220;They have vamoosed all right,&#8221; announced Juarez after examining the
+trail.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The whole pack of &#8217;em, too,&#8221; affirmed Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Perhaps we can get a view of them,&#8221; added Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We will hitch our horses here,&#8221; remarked Jim, &#8220;and try a squint up
+the trail from that grove yonder.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This they did, and from their point of vantage they were able to see a
+part of the trail, two miles distant, where it curved around a
+shoulder of the mountain.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Maybe they have got beyond that point,&#8221; suggested Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Hardly,&#8221; replied Juarez. &#8220;That&#8217;s a long steep climb up there. They
+will have to go slow if any of &#8217;em are hurt.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The boys waited a few minutes with eyes intent upon the trail. Then
+they saw a man on horseback ride into view, then another and another,
+until <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span>seven had gone round the shoulder of the mountain.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That isn&#8217;t all,&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;there&#8217;s three missing.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Maybe that Gus Gols is knocked out,&#8221; said Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It begins to look like it,&#8221; said Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There they come,&#8221; cried Juarez. &#8220;He is hurt some, for it takes two of
+his men to hold him on his horse.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;They are not likely to bother us now then,&#8221; said Jim, &#8220;but all the
+same I am going to see if we cannot find a safe way around.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;All right, Jim,&#8221; agreed Juarez. &#8220;I will go back to camp and look
+after things.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>So they separated. Towards evening Jim came riding into camp, with
+Caliente showing the effects of a hard climb. Jim dismounted rather
+wearily.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well, what luck?&#8221; inquired the boys.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There is a way around,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s tough in places, but we can
+make it all right.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We ought to get an early start,&#8221; said Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You are right there,&#8221; agreed Jim. &#8220;We will turn in early this
+evening.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>So they did, and by half-past two Jim sounded the early rising alarm.
+The boys all got up with <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span>alacrity, except Tom, who did considerable
+growling, as was his custom, but if Tom wanted sympathy he would have
+to find it in the dictionary, as the fellow said.</p>
+
+<p>The boys lighted a fire within the stockade to get their breakfast by,
+but it was hidden so that no hint of their plans would be given to a
+watchful enemy. The boys felt jovial when they got fairly waked up.
+The air was cold and bracing, and they all felt that the end of their
+long journey was drawing near.</p>
+
+<p>By four o&#8217;clock everything was ready for the start. The mules were
+packed, and the boys rode out in silence through the starry darkness
+across the level floor of the valley. Jim was in the lead, and the
+rest followed in order. Instead of going up the main trail through the
+big canyon, Jim bore to the right, making straight through the park
+where the men had killed the deer.</p>
+
+<p>It was well for the Frontier Boys that they took this way, for Eph, Ed
+and a number of Mexicans were lying in ambush at a narrow and hidden
+part of the trail, and, with one concerted rush, were ready to send
+the boys down five hundred feet. Whether the Frontier Boys would have
+been so rash as to have walked blindfolded into this trap <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span>is
+doubtful. Nevertheless, when they took the other way they escaped a
+very serious danger.</p>
+
+<p>When the first steel shining rays of dawn struck the slope of the
+mountain above them the boys had climbed up several thousand feet and
+could see the valley below and the distant snow-clad peaks to the
+south, rosy with the first touch of morning. It was a beautiful sight,
+and the boys turned sideways in their saddles, taking it all in when
+their horses stopped to breathe.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Going to take us above timber-line, Jim?&#8221; inquired Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s going to lose us,&#8221; complained Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Then there would be a lost kid to go with the Lost Mine,&#8221; declared
+Jim humorously. &#8220;Yes, boys, I&#8217;m going to take you above timber-line.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Well,&#8221; said Jeems philosophically, &#8220;it is a whole lot better than
+going over the range altogether, as might have been the case if we had
+taken the trail through the big canyon over yonder.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Say, Jeems!&#8221; exclaimed Jo, with a catch in his voice, &#8220;you never told
+Jim and Juarez about the time you was sitting with your back to a tree
+and they slipped up and tied you, and if we hadn&#8217;t come <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span>along there
+was no telling what might have happened to you.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That was a close call,&#8221; said Jeems. &#8220;It was when you, Jim and Juarez
+were off hunting, and the boys had gone fishing. They got back just in
+the nick of time.&#8221; Then he went solemnly to work to tell of the
+thrilling escape he had had. At the climax of his narrative, Tom and
+Jo burst into roars of laughter.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;What&#8217;s the matter with you two guys?&#8221; inquired Jim. &#8220;I bet my hat
+that you were at the bottom of this rascality.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The two admitted their guilt, and, after his surprise was over, Jeems
+took it good-naturedly, while even Jim had to laugh, for it was
+certainly a successful practical joke.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Sometime,&#8221; said Jim prophetically, &#8220;you two kittens will get caught
+up with.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>The boys had now ridden above the stunted trees that marked the limits
+of timber line, but they did not cross over the barren, rocky summit
+that rose above them for two thousand feet, covered with a broad
+mantle of snow, but instead bore south through a deep gorge, that
+threatened to close its rocky jaws upon them at every turn. But Jim
+was <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span>too good a scout to lead them where they would be trapped.</p>
+
+<p>Before noon they had made their way out of the gorge and were upon the
+northwestern slope of the great mountain. Looking off, while they gave
+their horses time to breathe, they saw a somewhat different looking
+section of the range than that which they had been traveling through
+the past day. From the height where they now stood the vast region
+beneath them was made up of low mountains, extending onward like
+recurring billows of the sea, hemmed in by peaks and higher mountains.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Down there somewhere is the Lost Mine,&#8221; said Jim, with a sweep of his
+hand.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Talk about a needle in a haystack,&#8221; growled Tom, &#8220;this beats it.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You talk as if you were sitting on the needle,&#8221; declared Jim. &#8220;Try to
+talk cheerful even if you do feel bad.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It isn&#8217;t quite as bad as it looks, Tom,&#8221; said Jeems encouragingly.
+&#8220;You see that mountain with the rocky hump on it. That mine, according
+to my calculations from the chart we have, ought to be there or within
+two miles of it.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We will dig over every inch of that mountain,&#8221; <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span>declared Tom, his
+eyes shining with enthusiasm, for he dearly loved money.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We don&#8217;t want you to become a miser, Tom,&#8221; said Jim judiciously, &#8220;so
+I will appoint a committee to take care of your share.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Eh?&#8221; cried Tom, his jaw dropping, then recovering, he yelled, &#8220;No you
+won&#8217;t, James Darlington, I&#8217;ll go to law. You can&#8217;t cheat me of my
+rights.&#8221; Tom was pale with anger and Jim was disgusted.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Ah, go on with you,&#8221; he said, &#8220;you are nothing but an Eastern money
+shark, anyway.&#8221;</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIX" id="CHAPTER_XXIX"></a>CHAPTER XXIX</h2>
+
+<h3>THE SEARCH</h3>
+
+<p>The mountain of the Lost Mine, as it may be called for the purposes of
+identification, did not seem more than half a day&#8217;s journey from the
+divide where the boys first saw it, but it took them two days of hard
+marching before they reached its vicinity, so deceitful are the
+distances in the high altitudes.</p>
+
+<p>Now, behold them, camped in a shallow little valley, between two spurs
+of the Lost Mine mountain, their tent pitched on a small shelf back
+from a little stream that went singing along to a larger one, between
+its willow bushes, and over glistening boulders of polished granite.
+There was a growth of grass on either side of the creek, where the
+horses could graze. Altogether it was a restful place to camp in,
+after the grandeur of the great mountains that had surrounded them,
+and the savage gorges they had ridden through. There was a sense of
+rest and satisfaction that the Frontier Boys felt in having arrived at
+the goal of their long <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span>journey by land and sea. True, they did not
+know exactly the position of the Lost Mine, but they hoped to find it
+with the help of the diagram which they were fortunate enough to
+possess.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Let&#8217;s have a look at that faded heirloom of yours,&#8221; said Jim to
+Jeems, as they sat on some rocks around the campfire, on the evening
+of their arrival.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;All right, Skipper,&#8221; said Jeems cheerfully. Then he took his faded
+coat and carefully unpinned the inside pocket, and put in his hand and
+pulled out nothing.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s gone,&#8221; he exclaimed, his face paling. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been robbed.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I bet it was those Greasers,&#8221; declared Jo, hastily, but with
+conviction. Jim looked at brothers Jo and Tom narrowly, then he put a
+heavy and accusing hand on their joint shoulders, or their shoulder
+joints, if you prefer it that way.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You are the Greasers,&#8221; he said severely. &#8220;Now cough up.&#8221; Jo reached
+down guiltily into his pistol pocket and fished up the required
+document.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t know exactly what to do with these fellows,&#8221; said Jim
+magisterially, giving them each a shake under his big clutch.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Leave us alone! That&#8217;s what you can do,&#8221; <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span>said Tom grumpily, but Jim
+went on without noticing Tom&#8217;s remark.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;This is their third offense, and I reckon we will have to hang &#8217;em
+this time if we can find a tree strong enough to stand the strain of
+two such rascals at once.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I tell you a better scheme,&#8221; said Jeems Howell with a twinkle in his
+eye. &#8220;Get a twig of the tree and touch &#8217;em up with that.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s the idea,&#8221; agreed Jim. &#8220;Bring me the switches, Juarez.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Aye, aye, sir,&#8221; said Juarez cheerfully, and he started on his
+commission. The implied indignity of a switching was too much for the
+two youths. They would have much preferred to be hanged, so they
+prepared to leave home immediately and without due notice. Father
+Jim&#8217;s grasp relaxed for a moment, and, with a wrench, both boys tore
+themselves loose and sped away in the darkness, and from this outer
+darkness they hurled remarks and pieces of dirt and small stones at
+the three about the campfire, just as other small bad boys would do;
+but the grown-ups paid no attention to the culprits, merely pulled
+their sombreros down around their ears and began a diligent study of
+the diagram of the Lost Mine. So absorbed were <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span>they after a while
+that they forgot the outlanders, when they crept into camp.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Let&#8217;s see,&#8221; said Juarez. &#8220;Where are we on this diagram?&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We passed by the pine tree with the cross cut on one side,&#8221; said
+Jeems, &#8220;the other day.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That crooked line below there is the trail in this valley,&#8221; said Jo,
+who was too interested to keep at a safe distance.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;If it is anything crooked, you and Tom ought to be experts,&#8221; said
+Jim, looking keenly at the two ex-fugitives. They said nothing by way
+of retort, considering that silence was the better part of wit on this
+particular occasion.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;If that line is a path,&#8221; said Juarez, &#8220;those drawings on either side
+represent buildings of some sort.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;But how about the figures at the bottom of the diagram?&#8221; inquired
+Jeems. &#8220;I can&#8217;t make them out.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Four hundred+1500-30,&#8221; read Jim. &#8220;I can add it up if that will do any
+good.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The best thing we can do,&#8221; said Jeems, the philosopher, &#8220;is to go to
+bed and tackle this proposition in the morning.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>This the boys did, but it was a hard thing for <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span>them to get to sleep,
+so busy were their brains, and they all dreamed diagram, mysterious
+combinations of figures and lines. When they awoke the next morning,
+it was with the same happy sense of anticipation that the small boy
+wakes up on the morning of the glorious Fourth.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as it was light enough to see, the Frontier Boys started out
+to solve the location of the Lost Mine. Each one had a copy of the
+diagram with him, also a pick or a shovel, and powder for blasting.
+Jim and Juarez worked together, Tom and Jo also, while Jeems Howell
+was a lone prospector, and it seemed indeed like old times to him.</p>
+
+<p>For a short ways they went all together up the shallow valley; then,
+after going a half mile, they took separate courses, Jim and Juarez
+following the line of the overgrown trail up the valley, and Jeems
+striking straight up the slope of the mountain. Tom and Jo wandered
+around eagerly and inconsequentially, expecting to see the opening to
+the Lost Mine at any moment.</p>
+
+<p>Jeems was the first to make a discovery of importance, but bearing
+only indirectly on the location of the mine. After climbing up about
+five hundred feet he saw that there had been a tremendous <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span>landslide
+down the southern slope of the mountain.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Some earthquake did that,&#8221; he said, &#8220;and not very recently either. I
+bet that the lost mine is under the slide.&#8221; Just then he heard Jim&#8217;s
+voice in a faint halloo below him. He felt sure that they had made a
+discovery likewise. He strode eagerly down the slope to tell Jim and
+Juarez what he had found out, and to see about their discovery.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We have found part of the cabin that&#8217;s in the diagram,&#8221; cried Juarez
+as soon as Jeems hove in sight.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It was the landslide did that,&#8221; declared Jeems, and he told them of
+his discovery. The boys were jubilant, and rightly so, for at last
+they had struck the trail.</p>
+
+<p>The point of departure had been found, for a heavy storm had uncovered
+one end of a demolished cabin, over which a part of the landslide had
+swept.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;This is the further one,&#8221; said Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Yes, the other one is on the upper side of the old trail and is
+covered deep,&#8221; said Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Now let&#8217;s take those figures in feet first,&#8221; said Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ll pace in yards,&#8221; said Jeems, &#8220;we may save <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span>time that way,&#8221; and he
+started off from the side of the discovered cabin, while Jim and
+Juarez measured the distance in feet, 400 straight up the valley, then
+1500 at right angles, and this brought them to a point well up on the
+side of the mountain.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Thirty feet straight down and we will know our fate,&#8221; said Jim.</p>
+
+<p>They practically had all day before them and they set busily to work
+with pick and shovel, beginning at a point below where they had set
+the mark.</p>
+
+<hr class="large" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span></p>
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXX" id="CHAPTER_XXX"></a>CHAPTER XXX</h2>
+
+<h3>THE LOST MINE AGAIN</h3>
+
+<p>Fortunately it was not heavy going, as the dirt and gravel was
+comparatively loose, and in the morning of the next day about ten
+o&#8217;clock, they came to a nest of rocks which barred their way. By hard
+efforts and by loosening a large stone there was a narrow rift made,
+through which they crawled, with Juarez in the lead.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Here&#8217;s the entrance,&#8221; he cried, his voice sounding hollow from the
+interior.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;The Lost Mine!&#8221; yelled Tom, and in a second they were all together in
+the entrance, and with a rousing cheer at what promised to be the
+successful end of all their trials and dangers, then home again, and
+after that their journey on the <i>Sea Eagle</i> into foreign countries and
+searching strange corners of the earth.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Light up, boys,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;We will soon see what we have ahead of
+us.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We will have to be careful,&#8221; warned Juarez, &#8220;there is no telling what
+we will meet, we are always running into excitement of some sort.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span></p><p>&#8220;I guess not,&#8221; replied Jeems, &#8220;we have had enough to last us for a
+lifetime. Let&#8217;s wind this business up quietly.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Agreed,&#8221; said Jim. &#8220;We will make up for it later. Forward, march!&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>With pine torches they went forward through the gloom, the light
+showing that the entrance to the mine had been buttressed with pine
+timber, but this extended only a few feet, and then they came to a
+narrow rift between dripping rocks.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Low bridge, Jeems,&#8221; cried Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;This looks to me to be a cave,&#8221; said Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It don&#8217;t keep it from being a pocket mine, even if it is a cave,&#8221;
+said Jeems wisely.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You ought to know, Jeems,&#8221; said Juarez, &#8220;as you were a prospector
+before we were born.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Oh, I&#8217;m not that old,&#8221; protested Jeems. &#8220;Here we are getting to the
+workings now.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Sure enough,&#8221; cried Jim, a thrill of interest in his voice.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Here is where they have picked out some nuggets,&#8221; said Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It won&#8217;t be far to the find now,&#8221; said Tom, shaking with excitement.</p>
+
+<p>Jeems was looking closely with his trained eyes along the walls and
+into every crevice and upon <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span>the shelves of stone, for the sides of
+the cave-mine were not smooth, but singularly rugged.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Struck it rich, boys!&#8221; Jeems cried suddenly, as he held the flame of
+his torch near the wall. &#8220;Give me the pick, take the lamp, Tom.&#8221; It
+was the ultimate moment of triumph for the Frontier Boys. Carefully,
+but with skillful precision, Jeems brought the pick down upon the
+surface of the wall where it was roughened into little mounds.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That don&#8217;t look like gold,&#8221; said Tom. &#8220;It&#8217;s nothing but dingy rock.&#8221;
+Jeems only smiled at Tom&#8217;s comment, as he swung his pick in the light
+of the flaming torches.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s stone-stain, Tom,&#8221; he said, then a loosened nugget fell to the
+floor of the cave. Jo picked it up and there was the yellow gleam of
+gold under the wavering light of the torches.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s a whole nest of them,&#8221; cried Tom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I wonder where the goose is that laid them?&#8221; questioned Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m going to find a nest for myself,&#8221; said Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>It was a most interesting search, and each of the boys made finds of
+their own. Jim discovered a square yard of nuggets, not close set, of
+course, but there must have been twenty of varying sizes, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span>and Juarez
+made the biggest individual find of a nugget that was five inches tall
+and three thick. Every second the other boys expected to make a
+discovery that would discount Juarez.</p>
+
+<p>After the first excitement was over, they settled down to systematic
+work. It was necessary to send someone back for the lanterns so that
+they could have steady light to work by; but who should go? That was
+the painful question. The work was so interesting that they all
+naturally wanted to stay on the job.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Let Jeems go,&#8221; said the generous Tom. &#8220;It&#8217;s an old story to him
+anyway.&#8221; The good-natured Jeems would probably have allowed himself to
+be imposed upon, but Jim put his foot down upon Tom&#8217;s proposition.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;No you don&#8217;t,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We will draw lots to decide.&#8221; As luck or
+fate would have it, Tom got the shortest straw, or, rather, sliver of
+pine, and had to go after the lanterns. Tom was a picture of the heart
+bowed down when the decision went against him, and the boys laughed at
+his woe-begone face.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Maybe you will be able to find an honest man with your lantern, Tom,&#8221;
+said Jim consolingly.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t come to this gang,&#8221; he retorted bitterly, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span>and to prove
+the sincerity of his belief, he took his little pile of nuggets to
+Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Take care of these till I get back,&#8221; he said. Then his two brothers
+went into convulsions of merriment at this token of Tom&#8217;s regard.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;If you didn&#8217;t steal them you would be sure to hide &#8217;em,&#8221; he said, and
+there was considerable truth in his last observation.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;If you are going to make a bank out of Jeems, you will have to pay
+him interest,&#8221; remarked Jo derisively. Tom regarded Jeems doubtfully
+and then, reassured by his belief in the latter&#8217;s generosity, he made
+off on his errand.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;There is one good thing about Tom&#8217;s going,&#8221; said Juarez, &#8220;he will
+hustle more than any of us.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;No doubt about that,&#8221; laughed Jim. &#8220;He will scorch a trail down the
+mountain all right.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>It was true that Tom made extraordinary time, for he was desperately
+afraid lest his comrades-in-arms would get all the nuggets, but he
+need not have been so worried, for the boys worked busily night and
+day for the greater part of a week before Jim gave the orders to break
+camp. There was bitter rebellion on the part of Tom, and he was backed
+by Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You can stay,&#8221; Jim said finally. &#8220;We have <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span>enough, and more than
+enough. If we don&#8217;t pull up stakes now, we will be snowed under. A
+storm will strike us at this altitude any time at this season. We did
+not come here to spend the winter and we are not prepared for it.
+What&#8217;s the use of the gold? It won&#8217;t buy us anything if we are nothing
+but beautiful frozen corpses.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You hit the nail on the head that time, Skipper,&#8221; said Jeems Howell,
+the philosopher. &#8220;Gold is no good if you are dead. Men kill their
+souls getting it, too, pretty often in this world.&#8221; Tom had to give
+in, but he kept growling under his breath, and Jim turned on him
+fiercely.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Another growl out of you, Tom Darlington, and I&#8217;ll give you a sound
+thrashing. I&#8217;m using my best judgment and I am not going to be
+pestered from here to the coast with your growling sulks. That&#8217;s
+straight. You cheer up.&#8221; Tom cheered.</p>
+
+<p>They got an early start one morning and turned their horses&#8217; heads
+southward. The gold was evenly divided, and the burden imposed equally
+upon the three mules. The triumphant procession started, with Jim
+mounted jauntily on his white charger, Caliente, followed by Juarez
+and the rest in order.</p>
+
+<p>It was certainly a happy crowd when they had <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span>finally started on their
+return trip to the coast. The talk was all of their plans for the
+future, about their home-going, all of which is related in the
+&#8220;Frontier Boys in the Saddle,&#8221; for it was a longish journey and a
+thrilling one, and then home. Juarez did not say much, but it was
+evident that his mind was busy thinking of his people on the Kansas
+farm outside of River Bend.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It will be too late in the season when we get to your place, Juarez,
+for a game of baseball,&#8221; remarked Jo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s too bad,&#8221; replied Juarez. &#8220;It would be fine sport to beat those
+Hughsonville fellows again.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m not so sure that I could pitch a baseball now,&#8221; said Jo. &#8220;It&#8217;s a
+long time since I have had one in my hand.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That would be all right,&#8221; said Jim easily. &#8220;We would have Jeems for
+umpire, and he would help us out.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Now, boys, don&#8217;t you go to planning trouble for me,&#8221; expostulated
+Jeems. &#8220;I don&#8217;t mind dodging sharks and being tied up by fierce
+outlaws, like Jo and Tom, but I won&#8217;t be an umpire.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s settled,&#8221; laughed Jo. &#8220;Anyway, if we can&#8217;t indulge in
+baseball, we will have a game of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span>horseshoes, behind the blacksmith&#8217;s
+shop at River Bend.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;I wonder how the <i>Sea Eagle</i> and the old Captain are getting along?&#8221;
+said Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We will see in about ten days,&#8221; replied Jim. &#8220;But I&#8217;m not worrying
+with the old man and the engineer aboard. We will stop long enough to
+say howdy to &#8217;em, leave our gold or most of it aboard ship and then
+hike for home.&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Do you think it will be safe on the ship, Jim?&#8221; inquired Jo
+anxiously.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;As safe as anywhere,&#8221; said Jim nonchalantly.</p>
+
+<p>The Frontier Boys rode steadily southward, taking a more direct way
+and an easier one than that by which they had come. They took no
+chance of running into Gus Gols or his gang of cutthroats. They were
+fortunate in not being molested or way-laid, and for the first five
+days the weather was fine, but the morning of the sixth day it began
+to snow just as they rode out of camp. The boys did not worry,
+however, as they were through the worst of the mountain trip. Indeed,
+they rather enjoyed the soft and silent fall of the snow; it was a
+change.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Boys, this is Christmas weather!&#8221; cried Jeems.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;We will spend our Christmas at home this <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span>year, boys!&#8221; said Jim,
+turning in the saddle and looking down the line, each one riding
+jauntily and easily through the rapidly falling snow that softly
+flaked their weather-hued faces and starred the coats of their horses.
+&#8220;All in favor of this proposition say aye!&#8221; continued Jim.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;Aye!&#8221; roared the boys in chorus.</p>
+
+<p>&#8220;You, too, Jeems,&#8221; urged Jim, &#8220;won&#8217;t leave you out. Make it unanimous
+this time!&#8221;</p>
+
+<p>And they did. As for the reader, he must not be left out in the cold
+and the snow, and he, too, is invited to be present at the boys&#8217;
+Christmas at home, for it is bound to be a jolly affair, and the
+Frontier Boys are nothing if not hospitable. The record of their trip
+overland eastward and of their home-coming is bound to be full of
+interest and incident; for the boys, besides being hospitable, are
+also very enterprising and venturesome.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+
+<hr class="large" />
+
+<h3><span class="smcap">Transcriber&#8217;s Note:</span></h3>
+
+<p>Minor changes have been made to correct typesetters&#8217; errors; otherwise,
+every effort has been made to remain true to the author&#8217;s words and intent.</p>
+
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<p>&nbsp;</p>
+<hr class="full" />
+<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS***</p>
+<p>******* This file should be named 32253-h.txt or 32253-h.zip *******</p>
+<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br />
+<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/2/2/5/32253">http://www.gutenberg.org/3/2/2/5/32253</a></p>
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+The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Frontier Boys in the Sierras, by Wyn
+Roosevelt, Illustrated by S. Schneider
+
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+
+
+
+Title: The Frontier Boys in the Sierras
+       Or, The Lost Mine
+
+
+Author: Wyn Roosevelt
+
+
+
+Release Date: May 4, 2010  [eBook #32253]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
+
+
+***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS***
+
+
+E-text prepared by D Alexander and the Project Gutenberg Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images
+generously made available by Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org)
+
+
+
+Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this
+      file which includes the original illustrations.
+      See 32253-h.htm or 32253-h.zip:
+      (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/32253/32253-h/32253-h.htm)
+      or
+      (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/32253/32253-h.zip)
+
+
+      Images of the original pages are available through
+      Internet Archive. See
+      http://www.archive.org/details/frontierboysinsi00roosrich
+
+
+
+
+
+THE FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS
+
+Or
+
+The Lost Mine
+
+by
+
+CAPT. WYN ROOSEVELT
+
+Illustrated by S. Schneider
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+New York
+A. L. Chatterton Company
+Publishers
+
+
+
+
++-------------------------------------+
+|                                     |
+| By the same Author                  |
+|                                     |
+| FRONTIER BOYS ON THE OVERLAND TRAIL |
+| FRONTIER BOYS IN COLORADO           |
+| FRONTIER BOYS IN THE ROCKIES        |
+| FRONTIER BOYS IN THE GRAND CANYON   |
+| FRONTIER BOYS IN MEXICO             |
+| FRONTIER BOYS ON THE COAST          |
+| FRONTIER BOYS IN HAWAII             |
+| FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS        |
+| FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SADDLE         |
+|                                     |
++-------------------------------------+
+
+Copyright 1909
+Chatterton-Peck Co.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: "THE MEXICAN HAD GOT ALMOST WITHIN STRIKING
+DISTANCE."--P. 179.]
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+ CHAPTER                                               PAGE
+
+      I. IN THE CHANNEL                                  9
+     II. FAREWELL TO HAWAII                             17
+    III. JEEMS' STORY                                   25
+     IV. THE LOST MINE                                  33
+      V. WORKING THE SHIP                               41
+     VI. DANGEROUS WORK                                 49
+    VII. WHAT THEY SAW                                  57
+   VIII. A RACE                                         66
+     IX. THE ENGINEER                                   75
+      X. THE RUSSIAN                                    85
+     XI. A CONSPIRACY                                   94
+    XII. THE GREEN GHOSTS                              103
+   XIII. TOM'S BAD LUCK                                112
+    XIV. THE TRIAL                                     121
+     XV. "THE MARIA CROTHERS"                          130
+    XVI. AN EXCITING CHARGE                            140
+   XVII. A CHASE                                       148
+  XVIII. THE DIAGRAM                                   157
+    XIX. THE CAMP IN THE VALLEY                        167
+     XX. A SURPRISE                                    176
+    XXI. THE GREASER                                   185
+   XXII. HAIL                                          192
+  XXIII. A HOLIDAY                                     202
+   XXIV. BIG GUS AND HIS GANG                          209
+    XXV. A NEW FORT                                    215
+   XXVI. A NIGHT ATTACK                                222
+  XXVII. THE RETREAT                                   229
+ XXVIII. A NEW START                                   237
+   XXIX. THE SEARCH                                    244
+    XXX. THE LOST MINE AGAIN                           251
+
+
+
+
+ The Frontier Boys in the
+ Sierras
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+IN THE CHANNEL
+
+
+"By Jove, Jim!" exclaimed Jo Darlington, "but this sea is something
+fierce! For one I will be mighty glad when we get clear of the
+Hawaiian channels and out into the open."
+
+"It is lively going," yelled Jim, above the roar of the wind, as he
+and his brother Jo were standing together on the bridge of their ship,
+"but I guess the _Sea Eagle_ will weather it, if we don't run into
+another vessel in the dark. How about it, Captain?"
+
+The captain, who was the rather bent figure of an old man, was clothed
+in a heavy woolen jacket, buttoned across his chest. He stopped and
+regarded Jim fixedly in the semi-light on the bridge.
+
+"What's that, Skipper?" he roared hoarsely, "weather this? Why, this
+ain't no sea, and the _Sea Eagle_ is a staunch boat. Why, lad, you
+must be joking."
+
+"I was," replied Jim, laughing. "I just want to reassure brother
+Jo,--that was all."
+
+"Somebody ought to go and cheer up Tom and Jeems Howell," remarked Jo,
+in order to give himself some sea standing in the eyes of Captain
+Kerns. "They are as sick as puppies down in the cabin."
+
+"Don't blame 'em much," cried Jim, "this motion would upset a shark's
+liver."
+
+If you have read "The Frontier Boys in Hawaii," you will be well
+acquainted with these conversationalists on the good sea-going yacht,
+the _Sea Eagle_, but if not, you will have to be introduced, "Mr.
+Reader, this is Skipper James Darlington."
+
+"Happy to make your acquaintance, hope you are a good sailor?"
+
+"Mr. Reader, allow me to present Captain Kerns."
+
+Captain Kerns merely grunts, and, kind Mr. Reader, you must overlook
+his lack of formality, because the captain is an old salt and his
+manners are a little briny.
+
+In way of further explanation, I may say that the Frontier Boys are
+just returning from a trip to Hawaii in which they have explored the
+wonderful crater of Haleapala on the Island of Maui, and their ship
+the _Sea Eagle_, whose capture is another story, is pointing her prow
+eastward through the rough channel that separates Hawaii and Maui.
+
+They are en route to the coast of California, and as soon as they
+land they have planned to make an exploring expedition into the
+wilds of The Sierra Nevadas, in search of a lost mine, rumors of which
+have come to their ears. Besides the three Frontier Boys and their
+comrade Juarez, there is their friend Jeems Howell, a shepherd and
+philosopher, from a small island off the coast of California; Captain
+Kerns, a retired ship's master who was persuaded to come along merely
+to supervise; Jim, the oldest of the three brothers, being the acting
+commander, though generally referred to as skipper. And besides these,
+there is old Pete, an ancient mariner, the engineer, and a sturdy boy
+below who does a good deal of the stoking.
+
+Besides these _dramatis personae_, there is a general chorus of
+Mermen and Mermaids, sharks, porpoises, sea serpents _et al._; as Jo
+Darlington would say, it was the sharks that _et all_. But this is no
+reflection upon the appetites of the boys, which was invariably good,
+if we may except Tom Darlington and Jeems Howell just at the present
+moment.
+
+Now, on with the voyage: as the principals have been introduced and
+are ready, they can come to close grips with the ocean and all its
+dangers, so that the referee, being the writer, has made his exit
+through the ropes, allowing a free field and no favor. It is a tough
+beginning as far as sea way goes. The hour is close upon midnight in
+mid-channel, and that is no dream even on so staunch a little craft as
+the _Sea Eagle_.
+
+"That time she lapped the starboard boat into the water," yelled Jim.
+"Hold steady now, lads."
+
+Then up rose the ship on the other roll to larboard; over, over, over
+she went; would she never stop? Then with a straining of all her
+timbers, that had all the effort of severe muscular tension, she did
+stop, then back she rolled on the other tack which was equally as
+sharp, the brass balls on top of her masts pointing from star to star,
+describing, it seemed, almost a semi-circle.
+
+To make it more interesting the _Sea Eagle_ would then dip under a
+huge wave and the water would swish and roll aft along the main deck.
+The wind whistled and hummed through the taut ropes, and altogether it
+was a lively night, even if the sturdy old captain did discount its
+terrors. Occasionally Jim and Jo would slide across the bridge and
+bring up against the side; but as a rule they kept their sea legs in
+good shape.
+
+"Hold on, Juarez," cried Jim, as he saw a dark form emerge from the
+companionway, "here comes a big wave."
+
+But with the roar of the sea and the wind Juarez did not hear the
+warning, and had just started across the deck when under went the _Sea
+Eagle_, and a tremendous wave swept aft, submerging the bulwarks. It
+caught Juarez off his feet and swirled him toward the side. He would
+not have lived a minute in those rearing, plunging seas.
+
+As he was swept over, he caught frantically at an iron stanchion and
+barely gripped it, and before he could make an effort to help himself
+he was submerged in the water, the sea tugging at him as though it
+were an hungry animal. Hardy as Juarez was, he could not help but feel
+a thrill of terror; it seemed as if the waves desperately clutched at
+him.
+
+Jim was filled with horror when he saw Juarez apparently carried
+overboard. He shook off the captain's grip; the latter thought that
+Jim was going to spring over after his friend, which act he knew would
+result in two lives being thrown away. So he leaped to the main deck.
+Then he saw Juarez struggling to get aboard before the next wave
+came. He sprang to his help and with a powerful pull yanked him in.
+
+They braced themselves against the attack of a second wave that swept
+the deck and then they were "high and dry" on the bridge, drenched to
+the skin, but entirely safe, and none the worse for their impromptu
+bath.
+
+"That was a close call, Juarez," said Jo sympathetically.
+
+"Another call like that and I won't be tu hum," replied Juarez with a
+grin.
+
+"Next time take a look for'ard, lad," said the captain, who had joined
+the group in the shelter of the deck house; "we could never have
+picked you up on a dark night like this." Then he went back to his
+station on the bridge. The hardy old sailor would never have dreamed
+of making much ado about any accident no matter how serious. If the
+party came through alive, that was sufficient to show that it was not
+very bad. The Frontier Boys, too, had absorbed a good deal of that
+philosophy in the course of many dangers which they had so fortunately
+outlived.
+
+When daylight came, the _Sea Eagle_ had battered her way through the
+rough channel, its waters tortured by rapid currents and terrific
+cross seas, and was now pitching along the windward coast of the big
+Island of Hawaii, with its twin volcanic summits nearly fourteen
+thousand feet in height. It was not smooth going yet by any means, but
+better than during the night.
+
+"Get up, Tom, and look at the scenery." It was Jim's cheerful voice,
+addressed to Tom, who lay pale and rather wan in his bunk.
+
+"I've got no use for scenery," growled Tom, "unless I can get close
+enough to it to put my foot on it. I want something solid."
+
+"How would a beefsteak do, Tom?" It was Jo, who was looking over Jim's
+shoulder. At the mention of food, Tom seemed endowed with sudden
+energy and reached down, and grabbing up a shoe, hurled it at the two
+in the doorway. They ducked and the missile barely grazed the beard of
+the old captain, who was coming aft, and then it went overboard.
+
+"By Thundas!" he exclaimed, opening his eyes wide with surprise, "who
+kicked that?"
+
+"Tom threw it, sir," said Jim with a burst of laughter he could not
+control, at sight of the captain's astonished visage, "but he meant it
+for us, because we were guying him."
+
+"I'll forgive him on account of his intentions," grinned the captain.
+"I only wish he had swatted you."
+
+Tom was much relieved to hear this expression of opinion on the part
+of the captain, of whom he stood in considerable awe. From fright to
+relief was such a revulsion of feeling that Tom forgot to be sea-sick,
+and he began to mend from that moment, so that he was able to be
+present for duty when breakfast was served.
+
+"I thought you were sick abed," remarked Jim, opening his eyes with
+surprise.
+
+"I was," replied Tom, "until I threw up that shoe, now I feel fine and
+fit to eat a square meal."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+FAREWELL TO HAWAII
+
+
+Jeems Howell was the only one of the hardy Frontier group who was
+unable to be present at breakfast that fine morning.
+
+"How are you feeling, Jeems," inquired Jo, looking in upon the
+sufferer a little later. "Don't you think that you could eat a little
+something if you were propped up with pillows?"
+
+"No, no, lad," said Jeems sadly. "I feel that I ain't long for this
+world."
+
+"I don't know what you call it then," remarked the incorrigible Jo,
+"you are six feet four and that seems to me to be pretty long for this
+world or any other."
+
+Jeems laughed so heartily at this that he too began forthwith to
+recuperate. Then he got out on the land side of the deck and, though
+the sun was of a sufficient warmth to satisfy the most exacting, he
+kept a heavy shawl wrapped around his shoulders.
+
+"Durned old woman," growled the captain when he caught sight of the
+figure seated between the cabin and the rail. "He ought to be for'ard
+scrubbing deck."
+
+However, Skipper Jim was more lenient, and only laughed at the
+captain's severity, for he knew that the old fellow's bark was much
+worse than his bite. In fact, no work was being done aboard ship that
+morning, for all hands were given a chance for a long last look at
+Hawaii. Never again were they to behold a more beautiful scene than
+the panorama that traveled steadily along with the _Sea Eagle_ that
+morning.
+
+The soft radiance flooded the deeply azure sea, and the tropic island
+of vivid and varied green. The four boys stood leaning lazily on the
+ship's rail, gazing in silence at the view that was passing before
+them. Their sombreros shaded their eyes, but the glare from the water
+shone upon their faces of healthy bronze, and they did not seem to
+mind it in the least. The old captain sat upon the bridge in his old
+armchair, with his old comrade, the tortoise-shell cat, dozing and
+blinking at his feet, a true picture of furry felicity.
+
+So the crew of the _Sea Eagle_ passed in review this coast of Hawaii,
+with black precipices, that rose in a continuous line of palisades
+from out the sea, with no white beach shelving down. The great green
+surges, with the force of the Pacific behind them, rolled against
+the perpendicular walls, the dark surfaces of which were veined at
+frequent intervals by the silvery lines of the waterfalls, or graced
+by the vines which fell in straight lines, or were looped in varied
+shapes.
+
+Beyond these cliffs there rose the splendid slopes, with here and
+there groves of royal palms and slender cocoa trees, fit temples for
+the gods of ancient Hawaii who were supposed to dwell in streams and
+groves and mountains. Still higher up the mountain side grew the
+forests of creamy koa, inlaid among the dark-leaved kukui.
+
+At times the skirts of the clouds, heavy with moisture, dragged along
+the lower slopes, and a soft gloom would diffuse itself over the
+landscape. Then the sun would roll the mists aside for the moment, and
+the light would fall upon tropical vales, hills and mountain slopes,
+with all the vividness of the early spring and yet with the full, rich
+splendor of summer.
+
+No wonder the Frontier Boys were silent as they gazed upon this scene
+of varied and unusual beauty, so different from the wild and barren
+grandeur of the mountain ranges in their own country, and the arid
+deserts they had traveled over.
+
+"I'd hate to fall overboard here," exclaimed Tom, "it looks all-fired
+deep."
+
+"The captain says that along these island coasts," remarked Juarez,
+"is some of the deepest seas in the world."
+
+"Say, Jeems," cried Juarez to the invalid, "wade out here and see how
+deep it is."
+
+"If you really want to know I'll tell you," responded Jeems, the
+philosopher. "Off this coast it's between five and seven thousand
+feet."
+
+"Whew!" whistled Jim, "over a mile, how is that for down?"
+
+"It makes me shiver to think of it," exclaimed Tom.
+
+"Hello, boys!" cried Jeems, "there is a big fire over on the other
+side of the Island."
+
+"I should say!" commented Jim earnestly. "Look at that smoke rolling
+up."
+
+"It must be a forest fire," put in Jo. "Reminds me of our Colorado
+experiences."
+
+"I tell you what, boys, let's make a landing and take a look at it,"
+cried Juarez. "There's a fine harbor ahead of us!"
+
+Old Captain Kerns was taking a deep interest in the conversation, as
+was evident, as he looked down from the quarter deck at the boys.
+
+"What's that you lads were saying, about a big fire somewheres?" he
+inquired. "I hope it hain't aboard ship."
+
+"No, no, Captain," replied Jim reassuringly, "we meant that big smoke
+over on the other side of the island. Juarez wants to make a landing,
+so as we can see it to better advantage. We don't want to miss any
+excitement."
+
+"You lads are always so eager," replied the captain. "Why don't you
+wait until you get back here sometime?"
+
+"It will be burned out long before we get back," said Jo.
+
+"Well," said the captain slowly, "that smoke has been there for nigh
+onto a thousand years, and is liable to be there for some time yet.
+That's the volcano of Kiluaea."
+
+How the captain roared then; for an instant the boys were dumfounded,
+then they gave themselves up to hilarious mirth.
+
+"That's certainly one on us boys," cried Jim. "We can't tell a volcano
+when we see it. We ought to have stayed on the old farm and dug
+potatoes."
+
+After the ship had turned northward from the coast of Hawaii the boys
+set to work about their usual tasks aboard ship. Jim took the wheel;
+Juarez went below to work with the engineer, with whom he was quite
+chummy; Jeems and Jo scrubbed decks, while Tom was busy in the galley
+preparing the dinner. All the boys were pretty fair cooks, but Tom's
+cooking probably had more style to it, though he was not quite a
+French chef.
+
+The old captain had turned into his cabin on the quarter deck to take
+a good nap in his bunk, while the cat, whom he named Ulysses, both on
+account of his wisdom and because he had been a great traveler, was
+curled up in the chair beside him. So the day went quickly and
+cheerfully by,--the first day at sea.
+
+In the late afternoon all hands were on deck to take their last
+look at Hawaii, that was fast becoming a mythical island on the
+enchanted border of the horizon. The bulk of the Island of Hawaii
+was encompassed with an atmosphere of wonderful blue, rising from
+out the dusk, which shrouded the distant sea, and its two great
+volcanic cones, that rose to the glow of the sunset, were touched
+with a delicate pink.
+
+"We have had a fine time down there in Hawaii, boys," said Jim, "but
+I'm glad we are headed for home."
+
+"I suppose you will try to locate that lost mine in the Sierras?" said
+Tom, "that Jeems spoke about the other day."
+
+"If there is anything lost we are the ones to locate it," said Jo.
+"There is no doubt about that."
+
+"We must get Jeems to tell us more about it," said Jim. "Perhaps we
+can get him to tune up this evening after supper."
+
+"Time to put up the lights, Captain?" inquired Juarez.
+
+"Yes, Juarez," replied Jim. "You may attend to it."
+
+"I don't see what's the use," remarked Tom. "We won't probably see a
+ship until we get near the coast of California."
+
+"Don't make any difference," replied Jim. "That's the law of the sea
+and you can't ever tell what you will run against."
+
+Juarez did not wait to hear the discussion, but went after the red and
+the green lanterns. He placed the red on the starboard side for'ard in
+a wooden bracket well up, and the green was placed on the port side,
+or the left, and they shone through the bronze dusk that obscured the
+rolling sea, like separate jewels, the emerald and the ruby.
+
+It was a happy group that gathered around the supper table in the
+cabin that evening, for the boys were homeward bound. The windows
+of the skylight were wide open, because it was a typical tropical
+night--warm and balmy--and the great lamp that swung over the table
+with its brass reflector served to make it warmer still.
+
+"Tell us something more about that lost mine you were telling about
+the other day, Jeems," piped up Tom.
+
+"Don't tell Tom first," warned Jim, "because if you do, he will have
+all the shares sold before we arrive." There was a general laugh at
+this because Tom was strictly business when it came to money.
+
+"Wait till we get on deck, then I'll spout," said Jeems.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+JEEMS' STORY
+
+
+So the clan shortly after supper gathered at the after hatch on the
+main deck to hear what Jeems had to tell them in regard to this stray,
+lost, or stolen mine in the depths of the Sierra Nevadas. The captain
+was seated in his old chair upon the quarter deck, and, in the
+gloaming, puffing thoughtfully at his weathered old pipe, meditating,
+like as not, on the days of long ago, when he was as full of life as
+that bunch now talking and laughing on the main deck.
+
+"This is a fine old night," declared Jo, as he stretched himself
+comfortably out on the canvas cover of the hatch.
+
+"I never saw so many stars before," declared Tom, "must be a million
+in sight."
+
+"Not so, son," remarked Jeems. "There is not more than three thousand
+visible to the naked eye."
+
+"Go on with you," said Tom, conclusively, "you needn't tell me that.
+It's as much of a yarn as your story of the lost mine."
+
+"Don't mind him, Jeems," said Jim. "Let's hear your tale of woe about
+this mine that somebody lost."
+
+"Well," remarked Jeems, "if you children will be quiet and don't
+interrupt, I'll begin. First make yourselves comfortable."
+
+This the boys proceeded to do; Jim and Juarez stretched their long
+legs out on the deck, with their backs against the hatch, while Tom
+started to make himself content and at ease by using Jo's stomach for
+a pillow. This, however, did not agree with Jo's idea of comfort, or
+perhaps it was his stomach that it did not agree with. However that
+may be, there was a cat fight on the hatch, Jo and Tom grappling with
+each other and struggling over and over. Jim was about to jump in and
+separate them, when he saw that they were likely to roll off the hatch
+on to the deck, and then he would not have interfered for anything.
+
+The two combatants were so interested that they did not see or care.
+Then they poised on the edge and, as the ship gave a roll, over they
+went, just missing Jeems' shepherd dog, who was peacefully lying, nose
+over paws, upon the deck. This unexpected avalanche sent him howling
+for'ard for safety.
+
+Then still clutching each other they rolled into the scuppers, Tom
+striving to get a strangle hold on brother Jo, and the latter chugging
+Tom in the side with his free fist. At this juncture Jim took a hand,
+not in the interest of peace, but because he wanted to hear the
+shepherd's yarn. So he yanked them apart, none too gently.
+
+"Ain't you ashamed of yourselves?" exclaimed Jim severely, "mussing up
+my clean deck and scaring Jeems' dog into a fit."
+
+"I'm no sofa pillow," panted Jo. "Tom will find that out."
+
+"I'll put you children on either side of the hatch if you don't
+behave," advised Jim, "and make you sit there."
+
+"Like to see you try it," replied Tom belligerently.
+
+"Send 'em to bed without any supper," put in Juarez jocosely.
+
+"I'd give 'em a taste of the rope's end."
+
+It was the old captain's voice rumbling down from the quarter deck.
+He, too, had been aroused by the sound of the scuffle. Tom glanced up
+at him with an apprehensive eye, for he stood in considerable awe of
+the old sailor, and quieted right down.
+
+"They will be good boys now, Captain," grinned Jim. "Their feelings
+were temporarily upset."
+
+"It seemed to be an upset of some kind," replied the captain with a
+grim smile, and went back to his chair.
+
+Peace being restored, Jeems began his narrative in the slow,
+drawling manner characteristic of his mode of speech. He was leaning
+forward with his elbows on his knees, and his gray eyes--large and
+open--seemed to be looking dreamily over the dusky sea, that was
+rolling languidly through the warm darkness of the night.
+
+"It was a some different sort of night than this when I first heard
+tell of the mine, which maybe you boys think you will find some trace
+of, being young and hopeful and full of action."
+
+"Now, Jeems, don't get personal," warned Jim. "We aren't as young as
+we act."
+
+"I know it, Skipper," admitted Jeems; "but as I was going to tell you,
+this night I was speaking of, it had started in to snow something
+fierce. I was young then myself, and had been prospectin' all day and
+had come home to my little cabin that was under the shelter of a huge
+ledge in the mid-Sierras.
+
+"I can tell you, lads, I was mighty glad to be out of the storm that
+night, and I pitied any poor prospector who might be caught out in it.
+My cabin was smaller than the one I had on the Island off the coast,
+where you first discovered me, but it was comfortable and warm, and
+well sheltered from the wind.
+
+"I had built a big stone fireplace in one corner of the cabin, and had
+big sticks of pine piled up to the roof and a lot just outside of the
+door. You know how pitch pine will burn."
+
+"Needn't tell us," cried the audience in chorus.
+
+"Besides wood, I had enough grub to stand a siege, as I was always
+forehanded."
+
+"Must have been durn lonesome," commented Jo. "Grub and firewood ain't
+everything."
+
+"That sort of business would just suit me," put in Juarez.
+
+"Well, I wasn't entirely alone," said the shepherd.
+
+"Wife with you?" cut in Tom, who could be over-smart at times. Jim
+noticed that the shepherd winced at the careless question, and he put
+a grip on Tom's knee that meant that the said Tom had better keep his
+mouth shut.
+
+"A man don't take his wife into such a wilderness as that," said Jim.
+
+"Go on, Jeems, and there won't be any more personal interruptions."
+
+"Well, Skipper, as I was agoin' to say, I had with me a big hound,
+one that had followed me on my trips ever since he was a puppy. A
+prospector had given him to me when I was sluicing for gold on Rainbow
+Creek. He was a smooth, black-skinned dog, with stubby ears, and a jaw
+on him like a prize fighter. He was equal to anything in a fight short
+of a grizzly, and I valued his company considerable, I can tell you."
+
+"I should like to have seen a scrap between him and Captain Graves'
+Santa Anna." (This was on the back trail when the Frontier Boys were
+in Colorado), said Juarez.
+
+"Get Jo and Tom to mixing it," laughed Jim, "and you'll have some idea
+of what it would be like."
+
+At this point the boys were surprised to see Jeems become angry at
+Juarez's innocent interruption. It was the first time that the boys
+had ever seen Jeems Howell anything but good-natured, no matter what
+happened, or what prank was played on him. But, as Jo remarked later,
+"Human nature is a mighty uncertain business, and everybody has got a
+cranky spot in 'em if you just happen to strike it at the explosive
+time." Which is a mighty true observation, which you can prove to your
+own satisfaction any day in the week. The writer being example No. 1,
+and you, indulgent reader, example No. 2.
+
+Jim and Juarez, by their combined and genial efforts, pulled Jeems out
+of the sulks and on to his own sunny level once more. Then he took up
+his narrative again.
+
+"Well, boys, it don't seem that I have got any right to criticize that
+black hound's temper, considering my own."
+
+"Anybody is apt to get riled once in a lifetime, Jeems," said Jim,
+"even Tom here has been known to act up occasionally." Tom joined in
+the laugh because he had a notoriously quick temper, and complete
+serenity was restored.
+
+"That hound would never make friends with anyone except me," continued
+Jeems, "and I could always depend on his watchfulness to warn me of
+the approach of any marauder. It was a wild country, and with bad
+Indians and worse white men you always had to be on your guard. Still
+on this night I tell ye of, the storm was so wild and fierce that I
+did not believe anyone would be abroad who had any sort of a place to
+stay in.
+
+"Before turning in, I stepped outside to see how things were going.
+The hound followed close on my heels. I closed the door tight and
+stood in the darkness with my old gray hat pulled down close around my
+head. I could scarcely see. The snow was swirling from the ledge above
+my cabin, and was blown out in great sheets into the night.
+
+"Then the hound began to growl kind of low, and his hair was
+bristling, but he did not show any sudden desire to take a jump down
+the mountain side, as he would under ordinary circumstances, and I
+didn't urge him because I thought he showed mighty good sense."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+THE LOST MINE
+
+
+"'Anybody down thar?' I yelled, but my voice was blown down my throat,
+and you couldn't have heard it six feet away, as the wind was doing
+all the talking that night. So I stepped back into my cabin, followed
+by the dog, who kept growling to himself like a man with a grouch.
+
+"No sooner was I inside than I let the heavy bar down across the door,
+and, when it fell into place, I drew a full breath, for I felt nervous
+at the action of the dog, and it was terrible lonesome, just as bad as
+being adrift on a raft in this ocean."
+
+"I'd take the land every time," cut in Tom. "It's what's under you
+makes you so scarey on the ocean."
+
+"I don't know but that the constant motion of the sea makes it kind of
+company for a man," remarked Jim.
+
+"Don't tell me that," said the shepherd with a quizzical look in his
+eyes, "from my recent experience that same motion will separate you
+from what is nearest to you. Anyhow, after I had put on a big log of
+pine on the coals in the fireplace, and the flame began to blaze up, I
+felt more cheerful, for it seemed to make my cabin alive with a hearty
+glow.
+
+"After I had toasted my blankets thoroughly, I wrapped them around me,
+and laid down near the fire, with my rifle near me. The big hound was
+just back a bit, between me and the door, and I felt quite secure and
+perfectly comfortable. I was tired, too, for I had been working hard
+all day, and I soon dropped off into a sound sleep.
+
+"I do not know how long I had slept, when I sat up suddenly throwing
+the blankets off from me and grabbing my rifle. The fire had died down
+and there was that chill in the air that cramps a man's blood. The
+cabin was full of shadows, except the dying glow on the stone hearth.
+The dog had risen and was growling towards the door. Then I heard the
+blow of a stick, I suppose it was, against the door.
+
+"I tell you, it made me feel scared, coming in the dead of night, in
+such a lonesome, utterly desolate place. I was kind of superstitious
+in those days, too, and I was afraid of what was outside there,
+because it didn't seem possible for anything human to have reached my
+isolated cabin on such a night. Again came the blow upon the door;
+then I crossed to the window and very cautiously looked out.
+
+"It had evidently heard me or divined that I was at the window, for I
+saw pressed against the pane and almost touching my face, it seemed,
+the dark visage of a man with wild, black eyes. The dog saw him too,
+but as he did not seem to be inspired with his usual ferocity, I
+decided to take a chance and let him in. I would not have kept the Old
+Boy himself out on a night like that.
+
+"So with my weapon ready, I unbarred the door, and the man stumbled
+in. I saw that he was not an American, but belonged to some dark race,
+probably a Spaniard. When I got a good look at his face, I saw that my
+unbidden guest was no other than Rodrigo Sandez, who was fabled all
+through that region to have found the entrance to the famous Lost
+Mine, whose wealth had been coupled with legends for many years.
+
+"It seems that this mine had been known to the earliest Spanish
+explorers, many of whom went back to Spain fabulously rich. Then, for
+many years, all trace had been lost of it, and numerous miners and
+prospectors laughed incredulously at any mention of it. Then came
+Rodrigo Sandez with his friend, who likewise was Spanish, or as I
+think Spanish-Mexican, and rediscovered the Lost Mine, probably
+through some information long hidden, that had come to them in Mexico,
+through some unknown sources.
+
+"The man was half frozen from exposure to the elements, and when he
+was thawed out physically, it did the same for his powers of speech.
+I eagerly hoped that he would have something to say that would give me
+a clue to the whereabouts of that mine, not that I expected he would
+make me his heir, but I was anxious to make a stake in those days, for
+one reason, if not for another, so I had hopes.
+
+"In the three weeks that he stayed in my cabin before the storm broke,
+not a hint could I get out of him, though he would talk volubly about
+other matters, telling me of his travels in Mexico and South America.
+All the time he was with me I kept wondering what had become of his
+partner, but when I had it on the tip of my tongue to ask him,
+something in his manner of looking at me held me back.
+
+"Physically he was not impressive, this man, being short and stocky.
+His complexion was very dark, and his hair was short and bristly.
+But there was a peculiar power in his eyes at times, and when he was
+disturbed about anything, instead of becoming sharp and brilliant they
+took on a kind of glaze, that gave you a creepy feeling when he looked
+at you.
+
+"I might say right here that though Sandez and his partner had been
+trailed many times in the effort to find where this mine was located,
+they were always lost track of. Either they dropped out of sight as
+though the earth had swallowed them, or something happened to the
+party that was following them.
+
+"When Sandez left my cabin to go on his way south, the weather having
+cleared, I decided to take up his back trail in hope of finding some
+trace of his partner, and thus getting a possible clue to the location
+of the mine. So I started out one clear, cold day, with my dog for
+guide and company.
+
+"I knew the general direction that the two partners traveled, for
+their trail was not lost until they had gone some twenty miles
+northwest of my cabin. I made fast time over the frozen snow on my
+skis, until by noon I had covered nigh onto fifteen miles. The dog
+was trotting along ahead of me when suddenly he disappeared into a
+deep gulch.
+
+"In a second or two he set up a howl long-drawn-out and I knew then
+that he had found the quarry. I discovered the body of the man under
+some thick bushes at the bottom of the gulch. He had not been frozen
+to death either, for there was a slit in his back, where the knife had
+been driven.
+
+"No wonder that I had found it hard to ask the Senor Sandez what had
+become of his partner. Here was the answer. It was evident that this
+deed of treachery had been the end of a bitter quarrel, perhaps over
+the division of the wealth or some other matter of dispute. I always
+felt that there was more back of it than appeared on the surface. I
+found nothing to establish the identity of the dead man, neither his
+name nor his place of residence.
+
+"I did find, however, in an inner pocket the picture of a rather
+pretty Spanish woman, and on the back of it was drawn a diagram
+showing a certain part of the mountain. I instantly jumped to the
+conclusion that it was the clue to the Lost Mine. I spent several
+months thereafter trying to locate the place. I got most of the way
+by the map and then I came to a mark that fooled me completely, and
+I lost the trail."
+
+"What did you do with that diagram, Jeems?" asked Jim intently.
+
+"I kept it back of a rock in the chimney of my cabin, and it's there
+yet for all I know."
+
+"Unless the mountain rats have chewed it up," remarked Tom gloomily.
+
+"I suppose you can find that cabin of yours, can't you?" inquired
+Juarez.
+
+"It's a good many years, but I reckon I could," Jeems replied.
+
+"Well, I reckon you will have the chance," said Jim, "just as soon as
+we land."
+
+"That yarn of yours was not only interesting, Jeems, but it has some
+practical value," remarked Jo.
+
+"Ahoy there, Skipper," boomed out the old captain's voice from the
+quarter deck. "It's about time the man at the wheel was relieved." Jim
+sprang to his feet, and gave his head a hard thump with his fist to
+wake himself up.
+
+"Right, Captain," he replied, "I've been sitting here listening to a
+yarn and forgetting my work. Jo, to the wheel. I'll stand watch."
+
+Then he leaped up the steep steps leading to the quarter deck, closely
+followed by Jo, who took Pete's place at the wheel, while that worthy
+went below; and the captain turned into his cabin on the quarter deck
+without more ado. If anyone besides Jim had been so forgetful, there
+would have been a vast amount of growling on his part, but Jim was a
+favorite.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+WORKING THE SHIP
+
+
+It was now ten o'clock, and the ship steadily held her way over the
+plunging seas, and the wind came from out the vague spaces of the
+night, not chill, but bracing. How Jim loved it! Sometimes he felt
+when he was pacing the deck at night on watch, that he liked the ocean
+even better than the mountains.
+
+As he strode back and forth he thought and pondered over Jeems' story.
+Suppose they should find this rich pocket mine of gold in the Sierras,
+what would they do with the money? Jim was not grasping and the mere
+idea of getting rich did not appeal to him. "A fool can make money,"
+he had sometimes said, "but it takes a wise man to spend it." Then he
+brought his fist down hard upon the rail.
+
+"I've got it, Jo," he cried, "if we find that mine, we will take a
+trip around the world and see if we can't discover something new.
+We've got the ship already."
+
+"What do we need of more money?" asked Jo. "Let's head her around now
+and strike out for the Philippines. We have got some of that treasure
+left that we discovered in Mexico."
+
+"I wonder what Pap would say," replied Jim, lowering his voice, "if he
+found that he had been shanghied in any such fashion. I suspicion that
+there would be a mutiny aboard this craft."
+
+"I forgot about him," admitted Jo.
+
+"Another thing, you don't realize how much money it takes to keep a
+yacht going, even if we are under sail part of the time. This boat has
+got to be overhauled when we get to port. Drydocked for one thing,
+liable to cost $500; then the engines will have to be overhauled. Next
+coal and provisions----"
+
+"I reckon we had better discover that mine," agreed Jo.
+
+"That's where you show your good sense," concluded Jim.
+
+So as the schooner yacht went northward following her unseen path
+through the darkness, the boys' minds were busy with their plans for
+the future. For one, I envy them their buoyant freedom, their hearty
+comradeship, and their chance for new and varying adventure. Yet they
+had earned much of the good fortune that had come to them by their
+pluck in danger and their cheerful endurance of hardship.
+
+At two o'clock Tom was called on deck to take the wheel, and Jeems
+Howell to stand watch. Not a very strong maritime team, to be sure,
+but with the calm mild weather it was safe enough, and the captain
+was near at hand if any trouble should arise suddenly from out the
+darkness of the sea.
+
+"Do you suppose you two land lubbers can manage, without running us
+aground?" inquired Jim.
+
+"Aye, aye, sir!" replied Jeems cheerfully.
+
+"I'm just as liable to run this thing in a circle," replied Tom, "and
+we will butt into Hawaii before we know it."
+
+As a matter of fact, the boys were all pretty fair sort of sailors by
+this time, in a kind of make-shift practical way. They had received
+good instruction from old Pete, and capable supervision from the old
+captain, and it gave them confidence to have him back of them in case
+anything unusual should come up.
+
+Juarez, who was really a mechanical genius, went below in the
+engine-room to relieve the engineer. He spent his happiest hours in a
+pair of greasy jumpers working over the engine, feeding it with oil,
+polishing it until it shone, and giving it constant attention. The
+taciturn engineer had taken quite a fancy to Juarez, who was himself
+as silent as an Indian. He had taught Juarez a great deal about his
+intricate trade, and the pupil had been quick to profit, always
+watching and observing, and saying little.
+
+It seemed to Juarez that he was at the center of things when he was
+watching over the throbbing, steady, ceaseless movement of the engine;
+and shut off from the outside world, his thoughts seemed to time with
+the steady, powerful harmony of the mechanism, with its living spirit
+of steam within the polished framework. Many a boy who reads these
+lines will envy Juarez Hoskins, assistant engineer of the _Sea Eagle_,
+and will understand his feelings perhaps even better than the writer.
+
+Nor did Juarez mind the heat, as with the jumper fastened over his
+brown naked shoulders, and bare head, he went busily about the
+engine-room whistling softly to himself. Old Pete passed near on his
+way into the hold, and in a short time up came the boy stoker, black
+as a gnome and cheerful as a darkey, for he was Irish, which I take to
+be a Hibernian remark.
+
+Thus with the exception of Pete the Frontier Boys were in charge of
+their ship and running it all right too. There was no question that
+this practise cruise to Hawaii was a fine thing for them, and after it
+was over they would be well qualified to take the _Sea Eagle_ wherever
+their fancy might dictate, or where necessity might require.
+
+The next morning broke bright and balmy and the boys settled down
+to regular sea routine: scrubbing decks, steering, polishing the
+brasswork, and last, but not least, cooking. Some things were now
+present on the bill of fare which were absent when they sailed from
+the coast. For instance, there were bananas, some yellow and ripe,
+others a bright green which would ripen on the voyage.
+
+There was also half a bushel of mangoes, a most delicious fruit of
+juicy yellow meat, and a tart flavor hidden among its sweetness. There
+was also a small barrel of poi, the staple Hawaiian article of diet,
+of which the boys had grown very fond during their short sojourn in
+Hawaii. It was a thick bluish paste, and most nutritious.
+
+Poi was made from a native root called taro, of mottled bluish-white
+meat. This was pounded up with water to a thick consistency and
+according to the native custom eaten from bowls into which the two
+forefingers were dipped, whirled around and then transferred quickly
+and gracefully to the mouth. It was an interesting spectacle to see
+Tom, for instance, seated on a hatch, his bare legs crossed before
+him, and a bowl of poi between them. Then Tom would throw his head
+back and pop his two fingers into his mouth with much and evident
+enjoyment.
+
+Now poi is very fattening and the boys used to tease Jeems Howell
+about his getting a corporation, as he was naturally as thin as a
+slab. "You would look funny waddling around the deck, Jeems," said
+Jim, "and the fat shaking on your tummy when you laughed."
+
+"Could use me for ballast then, Skipper," he would remark, "but I
+ain't worrying any. When I see myself fat I'll believe it and not
+before."
+
+One day the dead calm of sea monotony was broken by a breeze of
+excitement. It was morning and Tom was at the wheel, while on the
+bridge was Juarez keeping a sharp lookout, as was his custom, although
+there was not much to expect in the way of interest. As far as
+sighting a sail, that was most unlikely, for this part of the ocean
+through which they were traveling was nothing but a blue desert, as
+far as other ships were concerned.
+
+"What's that coming now?" cried Juarez. "I can't make it out."
+
+"Where?" asked Tom eagerly.
+
+"Low down on the northeast quarter," said Juarez.
+
+"I see what you mean," remarked Tom, but he too was puzzled.
+
+"I'll get the glass," suggested Juarez.
+
+This done, he took a good long pull at it, his legs well braced
+against the roll of the ship, and making a very nautical figure
+indeed. Then he made out the enemy clearly; three big black hulls
+they were, and then from the bow of one a column of steam--or was
+it water?--went slanting into the air. Juarez's frame stiffened
+with interest and excitement.
+
+"Whales!" he cried.
+
+"What's that, lad?" It was the captain, who was supposedly asleep in
+his cabin, which was the deck house, but he responded quickly to the
+magic word, "Whales."
+
+"Gimme the glass," he ordered, his hand outstretched. The boys watched
+him with interested attention. "Three of 'em," he cried. "Gosh! I wish
+I was younger."
+
+By this time the whole Frontier gang was present on the quarter deck
+looking at the dark spots on the blue ocean that now had become
+visible to the naked eye. To say that they were interested was to put
+it very mildly. There was a strange interest to these marine monsters.
+
+"Let's get one of those fellows," cried Juarez. "We have a couple of
+harpoons."
+
+"Get ready, boys," cried Jim. "It's a go."
+
+"What!" roared the captain. "You boys can't spear a whale even if you
+did get nigh him. He would spank you to kingdom come with his tail.
+You stay right here where I can keep an eye on you. The idea of you
+tackling a whale. Why, it's plumb ridiculous. Just a passel of kittens
+when it comes to whaling." Then he stopped to blow, entirely
+exhausted.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+DANGEROUS WORK
+
+
+However foolhardy the proposition, the boys were determined, and then
+they were in the majority, so they overruled the captain. A chance
+like that was not to be permitted to slip. They had hunted bears,
+mountain lions, Indians, outlaws, ducks and much other game, but never
+had whales come within range before, and at least they were going to
+try to make their preliminary acquaintance.
+
+"Well, boys, as I ain't responsible to your parents, yer might jest as
+well end yer lives by the flap of a whale's tail as go on to be hung,
+because that, in my opinion, will come to you sooner or later, being
+so reckless." But down in his heart the old fellow was pleased with
+their enterprise and pluck.
+
+"Better come along and take care of us, Captain," urged Jim, "so these
+fellows won't bite us."
+
+"All the fishing I'll ever do now will be for minnows over the rail,"
+replied the captain. "My whaling days are over."
+
+"The only whaling I know about," remarked Jo, "was what I used to get
+in school."
+
+"You would get some more of the same kind now," remarked Jim briefly,
+"if I could spare the time."
+
+"Now, you have to spare the rod," replied the irrepressible and
+irresponsible Jo. He ducked quickly as Jim hit at him, but there was
+no time for further discipline or discussion, so Jo escaped the
+merited punishment that was due him.
+
+The boat was lowered, and the harpoon with its apparently endless
+coil of rope, was made ready. All this was done under the careful
+instruction of Captain Kerns, who knew the business of whaling
+thoroughly, and was determined that the venturesome boys should not be
+entirely helpless through ignorance. As for the harpoon, that was the
+property originally of the former owner of the _Sea Eagle_, Captain
+Bill Broom, of interesting memory. What pleasure he would have felt to
+see the Frontier Boys start out on their perilous expedition, sure
+that the whales would wreak vengeance upon the daring boys who had
+finally given him such a bitter defeat!
+
+Everything was now ready, and the selected crew was prepared to pull
+away from the ship. They were delaying only for a few last words and
+instructions. Nor was the crew of the boat made up exactly as the
+reader might imagine, for Tom was left aboard and Jeems Howell was
+taken in his place.
+
+There were two reasons for this. In the first place, Jeems, though
+lanky and thin, was really very strong and could do better work at
+the oars than Tom; the other reason had to do with an incident that
+happened in the attack the boys had made on a sand cone in the crater
+of Haleakala, the said cone being defended by a number of savages.
+
+Tom had at that time failed to protect Jim when he was attacking the
+savages, due to nervousness, and Jeems had to come to the rescue. I do
+not know whether he appreciated the distinction of being chosen on
+this particular occasion or not, but he had to accept the honor thus
+thrust upon him.
+
+"Good-bye, Tom," cried Jim; "I'll leave you my blessing, if the whale
+takes a chaw out of us."
+
+"I'd rather you would leave me something valuable like your gold
+watch," replied the mercenary Tom.
+
+"I'll make you my sole heir, Tommy," cried Jo. "I've got some debts
+back home that you can have." Then the boat pulled away from the ship.
+
+"Don't forget, lads," roared the captain in farewell, "that whales
+ain't fools because they are big. Look out for 'em."
+
+"Aye, aye, sir," came back the answer clear and strong.
+
+"Good luck," yelled the captain, and the boys waved their hands in
+reply.
+
+But no sooner had they pulled away than he got the other boat ready to
+launch in case it should be needed and a couple of life preservers
+were gotten ready, with a line attached, for no one knew better than
+the old sailor the dangerous undertaking on which the boys had
+launched.
+
+Meanwhile they were making good time over the slow, lazy swell towards
+the whales that could be seen floating easily along two miles distant.
+Jo was pulling the stroke oars, and Jeems was pulling the other pair
+directly behind him. Jo was a fair oarsman and Jeems was capable of
+keeping up with him.
+
+They discovered that there was an excitement and interest in rowing on
+the ocean that was not present in the same form of exercise on a lake
+or river, for there was a vitality, breadth and power about the sea
+that was lacking in the others. I tell you, they felt rather small
+and puny as they pulled the boat steadily over the swells that played
+gently with their craft, as though the old ocean was in a lazy playful
+mood, just like a tiger when it rolls sinuously upon its back fondling
+some object.
+
+Jim was in the bow of the boat, ready to use the harpoon when the time
+should come. Once or twice he stood up in the bow and plunged it down
+into the blue bosom of a rounded wave with all his force, the water
+slashing white from the track of the tearing weapon.
+
+"Better save your strength," warned Juarez, who was at the steering
+oar.
+
+"Just getting warmed up, lad," said Jim.
+
+"Think you can fetch him, Jim?" inquired Jo anxiously.
+
+"Sure," replied his older brother confidently. "I reckon a whale is no
+tougher than a grizzly, and we've got them."
+
+"Not with a harpoon," remarked Jeems Howell. "You won't be more than
+able to tickle the leviathan with that weapon."
+
+But Jim scoffed at his prophecy, for there was this about James
+that helped him in a crisis like the present, that he had perfect
+confidence in himself which had been fortified by several narrow
+escapes. But here was an occasion where his good luck in danger was
+apt to be thoroughly tried out.
+
+"Whales are something like elephants, it seems to me," said Jeems
+Howell. "They are big, dangerous and very intelligent."
+
+"The elephant beats the whale when it comes to ears," remarked Juarez.
+
+"But makes it up with his tail," laughed Jeems.
+
+"Now, boys," warned Jim, "be careful; no more talking. We will soon be
+within range."
+
+A strained, intense silence settled over the boat. All was expectation
+and suppressed excitement. I do not suppose that the gentle reader can
+realize the feeling of the boys at this moment, as he has probably
+never stalked a whale in the open ocean, but perhaps he can imagine
+something of what they felt.
+
+One thing favored the young whale hunters, and that was the fact that
+the whales were taking things very softly and slowly, their big bodies
+barely moving through the water. They seemed to be enjoying the calm
+of the clear morning, and were taking an ocean stroll as it were.
+
+The bull, some sixty feet in length, was in the lead; at some little
+distance to the east was the cow and a young whale near her side. It
+was a wonderful sight to see the big black fellow forging slowly in
+advance, his head a long, square promontory rising from the water, and
+his body a half-submerged island.
+
+But what power and strength was there in that great body and what
+temerity it was for the boys to tackle him; they should have been glad
+to let him go on his way unmolested, if he would do the same for them.
+But the boys had no such thought. Under the silent direction of Jim's
+hand the boat made a circle and swept around back of the great mammal
+coming up on the far side. As the chase came near its end the pulses
+of the boys quickened. There was a wonderful excitement in closing in
+with this king of all the oceans.
+
+Jim crouched in the bow, the harpoon clutched in his right hand. Now
+the boat was within fifty feet of the whale, who was evidently not
+yet aware of their near proximity, as he could not see anything
+approaching along the side. It was indeed a thrilling moment. Jim rose
+to his full height in the bow, with the harpoon poised above his
+shoulder, a powerful and athletic figure.
+
+The boat was now alongside the monster, and then with all his strength
+of body, arm and shoulder, he plunged the harpoon down deep into the
+great black body, following the instructions of the captain as near
+as he could; he was but an amateur, after all, and he missed a vital
+spot.
+
+"Back up, boys!" he yelled.
+
+Down dug the poised oars into the water, and the boat tried
+frantically to get out of the deadly circumference of the wounded
+whale's wrath. Instead of sounding down, as he would have done if
+vitally wounded, he thrashed and pounded the ocean into foam. There
+was no escape for the boat apparently.
+
+With an exclamation of horror, Captain Kerns turned his ship's prow
+straight for the scene of the disaster, for he saw what had happened.
+It was enough to startle even a man so hardened to sights of danger as
+the captain. As for Tom, when he saw the beginning of the accident, he
+pressed his hand close against his eyes to shut out what promised to
+be terrible destruction for his two brothers, and his two tried
+comrades.
+
+Pete was at the wheel, his old weathered face pale and intent upon the
+scene not so distant. He had grown fond of the boys and could scarcely
+bear to look upon their overwhelming danger.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+WHAT THEY SAW
+
+
+When the whale was in his first flurry of pain, he sent the boat high
+into the air with one stroke of his mighty tail, and like loose
+articles the boys were scattered out of it into the boiling vortex of
+water. This was the sight that had called forth the alarm on board the
+_Sea Eagle_, and made the captain spring to quick action.
+
+No time was to be lost, for the boys were as helpless as straws in
+the maelstrom. One thing was fortunate, they were all pretty fair
+swimmers, but that would not help them if the whale should, in his
+fury, chance to see them. But here, their very insignificance saved
+them from his first rush. The mother and her young had taken the alarm
+and were forging away to the southward.
+
+The boys were now but several dark spots in the swirling waters. Jo
+had the closest call, for one of the flukes of the whale's tail swept
+a huge wave over him, and he thought he was going to be carried to the
+bottom of the ocean. Jim at the very first had called out a warning,
+"Boys, keep away from the boat." It was a lucky thing that he did so.
+For as soon as the whale caught sight of it he made a furious surge
+for it, and, opening his great jaws, he caught it squarely across the
+middle.
+
+There was a crunching sound, only more intense, as when a dog crushes
+a bone. As Jo said afterward, "It wasn't more than a toothpick for
+him." Meanwhile the boys were swimming in the opposite direction as
+fast as their arms and feet could propel them. The whale now became
+aware of a new enemy bearing down upon him.
+
+Only this was even larger than he was, though of the same color. It
+was making a chug-chug sound as it came towards him. In the dim brain
+of the whale was an idea struggling for birth. Was this a strange sea
+monster that was going to contest with him the supremacy of the seas,
+or was it some of his antediluvian ancestors come back to earth, I
+mean to sea, again?
+
+There the reasoning of the whale stopped. A sudden blind fury came
+over him and he charged for the _Sea Eagle_. Two rifle shots rang out
+from the deck of the ship, and one tore deep into the black carcass.
+Then the monster threw his flukes into the air and down he sounded
+towards the depths of the sea.
+
+In a moment the yacht was alongside the exhausted swimmers, and they
+were hauled aboard. Jeems Howell was about done for, and had to be
+worked over for some time; Jo also had shipped considerable salt
+water, but Jim and Juarez were in tolerable condition considering the
+experience they had been through.
+
+"I hope you lads are satisfied now," grumbled the captain.
+
+"He chawed our boat to kindling wood," said Jim, looking ruefully to
+where the fragments strewed the sea.
+
+"He would have done the same by you, if we hadn't come along,"
+remarked the captain. "Served you right, too."
+
+"I hate not getting him, that's what worries me," said Jim.
+
+"How did you feel when he tilted you and the boat up in the air?"
+inquired Tom curiously.
+
+"Can't say," replied Jim. "It was so sudden, and I didn't take any
+notes."
+
+"I felt like I was going to be another Jonah," remarked Jo feebly.
+
+"He's the Jonah," remarked the captain, pointing a contemptuous thumb
+at Jeems, who had just gotten to his feet.
+
+"How can I ever thank you, Captain?" asked Jeems Howell, who had a sly
+streak of humor at times. "You saved my life at the risk of your own.
+It was a noble deed, and one long----"
+
+"Oh, g'wan with you," cried the captain. "I don't want none of your
+banquet speeches."
+
+To escape the infliction, he retreated to the quarter deck, where he
+stood ready to repel any thankful survivors who might creep upon him.
+Tom was busy asking questions about the whole unfortunate business,
+for he had a very inquisitive mind, had Tom. Jeems, however, was the
+only one among the gallant survivors inclined to humor him. Jim was
+looking longingly over the expanse of ocean, not thinking of his
+dripping clothes, but as though he had lost something, as indeed he
+had. He was minus one large whaleboat and one small boat. It was not
+the boat, however, that he was looking for, and no one but Jim would
+have taken a continued interest in his whaleship but would have given
+him up for lost.
+
+[Illustration: "JIM STOOD PREPARED TO AIM."--P. 61.]
+
+"There he blows!" he cried suddenly. "Let's try for him again."
+
+"No more of that," roared the captain. "Not while I'm alive on this
+boat." Jim smiled. He had not really intended to go after him in the
+boat because he realized how foolhardy such a performance would be,
+but he had another scheme in mind, and he prepared to carry it out.
+
+"Come on, boys, let's give him a shot from the cannon," he cried.
+
+"That's the idea!" exclaimed Juarez. "We will bring the ship up close
+enough to get a good aim."
+
+"I'd like to get even with him for the kick he gave me," cried Jo
+viciously.
+
+"Well, you boys are the beatingest," remarked the captain.
+
+But he made no objection to this plan, and took the wheel himself, so
+as to maneuver the _Sea Eagle_ to within good striking distance of
+the big mammal. Meanwhile, the boys lost no time in getting the small
+cannon ready for the fray. All was excitement and energy. Here was a
+target worth shooting at. The whale seemed to be resting after his
+recent exertions, and was rolling easily on the surface of the ocean.
+
+Tom stripped the jacket of canvas from the shining gun of brass,
+Juarez and Jo got the ammunition from the hold, and soon had the
+charge ready to fire. Jim stood prepared to aim. The boys waited
+impatiently for the right moment to come, when the yacht would be
+as close to the quarry as it would be wise to venture. Steadily the
+little ship bore down toward the whale, keeping half quartered to it.
+
+It seemed that he must take alarm and the boys held their breath
+in fear lest the monster should take fright and make a sudden
+disappearance into the depths. The harpoon still sticking high up on
+his side gave a line to aim by. Then Jim depressed the muzzle of the
+cannon until it was point blank at the long black target now shelving
+up from the blue surface of the ocean. Just as the whale wakened to
+his danger, Jim pulled the lanyard and fired. There was a roar, a
+white gush of smoke, and the shell tore into the vitals of the great
+whale.
+
+Then there was action to which the disturbance when the whale was
+harpooned was a mere flurry. He thrashed the ocean into foam and the
+blood from his wound dyed the waters crimson. At last he rose bodily
+in the air and fell back upon the surface of the ocean with a mighty
+whack that could have been heard for miles. The waters retreated from
+his fall in great waves that made the little steamer rock.
+
+There was great jubilation on the deck of the _Sea Eagle_ when
+Jim made that shot, which was not so remarkable either, when one
+considers the size of the target and the nearness of the object aimed
+at. But the captain was decidedly enthusiastic over Jim's success,
+and clapped him heartily on the back with manifest approval.
+
+"You ought to be in the navy, lad," he cried. "You are a born American
+gunner. Old Paul Jones ought to have had you."
+
+"That wasn't a hard shot, Captain," remarked Jim. "It was your
+navigating that really deserves the credit."
+
+"Too bad we have to leave him," said the captain. "That fellow would
+be good for a lot of oil."
+
+"I should like a closer look at him," urged Jim. "I believe I'll lower
+the other boat and board him."
+
+"I reckon he can't do you any harm now, Skipper," said the captain,
+"and I suppose a whale does look cur'us to you. I see by that harpoon
+that you made a pretty good shot with the iron; just a little nearer
+to the shoulder and you would have fetched him."
+
+The boat was all ready to lower and in a jiffy they had it in the
+water. Tom was allowed to go along this time, but Jeems Howell was
+among the missing, he absolutely and steadfastly refused to go on
+the excursion.
+
+"Come along, Jeems," urged Jo. "You never saw a dead whale."
+
+"But I have seen a live one, and my curiosity is satisfied," replied
+Jeems.
+
+"He won't bite you, jump in," said Tom, who was quite brave now.
+
+"How do I know that he is really dead?" replied Jeems. "Like as not he
+will give a last flop and crush you. The deck for me."
+
+Realizing that it was useless to urge Jeems the boys pulled away from
+the _Sea Eagle_, and rowed over to the dead whale.
+
+"My! but he is a monster," said Juarez. "Let's board him."
+
+"All right," agreed Jim.
+
+So Tom jammed the bow of the boat against the whale's side, and the
+three J's--Jim, Jo and Juarez--made a landing on Whale Island. It made
+Jo feel a little squeamish standing upon the mass of the dead monster
+that yielded under his foot. It seemed that his tread must surely
+cause the whale to make a final effort to get rid of his enemies.
+
+"He must be all of seventy feet," cried Jim, pacing as far as he
+could.
+
+"His head is eight or ten feet long," said Juarez.
+
+"Too bad you can't take some of him for a souvenir," said Tom.
+
+"We are mighty glad that he didn't get any of us for a souvenir,"
+remarked Jo.
+
+"I'm going to get my harpoon any way," said Jim. As he wrenched at
+it, the whale suddenly rose with a gentle heave, and Jo was almost
+paralyzed with fright, and even Juarez turned somewhat pale. However,
+it was only an unusually large wave that had raised the whale up and
+allowed the placid carcass to slide down again.
+
+"Ahoy there, squall coming!" hailed the captain's voice from the
+quarter deck of the _Sea Eagle_. "Get aboard quick."
+
+The boys obeyed, but with obvious reluctance, for the whale had much
+of interest for them yet. But they saw the squall whitening over the
+ocean from the northwest quarter, and coming with great rapidity.
+
+"We don't want to worry the old man any more to-day," suggested Jim,
+"so we will pull for the shore."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+A RACE
+
+
+Even then they were none too quick, for as they were swinging the boat
+to the davits the squall struck the _Sea Eagle_, heeling her well
+over, and there was a rush and roar of wind and flying spray from the
+yeasty seas. It was fun while it lasted. The prow of the ship was
+turned eastward once more, leaving the whale, but not alone.
+
+Already the birds were gathering to their feast, and from all
+directions cut the dark-finned sharks to get their share. In a short
+time all was turmoil about the whale, fluttering wings and whirling
+foamy water. This was too good a target for the boys, so they decided
+to give the crazy cannibal crew a surprise.
+
+"Let's give those beggars a farewell salute, Juarez," cried Jim.
+
+"I'm with you," he replied.
+
+"What's the distance?" inquired Jo.
+
+"Quarter of a mile," hazarded Tom.
+
+"It's nearer a half," replied Jim.
+
+"It don't look it," put in Jo.
+
+"That's because objects on the ocean seem nearer than they do on
+land."
+
+"Why is that so?" inquired the ever inquisitive Tom.
+
+Jim was clearly stumped by this inquiry, but he did not let on that he
+was puzzled in the least.
+
+"No time to tell you now. That gun is about ready to fire."
+
+"You don't know," jeered Tom, "that's just an excuse."
+
+"Show you later if you can't study it out for yourself," remarked Jim
+nonchalantly.
+
+Juarez now had the cannon loaded and ready to fire. The _Sea Eagle_
+was moving obliquely away from the storm-center and it was a very
+difficult shot, but still a possible one on account of the size of the
+target. The old captain took much interest in the skill of his protege
+Jim, whom he considered worthy to be enrolled in the straight-shooting
+American navy. He stood with his sturdy figure well braced and the
+glass in hand ready to mark a successful shot.
+
+"Don't you think you have got that weepin' raised a leetle too high?"
+he inquired anxiously of Jim.
+
+"I'm aiming a little over, sir," replied Jim, "because I think the
+shell will fall a little in that distance."
+
+"I guess you know your business better than I do, Skipper," replied
+the captain. "I was no shot 'cept with a blunderbuss that would
+scatter."
+
+"Make a bull's-eye, Jim," urged Juarez.
+
+"You mean a whale's eye," put in Jo.
+
+"Humph!" said Jim, "don't talk that way; you will make me miss."
+
+"You mean----" Jo got no further, for Jim held up a cautionary hand.
+
+"Ready now," he cried.
+
+The captain clapped the spy-glass to his eye, there was a roar and the
+quarter deck shook under their feet, then the captain shook the glass
+above his head.
+
+"Yer struck into the shark gang, Skipper," he cried, "I said you would
+be a recruit for John Paul Jones."
+
+"Let me have a chance," said Jo.
+
+"All right," agreed Jim, "I don't want to be a hog."
+
+So Jo took his turn. With due deliberation he aimed the shining little
+cannon aft toward the distant fray. Then he fired, but the shot sent
+up a spurt from a wave some distance short.
+
+"We are getting too far away," said Jim, "to get in an accurate shot."
+
+"Say, Jim," put in Tom, "you haven't told me why things seem closer on
+the ocean than they do on land." If pertinacity meant success in life,
+Tom Darlington would no doubt reach the top of the ladder. Jim was
+somewhat surprised, and he did not want to admit ignorance, so he
+sparred for time.
+
+"Now, Thomas," said James, "I am not paid to do your thinking for you,
+but if you will sit down and think for ten minutes and if at the end
+of that time you have not reached a logical conclusion, I will explain
+the matter to you."
+
+"Ho! Professor!" railed Tom, pulling out his silver timepiece, which
+was so heavy that it would be a dangerous weapon if thrown, "if you
+ain't ready with your explanation you will lose your place."
+
+Jim took this warning with perfect nonchalance, but his mind was very
+active just the same trying to solve this problem, because Tom would
+never let up on him if he found out that he was bluffing. But why was
+an object nearer, anyway, in appearance on the ocean than on land?
+Why? Perhaps it was the difference in atmosphere. No, for in high
+altitudes things appeared closer on account of the clarity of the air
+than they did at sea level.
+
+Six minutes passed, still no answer had come to Jim, yet he was
+perfectly calm and contained as though he were the perfection of
+wisdom. He folded his arms across his chest and regarded Tom serenely
+as he sat on the opposite side of the deck on a coil of rope,
+regarding his big brother skeptically. Eight minutes had passed, and
+Tom, taking out his watch, recorded the fact with quiet triumph.
+
+"Eight minutes and a quarter," he declared, "and no land in sight
+yet."
+
+"Eight and a half," he tolled, "nine!" Jim was apparently entirely
+composed, but his mind had not yet reached a complete explanation. It
+was, however, on the right track, but the time was short.
+
+"Ten," cried Tom. "Speak up, Professor."
+
+"It's your place first," he replied.
+
+"Give it up."
+
+"Now listen carefully," began Jim in a magisterial manner, "and if
+there is anything you don't quite understand, raise your hand."
+
+"Humph!" grunted Tom, "I guess that I can understand anything you can
+tell me."
+
+"Well, children, it's this way," continued Jim. "When you are upon
+the land and you look at something in the distance your eyesight is
+stretched from point to point by intervening objects, while on the
+ocean your vision instead of being stretched out collapses as it were
+because there is a monotonous level between your eye and the object.
+Now I hope you will remember what I have just told you, children.
+School is dismissed."
+
+Jo seemed to be unduly impressed with the idea that he was a schoolboy
+again, so he grabbed Tom's hat and made as if he was going to throw it
+overboard. Tom made a grab for Jo and missed, then there was a great
+chase around the main deck. Jo was very fleet of foot and gained on
+his pursuer, until Tom saw that he must resort to stratagem; so no
+sooner had Jo disappeared around the corner of the quarter deck than
+Tom doubled back on his own trail, to the cook's galley, that had a
+door opening on either side, so that one could step into either
+passageway.
+
+Tom leaped into the galley, and was quick to the other door, that he
+opened a wee bit; he saw that Jo had just swerved into the passageway
+and down he came full tilt toward where Tom lay in ambush, swinging
+the latter's captured hat in his hand. Tom watched him eagerly, then
+he sprang out from his hiding place directly in front of the flying
+Jo, who was utterly surprised, but he was under such headway that he
+could not stop.
+
+Tom met him squarely and down they went in a heap, the lurch of the
+ship sending Jo's head heavily against an iron stanchion. His body
+gave a jerk and quiver, then he stretched out unconscious. We all know
+that skylarking of that kind sometimes produces the worst accidents.
+Naturally Tom was terribly frightened, for he thought Jo was killed,
+and he did look it, stretched out, with his eyes closed.
+
+"Jim!" cried Tom, "Jim! come here quick."
+
+There was something in Tom's voice that made Jim appear in a hurry.
+
+"Get the brandy," he said. Tom lost no time in getting the bottle out
+of a locker in the main cabin. When he returned he found Juarez and
+Jeems standing near looking very sober, while the old captain and Jim
+worked over him.
+
+The Frontier Boys had gone through many dangers unscathed, and it
+seemed terrible that Jo should be so badly hurt in a moment of play.
+In fifteen minutes' time, however, Jo was partially himself, but he
+could not walk and had to be helped to his cabin, and that night he
+had a high fever, but next day he was quite himself, due mainly to a
+rugged constitution.
+
+A few days later the weather began to change. The sea became rough and
+boisterous, with head winds and decidedly colder, but the boys did not
+complain, in fact they rather liked it, as they were strong and hardy
+and enjoyed battling with the elements.
+
+"It's the sweaters for us now," said Jo, coming out on deck, to find
+the nasty gray sea swept by rain squalls, and the deck sodden and the
+sky sullen.
+
+"I like it," declared Juarez, "the tropics are all right for a few
+weeks, but I couldn't stand it for long."
+
+"That's because you lads are stormy petrels," remarked Jeems.
+
+"If by that poetic symbol you mean that we are always in trouble,"
+replied Jim, "you certainly have struck it."
+
+Then the boys went below to get their respective sweaters, the colors
+being chosen according to their individual taste. Tom's was black,
+which is no insinuation against his character; Jim's was blue; Juarez
+the same color and Jo's red. As for hats, they still wore their
+weather-beaten sombreros. They were just the hats for this kind of
+weather.
+
+The evening came on dark and blustery and with a steady beating rain
+from the northwest. All about, the seas were humping through the
+darkness. But the _Sea Eagle_ was a staunch boat, well built, and well
+ballasted, and though she shipped a few seas and the spray flew high
+over her bridge, she did not roll or plunge unduly.
+
+"Sort of a nasty night, Jim," remarked Jo, as their dark forms emerged
+on deck from the companionway.
+
+"It's dark and threatening," replied Jim, "and looks fierce, but for
+real high rolling give me that first night in the channel between Maui
+and Hawaii."
+
+Jo made some remark, but a sudden gust of wind took it out of his
+mouth and anyone to leeward would have got the benefit of it. The only
+light forward was a glow that came from the engine-room. Jim and Jo
+stepped inside out of the storm and found Juarez there as usual, and
+Tom was seated on a step. He was watching the two men moving around
+the shining engine, which worked smoothly and unceasingly, and its
+condition showed how carefully it was tended.
+
+"Gosh! but it is good to get inside here out of the storm," exclaimed
+Jim. The engineer nodded pleasantly, as he was a man of few words.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+THE ENGINEER
+
+
+The engineer of the _Sea Eagle_ has not received much attention,
+either in this book or in the one just preceding, but this is not
+because he, John Berwick, was not worthy of consideration, but because
+he was apparently a very quiet man, whose conversation was generally
+confined to monosyllables; likewise his work kept him out of the
+limelight, as it were.
+
+But word had come via Juarez, who of all the crew was the only one
+whom the engineer admitted into his confidence to any degree, that
+John Berwick had really a most interesting career. This was true to a
+far greater extent than the boys knew. A sailor like old Pete or a
+mariner like Captain Kerns would see the shores of many countries and
+land in numerous ports, but learn nothing of the real people, or the
+nature of the countries.
+
+But with the engineer it had been an entirely different proposition.
+He came of a good family and had received an excellent education, but
+from his youth he had been wild and adventurous, and was always
+traveling, by different ways and in varying occupations, going into
+the interiors of little-known countries and becoming acquainted with
+the nature and character of their inhabitants.
+
+As he is a man well worth knowing, I will describe his appearance for
+the benefit of the reader. As to age, John Berwick might be anywhere
+from thirty-five to forty years. In height, five feet nine, with
+rather square shoulders, and neither light nor heavy in build, but
+with a frame that indicated quickness and great powers of endurance.
+
+He was evidently one of those men who have a certain care to their
+physical condition, without overdoing it and making physical prowess
+a hobby. He had found out the value of health, and condition. In his
+travels in remote lands, if he had gotten sick, there would be no one
+to bother with him, and he would be left to die, so he reasoned that
+it was better to be a live man than something more wretched than a
+sick dog.
+
+"I used to smoke like a chimney, Ezac," he once said to Juarez. He
+never called the latter by his full name, it being either "War" or
+"Ezac," according to his mood, "but I quit about five years ago. I
+didn't make any resolution about it either and would smoke now if I
+wished to."
+
+"I suppose you felt miserable for a while after you quit?" said
+Juarez.
+
+"No, strange to say, I didn't. In fact, I began to feel fine and fit
+in a week or two and I found that I could meet any crisis that came up
+on the level, and did not have to make an effort of the will to step
+up to it and brace myself to it as I used to. But I'm not preaching.
+Smoke if you want to, Ezac."
+
+"I don't want to," replied Juarez, "and what's the use of taking up
+with something you don't care for? Just so much extra baggage."
+Berwick smiled at this, showing his fine white teeth.
+
+"Well, now, 'War,' that's unusual sense for a kid, I must say. The
+fact that you don't want a thing for a boy of your years is no
+argument. It may be smoking or chewing or something else that will
+make 'em devilish sick, but a kid will do it just for a show and to
+make an impression on his friends what a terrible character he is."
+
+"None of us are like that," said Juarez. "Perhaps it is because we
+have seen plenty of real life on the frontier and have had plenty of
+excitement and adventure without resorting to foolishness."
+
+"Something in that, Ezac," nodded Berwick.
+
+This will serve as an introduction to this interesting man, before we
+listen, with the Frontier Boys, to the story that he has to tell. I
+may add here that John Berwick had dark hair, thinning in front and
+brushed straight with the forehead, dark hazel eyes, generally
+pleasant in expression, but capable of becoming harsh and hard
+with anger. He wore a rather slight dark moustache above a mouth
+thin-lipped and wide. The chin was square, and the whole complexion
+of the face rather dark.
+
+The boys had never gathered before in the engine-room in a body, and
+as Jeems Howell's tall figure loomed in the doorway the gathering was
+complete. It was because the boys had never imposed on him that the
+engineer was inclined to be gracious, on this occasion. Then, too,
+there was something about the warm interior of the engine-room,
+contrasted with the storm outside, that lent itself to good
+comradeship and anecdote.
+
+"I suppose that you boys have never traveled a great deal, except in
+the West, have you?" questioned John Berwick.
+
+"That's right, Mr. Berwick," said Jim; "we expect to visit a few
+other countries, though, before long, if we find this 'Lost Mine'
+we are looking for. You know you can't travel without money."
+
+"Not in your own yacht," replied Berwick.
+
+"I generally walked, or," seeing a gleam of humor in Jim's eye, "or
+worked my passage."
+
+"We will stick to our yacht," remarked Jim, "seeing that we have it
+on our hands."
+
+"Quite right, too," replied the engineer.
+
+"You must have had some rather unusual experiences in your travels,"
+prompted Jo.
+
+"Juarez says that you have been pretty much all over the world."
+
+"That's so," replied the engineer, "but I do not know as I have
+learned enough to pay me for the exertion."
+
+"Tell the boys about that time you traveled in Russia," said Juarez.
+
+"Which time?" questioned Berwick.
+
+"Don't you know?" asked Juarez, slightly confused, "when you were
+riding in the railroad carriage?"
+
+"And got rather hungry?"
+
+"Sure, that's it," said Juarez, smiling.
+
+"That's only an anecdote," replied the engineer. "But I will tell it
+if you think it will interest."
+
+Being assured on this point, he began:
+
+"I suppose you boys know what it is to be hungry?"
+
+"I have got a pretty good idea of it after eating one of Tom's
+dinners," remarked Jim. "You see he don't believe in having anything
+left over. Thinks it's wasteful, so he just cooks dabs of things as
+though we had no more appetites than a group of maiden ladies who were
+taking afternoon tea."
+
+There was a general laugh at this, the exaggeration being so manifest
+that even Tom joined in, still there was some truth in Jim's jocose
+remarks, for Tom did have a "close" side to him, which showed even in
+cooking. It was always evident that Thomas Darlington would become the
+financier among the Frontier Boys. After the laughter had died down
+the engineer took up the Russian incident again.
+
+"I venture to say that my hunger on the occasion I am about to speak
+of was somewhat more real than yours, Skipper. I was traveling
+first-class from St. Petersburg and heading for the German frontier.
+Very foolishly I did not provide myself with a hamper of provisions,
+supposing that I would be able to get food along the way. I never made
+that particular mistake again.
+
+"I had plenty of money in those days, and was traveling, as I say,
+first-class. When I got in my compartment at St. Petersburg I supposed
+at first that I was going to have it all to myself, and I was very
+well pleased because I could take things easy and sleep undisturbed
+through the most of what promised to be a very dreary trip.
+
+"It was then about eight o'clock in the morning, and snowing
+furiously, and I could scarcely see the outlines of the handsome
+station through the storm of snow. But it was very comfortable in
+my compartment, which I was pleased to note was of unusual elegance.
+So I did not mind the delay at first.
+
+"I noticed that the cushions of the seats were of a deep softness
+and of a rich crimson velvet. There were likewise hangings over the
+windows, with heavy golden tassels on the same. Then I observed a
+crest stamped on the embossed leather upon the inside of the door,
+and it was also repeated in gold upon the back of the seats.
+
+"I must admit that this seemed a good deal of style, but I did not
+consider it any too much for a representative American citizen
+traveling abroad. I was a fool in those days, but made up in audacity
+what I lacked in wit. After a half hour had passed beyond the schedule
+time set for the train's starting, I began to get uneasy and was just
+about to get out of the compartment to help move things along, when I
+saw a gorgeous sleigh drive up in front of the station.
+
+"There was a splendid ermine robe thrown over the back, and two plumes
+in front. The horses were fine animals too, driven three abreast after
+the Russian fashion; over the one in the center was a single arch on
+which jingled the merry bells. The middle horse was a great black, and
+his comrades on either side were gray, the very symbols of the snowy
+landscape.
+
+"From the furs of the sleigh emerged a gigantic Russian,
+blonde-bearded, and under his fur overcoat was some sort of a military
+uniform. I watched him with interest as he came toward the train,
+accompanied by the station-master, and met by the salutes of the
+soldiers, who are everywhere in Russia.
+
+"He came straight towards the carriage where I was seated in lonely
+pomp, and I had just time to seat myself in the opposite corner of
+the compartment when the door was thrown open, and--enter his royal
+nibs--the Archduke Alexandewitch or something or other. At least this
+was high nobility of some kind. His bearded face was very red, and his
+system had evidently been warmed by something besides exercise.
+
+"His eyes were blurred, and, coming from the light into the
+semi-darkness of the carriage, he did not see me. A guard deposited a
+hamper within, and he and the station-master bowed profoundly to me
+likewise, evidently taking me for some exalted personage, possibly the
+Czar, who, however, was a giant of a man while I was only medium in
+height. So it must have been someone else."
+
+"You certainly were a cool hand," remarked Jim admiringly. "I never
+could have done that."
+
+"Nor I, either," was the chorus of the other boys.
+
+"Just my bloomin' cheek, as an English pal of mine used to say," the
+engineer continued, "and nothing that I'm very proud of now, but it
+was the only thing that would have pulled me through that fix. No
+sooner was his Nibs seated in the train than it started.
+
+"It made me rather tired to think that we had been delayed for that
+big pig of a Russian, though I suppose in the United States a train
+would have been held for some big-bellied politician with a pull, so
+that I need not have felt so aggrieved at this happening in darkest
+Russia. But I looked at the big Russian in disgust nevertheless. Then
+he saw me sitting quietly near the window opposite. One moment he was
+a picture of amazement, and then he let a roar out of him that shook
+things.
+
+"I did not naturally understand what the Russian was saying, so I just
+had to let him roar, and made a few gestures for myself. I feared at
+first that he would have a fit of apoplexy, as he grew redder in the
+face than ever, but having expressed himself to his full satisfaction,
+with a final threat he sat down. I supposed that I should be shot or
+sent into exile at the first stop."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+THE RUSSIAN
+
+
+"The first thing his Royal Highness did was to open the neat-looking
+wicker hamper and take out a cut-glass bottle encased in silver, the
+contents of which he poured into a dainty-looking glass. He took a
+number of drinks, but without asking me to join, which I thought was
+very impolite of him. Then he settled himself for a nap, first drawing
+out a huge pistol which he placed near him on the cushions.
+
+"It was, of course, a silly thing for him to do, but then the man was,
+I thought, more than half drunk. When he first drew, I was afraid that
+he was going to blow me to pieces then and there, and I was ready for
+him. But when he laid it down and dropped off into a heavy sleep, I
+could have laughed.
+
+"I would have taken a nap myself, but his stentorian snores made
+it impossible. There was nothing to see outside but a dreary scene
+through the snow that was coming down in fine, white driving
+particles. At times there would be distant forests of rather stunted
+pines, but for the most part, only the desolate stretch of plains.
+
+"Once in a while we would come to a stop at a small station, but
+only for a short time, and then the train with its long line of
+flat-looking coaches, would rumble out over the barren plain.
+By-and-by I began to feel very hungry and I realized that there was
+going to be no stop for meals, as the other passengers, more familiar
+with the custom of the country, had no doubt provided themselves with
+hampers of provisions.
+
+"I looked at the Grand Duke or whatever it might be, and he was
+sleeping as only a big man who is quite intoxicated can sleep. Then
+my eye wandered to the hamper. Instantly my hunger hardened into
+resolution. I was not going to starve with that within my reach. I
+stooped down and picked it up, then opened it on my knee.
+
+"I had never seen anything more dainty, and more elegant, than was the
+arrangement of that basket. As for the contents, well, I can only
+recall, I cannot describe. For warming tea there was an arrangement
+of silver and ebony in one compartment. Likewise a roasted fowl in a
+delicious sauce, and stuffed with chestnuts. Also bread and caviar,
+the latter a Russian delicacy of fish-roe or eggs."
+
+"I wouldn't like that," cut in Tom.
+
+"How do you know?" reproved Joe, "you never tried it."
+
+"Fish eggs!" exclaimed Tom with a grimace.
+
+"You would have turned up your nose at birds' nests too," said Jim,
+"until the Captain told us how fine they were, and not at all like
+we supposed."
+
+"Yes," nodded the engineer, "birds' nests are all right, I've eaten
+them in China. They are gathered before the birds ever nest in them."
+
+"But go on with your story, I'm anxious to see how you made out. It
+was certainly an interesting experience," urged Jim.
+
+"I should say so," chorused the boys.
+
+"I'm glad you like it," remarked the engineer, "and it was an
+entertaining situation, especially the lunch part of it. Where was I?"
+
+"Caviar," suggested Tom.
+
+"Oh, yes. Well, on the bill of fare were different cakes, jellies and
+jams, all beautifully put up. As to the liquors, there were half a
+dozen different bottles, as I have said of cut glass, in filigree
+silver holders, with his Nib's crests on the tops, engraved in silver.
+It was all beautiful to look upon. One liquor green, oh, such a lovely
+green, as a French poet says the color of a mermaid's eyes. Another
+purple, another the color of honey. But I had sense enough left not
+to take any of them, else I would have had no senses left, which would
+have been bad under the circumstances, for I might have wakened up to
+find myself at the sudden end of a rope, or sitting out on the lonely
+plains with some bruises and no friends.
+
+"So I contented myself with several nice cups of tea, with a bit of
+lemon in them, and the rest of the bill of fare. That roasted fowl
+was remarkably good, and as for the sauce----! I was on the point of
+asking his Royal Highness for the recipe, but he was sleeping so
+soundly that I felt that it was a pity to disturb him. Just then I
+noticed that the pistol near his hand was about to fall to the floor
+with the jolting of the car, so I put the hamper reluctantly aside and
+caught the pistol.
+
+"I stood with it in my hand regarding it with interest. A clumsy
+weapon indeed, though of beautiful workmanship. I hesitated, holding
+the weapon carefully."
+
+"Did you think of shooting him?" inquired Tom tremulously.
+
+John Berwick smiled and shook his head. "No, not that. I was not a
+nihilist. You see I had plenty to eat, why should I be? Nevertheless,
+I came to a quick decision. I went to the window opposite, and opened
+it very carefully, no wider than I had to, and launched it safely
+out into a snowdrift. Then I closed the window quickly, but stood
+perfectly still, for I was aware that the giant back of me was
+stirring, a draught of the fresh air had awakened him. It appeared
+that my sin had found me out.
+
+"Standing perfectly quiet, I turned my head slowly and saw that the
+Russian had merely changed his position, and had gone off into another
+slumber. So I leisurely finished my lunch, enjoying the preserves
+and other dainties hugely. After this part of the performance was
+completed, I put everything back into the hamper with the utmost
+neatness. To tell the honest truth, there was not a great deal left to
+repack, a part of the chicken, and some bread and caviar, which to the
+appetite of a Russian would be no more than a lamb chop to a hungry
+tiger."
+
+"Gosh!" exclaimed Jim again, "but you surely had your nerve with you."
+
+"Yes," acquiesced the engineer, "and a full stomach, which is a good
+thing to have along with your nerve. I have noticed that some times
+the two go well together. However, the liquor was untouched, and I
+hoped that he would take some more and thus again become oblivious to
+everything else. One thing reassured me, and that was, that I had got
+rid of his revolver or rather pistol. I was not afraid of his shooting
+me, but had been afraid of his braining me with the butt end of it.
+
+"It had now grown very dusk in the carriage, and outside the storm was
+sweeping over the vast plain in white swirls, and still the train
+lumbered westward. I decided to save the guard the trouble of lighting
+up, so I attended to that myself, and pulled the dark hood over the
+thick glass that was set in the center of the top of the compartment,
+so that his royal Nibs could have his siesta undisturbed.
+
+"Then I sat myself down in the corner of the carriage, and pulled out
+my cigarette case, selected one and lighted it.
+
+"'I trust your Highness will not mind the smoke?' I remarked in a low
+tone, as I gave a delicate puff into the air, but I guess that his
+Royal Highness did, for in a few moments he stirred ponderously, and
+finally sat up. Then a look of utter amazement came into his face when
+he saw me seated there in the corner with a cigarette in my fingers.
+His little puffed eyes opened as wide as they could.
+
+"'Poof!' blew out through his bewhiskered mouth, expressing utmost
+disdain and indignation. Then he totally ignored my presence, and
+picking up the hamper, he set it before him. The crucial moment had
+come, and I must confess that I felt a few creeps of apprehension go
+over me. As for his Royal Highness, his whole attitude was of great
+hunger about to be satisfied.
+
+"It showed in his popped eyes and the workings of his large,
+full-lipped mouth. Then he flung back the top of the hamper and leaned
+forward eagerly. If his first amazement was utter this was too utter.
+He sat bolt upright for a second, then he dived at the basket again.
+He poked around in it. He shook it vigorously, but no provisions
+miraculously appeared. It was appalling, beyond belief. He took out a
+small mirror and regarded himself very carefully, and then solemnly he
+nodded. It was none other than himself, his Royal Highness Michael
+Palanovitch, and this before him was his Honorable Hamper, but like
+old Mother Hubbard's cupboard, it was entirely bare. It was too much
+for my sense of humor and from my corner there came a suppressed
+snort.
+
+"Instantly his Royal Highness grasped the situation and I thought
+that he was going to grasp me at the same time. I never saw such rage
+and I immediately became very sober and entirely innocent. He stormed,
+he raved, I am afraid he swore, though I could not understand all he
+said. It was a roar of sound and a frazzle of language. He tore at his
+hair and raged like a caged lion.
+
+"I saw visions of the knout and exile in Siberia. I protested my
+innocence, and my profound sorrow at the sad state of his larder. I
+used both language and pantomime. 'I am an American, Monsieur,' I
+cried, 'I cannot eat anything cooked in Russia, it does not agree with
+me.' I protested with such vehemence and with such utter innocence
+that his Highness finally quieted down, partly from sheer exhaustion,
+possibly from lack of food." There was a twinkle in the speaker's eye,
+and the boys roared. "When he had become quiet, I, with a low bow,
+went to the hamper and produced the piece of chicken that was left and
+presented it to him with much humility.
+
+"His amazement knew no bounds at this performance of mine, and his
+face showed it. Then his mood suddenly changed, and he burst into
+homeric laughter. It was so extraordinary, that it struck him as
+humorous. Part of the joke being that I was a foreigner, especially
+an American, of whom anything might be expected. On the basis of
+this incident he immediately accepted me into a jovial comradeship.
+Whenever it struck him he would burst into a roar of laughter. So,
+behold me, when the train finally did stop at a brilliantly lighted
+station, wherein was a really palatial dining-room, walking arm in arm
+with his Royal Highness, Archduke Michael, and receiving the salutes
+of the soldiery and the plaudits of admiring citizens."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+A CONSPIRACY
+
+
+There was a moment's silence when the engineer had finished his
+unusual and most entertaining narrative. It seemed to them so vivid
+had been his story, that instead of being on a ship in the mid-Pacific
+in the midst of a blustery rainstorm that they were in far-off Russia,
+and as the tale ended they could see a picture before their eyes.
+
+There was the long train, covered and crusted with snow, standing
+alongside the station. In the light of large lamps shining brilliantly
+upon the snow, was the gigantic Russian in his fur coat, arm-in-arm
+with the slight, dark American. Their steps were directed towards the
+long dining-room that shone in singular attraction out of the storm
+and cold. The many round tables set with glowing whiteness and with
+gleam of silver. The high-backed chairs of some black wood. At one end
+of the long dining-room a tea urn of huge proportions shining like
+silver. So the boys sat for some minutes in complete silence, under
+the spell of the story; then Tom spoke up:
+
+"I should have thought, Mr. Berwick, that you would have been fired
+out of the carriage at St. Petersburg when his Nibs arrived."
+
+"It was curious," admitted the engineer. "I have never quite
+understood it."
+
+"I reckon it was your audacity that helped you out," said Juarez.
+
+"Or, rather helped you in," remarked the incorrigible Jo.
+
+"I have thought of that, as an explanation," said Berwick.
+
+"Or, you may have resembled some High Duke or other," suggested Jim,
+"and that let you through."
+
+"I'm greatly flattered," said Berwick with a slight smile. "That may
+have been the solution, but I have partially figured that my success
+was due to the odd character of my Russian friend. I discovered
+later that he was a Grand Duke, well known in a social rather than
+a political way and famous for his eccentricities. He spent much
+of his time in Paris and favored foreigners rather than his own
+countrymen, so I was probably taken for one of his French cronies.
+I saw him some years later in Paris, but I did not try to revive the
+acquaintanceship, but then I was not hungry." Jo was about to open
+his mouth to make a pun when Jim interfered.
+
+"Don't you dare to say anything about being hampered or unhampered,"
+he warned. The engineer laughed heartily. He liked the boys for their
+boyish qualities, which were very refreshing to him.
+
+"How did you ever get down to this work?" asked Tom bluntly, "after
+you had been hobnobbing with Dukes and living in Paris?"
+
+"I do not believe you boys will understand me," he replied musingly,
+"it would not be in the nature of things that you should. I did not
+come down to this work, but up to it. After traveling for a great many
+years over the world, I got to living a very idle and useless life
+on the continent. But it palled on me after a while. I was in good
+health, and had money, but I was tired of myself, thoroughly and
+entirely bored. By the way, I might illustrate this unpleasant
+condition of things by a high and mighty example. Did you ever hear of
+Charles IX. of France?" This was a question the boys were anxious to
+answer, just to show that they knew something besides roughing it, and
+to prove their intelligence to the engineer, who in a quiet way always
+put them on their mettle, but to tell the truth they were rather
+rusty on all branches of learning, but Jo and Tom were both fond of
+history and had read a good deal of it at odd times. Tom was the first
+to jump into the ring of knowledge, with the four-ounce gloves of
+information, but ignorance ducked his first wild swing and was thus
+saved a knockout.
+
+"Oh, yes," he replied glibly, "Charles IX. was the son of Henry of
+Navarre." The engineer shook his head slightly.
+
+"You are away off, Tom," declared Jo. "His mother was Catherine de
+Medici and Henri III. was his brother. Maybe he was the nephew or
+cousin of Henry of Navarre. I wish I had a history here and I would
+look it up."
+
+"Partly right and partly wrong, Jo," said Berwick. "Catherine de
+Medici was the mother of Charles IX., whose sister, Margaret of
+Navarre, married Henry of Navarre. But this is the point I want to
+make. Charles IX. finally got so tired of the pomps and ceremonies of
+the court after a while that he had a forge fixed up in his palace and
+there he used to make and hammer out horseshoes. That," he concluded
+with a smile, "is why I took up my work. I was tired of useless
+idleness. There is a constant live interest in this business of
+running an engine that I like. Now I must get at it, and good-night
+to you."
+
+"Good-night, Mr. Berwick," replied the boys, and made their way out
+of the engine-room on to the storm-swept deck, all except Juarez,
+who stayed to work with the engineer.
+
+The boys separated to their respective duties. Jeems took the boy's
+task of stoking, Jim was at the wheel, sending Pete below to the
+forecastle to take a good sleep. Tom and Jo were detailed to go to
+their respective cabins and turn in for the night, as the old captain
+had rather perversely taken it into his head to stand watch on the
+bridge, though Jim had tried to dissuade him.
+
+"It won't do your rheumatism any good, Captain," warned Jim. "It's
+mighty wet and cold on the bridge and the wind is rushing fierce."
+
+"Trying to make me out an old man," growled the captain, much
+aggrieved. "I guess I can stand as much as any of you boys. I've
+weathered many a storm in my day."
+
+"You are tough as a knot yet, Captain," said Jim soothingly.
+
+So it happened that the captain in his heavy storm coat stood on the
+bridge, while the rain swished and swirled over the tossing seas, and
+swept the decks, so that it was much pleasanter in the cabin than
+abroad, but Jim enjoyed nothing more in sailoring than to be at the
+wheel a night like this, guiding his craft plunging through the heavy
+waves in the darkness. There was a fascination about it, the obedience
+of the ship to the helm, the following of the mysterious guidance of
+the needle, the standing fixed against the rush of wind and rain, the
+familiar feeling of the spokes of the wheel, like grasping the bridle
+reins when riding a spirited horse, all this went to make up Jim's
+liking for this work.
+
+Now being anxious for the welfare of Tom and Jo, let us see if they
+are safely tucked away in their little cribs. We find that they are
+not, so mischief must be afoot, and it is. It seems that neither Jo
+nor Tom were in any mood to go to sleep, and their minds were busy
+with the story that the engineer had told them. They felt a desire to
+emulate him. So they lay awake and thought what they might do to make
+life interesting on the ocean wave.
+
+Tom thought of surprising the captain and Jim by making weird sounds
+back of the cabin on the quarter deck and robing himself in a white
+sheet at the same time. A most excellent plan indeed, both worthies
+being such timid characters. But Tom gave up the idea of this
+surprise for fear the tables might be turned on him and then he would
+get a taste of the rope's end for fair, so he had another thought
+coming.
+
+The idea that came to Jo in the silent night watches was to give Jeems
+a benefit while he was busy stoking, but there was one difficulty here
+that it was almost impossible to get down into the hold without being
+discovered, so that plan had to be given up. Then an inspiration came
+to Tom.
+
+He got hastily up, and went to Jo's cabin, which was just forward of
+his on the main deck. You see there were three cabins on a side; each
+of the boys had one and the engineer the sixth. Tom did not stop to
+knock, and slid Jo's cabin door noiselessly back, but the wakeful Jo
+heard him.
+
+"Who's there?" he demanded in a gruff voice.
+
+"Don't shoot. It's me, Tom," replied a low voice.
+
+"Well, Mr. Tom, what are you doing up so early in the morning?"
+inquired Jo.
+
+"I've got a scheme," said Tom in the low voice of a conspirator.
+"Let's surprise old Pete and the boy in the forecastle."
+
+"It's dark as a cave down there," said Jo. "They will be sure to hear
+us."
+
+"We will wear our moccasins," replied Tom, "and there isn't any
+bric-a-brac to knock over."
+
+"I tell you what!" cried Jo, exhilarated by a sudden and brilliant
+idea. "Let's rub matches on our faces, when we go down."
+
+"Same as Jim did when we were in the Hollow Mountain, and he surprised
+those Hawaiian Priests!" exclaimed Tom. "Gee! but you have got a good
+head on you, Jo. That's what we will do."
+
+"Here's plenty of matches," said Jo. "We must be careful and not let
+them get too damp. Another thing, we will have to look out and not let
+the Captain see us, or Jim, either, or there will be something
+brewing."
+
+"What do you suppose the old gentleman would do to us if he saw us
+snooping along?" inquired Tom apprehensively, for he stood in much awe
+of the captain.
+
+"You had better stay in your little crib if you are so alarmed,"
+remarked Jo.
+
+"I'm ready when you are," said Tom gruffly.
+
+Then they started moving silently along the deck, though the fierce
+wind that swept the ship gave them an excellent protection. Still they
+proceeded very cautiously, keeping close to the galley and the wall
+of the engine-room. Just then the shepherd's dog jumped up from the
+shelter where he was waiting for his master to come up from below.
+
+He barked furiously at first when he saw the two shadowy forms coming
+towards him, then Jo spoke to him in a low voice, and the dog,
+recognizing him, lay down in his dry shelter again. But the captain
+was on the alert. He came to that side of the quarter deck and looked
+over.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+THE GREEN GHOSTS
+
+
+"I wonder what made that pup break loose like that?" he remarked.
+"Must have seen something unusual."
+
+He waited for a short time looking down to the deck below, and the
+boys, Tom and Jo, directly beneath him, hugged as close to the wall as
+they could. Then the _Sea Eagle_ gave a heavy lurch, and Tom lost his
+grip, and much terrified, rolled to the bulwarks, in a dark bundle,
+but fortunately the captain had made up his mind that it was a false
+alarm and had gone back to the bridge.
+
+Tom lay in the scuppers not daring to move, and imagining that the
+captain's baleful eye was glaring down on him from the quarter deck.
+As Jo would have said if he had dared open his mouth, there would not
+have been any quarter in spite of the deck, but he was muzzled by
+circumstances. Another heavy roll heaved the frightened Tom back
+against Jo, who had a purchase on an iron ring. Jo grabbed him and
+held on.
+
+"Stay anchored, you idiot," said Jo in a hoarse whisper. "You will
+give us away if you aren't careful."
+
+"Can't help it," growled Tom. "The old ship rolls so."
+
+"Now is our chance, come," whispered Jo.
+
+The next dash brought them to a temporary safe anchorage directly
+underneath the bridge. So far the practical jokers had rather had it
+put on them, for they had been badly scared and an occasional wave
+that came over the bow of the _Sea Eagle_ threatened the two gallant
+Frontier Boys with a severe ducking.
+
+"Skylarking is all right," whispered Jo to his comrade in mischief,
+"but this sealarking is different."
+
+"If you were going to be hung you would try to pun," growled Tom.
+
+By stealthy observation they found that there was no chance for them
+to reach the hood of the forecastle on the forward deck without being
+seen by the keen-eyed captain.
+
+"Think up some scheme, Jo," urged Tom, "to distract the old boy's
+attention or he will spot us sure."
+
+Jo thought a minute, then he discovered what he imagined would be a
+fine scheme.
+
+"You stay here, Tom," he whispered, and sped back towards the cabin.
+
+"He need not have told me that," grumbled Tom. "I wouldn't be apt to
+stay anywhere else."
+
+Meanwhile, Jo had reached his cabin, and he hastily pushed the sliding
+door open and went in. He was not long in getting what he was after.
+It was a ship's bell, with a history to it, that he had picked up in
+Hawaii--the bell, not the history. Holding the clapper tight so that
+it would not betray him, Jo made his way quickly to the ladder-like
+stairs leading to the quarter deck and tied it underneath, in such a
+way that it was sure to ring.
+
+This promised to be a double-barreled joke, and they would be lucky if
+the recoil did not kick them over. When it was properly fastened Jo
+let go of it and sped back to Tom. Scarcely had he reached his fellow
+conspirator than there came the clear metallic ring of a ship's bell.
+Weird and uncanny it sounded through the stormy darkness of the night.
+The old captain could scarcely believe his ears. Then came that
+startling vibration again.
+
+"By Thundas, what's that?" he cried.
+
+"It sounded to me like a ship's bell," said Jim. "I'd soon find out,
+if you would take the wheel, sir." Growling something, the old fellow
+made in the direction of the sound, and Jo and Tom scudded for the
+forecastle, which they reached without being discovered.
+
+Meanwhile, the captain had come to the ladder leading from the quarter
+deck to the main deck, and the tolling came from the darkness, just
+beneath his feet. There was a strain of superstition in him, as in all
+sailors, and he had heard yarns of ghostly bells on haunted ships that
+tolled for the dead about to be. And it shook the old fellow's nerve.
+Just then the shepherd's dog began to howl dismally and this put the
+seal on matters as far as the captain was concerned.
+
+He could not locate the continued tolling, so he returned to the
+bridge and reported the fact to Jim, with his own view of the case.
+
+"I don't wonder at it either, Skipper," he said in tremulous tones.
+"This was once a pirate's ship, and I don't need to tell you anything
+about its former captain, Bill Broom. There's been many a deed of
+blood done aboard this ship." Jim felt generally angry, but not at the
+captain, whom he understood, but he hated to have the ship of which he
+was fond, given a bad name.
+
+"Take the wheel, sir," said Jim, "and I'll find out in a jiffy what's
+wrong. If this ship is harboring any ghosts, I'll fumigate them out."
+
+"It's a job for a young man," replied the captain, taking the wheel.
+"I wish you good luck, Skipper."
+
+No sooner did the captain take the helm than Jim strode across the
+quarter deck in the direction of the tolling sound. It was weird
+enough to give almost anyone the creeps. Just imagine for yourself how
+it would be, with that metallic sound coming out of the stormy
+darkness. Fortunately for him, Jim was not imaginative, and did not
+see things unless he was shown. He reached the top of the ladder, and
+the tolling was just beneath his feet. He started down and then
+something happened.
+
+Let us return to the two desperate characters, to wit: Tom and Jo,
+whose malign efforts had started all this trouble. When we left them,
+they were in the steep ladder-way leading down into the forecastle.
+They stopped there for a minute, panting both with excitement and from
+the dash they had made. It was as dark as pitch below them, but they
+could hear the stentorian snore of Pete and the sturdy Irish lad, who
+did the most of the stoking.
+
+"Give me some more matches, Jo," whispered Tom.
+
+"Don't you laugh and give us away," warned Jo.
+
+Here they proceeded to rub the sulphur on their faces until their
+countenances took on a ghostly greenish-white hue. Then they crept
+down the steps into the dark forecastle.
+
+"Who's that?" cried Pete, who slept with one eye open after the manner
+of sailors.
+
+The boys gave a deep groan and then Irish roused up. Pete was already
+wide awake, and aghast at what he saw, two greenish-white faces in the
+gloom and with audible groans too. At first he was paralyzed, then
+Irish broke the spell.
+
+"Howly Saints!" he yelled, "it's the devil!"
+
+Then he sprang from his bunk yelling at every second, and made for the
+ladder. Pete wasted no breath in yells. He put it into action. When
+the boy gave his first yell the old sailor likewise jumped for the
+ladder; no matter if he did have to pass within a few inches of those
+ghostly ghosts, the fresh air for him.
+
+It was a case of two minds with but a single thought, for old Pete and
+the boy met at the ladder and then there was a wild scramble. First
+Pete would start part way up and Irish would pull him down, then the
+boy would get up a ways and Pete would yank him deckward and the boy
+was yelling for help with every breath. It was a regular cat fight and
+Tom and Jo were weak from suppressed laughter, at the exhibition. It
+was funny in a way, but those laugh best who laugh last sometimes, as
+Jo and Tom were likely to find out.
+
+Finally the boy did get out on deck with Pete at his heels, and they
+ran aft yelling at the tops of their voices.
+
+"Murther!" "Haul in," according to their different modes of
+expressions.
+
+"What's the matter with you wild Indians?" roared the captain from his
+station at the wheel. "Get below there till you are called."
+
+It was lucky for them that he was not free to get at them, for the
+old captain was doubly irritated by their outcry since he had been
+somewhat nervous himself. Pete and the lad ran aft as though the devil
+indeed was after them. Jim heard the commotion just as he started down
+the ladder, and in a jiffy he had collared the runaways.
+
+"Here, shut up!" he yelled, shaking them fiercely. "What's all this
+noise about?"
+
+It took a couple of minutes before he could get anything coherent out
+of them. When he found out what they had to tell he started for the
+forecastle, grabbing a belaying pin on his way. He was thoroughly
+aroused, and he knew something was wrong, but he could not divine what
+it was.
+
+"What's the matter with those boobies?" cried the captain when he saw
+the tall figure in the darkness making for the forecastle.
+
+"Think they have seen ghosts," yelled Jim, "as near as I can make out,
+dreaming, I guess."
+
+"I'd give 'em something to dream about if I could lay hands on them,"
+said the captain. Jim laughed and strode to the hood of the
+forecastle.
+
+Now let us see what had become of the two practical jokers. It looked
+very much as though they were trapped and the joke had turned out more
+seriously than they expected, as is often the case, and they knew it
+would go hard with them when they were captured.
+
+"We have got to hide," cried Jo, "those idiots have roused the whole
+ship. I didn't think they would act like that."
+
+"We will probably be keel-hauled for this," said Tom. "Where are you
+going to hide, Jo?"
+
+"Don't know, but we have got to hide somewhere, and soon, too."
+
+Jo was more daring than Tom, and he made a dash for the deck with the
+hope that he would be able to get back to his cabin and be innocently
+asleep when an investigation should be made, but no sooner did he get
+out than he saw that all retreat was cut off, for he could dimly see
+Jim's form coming along the passageway. He hesitated for a second
+undecided which way to turn, then he crouched quickly in the direction
+of the bow. It had come to him like an inspiration. There was a
+covered cubby hole roofed over, where old chains and such things were
+kept, in the bow.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+TOM'S BAD LUCK
+
+
+Jo crawled as far back as he could into his hiding place, bumping his
+head and bruising his knees on the rusty chains, and in the remotest
+corner he crouched much like a scared kitten. He had just got safely
+hidden when Jim reached the hood of the forecastle.
+
+Then Jim descended in search of the ghosts. No sooner had he lighted
+a lantern than Pete appeared hobbling down the steps into the dim
+interior with the bell, that Jo had tied to the ladder, in his hand.
+This the old sailor felt would give the clue to the mystery, and it
+did.
+
+"Here, Skipper, I found this tied aft." Jim took it and recognized it
+at a glance.
+
+"Ho! ho!" he cried, "this is some of Jo's work. He and Tom have been
+up to some devilment. I bet my sombrero that those two rascals were
+the ghosts you saw." But the old sailor did not want to give up the
+dubious honor of having seen some live spirits, and so he stuck to his
+story.
+
+"But these were real ghosts, sir. I seen 'em with my two eyes, and
+their faces were white and green, like nothing human."
+
+"He's shure roight, sor," declared the boy who had now put in a
+cautious appearance. "My grandfather has seen ghosts in his time."
+
+Jim laughed and began an examination of the floor, whirling the light
+from the lantern slowly around until he came to some damp footprints
+in the middle of the floor.
+
+"These ghosts must have worn moccasins," Jim remarked, "for if I don't
+mistake that is the sign of 'em, and they got their feet damp. You
+stay here long enough and you will probably hear them sneeze."
+
+"But how was they complected that way?" questioned old Pete, his face
+growing very red with the possibility of his being made a fool of by a
+couple of kids.
+
+"I guess they were bilious, those ghosts," remarked Jim, "or maybe it
+was sulphur they rubbed on. They once saw me scare some savages that
+way down in Hawaii."
+
+"I call it a durned outrage, on an old man like me, to have a couple
+of fool kids play a trick like that. I hurt my leg too, Skipper."
+
+"How was that?" inquired Jim, not without malice aforethought.
+
+"Well, you see, it was this a way, Skipper," explained old Pete
+shamefacedly, "I seen this peculiar object or two in the forecastle,
+and I says to myself, 'The skipper ought to know about this,' so I
+jumps up and starts to report it to you----"
+
+"I had the same thought, sor," cut in the boy.
+
+"Yes, and he got in my way going up the ladder, and I fell and cut my
+leg." He showed the place to Jim, and the latter, though trying hard
+not to laugh at the old chap's explanations of his scare, was justly
+indignant when he saw that he was hurt.
+
+"Those beggars must be hiding here," he said. "They certainly haven't
+got aft. We will soon root 'em out and I'll give them something to
+remember this performance by as long as they live."
+
+Then began a systematic search of the forecastle. Of course they did
+not find Jo, for, as we know, he was safely hidden on deck, but Tom
+was in the forecastle, and was bound to be discovered sooner or later
+in so small a space.
+
+"Look under the bunks on that side, boys," said Jim, "I'll take this."
+
+"Aye, aye, sir-sor," was the reply.
+
+But after a most careful search, turning over blankets and bedding,
+no one was found. Jim swung the lantern under the dark ladder, but no
+one was there. Where could they be? They must be within a few feet of
+them and yet they could not see them.
+
+"It's odd about them," remarked Jim, coming to a halt in the middle of
+the floor. "They seem to have vanished."
+
+"I reckon it was ghosts, after all," said old Pete.
+
+The only pieces of furniture in the place were a small trunk belonging
+to the boy, an impossible hiding place for lads the size of Jo or
+Tom--and Pete's battered old sea-chest. This latter Pete opened, it
+was not locked, and saw only a heap of old clothes.
+
+"Not here, Skipper," he said, shutting down the lid with a snap.
+
+"They must have got up on deck then," said Jim, puzzled.
+
+So the party adjourned to the deck, Jim carrying the lantern to aid
+him in the search.
+
+"What did you find?" roared the captain.
+
+"It was Tom and Jo, sir," yelled Jim, "but we can't locate them. Have
+you seen them skulking aft, Captain?"
+
+"Nobody has gone by me," cried the captain. "They must be for'ard."
+
+Just then Juarez joined in the search.
+
+"Look in the bow," he advised, when he found how matters stood.
+
+So paying no attention to the water and spray that came over the bow,
+they made their way forward, Jim in the lead with the lantern. He
+swung the light in among the chains, but a deep shadow cast by the
+lantern hid Jo, who laid low, making himself as small as possible,
+his head buried close to the deck.
+
+But Juarez's keen eyes saw a dark object crouching in the furthest
+corner. He dived past Jim and caught hold of the cowering Jo and in
+spite of his struggles pulled him to the surface. Jo appeared like a
+much disheveled criminal when he was dragged out.
+
+"Well," said Jim, "you are a pretty looking fellow. Where's your pal?"
+
+"Tom?" questioned Jo grumpily. "He was in the forecastle when I saw
+him last."
+
+"You will have to pay for this night's rumpus," warned Jim.
+
+"Near made me break my leg," growled Pete, "with your foolin'." In
+spite of his present predicament Jo could not help laughing heartily
+at the recollection of old Pete and the boy scrambling like a couple
+of scared cats up the ladder of the forecastle.
+
+"You won't feel so gay when we get through with you," said Jim. He
+marched him with a heavy hand to the cabin which he occupied, shoved
+the angry and resisting Joseph within and shut and locked the door.
+Then they started out in a final search for Tom, the only one of this
+desperate gang of night marauders that now remained uncaptured.
+
+"I declare, I don't know what has become of that boy," said Jim.
+
+"He couldn't have fallen overboard?" questioned Juarez. Jim negatived
+that idea emphatically.
+
+"Tom's too cautious for that," he said.
+
+Where was he? The reader knows well enough, being an adept on solving
+all these mysteries. He was in old Pete's sea-chest hidden down under
+the clothes, and Pete, whose eyesight was not as good as it once was,
+had failed to see any sign of him. Now, when he heard Jim and the rest
+go on deck, he decided that it was time to get out of his
+uncomfortable prison, which was much too cramped.
+
+What was his dismay to find that he was indeed a prisoner, for when
+old Pete had shut down the top of the chest it had fastened shut. Tom
+began to feel stifled for air, partly imagination on his part, and
+partly fact. It was true that some air could get in, through where the
+rope handles went, but not much. Tom struggled till he got his hand in
+his pocket, hoping to find his knife with which he would cut the rope
+handles and push the pieces through the holes and thus get enough air
+to sustain life, but as luck would have it, his knife was not there.
+
+He began to pant now, and gasp and think of all the horrible tales he
+had ever read of people being buried alive and of similar tragedies,
+until he was almost hysterical. He yelled for help, but his voice was
+muffled, and besides there was none to hear. He tried to attract
+attention by beating with his hands against the top of the chest.
+
+After what seemed an interminable time, the half-fainting Tom heard
+feet clattering down the steep ladder into the forecastle, and this
+brought him partially to.
+
+"Jim, get me out," he cried, and his voice came feebly to the ears of
+the searchers.
+
+"I heard Tom," cried Juarez.
+
+ [Illustration: "TOM DID NOT TRY TO MAKE HIS ESCAPE."--P. 119.]
+
+"Sounded like a cat mewing," remarked the unfeeling Jim. "Listen."
+Again they heard it and a faint pounding inside the sea-chest.
+
+"He's in that chest," cried Jim, and he tried to open it.
+
+"Locked in," said Juarez. "Let Pete open it."
+
+Pete came forward, after fishing a key out of the depths of his
+pocket.
+
+"Lucky I could find it," he said. Then he flung the top of the chest
+back. Tom did not try to make his escape, or put up a fight of any
+kind, for he was all in, and was only too glad to be captured, for, as
+he figured, and quite correctly, that even the captain could not put
+him in a worse place than he had put himself.
+
+"You look more like a ghost than the other one," said Jim with a grin.
+
+After he was sufficiently revived, he, too, was locked up, and further
+proceedings were put off until the morrow. In the meantime it was
+decided to have a little fun with these practical jokers on the next
+day, so as to teach them the seriousness of life on the ocean wave.
+
+So at ten the next morning a court-martial was held in the dining
+saloon. As the weather still remained dark and overcast, it was
+necessary to have the big lamp over the table lit. The judges were
+the captain, who sat at one end of the table, and Juarez, who was at
+his left, and Jim, at the right. For once the captain took off his old
+cap and showed a bald, pink dome, with tufted gray at the side. His
+face wore a grimness that betokened hanging for the culprits--nothing
+less. The court was ready.
+
+Then there was a clattering of feet on the stairs, and the prisoners
+were brought in by the sheriff, who was none other than the tall
+shepherd. They were tied with ropes, that is, their hands were, and
+their hang-dog looks were enough to condemn them. They did not dare
+face the captain, who was regarding them with great severity, but
+looked askance at Jim, who paid no attention to them, but was busy
+making notes on a pad of paper before him on the table.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+THE TRIAL
+
+
+The sheriff was compelled to leave his prisoners in the hands of
+the court and hasten on deck to take the wheel, as the ship was
+short-handed, nearly the whole crew being present on court-martial
+duty. The prisoners were represented by John Berwick, the engineer,
+who entered into their defense with much interest and eclat. The
+specifications were in two charges, it being related:
+
+I. "That Joseph Darlington, a native of New York State, and Thomas
+Darlington, a native of Missouri," read Jim with sonorous voice. At
+the word Missouri, John Berwick, the counsel for the defendants, was
+on his feet in an instant. He said:
+
+"I move this honorable court that specification No. I be quashed, it
+being therein erroneously stated that my client, Thomas Darlington,
+comes from Missouri."
+
+"Motion to squash denied," said James severely, not being entirely at
+home in legal phraseology.
+
+"Then, your Honors, I move to amend, by striking out the word
+'Missouri,' and substituting that of New York, this being a manifest
+attempt to prejudice the case of my client, the prosecution, no doubt,
+being desirous of proving that this innocent lad was one of the
+notorious Jesse James gang, that operated in Missouri and the
+Southwest."
+
+The defendants' attorney stood tapping the table before him with one
+long finger and gazing earnestly at the court, which seemed to be
+struggling hard to suppress some deep and hidden emotion.
+
+"The amendment is allowed," gasped Jim, gazing over the heads of the
+two sullen-looking prisoners. Then the first charge, as amended read:
+
+I. "That Joseph Darlington, a native of New York, and Thomas
+Darlington, likewise a native of New York, are hereby charged with
+conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, in that they did on
+the night of August eighteenth, 18--, feloniously steal through the
+darkness into the apartments (better known as fo'scle) of one, Peter
+McCloskey, and of one, Aloyisius Durgan (minor), and did with malice
+aforethought, disturb the peace, quiet and sleep of the said McCloskey
+and the said Durgan, by representing themselves to be ghosts, with
+green faces" (here Tom snickered, but one look from the captain at the
+head of the table sobered him, indeed, it was the captain's presence
+on this trying occasion that lent dignity and reality to the scene,
+for he evidently meant business, and his sternness was rounded out by
+the impressiveness of his polished dome. When quiet settled heavily
+once more upon the trial, James resumed his reading of the charge),
+"representing themselves to be ghosts with green faces, to the grave
+detriment of the peace of mind of the said McCloskey and said Durgan,
+and furthermore, causing them severe bodily contusions and bruises
+upon their limbs while attempting to escape from said ghosts, at
+the time and place before mentioned, thus unfitting them for active
+service aboard their ship, the _Sea Eagle_, James Darlington, Master."
+At this last statement Captain Kerns leaned forward over the table,
+and regarded the two prisoners with great severity, and they felt in
+their bones that they were going to catch it. They looked appealingly
+at Juarez, but he appeared entirely oblivious of their presence.
+
+II. "Furthermore, it is charged that the said Joseph Darlington and
+Thomas Darlington on the night of the 18th of August, 18--, did resist
+their superior officer----" Here Tom growled something in the ear of
+his attorney, who immediately rose to his feet and said, "My client
+objects to the word superior, as not being true and applicable, he
+says that the aforesaid officer only thinks that he is superior."
+
+"This objection is overruled," said Jim, the judge, his mouth
+twitching; "by superior is meant commanding officer."
+
+"Certainly, Skipper," rumbled the captain; "you're right. Don't let
+'em give you any nonsense, you are in command of this ship."
+
+Nothing more from Tom, and the reading continued. "Therefore, the two
+defendants are charged with mutiny on the high seas."
+
+"Are you ready to plead to these specifications?" inquired Jim,
+looking at the prisoners' counsel.
+
+"We are," replied John Berwick.
+
+"What is your plea?"
+
+"Not guilty, your Honors."
+
+"We will proceed to trial," said Jim solemnly.
+
+"They deserve the rope's end for their impudence," growled the
+captain.
+
+Old Pete was the first witness and he was much impressed by the
+dignity of the court, as was evident as he limped in with his hat, or
+rather cap, in hand. He took the stand, which was an armchair placed
+facing the court, beyond the end of the table. No sooner had he
+seated himself than the _Sea Eagle_ gave a sudden lurch to the
+starboard, and he would have gone, chair and all, into the wall if
+John Berwick had not caught him.
+
+"Beg pardon, your Honors, but this thing ain't anchored right."
+
+"What is your name?" inquired Jim.
+
+"Peter McCloskey, sir."
+
+"Where were you born, Mr. McCloskey?"
+
+"On a farm near Darien, Connecticut," was the answer.
+
+"What is your present occupation?"
+
+"I am sailor aboard the _Sea Eagle_, sir."
+
+"And where were you on the night of August 18th?"
+
+"I was asleep in the fo'scle of the _Sea Eagle_, sir."
+
+"Tell what occurred, if anything."
+
+This Peter McCloskey did with much enthusiasm and picturesque detail,
+and then John Berwick, the attorney for the prisoners, started in to
+cross-examine the witness, who kept himself firmly anchored by means
+of two large feet outspread at separate angles.
+
+"Now, Peter," he commenced suavely, "tell the court how much you drank
+on the eventful night of the 18th of August, when you saw these
+remarkable apparitions."
+
+"Well, your Honors," said Pete, hesitatingly, "you know how it is
+yourselves. I took a nip before I turned in. Old bones have to be
+warmed somehow."
+
+"Exactly," said the prisoners' attorney. "Now, McCloskey, tell the
+court if you were not in a condition to see things on the night in
+question."
+
+"No, sir, Mr. Berwick, I was as sober as a judge when I woke up and
+saw those green things staring at me."
+
+"Are you sure, Peter, that you didn't dream all this?" inquired
+Berwick.
+
+"I didn't dream this, sir," replied Peter, showing a bruise on his
+leg.
+
+This was quite unanswerable, and old Pete was allowed to go with the
+honors of war, and he was followed on the stand by the Irish lad, who
+was a willing witness and had many remarkable things to tell about
+ghosts, their natures and dispositions and their actions on the old
+sod of Ireland, where green-faced ghosts no doubt abounded. As his
+story confirmed old Pete's, things looked dubious for Tom and Jo.
+
+Their attorney, however, made an eloquent plea for the life and
+liberty of the two prisoners at the bar. He said in part:
+
+"I ask your Honors to deal leniently with these two lads and to recall
+how much they have had to contend with in their short young lives.
+They have had only the harshest surroundings. Having come under the
+baleful influence of Captain Bill Broom, the former owner of this
+vessel, you cannot rightly blame them for their strong sense of humor.
+
+"I think that a reprimand is due them for their infraction of the
+ship's discipline and for resisting their _superior_ officer" (a grin
+from Jim), "but I ask this Honorable Court to remember their tender
+years and to deal gently with the prisoners. If you do not, I fear
+that ghosts with green faces will haunt your fevered sleep forever. I
+leave their fate in your hands."
+
+Bowing low, the attorney for the prisoners sat down. Then the culprits
+were sent back to their cabin-cell while the judges took their fate
+under advisement. There was quite a lengthy discussion. Juarez being
+influenced by his friend, the engineer, was in favor of having the
+captain give them a severe call down, and let it go at that. While the
+captain himself favored the rope's end and imprisonment in the
+lazaret that had not been used since old Broom's day.
+
+It was their resistance to the skipper that added to his severity, for
+he was a firm believer in discipline. But Jim suggested a more
+reasonable course that would better favor the ends of justice (which
+was not the rope's end)--than that which the other two judges
+recommended. His plan was finally adopted; then the bound prisoners
+were summoned before the August Court. (That is a pun the writer will
+have to make for Jo, as he is not in his normal spirits.)
+
+They stood at the end of the table, looking sullen and defiant, and
+evidently expecting the worst.
+
+"It is the finding of the court that you, Joseph Darlington and Thomas
+Darlington," read Jim with much emphasis and in a sonorous voice, "are
+guilty on both charges of the specifications, and by the unanimous
+judgment of the court, you are sentenced," Jim paused to give due
+impressiveness to the following words; meanwhile the two boys paled
+slightly, "sentenced to hard labor, shoveling coal, until Pete and
+the boy get over their lameness. This sentence to be immediately
+executed." And it was.
+
+"I'm glad the sentence is going to be executed instead of us," said
+Jo as he was sent below with his comrade in crime to get busy feeding
+the insatiable furnace. Altogether the boys were pleased to get off
+without the rope's end being used on them.
+
+"That was a good sentence, Judge," said John Berwick to Jim after the
+court had adjourned. "It met the case, for the real damage done was
+having Pete and the boy laid off on account of their prank."
+
+"That's it," remarked Jim. "Then, too, Jo and Tom are husky and hard
+workers, and, with them shoveling coal, we ought to get to the coast
+now in a few days."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+"THE MARIA CROTHERS"
+
+
+As the boys drew near the end of the voyage, they began to be anxious
+to see the land once more, not that they were tired of the sea, for
+they had come to regard the _Sea Eagle_ as their home, and every plank
+was familiar to them. Moreover, there was nothing equal to the freedom
+of life on the ocean wave, but they were anxious to start for the
+Sierras to attempt the discovery of the Lost Mine, so that perchance
+they could take a trip around the world.
+
+According to their calculations it was now only a question of a few
+days before they would make the harbor from which they had sailed a
+few months before. Jim was on the quarter deck talking over matters
+with Captain Kerns. It was a very pleasant afternoon, with a clear
+shining sun, and a sparkling sea, and sufficient breeze to make the
+air alive. The captain was seated in his scarred but comfortable
+armchair. That was the only piece of furniture which he had brought
+with him from his cabin on the coast. He wore his heavy woolen jacket
+buttoned across his chest because it was cool even in the sun. Jim
+leaned easily against the rail, dressed in his well-remembered blue
+flannel shirt, and trousers to match, with the gray sombrero pushed
+back from his forehead. His bronzed face and keen gray eyes determined
+him to be a very fair specimen of the American boy when in top-notch
+condition.
+
+"I hope you will be able to look after the _Sea Eagle_, Captain,"
+propounded Jim, "while we are in the mountains."
+
+The captain mused for a while, pursing up his eyes, then he took his
+short blackened pipe out of his mouth.
+
+"I'll do it, Skipper," he said. "I'm fond of this yere boat, and it's
+like home to me. Then, too, I like you boys. There's nothin' of the
+fresh, gabby kid about any of you. I'll do it fer you, Skipper." And
+the bargain was sealed with a warm grip between the two friends.
+
+"There's one thing I ought to speak about though," said Jim, "and that
+is in regard to old Bill Broom, the pirate, who had the _Sea Eagle_
+before we took her. He is a revengeful old beggar and may make you
+trouble if he gets a chance."
+
+"I never really met Broom, though I came near it once," remarked the
+old captain grimly, "but if he is wise, he won't come bothering around
+me or the _Sea Eagle_ either."
+
+"I expect old Pete will stay aboard and the boy," said Jim, "so you
+won't be without some company."
+
+"I've always got 'Lyssus' here," grinned the captain, picking up the
+big tortoise shell that was purring around his legs. "I don't want any
+better company than him."
+
+"He is a good old fellow," said Jim, playfully nipping the cat's ears
+with his fingers, "and a mighty good sailor, too." Just then Jim
+chanced to look up, scanning the expanse of sea ahead, not with the
+expectation of seeing anything, but just force of habit. Immediately
+he straightened up and his gray eyes narrowed with interest.
+
+"What is it, Skipper?" questioned the old captain, getting to his
+feet.
+
+"It looks like smoke," exclaimed Jim, "about three points on our
+starboard bow."
+
+"Maybe it's a steamer," said the captain. "We ought to be running
+across them now once in a while."
+
+"Possibly it's a volcano," suggested Jim.
+
+By this time the captain had got the glass from his cabin, and had it
+focused on the slender blue-gray column of smoke that was rising close
+to the southeastern horizon.
+
+"It's a ship, almost burned out," exclaimed the captain.
+
+"By jove!" cried Jim. "We will see exactly what it is," and he gave
+the order to Pete, who was at the wheel, to change the _Sea Eagle's_
+course accordingly.
+
+"I reckon nobody is alive aboard," remarked the captain. "She looks
+pretty well burned out."
+
+No sooner had the ship's course been changed, than every member of the
+crew was out on deck to see what was up, and all were intensely
+interested watching the column of smoke that now could be seen rising
+from a dark hull close to the water, marking one of those oft-repeated
+tragedies of the sea. Rapidly the gallant little _Sea Eagle_ plowed
+the blue surface of the ocean in a straight course towards the burning
+ship.
+
+Many were the conjectures as to how the destroyed ship came to be in
+her present hapless condition. Jo thought that she had probably caught
+afire and the crew had been compelled to abandon her, but the engineer
+shook his head at this theory.
+
+"I don't agree with you, Joseph. My idea is that she is a derelict
+that has been abandoned possibly years ago. Some ship has crossed her
+trail recently, and to get rid of her as an uncharted menace to ships
+in regular travel, has set fire to her, but without completing her
+destruction."
+
+"They are bad things to be lying around loose," said Jim. "If we had
+been off our course a little, and it had been some hours later, we
+would have stood a jolly good chance of running plump into this ship,
+and if we had not gone down, we would have been badly stove up."
+
+"You would have gone down," said the engineer briefly.
+
+"I suppose there are a good many of these derelicts floating around
+the oceans," remarked Juarez.
+
+"Yes," said the engineer, "and some of them have most interesting
+histories. There was a curious incident in regard to a barque named
+the _Norton_ that was abandoned in the Atlantic some years ago. The
+skipper and the crew were rescued by a sailing vessel, and, after a
+while, they drew near an English port.
+
+"The skipper of the _Norton_ was pacing the poop deck from force of
+habit, when he suddenly stopped as if petrified, and his jaw dropped,
+for there ahead of him alongside of a wharf was his lost and
+abandoned ship. The explanation was simple. She had been picked up by
+a passing steamer and towed into port, for salvage."
+
+The _Sea Eagle_ was now within a half mile of the derelict and she
+could be made out quite plainly. She was a good-sized wooden vessel, a
+three-sticker, but the masts had been broken off and the ship had been
+rendered entirely helpless. She was rolling sluggishly to the motion
+of the waves, without life or hope.
+
+"She's the _Maria Crothers_, London," said the captain from the upper
+deck, looking through the glass, "and she looks like she has been
+floating around for several years."
+
+In a few minutes the _Sea Eagle_ was lying to, a short distance from
+the derelict. It was evident that she had been abandoned a long time.
+The sides and bottom of the ship were encrusted with barnacles and
+long green streamers of sea weeds on her sides and bow gave her a most
+ancient and dilapidated appearance.
+
+In the center of the main deck smoke was slowly rising into the air
+from the charred timbers.
+
+"She is too water-logged to burn," said the captain.
+
+"We will try to blow her up, Captain," cried Jim. "She is a dangerous
+proposition so near to the coast."
+
+"It's a good idea, lad," agreed the captain.
+
+"Lower the boat, my hearties," ordered Jim with a grin.
+
+They put two kegs of powder into the boat, and with the material for a
+couple of long fuses, they started for the derelict, now but a short
+distance off. None of the boys will ever forget that boarding of the
+abandoned vessel, not on account of the danger, for there was none,
+but for the unusualness of the occasion and the picturesqueness of the
+scene.
+
+The sun was just setting as they rowed towards the _Maria Crothers_,
+or what was once that gallant vessel, and the crimson glow came over
+the slow-rolling swell and touched everything with a lurid light,
+especially the desolate derelict. As they were nearing the hulk, Tom
+exclaimed:
+
+"Look, there is a shark coming out from a hole under her bow!"
+
+Sure enough, with sinuous motion a long and ugly-looking shark swam
+slowly a short distance below the surface, taking on a greenish hue,
+from the color of the water. There was something singularly repellent
+about him and peculiarly sinister in his every motion.
+
+"If he gets too sassy, we will treat him like we did his friends and
+brethren near the coast of Maine," said Jim. "When we were in the
+canoes. Remember, Jeems?"
+
+"Don't mention it to me," warned Jeems. "I'm liable to have a chill."
+
+It was not difficult to board the derelict, when the boat was brought
+on the lee side, for the vessel was down well with the water. Jim
+jumped aboard and the others followed, except old Pete, who was at
+the oars; he kept the boat close while the barrels of powder were
+transferred.
+
+The boys found nothing on the old craft of especial interest. They
+could still see that the cabin had been a handsome one, with dark wood
+like mahogany and properly gilded, but everything was now mildewed or
+covered with green slime. There were sea things crawling everywhere.
+
+Jim found his work cut out for him to get the powder planted where it
+would do the best execution. Darkness came on, and he was busy aft
+with one keg while Juarez and the engineer were planting the other
+for'ard. They had got a number of lanterns from the ship to work by,
+and, from a distance they looked like glow worms on the dark surface
+of the waters.
+
+It was a most weird and peculiar sight, but after nearly two hours'
+work, everything was ready. Only Jim, Juarez and the engineer were
+left upon the derelict, with old Pete ready at the oars to pull away
+as soon as the men should jump into the boat after firing the fuses.
+
+"Already for'ard!" yelled Jim.
+
+"Ready," came Juarez's reply.
+
+They touched the long fuse and then ran and stepped lightly into the
+boat. Pete dug the oars into the water and away the boat leapt towards
+the _Sea Eagle_. She had cleared the derelict about a hundred feet,
+when with two dull shaking thuds, and a glare of red light at either
+end, the derelict was blown to destruction, and pieces of broken
+timber fell all about the boat. Some pieces fell even on the deck of
+the _Sea Eagle_. In a few minutes the broken hull had sunk below the
+dark waters of the Pacific. The work had been well done.
+
+Two days later the _Sea Eagle_ turned from the windy channel into her
+own harbor on the southern coast of California with the flag flying,
+and as the anchor chain rattled down into the quiet water, there came
+a salute from the two cannon on the upper deck. Then Jim turned and
+gripped the hand of his old friend.
+
+"Here you are at home, Captain. Now it's for the Lost Mine, boys."
+
+"And good luck to you," said the old captain heartily. "I and the _Sea
+Eagle_ will be here when you return."
+
+The boys at parting gave three rousing cheers.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+AN EXCITING CHARGE
+
+
+It was indeed a beautiful morning, with the sun shining with a clarity
+that is characteristic only of the higher altitudes. There was quite a
+procession coming up the steep mountain trail. As yet they could not
+be made out distinctly, as they were so far down the mountain side.
+Then they were lost to view in one of the folds of the slope.
+
+"I wonder whom those tenderfeet are?" The voice came from a man who
+was crouching behind a granite boulder. He had been watching the
+approaching party intently for some time. "One thing, sartain,"
+the voice continued, "them fellars will find trouble if they keep
+traveling in this neck of the woods."
+
+The speaker was not a prepossessing-looking party. He was of squat
+figure, very strongly built. His face and neck burned to a brick red.
+His shirt of a nondescript color was open at the neck, exposing a
+hairy throat. A rifle was gripped firmly in one powerful paw, and
+there was a knife and pistol in his belt.
+
+He was an ugly-looking customer, and it was evident that his mission
+was not a peaceful one. Once more he took a look down the trail. The
+approaching party was much nearer now and he could count the
+individuals.
+
+"Five!" he exclaimed. "Looks like they might give the boys trouble.
+That fellar in front has sartain got a fine horse."
+
+Already the voices of the five came clearly to his ears, and it would
+not be long before they would top the ridge, and the scout, for such
+he was, would be discovered.
+
+"It's time for me to scat!" he exclaimed.
+
+And he did, taking long swinging strides that soon took him out of
+sight of the ridge, into a belt of pines. Here the stranger stopped
+again and watched for the tenderfoot party to put in an appearance. He
+did not have long to wait, for there came the strong clear sound of
+voices, and then he saw a gallant figure on a gray horse ride into
+full view. This young fellow was dressed in blue, with a flannel shirt
+of the same color, and a gray sombrero, which was pushed back from his
+sunburnt forehead.
+
+A perfectly polished rifle was hung across his back, and there was a
+revolver in the holster at his hip. The young fellow rode his
+splendid animal with an ease and mastery that showed long experience.
+Behind the leader rode a shorter lad, but very stockily built, and of
+extremely dark complexion, with heavy black hair, cut square across.
+
+"That chap must be an Injun," remarked the watcher in the pines.
+
+But the reader who is more intelligent and better informed, knows
+otherwise, for he is acquainted with these riders and has been in
+their company before, and it is not necessary to pass the entire
+procession in review. The Frontier Boys were all there, and Jeems
+Howell likewise. The man in the pines was deeply interested in these
+mounted men, viewing them from his position back of a big pine, in
+front of which was a screen of brush.
+
+He saw that they were well mounted and armed, nor did they appear
+entirely like tenderfeet either. There was something in the way they
+rode and their general air that showed that they could take care of
+themselves. Once or twice he partially raised his rifle as though
+about to fire at the leader, but he evidently thought better of it,
+and contented himself with a mere reconnoissance.
+
+The Frontier Boys were unmindful that they were watched, but they
+were not careless. Juarez, especially, seemed on the alert, and
+even suspicious. He kept looking around and once he came to a halt.
+Swinging off his roan, he began to examine the ground.
+
+"Scent something, comrade?" inquired Jim gravely.
+
+"Something wrong around here," he said.
+
+"Panther, painter, or mountain lion?" inquired Tom.
+
+"Look out, he will bite you," volunteered Jo.
+
+Shaking his head, Juarez mounted his horse and took his place in line,
+and the procession started again, but always the red-faced, red-necked
+scout kept them in view for his own purposes. He did not have much
+trouble to keep up, for the boys did not hurry their horses. They had
+had a hard pull for several hours that morning, and Jim decided it was
+best to let them take it easy, as there still was plenty of hard work
+ahead.
+
+"How soon will we reach your ancient castle, Jeems?" inquired Jim.
+
+"In time for dinner, boss, I reckon," replied Jeems.
+
+"Dinner be ready for us?" inquired Tom hungrily.
+
+"Well, as I haven't seen my ancestral walls for nigh on to twenty
+years," replied Jeems, "I'm much afeard that the dinner is petrified
+by this time."
+
+"We don't mind that," laughed Jo. "Haven't we eaten grub in Mexican
+restaurants and along the border? Nothing is too tough for us."
+
+"That's so," agreed the chorus.
+
+"This country begins to look very familiar," soliloquized Jeems.
+"Here's a rock I've sat on many a time to rest coming home from a
+hunt, and down there are the three pines struck by lightning, on the
+Fourth of July, too----"
+
+"Go on with you," jeered Tom, "don't give us any tall yarn like that."
+
+"Halt! there he goes!" cried Juarez, bringing his rifle to his
+shoulder and aiming it at a fleeting shadow among the pines down the
+mountain slope. He did not fire, however, and without a minute's
+hesitation the boys turned their horses down the steep mountain slope
+towards the woods where the man had been detected by Juarez's
+observant eye.
+
+Away they went full tilt, and to an outsider it seemed certain that
+some one was sure to get his neck broken. Jo's horse did stumble,
+plowing its nose into the gravel, and sending Jo forward about a dozen
+feet, landing on shoulder and neck. Pretty well shaken up, he was too,
+but not injured.
+
+Tom came near getting mixed up in the melee, for he was just back of
+Jo, but missed him more by good luck than good management. There was
+no attempt on the part of any of the boys to stop to pick up Jo or to
+see how badly hurt he was. They presumed that if injured he would say
+something about it. So on went the gallant 400, their steeds leaping
+rocks and fallen trees, crashing through brush with powerful
+recklessness.
+
+A haze of dust soon hung above the cavalry charge, which was destined
+to come to an end when the line of pine trees was reached. But it
+seemed that Jim's Caliente was not going to halt for the solid pines
+even, for he charged full speed ahead, with all his fighting blood
+aroused.
+
+"Ahoy there, Jim!" yelled Tom, "better anchor your yacht."
+
+But James could not head him, pull as hard as he would, and he ducked
+his head low under a branch which threatened to brain him, scraped
+between two tall and massive pines, and finally brought his panting
+horse to a full stop in a dense clump of brush.
+
+But Jeems Howell seemed to be having the most interesting, if not the
+pleasantest, time of all. He was not a natural centaur anyway. He had
+tried his best to keep his little rat of a bay from joining in the
+chase, but without success. With his long legs stuck out in front and
+his eyes wide open with astonishment, he was pulling with all his
+might, but with no effect.
+
+It was a comical sight, the long-legged man yelling "Whoa!" "Whoa!"
+and the little pony scampering at top speed down the steep and sunny
+slope with the dust flying back at a great rate. Then of a sudden, the
+pony leaped right from under the long-shanked Jeems and he sat down
+upon the warm gravel, while the animal went on into the woods. As for
+the man, he made his escape into a neighboring gulch where he hid
+himself under a ledge, and was safe enough.
+
+That one movement which he had noted of Juarez's rifle when aimed at
+him, was sufficient to give him an idea of the mettle of the Frontier
+Boys. He was determined, however, not to get out of that section until
+he had seen these travelers properly located, so he waited.
+
+Meanwhile, the boys had got together, in a general council with only
+one absentee, viz: Jeems Howell, who was seated contentedly, if
+somewhat dazed, upon the mountain side. Then his absence was noted by
+the other boys.
+
+"Where is Jeems?" inquired Jo, who had recovered his horse and his
+equilibrium likewise.
+
+They looked around anxiously. "There's his pony over there," said
+Juarez, "having a good time grazing."
+
+"I suspect we will find Jeems grazing somewhere back here on the
+mountain," said Jim. "Jo, you go look for him, if you think you won't
+fall off, too."
+
+With a grunt Jo turned his horse at right angles, and went back up
+the mountain slope. He soon came upon Jeems seated placidly upon the
+ground apparently enjoying the view.
+
+"Lost something, Jeems?" he inquired.
+
+"Yes, my pony," he replied.
+
+"He is grazing down below," said Jo. "Why don't you get up?"
+
+"I'm grazing here," replied Jeems.
+
+"Gazing, I guess," grinned Jo.
+
+"Is it morning yet?" inquired Jeems.
+
+"It will be night before you get up, if you don't hustle," warned Jo.
+"Better go and get your horse and join the family council."
+
+"There shall be no vacant chair, I'll be there," and Jeems rose by
+sections.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+A CHASE
+
+
+"Are you sure you saw that fellow, Juarez?" asked Jo.
+
+"Certainly," replied the chief.
+
+"Of course he did," said Jim. "You don't suppose that Juarez would
+exclaim at a shadow. I got a glimpse of him myself."
+
+"What did he look like?" inquired Yankee Tom.
+
+Jim's face took on a look of settled gravity as he answered:
+
+"He was a tall dark-complected man, with a wart over his right eye,
+and he had a ring on his middle finger with his wife's picture
+engraved on it, and----"
+
+"Oh, shut up," growled Tom, "you are just kidding."
+
+"I didn't see anybody," put in Jeems Howell mildly. This remark was
+greeted with a roar of laughter.
+
+"I bet you didn't," jeered Tom. "All you could do was to yell 'Whoa!'"
+
+"But he didn't whoa!" said Jeems sadly, but truthfully.
+
+"You did," remarked Jim.
+
+"Somebody had to," explained Jeems, "so I decided it was up to me."
+
+"You mean," said the whimsical Jo, "down to you."
+
+"I suppose so."
+
+"He has made his escape anyway," said Tom.
+
+"So have our pack mules," cried Juarez, looking back up the mountain.
+
+"Maybe they have just grazed off," said Jim anxiously.
+
+This was serious business indeed, if their mules should take a notion
+to take the back trail with their grub and camp equipment. So the boys
+lost no time in getting back to the ridge and all thought of the
+stranger that they had tried to interview had left their minds for the
+present. When they got to the top of the ridge they found their worst
+fears realized. Juarez was the first to take in the situation, because
+his little roan was the fastest in a short dash. Juarez had urged his
+horse obliquely across the slope of the hill.
+
+"They have scooted for home, boys," he yelled.
+
+Sure enough there were the three beasts a mile down the trail and
+jogging steadily along with an evident intention in their mulish minds
+to go home and stay there. Now "home" was a hundred miles away, but
+that made no difference with their plans.
+
+"We have got to head 'em down this other side," cried Jim. "It's no
+use following them on the trail. They have got the start on us and
+when they see us coming it will make them hike all the faster."
+
+"You're right," said Juarez.
+
+"There is no use for all this bunch going," said Jim. "Jo, you and
+Tom and Jeems stay here. Keep my guns, I'm traveling light." He
+handed over his rifle and revolver to his brother and Juarez gave
+his to Jeems. Then they gave the cinches to their saddles an extra
+tightening, especially the back cinches, then they swung swiftly into
+the saddles.
+
+"Durn those mules," they cried and were off. Keeping their horses well
+in hand, for it promised to be a long hard race, they galloped along
+the ridge, keeping slightly below the summit. They were now on the
+opposite side of the ridge from where the trail was up which they had
+traveled. As the two headers-off got under way the gravel flew back
+from their horses' feet. At first the way was not very hard, but at
+the end of the first mile they came to a great field of broken rocks.
+
+Here they had to slacken speed and find their way among great rocks,
+broken, and with many miniature canyons and ravines among them. Once
+they rode under the shadow of a great slab of quartz, some eighty feet
+long and twenty feet in thickness; like a long flat bridge it was.
+
+"This is a sure interesting country," remarked Juarez.
+
+"I wish that we had time to look around a bit," replied Jim, "but I am
+afraid that those pesky mules are gaining on us right here."
+
+"We are almost out of this nest of rocks," encouraged Juarez.
+
+This was true, but now they had ahead of them a long slope with many
+fallen trees, but the boys could not stop for such trifles. Away they
+went, leaping the trunks of trees, twisting this way and that, but
+never slackening speed. If it was not for their anxiety, it would have
+been fun for the two of them, as there was enough danger and variety
+to make it interesting. Jim's big gray, which he had captured in
+Mexico and had named Caliente, jumped with great power and with
+remarkable lightness, considering his size, but Juarez's roan was as
+quick as a cat and just as light on its feet.
+
+"See that notch in the ridge," cried Jim, "about half a mile ahead?"
+
+"Yes," replied Juarez.
+
+"There's where we will cross and try to get ahead of those bucks."
+
+"We will make them hustle back," cried Juarez, grinding his teeth.
+
+"Sure," agreed Jim with a grin.
+
+In a short time they had reached the notch and found it to be
+something more than that, as it was quite a deep cut in the back of
+the ridge, and continued into a narrow ravine, which was quite heavily
+wooded, and down which ran a pretty little stream of the clearest
+crystal.
+
+"We ought to see those mules soon now," said Juarez.
+
+"There's the trail," said Jim, "just a bit of it high up."
+
+"I see it," replied Juarez.
+
+"We will cut it soon now," remarked Jim, "then we will head those
+Missouri runaways."
+
+But before they did that, a lively dash was before them, for suddenly
+they came in full view of the upper trail for a mile or more.
+
+"There are those rascals," cried Juarez, pointing with an excited
+hand.
+
+"I see them," said Jim.
+
+"Brethren," remarked the mule in the lead, to his long-eared comrades,
+"here come our masters to head us off. Let us run." He wig-wagged this
+piece of news with his long ears and a waggle of his short tail. They
+understood perfectly and acted in unison. They did not trot, but
+started at a swift, sharp lope down the trail. It was fortunate for
+the packs that the boys were old mountaineers and knew how to make
+them secure else they would have been jostled into the ravine below.
+
+The boys cut loose at full gallop down the ravine, utterly reckless
+of what might be ahead of them. They tore through the brush, crushing
+down every obstacle in their way, determined to head those mules or
+die in the attempt. They were mad through and through, and, for one,
+I can sympathize with them. They won the race by about twenty feet.
+Caliente with one last leap was in the trail.
+
+The mules saw that they were intercepted and came to a halt, and
+looked at Jim and Juarez with quiet unconcern, mingled with a slight
+surprise at being so rudely interrupted in their little jaunt.
+
+"You blasted, long-eared, rat-tailed beggars, get back where you
+belong," yelled Jim; "you hustle."
+
+"Give me a rock, I'll help 'em," cried Juarez.
+
+He reached from the saddle and picked up a number of fragments of
+broken granite, and Jim did the same. Then they began to pepper those
+mules with carefully aimed stones, sometimes striking their haunches
+and sometimes their ears, keeping them at a steady jog trot up the
+grade.
+
+"Take that, Missouri!" Jim would cry, flipping a stone at the leader.
+
+"Here's one for you, Pike County!" laughed Juarez, aiming at the
+second target.
+
+So they kept it up, thus getting even for all the trouble the runaways
+had made them, which was considerable. After a while they reached the
+top of the ridge, expecting to find Jo, Tom and Jeems waiting for
+them. But there was no sign of them anywhere.
+
+"What do you suppose has become of them?" inquired Juarez.
+
+"Maybe that mysterious stranger has stolen them," suggested Jim.
+
+"Let's see if we cannot find their tracks," said Juarez. This was done
+without difficulty.
+
+"Here's a track that looks like a gorilla's," remarked Jim, inspecting
+the dust of the trail.
+
+"Must be Jeems'," grinned Juarez.
+
+"These other tootsie tracks are Tommy's and Jo's, I reckon," said Jim.
+
+"But why did they walk instead of ride?" inquired Juarez.
+
+"They didn't intend to go far and thought it just as easy to walk,"
+explained Jim.
+
+Just then there came a faint halloo that caused the boys to look up.
+
+"There's Jeems, the beanstalk," cried Jim.
+
+"Where?" asked Juarez.
+
+"See that shadow standing on that rock way over yonder?" inquired Jim.
+
+"Yes."
+
+"That's him."
+
+"What do you suppose that they are doing over there?" asked Juarez.
+
+"We won't be long in finding out," replied Jim.
+
+"There's Jeems' castle," said Juarez, after they had ridden a few
+hundred yards, pointing to a speck high up on the mountain side.
+
+Juarez was right, for Jeems and the other boys soon met them with the
+news that they had located the cabin where they hoped to find the plan
+that would give them a clue to the location of the Lost Mine.
+
+"Have a hard chase after the mules, Jim?" inquired Jo as they climbed
+up a steep slope towards the cabin.
+
+"You ought to have been along," remarked Jim significantly.
+
+"I hope Juarez don't let 'em get away this time," said Tom.
+
+"If you must worry, why don't you take something probable," remarked
+Jim severely. "Like Jeems running off to become a circus rider."
+
+"You would have thought that he was a circus rider sure enough,"
+laughed Jo, "if you could have seen him riding down that slope this
+morning, with his feet stuck straight out in front of him, and yelling
+whoa to 'Mosquito.'"
+
+"I thought," said Jeems sadly, "that if I held my feet that way that
+they would offer enough resistance to the air to stop or slow up
+Mosquito,--but they didn't."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+THE DIAGRAM
+
+
+"What's the use of being a philosopher and a thinker, Jeems," inquired
+Jim, after the roar of laughter had spent itself at his ludicrous
+remark, "if you can't invent some way to stop a mite of a pony like
+Mosquito?"
+
+"There isn't any use trying to be a philosopher," said Jeems frankly,
+"when you are traveling with such a hair-brained gang as you fellows.
+A philosopher has to have time to think, and things keep happening so
+fast in your company, that you don't get time to breathe. If it isn't
+the mules running away it is Mosquito, and so it goes."
+
+"Cheer up, Jeems," said Jo. "Just wait until we begin to cruise around
+the world on our yacht, then you will get lots of time to
+philosophize."
+
+"Don't believe it," replied Jeems skeptically. "If it isn't pirates it
+will be sharks, and if it isn't them it will be octopuses."
+
+"In your case it is more likely to be the _mal de mer_," put in Jim
+with his easy command of French. I believe he had one other phrase
+that on occasion he could use.
+
+"I suppose that they say _de mer_ because they feel like demurring,"
+said Jo glibly.
+
+"_Sacre bleu_, Jo!" cried Jim, using his other phrase. "Don't be so
+smart."
+
+"Can't help it," replied Jo.
+
+"There will be a sudden and mysterious disappearance if you don't,"
+said Jim darkly. By this time they had climbed into clear view of
+Jeems' cabin.
+
+"Somebody has thrown a rock at your castle and caved the roof in,
+Jeems," declared Tom.
+
+"Lucky I wasn't home," replied Jeems philosophically.
+
+"It does look like an ancient ruin," said Jim, as they finally reached
+the little shelf on which the cabin was built.
+
+The passing years had evidently done their worst, a large boulder had
+come down from the mountain above and crashed the roof in. The rudely
+built chimney had been partially destroyed, and rats and squirrels
+were making themselves at home. Jeems stood looking sadly at his
+former cabin, for Jeems had a strain of sentiment in him and he had
+spent three interesting and quite happy years at this spot.
+
+"It's kind of like Rip Van Winkle returning home after his long
+absence, isn't it?" inquired Jo.
+
+"Only I don't see my faithful dog," replied the shepherd, waking from
+his reverie.
+
+"You must have built here for the view, Jeems," remarked Jim.
+
+"I used to sit out here on the shelf many a summer evening," said
+Jeems, "and look off towards the east till it got dark. I suspect
+that's what helped to make me kind of dreamy; those years."
+
+"Shouldn't wonder," said Jim.
+
+It was a wonderful view, and it held the boys for a minute, accustomed
+though they were to unusual scenes. There was a vastness and freedom
+about it that would be hard to equal. Range after range extended to
+the eastward, pine-clad, with deep valleys intervening; to the south
+some great rocky summits, blue, impalpable, mysterious, upon the verge
+of the horizon. Far below over a granite chasm wheeled an eagle on
+darkening wings. The wonderfully clear air was full of the murmur of
+the pines; the tone that sings of the days of primeval mystery. Far
+down below the boys could see Juarez with the horses and mules.
+
+"Hello, Juarez," cried Jim. Then in a few seconds came the answering
+call, clear and distinct.
+
+"It's wonderful how far you can hear, in this country," said Jo.
+
+"What are you fellows stopping so long to admire, scenery?" inquired
+Tom. "You would think that you never saw any before. Why don't you
+investigate the ruins and see if you can't find that plan of the 'Lost
+Mine.'"
+
+"Don't get excited, Tommy," urged Jim. "Maybe you won't be elected
+President of 'The Lost Mine Co.' anyway."
+
+"I'd rather be Treasurer anyhow," replied the practical Tom.
+
+"You'll be the janitor of the company," said Jim severely, "because
+you have had so much experience shoveling coal on the _Sea Eagle_."
+
+Tom's face flushed, and there was an early promise of a mixing up,
+when Jeems intervened.
+
+"Come, boys, never mind about fixing up your company, I'll show you
+where I hid that plan about twenty years ago."
+
+"It won't be any good now, after all that interval," declared the
+pessimistic Tom.
+
+In spite of Tom's prophecy the boys went heartily to work to clear
+away the debris so they could get at the particular stone behind
+which Jeems had hidden the document.
+
+"What shape was it?" inquired Jim.
+
+"Something like this," replied Jeems, kicking a stone near his foot.
+
+"Maybe that's it," said Tom.
+
+"No, it isn't. That stone was some narrower than this." After a half
+hour's industrious work they finally uncovered it, and very carefully
+lifted it out of its place. They leaned eagerly forward while Jim
+swept his hand around trying to locate it.
+
+"Hold a light so," he ordered.
+
+"Aye, aye, sir," replied Jo. Then under the quick flare of a match,
+Jim eagerly gripped a piece of yellowed cardboard.
+
+"This is her picture, boys!" he cried, with much sentiment.
+
+"Let's see the other side," said Tom.
+
+"It's going to be difficult to make this out," remarked Jim, after
+close scrutiny. He sat down upon a rock and began studying it, with
+the other boys looking over his shoulder.
+
+"That crooked line must mean a creek," said Jo.
+
+"I think it represents the top of a ridge," remarked Tom.
+
+"This other work of art below the ridge-creek appears to me to be a
+pine tree with a cross on one side of it."
+
+"You are right, Skipper," said Jeems. "I got as far as that tree, but
+that was my limit. I could not make any headway beyond that."
+
+"It looks to me as if that design further down were a pathway with a
+mill of some kind on one side and a cabin a little further down."
+
+"Good head, Tommy," said Jim patronizingly. "But what are those stars
+near the end of the line?"
+
+"They represent a snow storm, I guess," said Jo.
+
+"Oh, they do!" said Jim. "I suppose that is a hint it will be winter
+before we find anything. But what do these numbers below the stars
+mean? 400 -- + 1500 -- 30. Is that yards, feet, dollars, or
+doughnuts?"
+
+"Isn't that a cross marked before the 1500?" asked Tom the lynx-eyed.
+
+"I guess you are right," said Jim, "but I don't see as it helps any."
+
+"We might as well adjourn," remarked Jo, "we have got our plan, and we
+can spend some time studying it out. We have had plenty of exercise
+for one day and we can take our time to make a good camp."
+
+"All right," agreed Jim. "To-morrow it's all hands to try to locate
+the Lost Mine."
+
+It was clear sailing now for a ways, at least so it seemed, but things
+are rarely what they seem, and there was a certain party of men not
+many miles distant whose business in that part of the country was to
+locate the Frontier Boys, but of this they only had a dim suspicion
+from the sight of the man of whom Juarez had caught a fleeting
+glimpse.
+
+It did not take the boys long to cover the ground between the cabin
+and the place where they had left Juarez with the horses and mules. It
+was a little over half a mile from the shelf where the cabin stood to
+the group of pines where Juarez was. The upper half of the slope was
+covered with tall tufted grass and scattered rocks. The lower part was
+a long slide of sand.
+
+"I'll beat you tenderfeet down," vaunted Jim.
+
+"Let's get an even start and I'll show you," said Jo, who was in truth
+a fleet runner. "Jeems will give us the send-off, as he is the only
+one who has his revolver with him."
+
+So they lined up on the level place in front of the cabin, while
+Juarez, who felt that there was something in the wind, came out into
+the open and watched the proceedings with interest. He saw that a race
+was about to take place and he stood prepared to catch the winner.
+
+"Are you ready?" inquired Jeems in a shrill voice, and the three
+admitted that they were; then he extended his pistol over his head and
+fired. There was a sharp report, and away the boys leaped as though
+they, too, had been shot out of a gun. Down the steep slope they went
+over the tufted grass and rocks like bounding jack-rabbits. Jim was
+ten feet in the lead, then Jo, and Tom five feet behind him.
+
+My, but it was fun! I would give a good deal to be in that race. How
+the boys did jump! Jim with his long legs and stride seemed to have
+the advantage at first, but when they struck the long sand slide Jo
+began to pull up on his brother. Even the scout who was watching the
+race from a distant tree became so interested that he lost his caution
+for a moment and came into view.
+
+"I bet the little varmint beats the lanky guy," he said to himself.
+
+It seemed so, for half way down the slide the "little varmint" had
+crawled up even with Jim. They were going so fast that you could not
+see them for the haze, and the gravel and sand flew from before their
+feet like spray and they leaped fifteen to twenty feet at a stride. I
+tell you it was exciting work. Jo drew ahead and beat Jim about three
+feet, it was that close, and Tom "came tumbling after."
+
+"I get the prize," cried Jo, as soon as he could get his breath.
+
+"It's a silver water pitcher," said Juarez, giving him a big tin cup.
+
+"Look out, here comes Jeems on the warpath," cried Jim.
+
+They looked up and sure enough there he came full tilt, his long hair
+streaming in the breeze and his lanky legs reaching out like they were
+endowed with the wonderful seven-league boots. Here was fun.
+
+"He's drunk!" cried Juarez.
+
+"He is running away!" yelled Jim.
+
+"Whoa, Mosquito, whoa!" screamed Jo and Tom in unison.
+
+The scout who was roosting in the tree a quarter of a mile below,
+became so enthused at the sight of the lanky vision striding down the
+mountainside that he became convulsed with laughter. Just then Jeems,
+who was half way down the sand slide, accompanied by the wild yells
+of the boys who were watching him, struck, in one of his flying steps,
+a partially submerged rock.
+
+The effect was instantaneous and surprising, such was his momentum
+that he bounced high into the air and sprawled out like a gigantic
+flying squirrel for thirty feet or more before he came to earth, or
+rather dove to sand, and was lost in a cloud of dust. The boys rushed
+to pick up the remains.
+
+[Illustration: "LOOK OUT, HERE COMES JEEMS ON THE WARPATH."--P. 165.]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+THE CAMP IN THE VALLEY
+
+
+The dust settled and they were able to see Jeems in all his outlines.
+He seemed unhurt and in the possession of all his faculties, for he
+began to spout poetry to the boys after this wise:
+
+     "From morn till noon he fell, from noon
+     Till dewy eve then like a falling star
+     Dropt from the zenith."
+
+"Hurrah for Lucifer!" cried Jo, who knew something about literature.
+Jeems bowed.
+
+"What did you think you were, a flying squirrel?" inquired Tom.
+
+"I didn't think, I just flew," said Jeems, which was true.
+
+This incident likewise came near getting their enemy who was in
+hiding, for when he saw Jeems Howell perform his startling evolution
+in the air, he laughed so hard that he lost his balance and came
+crashing through the branches to the ground below and he lay there
+rolling over and over, not in the agony of a broken leg, but with
+uncontrollable laughter. As he told his pals later, "I never seen the
+likes of that performance. It was head and heels over any circus that
+'Green Ike' ever saw back in ole Missoury. (Green Ike so-called, not
+on account of the color of his skin, but of his eyes.) That fellar
+must have struck a spring board the way he went through the air."
+
+After the excitement had quieted down over Jeems Howell's flight
+through space, the boys took up the next order of the day, which was
+"forward march to their camping place for the night." It was now well
+along in the afternoon and the shadows were extending far down the
+slopes and across the valleys.
+
+"We must get to a place where there is good water," said Juarez, as
+they started on their way.
+
+"I wish we could find some grazing for the horses," mused Jim.
+
+"It's a long pull into that valley down there," remarked Jo, "but I
+guess we can make it."
+
+"I don't see why not," said Tom. "Our horses have had a long rest and
+ought to make fine time."
+
+They did succeed in finding an excellent camping place after riding
+down the mountain slopes for about five miles. They came into quite a
+broad valley with a beautiful stream of clear tumbling water flowing
+through the midst of it, and green meadows on either side.
+
+"I bet that's a fine trout stream," exclaimed Tom enthusiastically.
+
+"This is one of the best places that we ever had to camp in," cried
+Jo. "The only place I can remember that beat it was in Mexico near
+the trembling mountain where we were all shut in."
+
+"Here's the place for a camp," announced Jim. "This hill is away from
+the mountain slope far enough so that no enemy can crawl down under
+the protection of the trees. Then it can be defended, if necessary.
+For some reason, I would not like to camp out on that level meadow
+to-night."
+
+"You don't expect trouble with Indians, do you?" inquired Tom
+anxiously.
+
+"No," replied Jim, "but there are other bad men besides Indians."
+
+"You are right, Skipper," said the shepherd, "we are liable to find
+the worst kind of cutthroats and ruffians in this part of the
+country."
+
+"I guess we will be able to stand 'em off," said Jim, "without calling
+in the police."
+
+Then James swung himself off his horse at the foot of the long hill;
+Tom and Jo rather stiffly, for they were not yet used to active
+mountaineering after so much sea travel, while Jeems Howell stepped
+off his little bay pony. Now ensued a scene of much activity making
+camp. Each one had his work to do and it was done promptly.
+
+Juarez and Jim looked after the horses; rubbed them down, looked
+carefully after any strain or sore, and it was work that they loved
+to do. When the horses were sufficiently rested they were watered and
+fed, and from their splendid condition it was evident that they were
+well cared for. Caliente, Jim's charger, was in extra fine shape. His
+coat of mottled iron-gray fairly shone under Jim's brushing. When he
+had time he polished his hoofs. There was a real affection between
+the horse and his master. On more than one occasion his strength and
+fleetness had saved Jim's life. No one else was equal to controlling
+him.
+
+Jeems' and Tom's work was to look after the mules, take off their
+packs and feed and water the animals. Jeems seemed to get along with
+the mules all right, much better than he did with the horses. Perhaps
+the mules were philosophers. At least they were very wise animals,
+canny and self-controlled. No mule you notice will overeat even when
+he has a chance, but with a horse it is different.
+
+Jo's duties were very active ones. He had to move the goods, saddles,
+etc., into camp, and then get the wood for the fire. By this time one
+of the other boys would be free to help rig up the tent and another
+would fetch water. It was a lively, interesting scene and the boys
+enjoyed it thoroughly.
+
+Within an hour the work was all done, and the horses were grazing,
+with evident enjoyment of the freedom of roaming around over the wide
+meadow with its growth of luxuriant grass, this after the hard day's
+pull. The boys had built a roaring fire of logs fed by long pine
+cones, for the nights were cold at that altitude.
+
+"This would make a pretty fair sort of a fort," said Juarez, "if we
+had to defend it."
+
+"Not as good as the one Jim and I had when the Apaches attacked us in
+New Mexico, when we were separated from Tom and the Captain," remarked
+Jo wisely.
+
+"That was a natural fort," put in Jim, "but as Juarez says, we could
+stand off a crowd here, if we had a chance to fix it up a bit."
+
+"It's lucky that it stands clear of the mountain on this side, so that
+an enemy could not attack us from shelter," remarked Juarez. "It must
+be nearly three-quarters of a mile to the foot of the mountain on this
+side of the valley; perhaps further."
+
+"This hill must be all of one hundred and fifty feet high," said Tom.
+"I should like to see a crowd of Indians charge it."
+
+"You wouldn't," put in Juarez. "They never do a trick like that, but
+would hang around until we were starved out."
+
+"I tell you, lads, it won't be the Indians who will give us trouble,"
+remarked Jeems Howell, "but a gang of renegade white men and
+half-breeds. That's the crowd that will be on our trail."
+
+"I have a sort of feeling that there is a lion in our path," quoth
+James. "We will never get in the vicinity of the 'Lost Mine' without
+a fight. You mark my words. The sooner it comes the better."
+
+"I guess we had better get the horses corraled, hadn't we, Skipper?"
+inquired Juarez. "It's beginning to get dark."
+
+"Right you are," agreed Jim. "They have had a two-hour graze. We will
+take them down to water and then bring them into camp. Jo, you stay
+here and guard the goods."
+
+"Aye, aye, sir," said Jo.
+
+It was already growing dusk when the boys started across the level
+meadow to get the animals. They had no difficulty in picking up the
+trailing lariats. Only the mules acted rather queer. Their long ears
+were pitched forward and they were gazing fixedly in the direction
+of the mountain back of the camp. Then Missouri, the leader, a big
+buckskin with a brown stripe down his back, suddenly put his ears
+back and began to squeal loud and viciously.
+
+"What's the matter with old Missouri?" inquired Jeems anxiously. "You
+don't suppose that the grass has given him a pain in his tummy?"
+
+"No," said Jim, "the old chap scents trouble of some kind."
+
+"Maybe it's a mountain lion," suggested Tom, "that would make him act
+up."
+
+"Maybe," admitted Jim.
+
+Now they had arrived at the stream that was roaring through the
+meadow. It was no brook either, but a brawling stream about forty
+feet in width, very clear and wonderfully cold, as it came from the
+snow-clad summits to the northwest. There were a good many large
+boulders that checked its course and made a roaring music in the
+quiet of the valley. It was a full half mile from the hill where the
+camp was.
+
+"This would be a fine stream for trout," remarked Tom. "I wish we were
+going to stop in this valley long enough to give us a chance for some
+sport, but I suppose we will get up about four o'clock in the morning
+and chase over the mountains all day and then make a dry camp where
+our animals will be stampeded by the Indians."
+
+"You certainly are a croaker, Tommy," laughed Jim heartily, for Tom's
+pessimistic prophecies never failed to amuse his big brother, "but
+cheer up, I have about decided to stop here in the valley for a day or
+two and give the children a good time."
+
+"It won't be a bad idea, Skipper," remarked Juarez, "because it will
+give the horses a good rest and they have had a long, hard pull of it
+the past ten days, and will put them in good condition for the rest
+of the trip; perhaps, too, we can get a deer or two around here."
+
+"There formerly was and ought now to be deer in this valley or near
+it," put in Jeems. "This is just the kind of place for them to come
+for grazing and pasture."
+
+"It will help fill out our larder, too," said Tom.
+
+"You mean our stomachs," said Jeems whimsically, after his fashion.
+
+"I would like a mess of trout," remarked Tom. "I'm tired of salt
+horse."
+
+"What's the matter with Missouri?" said Jeems, "he won't drink."
+
+"You can't make him then," said Jim. "A mule is sure stubborn."
+
+The rest of the animals appeared willing enough, but it took quite a
+while, as only one could come down to the stream at a time. The banks,
+though not high, were cut through the turf and there was only one spot
+where there was a broken place and a couple of stones where the horses
+and mules could step down to the stream.
+
+"I guess Jo will begin to wonder what has become of us," said Jim, as
+the last horse drank his fill.
+
+When they turned the animals' heads towards the camp it had grown
+dark, while the great valley was filled with the loneliness and the
+deep shadows of the night. There was nothing to break the stillness
+but the tune of the tumbling stream and the monotone of the pine-clad
+slopes rising blackly on either side of the valley. The light of the
+campfire upon the hill sent up its distant glow.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+A SURPRISE
+
+
+Let us now return to Jo to keep him company during the absence of his
+brethren and companion-in-arms. He sat down by the fire on a rock with
+his legs stretched out before him, for he was rather tired, and his
+hands clasped back of his head. All about him were the shadows of the
+trees, but he was perfectly at his ease, though it would have been
+lonesome enough if he had not known that the rest of the gang was
+near.
+
+Still it would have been better if he had kept closer watch, for
+already the Frontier Boys had received warning that they were being
+trailed, and Jo should have seated himself in the door of the tent so
+that his back would have been protected, and he would have had the
+benefit of the fire just the same. He likewise naturally trusted to
+Jeems' shepherd dog to give him warning. The dog lay near the front
+of the tent with his nose over his paws and his brown eyes blinking
+toward the blaze.
+
+It was his presence that saved Jo at this time, nothing else. Shep
+jumped to his feet with a growl that grated along his back teeth, a
+growl that meant business and serious business, too.
+
+Let us see what was the cause of Shep's alarm. Just a little after the
+boys had left the hill to take the horses to water, the figure of a
+man could be seen coming stealthily out of the shadow of the pines
+upon the slope.
+
+He maneuvered so that the hill was between him and Skipper Jim's
+party, then he stood straight up and walked stealthily and carefully,
+but nevertheless swiftly, towards the camp. The man had made a slight
+miscalculation, for he supposed that the camp was deserted and that he
+could take what he wanted and destroy the rest before the boys could
+return. A crooked smile came over his face as he made his evil plans.
+He would go through the camp, take what was valuable, throw what he
+could not use on the campfire and as a last touch he would set fire to
+the tent.
+
+Then as the tenderfeet came rushing back filled with anger and fear at
+the sight of the burning tent, he would easily make his escape through
+the darkness to the protection of the mountains, where these boys
+would never get him. He would have, too, his booty, which he would
+hide in a cave he knew of, so that he would not have to divide with
+his gang. It was a beautiful plan and it appealed to him in several
+ways.
+
+"Those American pigs," he said, "they think through their snouts. They
+do not know enough to guard their camp in this country."
+
+But as we know, there was something of a surprise in store for this
+enterprising gentleman. It is evident that he was not the same fellow
+that Juarez had detected skulking in the woods that morning, for this
+was a Mexican who was stalking the boys' camp. He came swiftly through
+the grass, with a silence born of custom. It was well for him that he
+did, else Jo would have been on his trail in a minute.
+
+The Greaser, for such he deserves to be called, went cautiously up
+the slope of the hill, following a small depression which was a
+watercourse during the rainstorms. When he got within two-thirds of
+the top, he stopped as though he had been struck, for there was the
+figure of Jo seated on the rock between him and the fire. For a second
+his jaw dropped and his eyes opened wide. Then his cunning ferocity
+came to him.
+
+A tall bush and several trees intervened between him and Jo, utterly
+unconscious of his danger. Without a sound he crawled along, his
+poniard gripped between the gleam of his strong white teeth, which
+gave him a snarling and sinister appearance. His plan was evident. He
+did not dare to risk a shot, for that would give the alarm and he
+would have no chance for loot.
+
+Meanwhile, Jo continued entirely unconscious of the treacherous
+approach of this unseen foe. Jo was not thinking of any danger and
+his mind was far away on an excursion of its own, dreaming of the far
+corners of the earth to which they would sail, if by good fortune
+they found the treasure of the Lost Mine.
+
+But Jo was in an ace of taking a longer journey than any that he was
+at that moment dreaming of. The Mexican had got almost within striking
+distance of Jo and had risen to his feet, not seeing the dog, and was
+just drawing back his arm to throw the fatal knife when Shep gave his
+growl of warning at the figure he saw in the shadow back of his
+master.
+
+If Jo had been careless before he made up for it now. His experience
+stood him in good stead, for instead of rising to his feet to confront
+the danger as a tenderfoot would have done, he dropped down behind the
+rock as quickly as a pugilist ducks his opponent's lead. It was all
+that saved him. "Swish" swept the knife with a flash of steel through
+the air, where Jo's body had been the second before. Jo's pistol was
+in the tent on a box, but his hand, as he dropped, touched a stone.
+The reader perhaps remembers what an accurate shot Jo was with a ball
+or rock. If his memory goes back far enough he will recall what Jo did
+to the Apache when he was trying to sneak up on the boys' fort in New
+Mexico.
+
+As soon as the Mexican saw that he had missed his aim, he started
+to run. Jo saw his dark form a few feet away and hurled the rock,
+striking him behind the left shoulder and half knocking him down. Jo,
+the fleet of foot, was upon him in a couple of bounds, and now a
+furious struggle ensued between Jo and the Mexican. The Greaser was
+strong and wiry, also very desperate. Once he had Jo nearly gone, as
+he threw him to his knees, and put his weight upon his back to crush
+him down.
+
+With a quick shift Jo got to his feet again, and the struggle was
+renewed. Jo finally got his man near a rock that stood up a foot and
+a half above the ground. Exerting all of his lithe strength he shoved
+him back so that his heels struck the rock. As the man toppled, Jo
+threw his whole weight against him, and back he went with tremendous
+force, striking his head against a pine tree.
+
+This laid the Greaser out and Jo, panting heavily, dragged him into
+the firelight and in a minute more had him tied securely. Then he sat
+down on a rock, breathing hard, just as the voices of the returning
+boys could be heard at the foot of the hill as they were bringing in
+the horses. Jo said nothing, but sat quietly, knowing how surprised
+the boys would be to see this new addition to the family circle.
+
+"Didn't see any wild Injuns, did you, Jo?" It was Jim's cheery voice.
+
+"Narry Injun," replied Jo. Just then Caliente began to act up, surging
+around with his ears back and plunging to get away from Jim. Either he
+saw the Mexican or suspected his presence.
+
+"Whoa, you Tiger!" cried Jim, but he had quite a tussle with him
+before he got him subdued. Even then Caliente kept snorting at
+intervals, with his nostrils dilating. Then the boys came toward the
+campfire from the shadow of the trees. Meanwhile Jo had thrown a
+blanket over the inert form of the Mexican, and he looked like an
+irregular log of wood.
+
+Perhaps this was not a very gallant way to treat one's fallen foe,
+but you are not apt to feel very kindly towards a man who has just
+tried to throw a knife into your back. So Jo did not care much if he
+was sat upon and used for a sofa. This particular log was placed
+convenient to the fire.
+
+"You look rather rumpled and pale, Jo," grinned Jim. "Did a hoot owl
+scare you while we were gone?"
+
+"I bet Jo was hiding in the tent," jeered Tom, "with his head in the
+blankets."
+
+Jo looked kind of sheepish and very red in the face. It was evident
+that he was struggling with some hidden emotion. Jim started to sit
+down upon the convenient log, and Tom likewise, the latter growling:
+
+"You always try to get the best of everything."
+
+Then they sat down upon the supposed log. To their utter surprise and
+ultimate horror, the log began to twist and turn.
+
+"Whoopee!" yelled Tom, leaping six feet, it seemed, into the air,
+"it's a snake!" Jim rose more slowly, but very pale. He was deeply
+moved, not to say frightened. "Sancte Maria, Sancte Sebastina!" seemed
+the words issuing from the muffled folds of the blanket. Jim tore it
+off and there was the Mexican whom Jo had had the round-up with.
+
+"What!" cried Jim; "who is this?" Jeems' head was now looking between
+the flaps of the tent, into which he had dived headfirst when the log
+came to life.
+
+"It's one of the gang that has been trailing us," cried Jeems.
+
+Jo was rolling around in paroxysms of laughter.
+
+"Whoopee!" he cried in imitation of brother Tom, "it's a snake," then
+he went off into another fit.
+
+"You durned idiot," yelled the incensed Tom, "shut up laughing. I
+guess that fellow is a snake. You might have scared me into breaking
+a blood vessel."
+
+"I came near scaring you into breaking the record for the high jump,"
+panted Jo, weak from laughter.
+
+"But where did you capture this specimen, Jo?" asked Jim with a quiet
+smile. To tell the truth he was somewhat chagrined, for he could not
+deny even to himself that he had been badly frightened by Jo's trick.
+
+"Look a here, boys," cried Jeems, "here is where a knife has gone
+clean through the corner of this tent."
+
+"Sure enough," agreed Jim, examining the cut in the canvas.
+
+"Here's the weapon," said Juarez, who was quick to follow up a trail
+of any kind. He brought the dagger to the firelight, and they looked
+at it with interest. It had a very keen blade, sharp-pointed and two
+edged. The handle was richly engraved and of silver.
+
+"How is this, Jo?" inquired Jim. "Tell us the whole story even if it
+implicates your friend here, the human log." There was a grim quality
+in Jim's voice which made the Mexican roll his eyes viciously.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI
+
+THE GREASER
+
+
+"You are certainly a great chap for collecting knives," said Jim
+admiringly to his brother Jo. "Somebody is always giving you one or
+throwing it at you. Remember that Indian friend of yours who crept
+up on you that night in Kansas and threw the bowie at you?"
+
+"I'm not likely to forget that souvenir," grinned Jo. "But this fellow
+certainly was going to give me the best surprise of all. Was it not
+so, Senor Manuello Greasero?" and Jo gave the fellow a contemptuous
+stir with his foot and the Mexican responded with an open-mouthed
+snarl for all the world like a wild cat when you poke a stick at him.
+
+"It was a dirty, treacherous piece of business," said Jim, his face
+growing dark with anger. "I'm going to put this fellow to the
+question."
+
+But they made no headway with the prisoner, as he maintained a
+stubborn silence about himself and his associates. Finally Jim, tired
+and disgusted, rose to his feet and looked down at the Mexican.
+
+"Give me that dagger, Jo," he said. Jo handed over the silver-handled
+weapon, while the Mexican watched Jim with eyes of concentrated hate.
+He believed his last hour had come.
+
+"Have you got anything to say for yourself?" inquired Jim savagely, as
+he felt the edge of the knife with his thumb.
+
+"I want to see a priest," croaked the Mexican in a hoarse voice.
+
+"I can furnish you with a philosopher," said Jim. "Here, Jeems, can
+you offer any advice to this cutthroat or consolation either?"
+
+"I haven't any license to talk to the likes of him," said Jeems
+gravely. "He wants a guarantee for the next life and I won't give it
+to him. But I can tell him one thing, if he don't hang now, he will
+later."
+
+When the Mexican saw that his life was going to be spared, he may have
+been surprised, but he showed no sign of gratitude. It was now time
+for the boys to turn in, but of course the camp was not left without a
+guard. The night was divided up into watches. Tom was to watch until
+eleven; then Jeems Howell was to have the watch until one; Jim to
+three; Juarez to five, and Jo the hour until six.
+
+It was necessary to keep up a moderate fire, for the hours toward
+midnight were very cold. Tom kept moving around briskly when the
+others had turned into the tent.
+
+The boys did not lay awake a minute, for they were wholesomely tired
+and the clear, cold air, touched with the fragrance of the pines,
+caused them to sleep sound and hard. The light from the fire shone
+into the tent where the boys were stretched out, wrapped in their
+blankets. They did not have to sleep with one eye open, because they
+had confidence that the one on guard would warn them if any danger
+approached.
+
+Tom, as I have said, was on the alert. He moved around the camp,
+seeing that the horses were all right and going down the slope of the
+hill a ways in the darkness if he heard any suspicious sound, with his
+pistol gripped firmly in his hand and the faithful Shep pattering
+along at his heels. The dog was a good deal of company for Tom. Then
+they would return to the fire where the Mexican lay bound, with
+his hat pulled down over his head, but with his shifty black eyes
+continually on the alert. If he had any plan, he had no chance to
+carry it out while Tom was on duty.
+
+At eleven o'clock promptly, Tom stole into the tent, and stepping
+over Juarez waked up Jeems, who sat up with a tousled head of hair and
+sadly sleepy, but he took it all like a philosopher, and stooped out
+of the tent to take his watch on deck. A slight change had come over
+the weather. A few dark and heavy clouds were drifting high across the
+valley and there was a steady roar of wind among the pines upon the
+mountain slopes.
+
+The prisoner noticed the change of guard with interest. "I am thirsty,
+Senor," he said. The philosopher went and procured for him a drink. "A
+little closer to the fire now, Senor. I feel cold." The shepherd did
+as requested.
+
+"Don't ask me to make tea for you now, because I would have to
+refuse."
+
+The man gave no sign that he understood, and Jeems went back to the
+horses to see how they were getting along. It was quite a family party
+of animals and if one had been gone the others would have missed him
+sadly.
+
+They were all fastened to rather small trees back of the tent. The
+mules stood with heads slightly bent and perfectly still. Jeems went
+up to old Missouri, pulling his long ears affectionately, and his
+muleship did not seem to mind it in the least. As Jeems often said,
+they were kindred souls. The ponies stood with drooping heads. Jo's
+horse had his head resting over the neck of Tom's, for they were
+quite chums.
+
+But Jim's Caliente seemed restless and not quiet like the others. He
+had a good-sized pine for his anchorage, and was in the center of
+the group, while the others were tied in a circle around him. He was
+shaking his head and stamping his feet, but Jeems could not find that
+there was anything especially the matter with him.
+
+Just then the shepherd thought he heard something moving, or creeping
+through the brush below and he went cautiously down to investigate. He
+had got below the crest of the hill, about fifty feet, when he was
+sure that he saw something crouching and moving swiftly off through
+the darkness. He cried halt and was about to fire his revolver at it
+when the object disappeared as though the earth had swallowed it
+up. Then, too, Jeems was not a very ready hand with a pistol; few
+philosophers are; it requires an impulsive temperament to shoot
+offhand. Jeems made his way back to the camp debating in his mind
+whether he should wake up the boys and tell them what he had seen.
+This question was settled for him as soon as he arrived in front of
+the tent. One glance was enough, he saw that the Mexican prisoner
+had escaped. He was evidently clean gone.
+
+"He's gone, boys," cried Jeems, sticking his head into the tent.
+
+"Who's gone?" they cried, simultaneously sitting up.
+
+"The Mexican," replied Jeems.
+
+"How long?" cried Jim, getting outside of the tent in a jiffy.
+
+"I haven't been gone over five minutes, maybe eight, though," he added
+reflectively.
+
+"Good riddance to bad rubbish," was Jim's verdict.
+
+"I'm glad we do not have to have him around anyway," chimed in Jo.
+
+"But how did the beggar get away?" inquired Juarez. "He was tied tight
+enough, I reckon."
+
+"Here's the answer," said Jim, stooping over and picking up a piece of
+rope that lay on the edge of the circle of the firelight.
+
+"Why, it has been burned through!" exclaimed Juarez.
+
+"Exactly," replied Jim.
+
+"How did he get close enough to the fire to do that?" asked Tom.
+
+"I would have thought that he would have burnt himself up," said Jo.
+
+"It was simple enough," explained Jim. "A coal rolled close to him
+and he was able to get the rope that tied his hands against it and
+burnt through, and the rest was easy."
+
+"That was a pretty good trick," said Juarez. "We will have to remember
+that."
+
+"I would be afraid of burning myself," objected Tom.
+
+"That Mexican wouldn't feel it if you did put a live coal on him,"
+quoth Juarez. "They don't mind heat."
+
+"I bet he gets his gang on our trail," said Jo. "We will have to look
+out for trouble from now on."
+
+"We will be ready for them," remarked Jim significantly.
+
+"It looks a little bit like a thunderstorm, boys," said Juarez.
+
+"We had better peg that tent down tighter," said Jo. "It is going to
+blow, too, in a short while."
+
+The boys did not get things ship-shape any too soon. The black clouds
+were drifting in a gloomy procession over the great valley, then came
+a flash that showed the expanse of the level meadow in a green-white
+color and the somber pine-clad slopes, then the wind and rain
+together.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII
+
+HAIL
+
+
+The storm drifted steadily northward over the valley with its
+accompanying flashes of lightning, followed by volleys of rain mingled
+with the shot of hail. As soon as the boys heard the hail on the
+canvas roof of their tent they hustled out to put blankets on their
+horses, so as to protect them from the beating hail. They moved them
+under the protecting branches as much as possible and made them as
+snug as they could.
+
+"Remember the time we got into a hail storm in Kansas?" questioned Jo,
+as they walked back through the beating white pellets, that were
+getting larger every minute.
+
+"That was fun," laughed Tom. "We pretended that the hail was bullets
+and the one who was struck on the head was to be dead."
+
+"You were it," declared Jo.
+
+"I was not," said Tom decidedly.
+
+"We will leave it to this storm to decide," said Jo.
+
+"All right," agreed Tom.
+
+"Jeems to be the referee," said Jo.
+
+This was likewise acceptable to Tom. The hail was now coming faster
+and of good size, about as big as the end of one's thumb, but the boys
+did not seem to mind as they slouched along with their sombreros
+pulled down around their ears, thus affording pretty fair protection.
+Just then a big bullet of hail struck fairly on top of Tom's skull and
+bounced, the others saw, about six inches into the air.
+
+"Hurrah!" yelled Jo, "that proves it. You are it again. Isn't he
+judge?" this to Jeems.
+
+"You mean hit again, not 'it. I fear you are English," replied Jeems.
+
+"Don't insult me," said Jo, "I'm plain U. S. Southwest. But isn't Tom
+out?"
+
+"Yes," replied Jeems, "he is."
+
+"What!" cried Tom in great surprise, "did something strike me."
+
+"I always thought your head was thick," replied Jo contemptuously,
+"now I'm sure of it."
+
+By this time they had reached the shelter of the tent and stood
+looking out at the antics of the hail as it danced upon the hard
+ground and leaped from the surface of the rocks, and spatted into fire
+until a steam arose into the air. In a short time the ground was
+covered with several inches of whiteness.
+
+"Did you boys ever hear that old circus joke?" inquired Jeems, looking
+musingly out at the jumping hail.
+
+"Not recently," said Jo. "Fire away, Jeems, and relieve your mind."
+
+"Well, in the circus they have a king rigged up on a throne. Him in
+a red robe and a tinsel crown. All the varlets come in and bow low
+before his majesty. Then comes the clown and bows lower than the
+others.
+
+"'Hail! Hail!' he cries.
+
+"'How dare you hail,' roars the king, 'when I'm reigning!' Then the
+crowd yells."
+
+"That isn't so worse, Jeems," laughed Jo, and the rest joined in.
+
+"What's the difference, boys," questioned Jim, "between rain and a
+hen?"
+
+"Give it up," said the chorus.
+
+"The one lays the dust and the other dost lay."
+
+Then Jim leaped out of the tent to get away from the boys, who
+would have combined and given him a good licking in token of their
+appreciation of his brilliant wit. It was his turn to keep watch,
+anyway, and so he stayed out under a tree, while the boys went
+peacefully to sleep, with the hail beating on the canvas roof of their
+tent, confident that with Jim on deck they would be safe enough.
+
+How about the vanished Mexican? He had made his escape as Jim had
+said. Though stiff from being tightly bound and suffering from the
+blow he had got from the stone that Jo had thrown at him, he made
+quick time to the pine-clad slope of the mountain. He seemed to know
+the way even through the darkness of the forest of pine. After going
+half a mile he saw the outline of his horse hitched to a sapling.
+
+As soon as he was mounted he turned his animal's head down the slope
+until he came to the edge of the meadow. There he stopped for a moment
+and looked towards the star of the boys' campfire upon the hill, then
+he shook his fist in their direction, with an imprecation and a threat
+of what was going to happen to them in a short time. Finally he turned
+his mustang's head up the valley and rode at a slow dog trot through
+the darkness, groaning considerably with the pain that the jolting
+gave him.
+
+In a short time the storm overtook him and the falling hail made his
+pony hump himself threateningly, but his rider gave him a dig with his
+long and cruel spurs in the flank and that furnished the broncho with
+something else to think about. After several miles of hard travel, the
+two began going up steadily, along a narrow and steep trail, with the
+brawling stream below. The valley had narrowed into a deep canyon with
+great walls of pale granite, and uncountable black pines growing
+everywhere.
+
+The hail made the trail slippery and once the horse came near slipping
+into the depths of the gorge below, but with a tremendous straining
+effort the plucky animal scrambled back to safety. It was evident that
+his rider was born to be hanged, for he seemed able to escape every
+other form of death. Having regained the trail, he rode on for some
+distance, then he turned into a side canyon, and his knowing horse
+took him through the labyrinth of trees, until there appeared a light
+of a campfire at the end of the trail. The gaunt forms of some men
+could be seen moving around it.
+
+One of the men heard the approach of the Mexican and gave the alarm.
+In an instant no one was in sight, but there were a number of guns
+ready to take the number of the stranger whoever he might be. But the
+Mexican was on to their little ways. He reined in his horse, gave a
+low whistle, and called out something in Spanish and then rode up to
+the group.
+
+There were eight in the gang, including the stout red-necked man who
+had given the boys a chase early in the morning. The evident leader of
+the crowd was a lanky young fellow whose unusual length of limb did
+not indicate any frailty of physique. He was a man to be dreaded in
+any encounter. Gus Gols had a rather shock head of light hair, one
+bunch always sticking up; high cheek bones, a skin of dully burnished
+red, and rather small blue eyes, both keen and insolent in their gaze.
+He had a queer, aggressive way of hooking his head forward when
+speaking that was very noticeable.
+
+He was not vicious in speech, but he was in action, and was one of the
+most dangerous characters in the West. He had been cowboy, cattle
+rustler and road agent in different parts of the country west of the
+Missouri. Now he was at the head of a desperate gang who raided far
+and wide, taking gold from the pack trains or from the individual
+miner, where he had struck it rich; even making raids on the
+settlements on the western slope of the Sierras.
+
+It appeared as though the Frontier Boys were walking directly into
+the jaws of this desperate gang. They were already trailing them and
+might pounce upon them at any time. Physically it would seem that Jim
+himself would be no match for "Big Gus," as he was generally known in
+that section of the woods, but two of them, say Jim and Juarez, would
+have made it interesting for him.
+
+Gus Gols listened to his Mexican's story of adventure with much
+impassiveness, then he got slowly to his feet. He had made no comment
+to break the course of the Greaser's narrative, only eyeing him
+occasionally with a squint of his hard blue eyes.
+
+"I don't see, Mike" (his true name was Miguel Jose Maria, etc.), "why
+them fellars down there in the valley didn't choke the breath out of
+your black carcass; they must be soft ones, and I'm going to git their
+horses pretty soon now. I'm going to turn in, and I don't want you
+boys raising Cain around here. If you want to do any chawing be quiet
+about it, understand?"
+
+They understood perfectly; Miguel Jose Maria, better known as "Mike,"
+looking blackly at the slouching figure of "the boss," as the giant
+stooped his head through the low doorway of the cabin. What he
+muttered to himself was complimentary neither to Big Gus' character
+nor career, but he stood in great fear of him nevertheless. It was
+characteristic of Gus Gols' shrewdness that his gang was made up for
+the most part of Mexicans and half-breeds, with only two white men for
+lieutenants.
+
+He could dominate these mongrels and make them subservient. Also they
+had to be satisfied with a small part of the spoils, while with a gang
+of white men he would have been obliged to have divided up evenly and
+he would constantly have had to prove his right to leadership. He had
+drilled his motley crew until they were a very dangerous band of
+outlaws. Naturally the Mexicans and half-breeds were poor shots, but
+Big Gus had trained them until he had made good marksmen out of them,
+and cool under fire. He had used threats, cajolery and even occasional
+money prizes to obtain this result.
+
+From this it was evident that the Frontier Boys had their work cut out
+for them, with this dangerous gang barring their way and liable to
+attack them at any time. Gus Gols was even now making his plans for an
+ambush or a raid. The reports that his scouts had brought him in
+regard to the boys' horses had made him greedy to get hold of them.
+
+His own horseflesh was not in the best of shape. Besides, he needed
+ammunition and other supplies which the boys had so thoughtfully
+brought along. He chuckled to himself as he saw how easy it all was.
+What chance would those tenderfoot kids have against his cunning
+courage, strength and the odds of numbers? He would eat them alive. In
+truth there seemed excellent ground for his confidence and it would
+take something besides luck to save Jim and his followers at this
+crisis. It would require hard fighting and skillful strategy.
+
+"The Boss is planning some devilment or ruther," said the red-faced
+scout to the other white man. "It's a sartain sign when he chuckles
+to himself that a-way."
+
+"Your diagnosis is correct, Ephraim," replied his pal, giving his
+black moustache a delicate twist.
+
+"Better not let Big Gus hear you use such language, Edgar," said Eph,
+"because he's kind of tetchy sometimes."
+
+Edgar only laughed. He was an odd sheep to be in such a fold, for he
+looked more like a consumptive than an outlaw; his face had a decided
+pallor, and he was subject to a hacking cough. It was evident that he
+also gave some attention to dress and a real diamond shone in his
+shirt front, once white, but now of a dubious grime.
+
+But make no mistake. Next to the Boss he was the most dangerous man in
+the pack. He was a man with a certain amount of education, but it did
+him no good, and if he got near a piano, he could make it hum with
+harmony. His chief accomplishment, however, and one which made him
+valuable to his chief, was his ability to use a revolver with rapidity
+and precision.
+
+"You fellars better turn in;" it was the voice of Gus Gols; "I'm
+liable to give yer somethin' besides conversation in a day or two. I
+want yer to look pink and purty if we should happen to meet them swell
+tenderfeet. Shet up now." They "shet."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII
+
+A HOLIDAY
+
+
+"It's going to be a fine day," said Jim. He was standing in front of
+the tent on the hill and taking a preliminary look at the sky. It
+certainly had the appearance of being just as he said. The sun was
+sweeping the shining length of the valley with his fresh and early
+beams and there were a few fair, faint clouds drawn across the broad
+blue brow of morning.
+
+"There's nothing like the first break of day in the mountains," said
+Jeems. "I've seen it a hundred times and I never get tired of it."
+
+"It certainly makes you feel fine and fit, this air after a night's
+sleep," said Jo, who stood poised on the edge of the hill, with his
+hands resting lightly on his hips. He did look fit as he said, and the
+rest of the boys, too, with their sunbrowned faces and sinewy figures,
+every pound of which was bone and muscle. It gave one more confidence
+in their ability to stand off the outlaws. One look into their keen,
+alert eyes showed that they were not to be caught napping, either.
+
+"What's the program for to-day, Skipper?" asked Jeems.
+
+"Juarez and I are going after deer or any other game we can get," said
+Jim. "The rest of you can do what you feel like, only don't overexert
+yourselves."
+
+"I'm going fishing," declared Tom.
+
+"Me too," chimed in Jo.
+
+"I shall stay at home then," said Jeems, "and look after things until
+you children get back. I shan't mind a quiet day with no callers."
+
+"Don't be too sure about there being no callers, Jeems," warned
+Juarez. "Remember what happened to Jo last evening and be careful or
+you will be among the missing."
+
+"I don't know why the other party shouldn't be among the missing,"
+declared Jeems. "I'm a terrible fighter when I get started."
+
+"You would stop when the other fellow said 'ouch,'" remarked Tom, "and
+get a drink of water."
+
+"I'm not much of a mule when it comes to holding a grudge, and certain
+that's a fact," admitted Jeems.
+
+"You're all right," declared Jim with earnestness.
+
+"Sure you are," said the chorus, and Jeems in acknowledgment bowed
+low.
+
+"I thank your Royal Highnesses for your appreciation of your humble
+servant," he said.
+
+"You're welcome," replied Jim briefly.
+
+Jim and Juarez were soon on their chargers, and they made a fine
+appearance; Jim on his powerful animal, Caliente, with his strong,
+arched neck, body and hindquarters built for speed, and shoulders to
+crash through all barriers of an enemy; his gray mottled coat fairly
+glistened in the sun.
+
+Juarez's roan was a smaller horse than Caliente, but he, too, was
+fleet and of tireless endurance. He was somewhat wall-eyed and vicious
+at times, but Juarez was the master. The story of the capture of the
+horses is told in "Frontier Boys in Mexico," so I will not rehearse it
+here.
+
+No sooner had the two horsemen left the hill than they whirled their
+rifles over their heads and gave their horses the rein. Away they
+dashed at full speed over the level meadows, near the edge of the dark
+tree-clad slopes, as though they were reviewing the vast army of the
+pines.
+
+"There they go like wild Indians," said Tom. "We will have a quiet day
+now."
+
+In a few minutes Tom and Jo were going across the level meadow with
+the slender poles they had cut and the lines and hooks ready. As for
+Jeems, he proceeded to make himself comfortable, taking his blankets
+and spreading them out under the shade of a tree, stretching himself
+out upon them with his hands clasped under his head, and gazing at the
+distant clouds, drifting dreamily over the depths of blue, while there
+came through the sun-warmed air the continual murmur of insects.
+
+Near Jeems' side his faithful shepherd dog was curled up in lazy
+contentment, with his eyes peacefully closed, opening with an
+occasional blink, then closing again. It was a happy interval for
+Jeems, and he thoroughly enjoyed the quietness of the scene, for he
+was a philosopher by nature as well as by name, and he liked to have
+time for his own mind. "You can't hatch thoughts unless you sit on
+'em a while," was one of his quaint phrases.
+
+Meanwhile, Tom and Jo were walking across the sunny meadows with their
+minds filled with great expectations of the trout they were about to
+catch. It was a sort of a holiday for them, and they did not envy Jim
+and Juarez in the least, and were actually sorry for Jeems, since they
+were born fishermen. When they reached the stream they separated, Jo
+going up where there were some willow bushes overhanging the water,
+and Tom going down where he hoped to find some quiet pools.
+
+The whole valley was a scene of utmost peace, and no one would dream
+that there was war gathering, as it were, in the near future, but
+there undoubtedly was. The only bit of tactics that Jo had in his mind
+at present was how to get the big trout who lurked in the shadow of
+the limpid pool. He cast carefully and watched the float on his
+line with intense interest. Five minutes passed, then came the
+heart-throbbing second when the float went under and there was a
+strong, tense pull on the line. Steadily Jo pulled until there shone
+in the air a gleaming trout.
+
+It was a beauty with olive-green back, shading down the sides to white
+with spots of black and red. It was thirteen inches in length, and Jo
+promised himself quite a triumph over Tom when he should show him this
+prize. By noon Jo had caught ten fish varying from seven inches to a
+foot in length. He and Tom met down stream several miles, at noon.
+
+"What luck?" inquired Tom.
+
+"Better than yours," declared Jo proudly. "I've got the biggest fish."
+
+"You have not," said Tom, and to prove it he pulled out of his bag a
+good big trout.
+
+"There!"
+
+"Huh! You just wait," retorted Jo, fishing into his sack. "How does
+that strike you?" and he pulled out his champion.
+
+"Let's measure," said Tom. Jo's fish was a half inch longer, and he
+also had two more than his brother, for Tom had caught only eight.
+
+They ate their lunch on a little gravelly knoll where there were some
+pine trees not far from the stream.
+
+What with a couple of trout, backed by what they had brought, and the
+cold water from the stream, they fared very well, indeed.
+
+"I reckon we will do better than Jim and Juarez," said Tom. "I don't
+believe that they will get anything."
+
+"We ought to do well this afternoon," said Jo.
+
+And they did. By four o'clock they had a joint catch of thirty-five
+trout, and decided that was enough for the present. At Jo's suggestion
+they decided to give Jeems a surprise. So they approached the hill
+with due care, making their attack on the side towards the slope of
+the mountain which was best protected. They began their stealthy
+crawl up through the pine trees, until they came in sight of the camp.
+
+The first evidence they saw of Jeems was his feet sticking out, being
+quite prominent in their blue socks with white tips, he having removed
+his boots for comfort. His back was against a big pine, and he was
+peacefully asleep. Before he could move a rope was passed quickly
+around his chest and he was bound firmly to the tree by unseen hands.
+
+"Help!" he yelled. "Tom, Jo, come here quick, they've got me!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV
+
+BIG GUS AND HIS GANG
+
+
+Thus having got poor Jeems securely tied, Tom and Jo vamoosed down the
+hill shaking with laughter. Then they ran around the edge to the brook
+side of the hill and ran to Jeems' rescue, he yelling lustily for help.
+
+"Where did they go?" cried Jo.
+
+"Back to the woods," replied Jeems.
+
+"How many were they?" asked Tom.
+
+"I couldn't count 'em," answered Jeems.
+
+"What were you doing?" inquired Jo, "while these rascals were tying
+you?"
+
+"Nuthin'," replied Jeems.
+
+"I suppose you were asleep," put in Tom.
+
+"I was meditating," replied Jeems with dignity.
+
+"With your eyes shut," added Jo.
+
+"The best way," explained Jeems, "for in that way it shuts out every
+outside object, even outlaws."
+
+"I wonder what luck Jim and Juarez are having?" said Jo, changing the
+subject.
+
+"They ought to be showing up pretty soon now," remarked Tom.
+
+"Maybe they have got tied up too," said Jeems.
+
+Let us solve this for ourselves by following Jim and Juarez on their
+hunting expedition. Concluding their race, they settled down to the
+search for game. After going several miles they branched off to the
+northwest where a part of the valley formed a park with trees
+wide-spaced and grass. It was a beautiful place.
+
+"This is the kind of country to find deer in," said Juarez.
+
+"It does look good," said Jim. "We had better leave our horses here
+and try it on foot."
+
+"There is a thick clump of trees over there," remarked Juarez, "where
+it will be a safe place to tie them."
+
+Without more ado, the two boys made their way to the grove, which
+formed an excellent screen, for the trees were not pine, but a kind of
+alder with large round leaves, and around the grove was quite a thick
+growth of brush. With some difficulty they got into the center of the
+trees, and made their horses fast. Then they started to make their way
+out with their rifles ready.
+
+"Hello! What is that?" cried Juarez. "Didn't you hear it?" The boys
+stood perfectly still; then in a few seconds came two reports.
+
+"Somebody has got ahead of us," remarked Jim. "Those were rifle
+shots."
+
+"Lucky we got in here when we did," said Juarez.
+
+"There go five deer," cried Jim, "up the mountain opposite."
+
+"Sure enough," said Juarez. They were going like the wind and were
+soon lost to sight on the wooded slope of the mountain.
+
+"I wish they had come our way," declared Jim, in a disappointed tone.
+"Those rascals have spoiled our luck."
+
+"It wouldn't have been safe," replied Juarez cautiously. "It's some of
+this gang, that the Mexican came from, and they might outnumber us."
+
+"We will wait here a few minutes," said Jim. "Perhaps we will sight
+them." So the boys crouched at the edge of the grove with the brush
+for a screen, looking narrowly in the direction of the shots. A half
+hour passed, still they saw nothing, but they never stirred, and
+watched steadily. The Frontier Boys had acquired something of the
+patience of Indians when it came to lying in wait for an enemy.
+
+"There they come," at length said Juarez the keen-eyed. He had
+discovered several dark spots moving among the trees.
+
+"That's them," cried Jim eagerly. "Four of 'em."
+
+"If they cut our trail, we will have to fight," said Juarez, "unless
+we cut for camp."
+
+Jim shook his head. "I want to get a closer view of these beggars," he
+said.
+
+They were now coming within range, jogging along on their cayuses down
+the gentle incline between the trees. They had shot a couple of deer.
+
+"Three of them look like Mexicans," said Juarez. "I believe they are
+coming right by us."
+
+"If they do, we will jump the procession," said Jim.
+
+However, they did not get the chance, for when the hunters had come
+within about three hundred yards of the grove they turned at right
+angles and were lost to view behind a spur that ran from the southern
+ridge. Without a moment's hesitation, Jim and Juarez left their covert
+and took up the trail. It was dangerous work, but in their moccasined
+feet they did not make a sound.
+
+They crouched along at a good rate, always keeping near enough not to
+lose the rear horseman, who was a Mexican and rode stolidly forward.
+When they had the chance they closed up within a few yards of the men,
+so that they could overhear the scraps of conversation. Once they got
+a real scare when one of the Mexicans swung off his pony and came back
+looking for a cigarette that he had dropped.
+
+Jim and Juarez pressed back into a tall bush and stood there not
+daring to breathe, while the Mexican, with his eyes on the ground,
+came within a few feet of them, stooped and picked up his cigarette,
+and then the two boys heard the clatter of his horse's hoofs as he
+made haste to rejoin the rest of the procession. For two hours they
+followed the four horsemen through the big canyon, and the smaller
+side one, until they came within range of the camp of the enemy, in
+the pocket at the end of the side canyon.
+
+Here the boys had to use great caution. They worked around to the
+slope above the cabin of the Gus Gols gang. There they got their first
+view of the giant they had to deal with as he came into the open in
+front of his cabin, with his slouching walk. Six feet four in height,
+lanky in build but of wonderful muscular strength and endurance. He
+was bareheaded, with a tuft of light hair sticking straight up. His
+sun-burned neck was like a column.
+
+"You Eph!" he yelled. "Tell the Greasers and Ed I want to see 'em in
+the corral." Meaning the cabin.
+
+"All right, boss," came the answer in Eph's gruff voice.
+
+It was certainly an ugly-looking crowd that came from different
+directions in answer to Eph's summons. There were seven of the
+Greasers, so there was a total of ten ruffians gathered in the cabin.
+
+"I'm going to hear this pow-wow," said Juarez, handing Jim his rifle.
+Jim nodded and from his position behind a big pine stood ready to
+protect Juarez's retreat in case he was discovered by the outlaws.
+With nothing but his pistol and knife ready to his hand Juarez started
+on his dangerous mission.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV
+
+A NEW FORT
+
+
+He glided noiselessly down the slope, moving cautiously but quickly,
+until he came to the back of the cabin. It was not difficult for him
+to hear through the unstopped logs. Jim watched narrowly for the first
+move of discovery on the part of the outlaws. He could hear the rather
+high-pitched voice of Gus Gols occasionally, and the heavier one of
+Eph, but it was impossible for Jim to make out what was being said.
+
+He could tell it was something very interesting by the way Juarez
+was listening. Then Jim's heart stood still when he saw Juarez rise
+suddenly to his feet from his listening posture, for he knew by his
+action that he was in danger of discovery. As in truth he was, as you
+will see.
+
+The pow-wow had been going on for a few minutes when Juarez heard Gus
+Gols say:
+
+"You Eph, take a scout around the corral, and see if you kin discover
+any interested spectators hanging around. This is an important
+business, fellow cits and Greasers, so we will have to be keerful."
+
+So Eph started for the door on his tour of inspection, which he did
+not take very seriously, for he knew that there was no government
+official within a hundred miles. As for the tenderfeet in the valley,
+he never gave them a thought; they were probably staying close to
+camp, afraid that the bears would get them. As soon as Gus Gols spoke
+Juarez realized that he had no time to spare.
+
+If he retreated up the slope, he was almost certain to be seen, and
+that meant a running fight against the gang of ten men, with a very
+dubious prospect ahead. He must act quickly; there was no place near
+the cabin where he could hide. Already Eph had stepped outside the
+door. Now the roof of the cabin sloped to the back with overhanging
+boards. Juarez saw his chance; he grabbed one of the boards and lifted
+himself lightly up, and lay down flat just as Eph came around the
+corner of the cabin.
+
+Jim was quivering with the excitement of the situation. Eph took one
+careless look around, shook his head with the muttered comment that
+"The boss must be losing his nerve," and went in to report that all
+was quiet along the Potomac.
+
+Juarez did not get down from the roof of the cabin, but merely moved
+a little to where there was a convenient knothole, through which he
+could hear everything that was going on in the cabin.
+
+He stayed where he was for about ten minutes, lying as quiet as a
+lizard on a sun-warmed log, and this is no idle comparison, for the
+sun did shine down with lots of force; then he slowly and very
+carefully moved backwards, and let himself gingerly down to the
+ground, while Jim watched him intently, sure that he had found out
+something of importance.
+
+Not a word did Juarez say, but motioned Jim to follow him. When they
+had made their escape from the pocket, then Juarez spoke up.
+
+"That was a close call that time, Jim," he said.
+
+"You had me scared for a minute, Juarez," admitted Jim. "What's the
+news? Those fellows were planning some devilment."
+
+"They were," said Juarez. "They are going to attack our camp to-night,
+when we are asleep. Kill us and take our horses and supplies."
+
+"Oh! ho! Is that the ticket!" cried Jim. "I thought that rangy
+Maverick with the stick-up hair was a bad actor. Forewarned is
+forearmed. We will give that bunch a surprise party, but we will have
+to hustle, for it's a long ways to our horses yet."
+
+"I reckon we will have a couple of hours' leeway," said Juarez, "to
+get things in some sort of shape."
+
+"There will be plenty to do," said Jim briefly.
+
+As they swung along down the mountain side, Jim's mind was busy with
+plans of attack and defense. The two boys traveled like Indians with a
+swinging, easy stride that covered a lot of ground. How they did revel
+in the muscular exertion in that bracing air! It was fine to feel
+themselves equal to their task. Around and before them the scene was
+constantly changing.
+
+Now they were going through the pine forests, then into a canyon's
+depths with great walls that seemed to bear the blue skies above; next
+along a narrow trail, with flowering bushes hiding a little creek
+babbling a few feet below. Then, covered with dust, hands and faces
+baked brown with it, they came to the grove where they had left their
+horses tied.
+
+"It seems kind of good," said Juarez, "to have a horse to carry you."
+
+"I'm just tired enough to enjoy the change," said Jim.
+
+"It won't take us long to reach camp now," remarked Juarez.
+
+"Cut 'em loose!" yelled Jim, and with a raucous Indian warwhoop, they
+let their willing horses go. I tell you that was a wild ride for
+speed. Caliente thundered with great leaps over the level plain, and
+not far behind scampered Juarez's roan. The boys at the camp on the
+hill, hearing the clatter of horses' feet, knew that someone was
+approaching, and looked out.
+
+"Here they come like wild Indians!" exclaimed Tom.
+
+"Somebody chasing them?" inquired Jeems anxiously.
+
+"The same crowd that tied you, I reckon," said Tom, and, for some
+reason unknown to Jeems, they went into fits of laughter. In a short
+time Jim and Juarez were in their midst. They did not waste any time
+in greetings and idle chaff. They made clear to the rest of the boys
+in conclave assembled, that the time for action had arrived. Jeems
+heaved a sigh of regret. There seemed no chance for quiet and
+meditation. The other boys were calm, but serious.
+
+"Let the horses graze a while," said Jim. "We have got a couple of
+hours' leeway. Now we have got to build a stockade to protect our
+horses and ourselves."
+
+Five husky fellows can do a great deal in two hours and a half of
+daylight. Jim had thought out his plan and talked it over with Juarez,
+so there was no time lost in useless palaver. He had chosen a small
+open space where the horses had been tethered the night before as the
+place for the fort.
+
+Jim and Juarez, aided by Jo, went to work cutting down trees. They
+were old hands at this business, and it was a caution the way the
+trees crashed and fell. Tom and Jeems were kept busy dragging fallen
+logs from the slopes of the hill, and turning them up. In two hours'
+time the square, rude fort was well under way.
+
+Tom and Juarez were then sent to take the horses to the stream to
+water them, and after that, to fill up every available pot, pan and
+dish with water in case they should be besieged for any length of
+time. This being done all hands turned in again to work on the fort,
+until it grew too dark to see. Then a fire was built near the center
+of the hill, and by the glare of its light they were able to continue
+their work.
+
+Jim sent Juarez, now that the enemy might come at any time, to keep
+a lookout for them. He was the best of the boys for that work, being
+a natural scout, and of unusually keen vision, especially at night.
+There was a deep gully running from the foot of the hill to the slope
+of the mountain, and Juarez followed along that toward the mountain
+slope. Every once in a while he would climb up and look to see if
+there was any sign of the approaching gang.
+
+Juarez was confident that there would be no direct attack even under
+cover of the darkness of the night. For that was not the method of Gus
+Gols and his gang of outlaws. They would take the most secret way of
+approach. In fact, Juarez was positive that they would come by this
+same gully that he was in. Gus Gols had spoken of the gully in his
+pow-wow with his clan, but he had said nothing about his plan of
+attack. He kept all such things to himself. Juarez could hear clearly
+the sound of axes as the boys worked upon their fort on the hill.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI
+
+A NIGHT ATTACK
+
+
+The sound of the work on the hill carried far through the clear, quiet
+air, so that the outlaws, if they were anywhere near, would have had
+warning that preparations were being made to receive them. At last
+Juarez's vigilance was rewarded. He crouched, looking over the edge of
+the gully in the direction of the mountain with its heavily-wooded
+slope.
+
+He was positive that he saw a line of horsemen moving along the edge
+of the trees. Then he heard a horse's shoe strike a stone, and the
+low voices of men. A thrill went through him at the nearness of the
+encounter. Lucky that he and Jim had been on hand to hear the plans
+laid at the pow-wow, for they would in all probability have been
+captured or killed, since the outlaws could have rushed the camp
+easily. With only one of the boys on guard, there would have been
+no chance against the ten of them.
+
+"What are those tenderfeet a-doin' this time of night?" growled Gus
+Gols, bringing his column to a halt. "They seem to be mighty busy
+about something."
+
+"Maybe they have got wind of our doin's," said Eph. "I wouldn't be
+surprised if they weren't such tenderfeet after all."
+
+"I'm goin' to do a little lookin' ahead," remarked Gus. "We'll hitch
+our cayuses in the woods, and you boys stay with 'em."
+
+Then the leader of the gang left them and made his way to the edge of
+the pines. He stood looking at the hill with the light of the campfire
+shining on it like a big red star, and the sound of the axes came
+faint and clear to him. "They sure are getting ready for somebody,"
+growled the giant, "and I reckon it's us, but I'm going to find out
+for sartain. Where's that gully?" He stalked along until he found it,
+and then disappeared as though the earth had swallowed him.
+
+Now Juarez had been debating whether to go back and warn the boys that
+the enemy was approaching, or to find out more of what Gus Gols was
+going to do before reporting to Jim, the commander of the faithful.
+After a moment's hesitation, he decided to go ahead a ways further. At
+the time he made this decision Gus Gols had just entered the deep
+gully, and a head-on collision seemed imminent. It was a dangerous
+situation for Juarez.
+
+However, one thing was in his favor, he was on the alert, and the
+giant, who was coming down the gully, did not expect to find any of
+the boys abroad, supposing that they would stay close to camp and not
+venture forth in the darkness. He was soon to learn that these same
+boys were not to be trifled with. Juarez was going along quickly, but
+very carefully, when he suddenly stopped and listened.
+
+He could hear distinctly someone coming down the ravine. Just a few
+steps ahead of him was a shelf below the edge of the bank. Juarez made
+a spring and climbed up to the shelf in a jiffy, but he loosened a
+little dirt that slid down to the bottom of the gully. It made only a
+little noise, but enough to reach the ears of Gus Gols.
+
+He stopped as though petrified, glaring ahead through the darkness.
+For five minutes he stood thus with every sense ferociously alert.
+Then he went forward, but with extreme caution. Every few feet he
+examined the floor of the gully for the signs of some footprint.
+Juarez waited like a graven image, hoping that the man, whoever it
+might be, would continue up the gully; then he would follow and trap
+him when he reached the hill.
+
+Juarez could not be sure that there was only one. He could hear
+nothing, but he was certain that the man was very near. Some instinct
+told him that. Then beneath his eyes a long, bent, stealthy figure
+crept into view. Gols felt the footprints in the sand of the gully,
+then he glared up. He saw the stooping figure of Juarez and jumped
+instantly back around the curve of the bank.
+
+The game was up. Juarez leaped out on the level and made a dash for a
+boulder a short distance away. Just as he reached its shelter Gols
+fired, and the bullet zinged from the side of the rock off into the
+darkness. Then Gols got a surprise, for Juarez fired at a dark bunch
+looking over the edge of the gully. The bullet breezed his cheek and
+Gols ducked.
+
+The sound of the shots aroused both sides, and the battle was on.
+Juarez now backed cautiously down into a depression and ran with all
+his might to give the news to Jim. He got to the hill just in time to
+warn Jim and Jo not to go up the gully.
+
+"This is the way they will make their attack," said Juarez. "We can
+station ourselves behind these trees, and, when they come out of the
+gully, we will let 'em have it."
+
+"That's the scheme," agreed Jim. "Which one did you have the duel
+with, Juarez?"
+
+"The blond beauty himself," replied Juarez. "He didn't miss me far
+either, but I made him take to cover pretty quick."
+
+"They will be here in about fifteen minutes," said Jim. "We might as
+well get to our places."
+
+Tom was left in the stockade, and Jim and the other three boys took
+their stations behind convenient trees upon the slope of the hill
+commanding the entrance into the gully. Jim and Juarez were nearest to
+the foot of the hill, backed by Jo and Jeems. They did not have long
+to wait, though the twenty minutes seemed like several hours to Jo and
+Jeems, before there were signs of the approach of Gus Gols and his
+gang.
+
+Very carefully they came up the gully, with the tall giant in the lead
+and Eph close at his heels; behind them came three of the Mexicans,
+but where was Edgar, and the other four? Perhaps the boss was afraid
+lest the flashing diamond that Ed always wore in his shirt bosom might
+give their presence away. But without joking, it was strange that
+these five were not with the main party. It was hardly likely that Big
+Gus would leave that number with the horses. Where were they? We
+shall find out in a few minutes.
+
+"Don't you reckon those fellows have had time to make their move?"
+whispered Gus to his henchman Eph. They had halted in the darkness of
+the gully, about two hundred and fifty yards from the foot of the
+hill.
+
+"Ed's pretty quick," replied Eph. "He said that he wouldn't take more
+than a quarter of an hour."
+
+"I'll give him five minutes' leeway," said Gus. "Then we will jump
+these fellows." In a short time he looked at his watch by the quick
+flare of a match that showed his red, evil face with the squinting
+blue eyes.
+
+"All ready now, boys," he said in a low significant tone. "Give 'em
+the lead, but don't shoot the horses."
+
+As ill luck would have it, Jeems Howell, who was highest up on the
+hill, caught the first glimpse of the outlaws as they advanced up the
+gully. How it occurred he never could explain, but his rifle went off
+before he could aim. Instantly the gang dropped behind the bank and
+opened fire upon the hill.
+
+One volley had crashed out from Jim, Juarez and Jo, when Tom's
+agonized voice rang out:
+
+"Quick, boys, they are coming up the other side!"
+
+The Frontier Boys had been outgeneraled. There was no question about
+that, and they were in deadly peril. There was nothing for them to do
+but to retreat to the stockade before it was too late.
+
+"Come, boys!" cried Jim, and away they dashed up the side of the hill
+with Gus Gols and his crew in close pursuit. The bullets swept with
+deadly zing near them as they ran. As they neared the stockade Ed and
+his men came into view from the opposite side of the hill. Jim and
+Juarez dropped behind a rock and fired at the foremost of the crowd
+and they took to cover. Then they two got into the fort and were safe
+for the present.
+
+The first thing Juarez did was to climb into the branches of a big
+pine that had been left in the stockade. From this point of vantage he
+could see in which direction the enemy were. He did not have to wait
+long before he saw one of the crowd move cautiously from behind a tree
+and rush for a rock nearer the fort, but Juarez was ready for him, and
+fired. The man fell, and, then recovering his feet, rushed down the
+hill.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVII
+
+THE RETREAT
+
+
+This was the luckiest shot of the fight, for it was no other than Gus
+Gols himself whom Juarez had struck. There was a lull now, and the
+boys had time to breathe.
+
+"Jo, you get up into that tree and keep watch," said Jim, "while the
+rest of us take account of stock."
+
+"I guess those fellows have had enough to keep them quiet for a
+while," said Juarez. "It looked to me as though I had got their big
+chief with that shot."
+
+"It's half the battle if you have done that," said Jim. "Wait till
+daylight comes and we will make them skedaddle."
+
+"It's remarkable how quiet the horses took all this," said Tom.
+
+"Oh, they have been under fire before," said Jim. "You can trust 'em
+not to act up at a time like this."
+
+This was certainly true, though they were packed together close at
+the end of the corral-stockade. They made no disturbance and seemed
+to realize that their safety was being looked after by their old
+comrades, the Frontier Boys.
+
+"I'm kind of hungry," said Jim. "Let's have something to eat."
+
+"It's kind of late for supper," said Jeems, "but it's never too late
+to eat."
+
+So the boys made as good a meal in the darkness as they could, and
+felt better for it. They also drank sparingly of the water, for they
+did not know how long the siege would last. It was now about half-past
+one, and the boys were very anxious for the morning to break.
+
+About three o'clock there came a furious firing from behind a hastily
+constructed entrenchment at the end of the hill opposite where the
+boys had built their stockade.
+
+Most of the bullets buried themselves harmlessly in the soft wood of
+the pine logs that made the walls of the stockade. The boys replied
+with accuracy, but they were careful not to waste their ammunition. At
+last the dawn broke clear, and with the first gleam of light the boys
+looked eagerly out to see if the enemy still held the hill.
+
+"They have vamoosed," said Juarez after making a careful
+reconnoissance. This was true, but the boys found that the fight was
+not yet entirely over, for when they appeared in full view on the hill
+there came a volley from the bank of the creek half a mile distant,
+which was the nearest shelter that could be obtained on that side.
+
+The height of the hill made the first flight of bullets fall somewhat
+short, and, before the crowd could fire again, the boys had got out of
+danger and returned the fire with interest. They had the advantage,
+too, in firing down instead of up, and they kept the enemy close to
+cover.
+
+About the middle of the morning there was a furious fusillade from
+both sides, the creek bank and the gully, against the stockade, which
+was beginning to show quite a scarred appearance. The boys replied
+with vigor; then suddenly the firing slackened and then ceased
+altogether.
+
+"I believe they have quit," declared Jo.
+
+"I wouldn't be too sure," warned Jim.
+
+"There they go up through those willows, near the creek," said Juarez.
+
+"That's where I caught the trout," said Jo. He evidently considered it
+a more historic spot than where the fort stood, being a true
+fisherman.
+
+"I really believe they are quitting," announced Tom.
+
+"It's possible their ammunition has run low," suggested Jim.
+
+"Another thing," put in Jo, "if big Gus is badly hurt, the rest of
+that gang won't hold together."
+
+"That's so," agreed Juarez. "Those Greasers are never to be trusted."
+
+"He has bullied 'em too," said Jim, "and they would naturally turn on
+him. But if you treat the Mexicans fair and square, you would find
+that they weren't such a bad lot after all."
+
+"Just as soon try to tame hyenas," said Tom.
+
+"You are prejudiced, Thomas," reasoned Jeems. "That comes from being
+an Anglo-Saxon."
+
+"He's an _angler_-Saxon, you mean," said Jo. They all laughed at this.
+
+"That's pretty good for you," said Jim. "Keep on you will be a wit."
+
+"I am already," replied Jo modestly.
+
+It seemed kind of natural to hear the boys joking so light-heartedly,
+and like old times. The battle was over without any dramatic crisis.
+Things do happen that way sometimes, and the boys were perfectly
+satisfied to have it end without any grand blow out or blow up. They
+soon found out that the enemy had indeed retreated, for they went up
+the gully, that is, Jim and Juarez did, with due caution, and found
+that Gus Gols and his gang had gone. They discovered the place where
+their horses had been hitched.
+
+"Good riddance to bad rubbish," said Jim enthusiastically.
+
+"I wonder if they will attack us again to-night?" questioned Juarez.
+
+"We will be ready for them if they do," remarked Jim.
+
+"I suppose we will start to-morrow," said Juarez, as the two walked
+back across the level meadow towards the hill.
+
+"Yes, if the coast is clear," remarked Jim. "We can't afford to lose
+any more time."
+
+"They are almost sure to lay for us in the canyon," remarked Juarez.
+"We will have to find some other way."
+
+"One of us will go this afternoon," said Jim, "and see if we can't
+strike a new trail."
+
+It was now noon and the boys sat down to a quiet meal, with trout as
+the main dish, and how they did enjoy it!
+
+"Gosh, boys," exclaimed Jo, "but it does seem nice to sit down to a
+meal without the bullets buzzing around."
+
+"We will get so that we won't mind bullets any more than mosquitoes,"
+said Tom.
+
+"Listen to him!" grinned Jim. "Won't he surprise the natives when we
+get back to Homeville with his stories of flying bullets, war, and
+border ruffians."
+
+"Why not?" retorted Tom sullenly. "What's the use of going through all
+this business if you can't tell about it?"
+
+"Sure thing," said Jim.
+
+"When are we going home?" asked Jo fervently.
+
+Jim hesitated a minute, and then he brought his clenched fist down on
+his knee.
+
+"We will go home, boys," he declared, "before we start on our trip
+around the world."
+
+"I begin to feel homesick already," declared Jo.
+
+"We will stop in Kansas," said Juarez, his face brightening, "and see
+my folks."
+
+"Certainly we will," agreed Jim.
+
+"I bet Juanita has grown into a young lady," remarked Juarez.
+
+"Your father and mother will be plumb glad to see you," said Jo.
+
+"You fellows, too; they think just as much of you as they do of me.
+And they ought to, seeing how you and Captain Graves rescued Juanita
+from the Indians in Colorado."
+
+"Will we stop and see the captain in his cabin on the Plateau?" asked
+Tom eagerly.
+
+"Sure," declared Jim. "We will spend a few days with him. He is too
+old a friend to pass by."
+
+"Won't it be great!" exclaimed Jo. "What will the folks and all the
+fellars think when they see us coming on our chargers down the main
+street of Maysville?"
+
+"I reckon about everybody will take to the woods. Think it is band of
+wild Indians coming down on them."
+
+"We will have to hurry and find that mine," said Tom, "before we can
+strike the back trail for home."
+
+"I have a kind of feeling in my bones," said Jim, "that we are going
+to find that mine pretty soon now."
+
+"We ain't more than one day's ride from the section where it is," said
+Jeems.
+
+"I'm going to look for a new trail this afternoon," said Jim. "You
+boys can work around home."
+
+"It's about time those mules and horses had some water," remarked
+Juarez.
+
+"Think it's safe?" inquired Jo.
+
+"To make sure, I'll take a gallop up the valley a ways," said Jim, "to
+see if they have cleared out."
+
+"That's the idea," agreed Juarez. "I'll take the creek side on my
+roan."
+
+In five minutes they were mounted and galloped off, Jim scouting along
+the mountain slope and Juarez taking the other side. They met at the
+end of the valley where the trail started up the big canyon. Here they
+dismounted and examined the ground carefully.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII
+
+A NEW START
+
+
+"They have vamoosed all right," announced Juarez after examining the
+trail.
+
+"The whole pack of 'em, too," affirmed Jim.
+
+"Perhaps we can get a view of them," added Juarez.
+
+"We will hitch our horses here," remarked Jim, "and try a squint up
+the trail from that grove yonder."
+
+This they did, and from their point of vantage they were able to see a
+part of the trail, two miles distant, where it curved around a
+shoulder of the mountain.
+
+"Maybe they have got beyond that point," suggested Jim.
+
+"Hardly," replied Juarez. "That's a long steep climb up there. They
+will have to go slow if any of 'em are hurt."
+
+The boys waited a few minutes with eyes intent upon the trail. Then
+they saw a man on horseback ride into view, then another and another,
+until seven had gone round the shoulder of the mountain.
+
+"That isn't all," said Jim, "there's three missing."
+
+"Maybe that Gus Gols is knocked out," said Juarez.
+
+"It begins to look like it," said Jim.
+
+"There they come," cried Juarez. "He is hurt some, for it takes two
+of his men to hold him on his horse."
+
+"They are not likely to bother us now then," said Jim, "but all the
+same I am going to see if we cannot find a safe way around."
+
+"All right, Jim," agreed Juarez. "I will go back to camp and look
+after things."
+
+So they separated. Towards evening Jim came riding into camp, with
+Caliente showing the effects of a hard climb. Jim dismounted rather
+wearily.
+
+"Well, what luck?" inquired the boys.
+
+"There is a way around," he said. "It's tough in places, but we can
+make it all right."
+
+"We ought to get an early start," said Juarez.
+
+"You are right there," agreed Jim. "We will turn in early this
+evening."
+
+So they did, and by half-past two Jim sounded the early rising alarm.
+The boys all got up with alacrity, except Tom, who did considerable
+growling, as was his custom, but if Tom wanted sympathy he would have
+to find it in the dictionary, as the fellow said.
+
+The boys lighted a fire within the stockade to get their breakfast by,
+but it was hidden so that no hint of their plans would be given to a
+watchful enemy. The boys felt jovial when they got fairly waked up.
+The air was cold and bracing, and they all felt that the end of their
+long journey was drawing near.
+
+By four o'clock everything was ready for the start. The mules were
+packed, and the boys rode out in silence through the starry darkness
+across the level floor of the valley. Jim was in the lead, and the
+rest followed in order. Instead of going up the main trail through the
+big canyon, Jim bore to the right, making straight through the park
+where the men had killed the deer.
+
+It was well for the Frontier Boys that they took this way, for Eph,
+Ed and a number of Mexicans were lying in ambush at a narrow and
+hidden part of the trail, and, with one concerted rush, were ready to
+send the boys down five hundred feet. Whether the Frontier Boys would
+have been so rash as to have walked blindfolded into this trap is
+doubtful. Nevertheless, when they took the other way they escaped a
+very serious danger.
+
+When the first steel shining rays of dawn struck the slope of the
+mountain above them the boys had climbed up several thousand feet and
+could see the valley below and the distant snow-clad peaks to the
+south, rosy with the first touch of morning. It was a beautiful sight,
+and the boys turned sideways in their saddles, taking it all in when
+their horses stopped to breathe.
+
+"Going to take us above timber-line, Jim?" inquired Juarez.
+
+"He's going to lose us," complained Tom.
+
+"Then there would be a lost kid to go with the Lost Mine," declared
+Jim humorously. "Yes, boys, I'm going to take you above timber-line."
+
+"Well," said Jeems philosophically, "it is a whole lot better than
+going over the range altogether, as might have been the case if we had
+taken the trail through the big canyon over yonder."
+
+"Say, Jeems!" exclaimed Jo, with a catch in his voice, "you never told
+Jim and Juarez about the time you was sitting with your back to a tree
+and they slipped up and tied you, and if we hadn't come along there
+was no telling what might have happened to you."
+
+"That was a close call," said Jeems. "It was when you, Jim and Juarez
+were off hunting, and the boys had gone fishing. They got back just
+in the nick of time." Then he went solemnly to work to tell of the
+thrilling escape he had had. At the climax of his narrative, Tom and
+Jo burst into roars of laughter.
+
+"What's the matter with you two guys?" inquired Jim. "I bet my hat
+that you were at the bottom of this rascality."
+
+The two admitted their guilt, and, after his surprise was over, Jeems
+took it good-naturedly, while even Jim had to laugh, for it was
+certainly a successful practical joke.
+
+"Sometime," said Jim prophetically, "you two kittens will get caught
+up with."
+
+The boys had now ridden above the stunted trees that marked the limits
+of timber line, but they did not cross over the barren, rocky summit
+that rose above them for two thousand feet, covered with a broad
+mantle of snow, but instead bore south through a deep gorge, that
+threatened to close its rocky jaws upon them at every turn. But Jim
+was too good a scout to lead them where they would be trapped.
+
+Before noon they had made their way out of the gorge and were upon the
+northwestern slope of the great mountain. Looking off, while they gave
+their horses time to breathe, they saw a somewhat different looking
+section of the range than that which they had been traveling through
+the past day. From the height where they now stood the vast region
+beneath them was made up of low mountains, extending onward like
+recurring billows of the sea, hemmed in by peaks and higher mountains.
+
+"Down there somewhere is the Lost Mine," said Jim, with a sweep of his
+hand.
+
+"Talk about a needle in a haystack," growled Tom, "this beats it."
+
+"You talk as if you were sitting on the needle," declared Jim. "Try to
+talk cheerful even if you do feel bad."
+
+"It isn't quite as bad as it looks, Tom," said Jeems encouragingly.
+"You see that mountain with the rocky hump on it. That mine, according
+to my calculations from the chart we have, ought to be there or within
+two miles of it."
+
+"We will dig over every inch of that mountain," declared Tom, his
+eyes shining with enthusiasm, for he dearly loved money.
+
+"We don't want you to become a miser, Tom," said Jim judiciously, "so
+I will appoint a committee to take care of your share."
+
+"Eh?" cried Tom, his jaw dropping, then recovering, he yelled, "No
+you won't, James Darlington, I'll go to law. You can't cheat me of
+my rights." Tom was pale with anger and Jim was disgusted.
+
+"Ah, go on with you," he said, "you are nothing but an Eastern money
+shark, anyway."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIX
+
+THE SEARCH
+
+
+The mountain of the Lost Mine, as it may be called for the purposes
+of identification, did not seem more than half a day's journey from
+the divide where the boys first saw it, but it took them two days of
+hard marching before they reached its vicinity, so deceitful are the
+distances in the high altitudes.
+
+Now, behold them, camped in a shallow little valley, between two spurs
+of the Lost Mine mountain, their tent pitched on a small shelf back
+from a little stream that went singing along to a larger one, between
+its willow bushes, and over glistening boulders of polished granite.
+There was a growth of grass on either side of the creek, where the
+horses could graze. Altogether it was a restful place to camp in,
+after the grandeur of the great mountains that had surrounded them,
+and the savage gorges they had ridden through. There was a sense of
+rest and satisfaction that the Frontier Boys felt in having arrived at
+the goal of their long journey by land and sea. True, they did not
+know exactly the position of the Lost Mine, but they hoped to find it
+with the help of the diagram which they were fortunate enough to
+possess.
+
+"Let's have a look at that faded heirloom of yours," said Jim to
+Jeems, as they sat on some rocks around the campfire, on the evening
+of their arrival.
+
+"All right, Skipper," said Jeems cheerfully. Then he took his faded
+coat and carefully unpinned the inside pocket, and put in his hand and
+pulled out nothing.
+
+"It's gone," he exclaimed, his face paling. "I've been robbed."
+
+"I bet it was those Greasers," declared Jo, hastily, but with
+conviction. Jim looked at brothers Jo and Tom narrowly, then he put a
+heavy and accusing hand on their joint shoulders, or their shoulder
+joints, if you prefer it that way.
+
+"You are the Greasers," he said severely. "Now cough up." Jo reached
+down guiltily into his pistol pocket and fished up the required
+document.
+
+"I don't know exactly what to do with these fellows," said Jim
+magisterially, giving them each a shake under his big clutch.
+
+"Leave us alone! That's what you can do," said Tom grumpily, but Jim
+went on without noticing Tom's remark.
+
+"This is their third offense, and I reckon we will have to hang 'em
+this time if we can find a tree strong enough to stand the strain of
+two such rascals at once."
+
+"I tell you a better scheme," said Jeems Howell with a twinkle in his
+eye. "Get a twig of the tree and touch 'em up with that."
+
+"That's the idea," agreed Jim. "Bring me the switches, Juarez."
+
+"Aye, aye, sir," said Juarez cheerfully, and he started on his
+commission. The implied indignity of a switching was too much for the
+two youths. They would have much preferred to be hanged, so they
+prepared to leave home immediately and without due notice. Father
+Jim's grasp relaxed for a moment, and, with a wrench, both boys tore
+themselves loose and sped away in the darkness, and from this outer
+darkness they hurled remarks and pieces of dirt and small stones at
+the three about the campfire, just as other small bad boys would do;
+but the grown-ups paid no attention to the culprits, merely pulled
+their sombreros down around their ears and began a diligent study of
+the diagram of the Lost Mine. So absorbed were they after a while
+that they forgot the outlanders, when they crept into camp.
+
+"Let's see," said Juarez. "Where are we on this diagram?"
+
+"We passed by the pine tree with the cross cut on one side," said
+Jeems, "the other day."
+
+"That crooked line below there is the trail in this valley," said Jo,
+who was too interested to keep at a safe distance.
+
+"If it is anything crooked, you and Tom ought to be experts," said
+Jim, looking keenly at the two ex-fugitives. They said nothing by way
+of retort, considering that silence was the better part of wit on this
+particular occasion.
+
+"If that line is a path," said Juarez, "those drawings on either side
+represent buildings of some sort."
+
+"But how about the figures at the bottom of the diagram?" inquired
+Jeems. "I can't make them out."
+
+"Four hundred+1500-30," read Jim. "I can add it up if that will do any
+good."
+
+"The best thing we can do," said Jeems, the philosopher, "is to go to
+bed and tackle this proposition in the morning."
+
+This the boys did, but it was a hard thing for them to get to sleep,
+so busy were their brains, and they all dreamed diagram, mysterious
+combinations of figures and lines. When they awoke the next morning,
+it was with the same happy sense of anticipation that the small boy
+wakes up on the morning of the glorious Fourth.
+
+As soon as it was light enough to see, the Frontier Boys started out
+to solve the location of the Lost Mine. Each one had a copy of the
+diagram with him, also a pick or a shovel, and powder for blasting.
+Jim and Juarez worked together, Tom and Jo also, while Jeems Howell
+was a lone prospector, and it seemed indeed like old times to him.
+
+For a short ways they went all together up the shallow valley; then,
+after going a half mile, they took separate courses, Jim and Juarez
+following the line of the overgrown trail up the valley, and Jeems
+striking straight up the slope of the mountain. Tom and Jo wandered
+around eagerly and inconsequentially, expecting to see the opening to
+the Lost Mine at any moment.
+
+Jeems was the first to make a discovery of importance, but bearing
+only indirectly on the location of the mine. After climbing up about
+five hundred feet he saw that there had been a tremendous landslide
+down the southern slope of the mountain.
+
+"Some earthquake did that," he said, "and not very recently either. I
+bet that the lost mine is under the slide." Just then he heard Jim's
+voice in a faint halloo below him. He felt sure that they had made a
+discovery likewise. He strode eagerly down the slope to tell Jim and
+Juarez what he had found out, and to see about their discovery.
+
+"We have found part of the cabin that's in the diagram," cried Juarez
+as soon as Jeems hove in sight.
+
+"It was the landslide did that," declared Jeems, and he told them of
+his discovery. The boys were jubilant, and rightly so, for at last
+they had struck the trail.
+
+The point of departure had been found, for a heavy storm had uncovered
+one end of a demolished cabin, over which a part of the landslide had
+swept.
+
+"This is the further one," said Jim.
+
+"Yes, the other one is on the upper side of the old trail and is
+covered deep," said Juarez.
+
+"Now let's take those figures in feet first," said Jim.
+
+"I'll pace in yards," said Jeems, "we may save time that way," and he
+started off from the side of the discovered cabin, while Jim and
+Juarez measured the distance in feet, 400 straight up the valley, then
+1500 at right angles, and this brought them to a point well up on the
+side of the mountain.
+
+"Thirty feet straight down and we will know our fate," said Jim.
+
+They practically had all day before them and they set busily to work
+with pick and shovel, beginning at a point below where they had set
+the mark.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXX
+
+THE LOST MINE AGAIN
+
+
+Fortunately it was not heavy going, as the dirt and gravel was
+comparatively loose, and in the morning of the next day about ten
+o'clock, they came to a nest of rocks which barred their way. By hard
+efforts and by loosening a large stone there was a narrow rift made,
+through which they crawled, with Juarez in the lead.
+
+"Here's the entrance," he cried, his voice sounding hollow from the
+interior.
+
+"The Lost Mine!" yelled Tom, and in a second they were all together
+in the entrance, and with a rousing cheer at what promised to be the
+successful end of all their trials and dangers, then home again, and
+after that their journey on the _Sea Eagle_ into foreign countries
+and searching strange corners of the earth.
+
+"Light up, boys," said Jim. "We will soon see what we have ahead of
+us."
+
+"We will have to be careful," warned Juarez, "there is no telling what
+we will meet, we are always running into excitement of some sort."
+
+"I guess not," replied Jeems, "we have had enough to last us for a
+lifetime. Let's wind this business up quietly."
+
+"Agreed," said Jim. "We will make up for it later. Forward, march!"
+
+With pine torches they went forward through the gloom, the light
+showing that the entrance to the mine had been buttressed with pine
+timber, but this extended only a few feet, and then they came to a
+narrow rift between dripping rocks.
+
+"Low bridge, Jeems," cried Jo.
+
+"This looks to me to be a cave," said Jim.
+
+"It don't keep it from being a pocket mine, even if it is a cave,"
+said Jeems wisely.
+
+"You ought to know, Jeems," said Juarez, "as you were a prospector
+before we were born."
+
+"Oh, I'm not that old," protested Jeems. "Here we are getting to the
+workings now."
+
+"Sure enough," cried Jim, a thrill of interest in his voice.
+
+"Here is where they have picked out some nuggets," said Jo.
+
+"It won't be far to the find now," said Tom, shaking with excitement.
+
+Jeems was looking closely with his trained eyes along the walls and
+into every crevice and upon the shelves of stone, for the sides of
+the cave-mine were not smooth, but singularly rugged.
+
+"Struck it rich, boys!" Jeems cried suddenly, as he held the flame of
+his torch near the wall. "Give me the pick, take the lamp, Tom." It
+was the ultimate moment of triumph for the Frontier Boys. Carefully,
+but with skillful precision, Jeems brought the pick down upon the
+surface of the wall where it was roughened into little mounds.
+
+"That don't look like gold," said Tom. "It's nothing but dingy rock."
+Jeems only smiled at Tom's comment, as he swung his pick in the light
+of the flaming torches.
+
+"That's stone-stain, Tom," he said, then a loosened nugget fell to the
+floor of the cave. Jo picked it up and there was the yellow gleam of
+gold under the wavering light of the torches.
+
+"There's a whole nest of them," cried Tom.
+
+"I wonder where the goose is that laid them?" questioned Jo.
+
+"I'm going to find a nest for myself," said Juarez.
+
+It was a most interesting search, and each of the boys made finds of
+their own. Jim discovered a square yard of nuggets, not close set, of
+course, but there must have been twenty of varying sizes, and Juarez
+made the biggest individual find of a nugget that was five inches tall
+and three thick. Every second the other boys expected to make a
+discovery that would discount Juarez.
+
+After the first excitement was over, they settled down to systematic
+work. It was necessary to send someone back for the lanterns so that
+they could have steady light to work by; but who should go? That was
+the painful question. The work was so interesting that they all
+naturally wanted to stay on the job.
+
+"Let Jeems go," said the generous Tom. "It's an old story to him
+anyway." The good-natured Jeems would probably have allowed himself to
+be imposed upon, but Jim put his foot down upon Tom's proposition.
+
+"No you don't," he said. "We will draw lots to decide." As luck or
+fate would have it, Tom got the shortest straw, or, rather, sliver of
+pine, and had to go after the lanterns. Tom was a picture of the heart
+bowed down when the decision went against him, and the boys laughed at
+his woe-begone face.
+
+"Maybe you will be able to find an honest man with your lantern, Tom,"
+said Jim consolingly.
+
+"I wouldn't come to this gang," he retorted bitterly, and to prove
+the sincerity of his belief, he took his little pile of nuggets to
+Jeems.
+
+"Take care of these till I get back," he said. Then his two brothers
+went into convulsions of merriment at this token of Tom's regard.
+
+"If you didn't steal them you would be sure to hide 'em," he said, and
+there was considerable truth in his last observation.
+
+"If you are going to make a bank out of Jeems, you will have to pay
+him interest," remarked Jo derisively. Tom regarded Jeems doubtfully
+and then, reassured by his belief in the latter's generosity, he made
+off on his errand.
+
+"There is one good thing about Tom's going," said Juarez, "he will
+hustle more than any of us."
+
+"No doubt about that," laughed Jim. "He will scorch a trail down the
+mountain all right."
+
+It was true that Tom made extraordinary time, for he was desperately
+afraid lest his comrades-in-arms would get all the nuggets, but he
+need not have been so worried, for the boys worked busily night and
+day for the greater part of a week before Jim gave the orders to break
+camp. There was bitter rebellion on the part of Tom, and he was backed
+by Jo.
+
+"You can stay," Jim said finally. "We have enough, and more than
+enough. If we don't pull up stakes now, we will be snowed under. A
+storm will strike us at this altitude any time at this season. We did
+not come here to spend the winter and we are not prepared for it.
+What's the use of the gold? It won't buy us anything if we are nothing
+but beautiful frozen corpses."
+
+"You hit the nail on the head that time, Skipper," said Jeems Howell,
+the philosopher. "Gold is no good if you are dead. Men kill their
+souls getting it, too, pretty often in this world." Tom had to give
+in, but he kept growling under his breath, and Jim turned on him
+fiercely.
+
+"Another growl out of you, Tom Darlington, and I'll give you a sound
+thrashing. I'm using my best judgment and I am not going to be
+pestered from here to the coast with your growling sulks. That's
+straight. You cheer up." Tom cheered.
+
+They got an early start one morning and turned their horses' heads
+southward. The gold was evenly divided, and the burden imposed equally
+upon the three mules. The triumphant procession started, with Jim
+mounted jauntily on his white charger, Caliente, followed by Juarez
+and the rest in order.
+
+It was certainly a happy crowd when they had finally started on their
+return trip to the coast. The talk was all of their plans for the
+future, about their home-going, all of which is related in the
+"Frontier Boys in the Saddle," for it was a longish journey and a
+thrilling one, and then home. Juarez did not say much, but it was
+evident that his mind was busy thinking of his people on the Kansas
+farm outside of River Bend.
+
+"It will be too late in the season when we get to your place, Juarez,
+for a game of baseball," remarked Jo.
+
+"It's too bad," replied Juarez. "It would be fine sport to beat those
+Hughsonville fellows again."
+
+"I'm not so sure that I could pitch a baseball now," said Jo. "It's a
+long time since I have had one in my hand."
+
+"That would be all right," said Jim easily. "We would have Jeems for
+umpire, and he would help us out."
+
+"Now, boys, don't you go to planning trouble for me," expostulated
+Jeems. "I don't mind dodging sharks and being tied up by fierce
+outlaws, like Jo and Tom, but I won't be an umpire."
+
+"That's settled," laughed Jo. "Anyway, if we can't indulge in
+baseball, we will have a game of horseshoes, behind the blacksmith's
+shop at River Bend.
+
+"I wonder how the _Sea Eagle_ and the old Captain are getting along?"
+said Jeems.
+
+"We will see in about ten days," replied Jim. "But I'm not worrying
+with the old man and the engineer aboard. We will stop long enough to
+say howdy to 'em, leave our gold or most of it aboard ship and then
+hike for home."
+
+"Do you think it will be safe on the ship, Jim?" inquired Jo
+anxiously.
+
+"As safe as anywhere," said Jim nonchalantly.
+
+The Frontier Boys rode steadily southward, taking a more direct way
+and an easier one than that by which they had come. They took no
+chance of running into Gus Gols or his gang of cutthroats. They were
+fortunate in not being molested or way-laid, and for the first five
+days the weather was fine, but the morning of the sixth day it began
+to snow just as they rode out of camp. The boys did not worry,
+however, as they were through the worst of the mountain trip. Indeed,
+they rather enjoyed the soft and silent fall of the snow; it was a
+change.
+
+"Boys, this is Christmas weather!" cried Jeems.
+
+"We will spend our Christmas at home this year, boys!" said Jim,
+turning in the saddle and looking down the line, each one riding
+jauntily and easily through the rapidly falling snow that softly
+flaked their weather-hued faces and starred the coats of their horses.
+"All in favor of this proposition say aye!" continued Jim.
+
+"Aye!" roared the boys in chorus.
+
+"You, too, Jeems," urged Jim, "won't leave you out. Make it unanimous
+this time!"
+
+And they did. As for the reader, he must not be left out in the cold
+and the snow, and he, too, is invited to be present at the boys'
+Christmas at home, for it is bound to be a jolly affair, and the
+Frontier Boys are nothing if not hospitable. The record of their trip
+overland eastward and of their home-coming is bound to be full of
+interest and incident; for the boys, besides being hospitable, are
+also very enterprising and venturesome.
+
+
+
+
+      *      *      *      *      *
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's note:
+
+Minor changes have been made to correct typesetters' errors; otherwise,
+every effort has been made to remain true to the author's words and
+intent.
+
+
+
+***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FRONTIER BOYS IN THE SIERRAS***
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