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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..188e489 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #50132 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50132) diff --git a/old/50132-0.txt b/old/50132-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index adc1fd3..0000000 --- a/old/50132-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6737 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The River Motor Boat Boys on the Colorado, by -Harry Gordon - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The River Motor Boat Boys on the Colorado - The Clue in the Rocks - -Author: Harry Gordon - -Release Date: October 4, 2015 [EBook #50132] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RIVER MOTOR BOAT BOYS ON COLORADO *** - - - - -Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.bookcove.net - - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: Alex pointed to Clay and Don, crawling down the opposite -wall like flies.] - - - - - The River Motor Boat Boys on the Colorado - - OR - - The Clue in the Rocks - - By HARRY GORDON - - Author of - “The River Motor Boat Boys on the Mississippi,” - “The River Motor Boat Boys on the St. Lawrence,” - “The River Motor Boat Boys on the Amazon,” - “The River Motor Boat Boys on the Columbia,’ - “The River Motor Boat Boys on the Ohio.” - - A. L. Burt Company - New York - - - - - Copyright, 1913 - By A. L. Burt Company - - THE SIX RIVER MOTOR BOYS ON THE COLORADO - - - - - TABLE OF CONTENTS - - I. MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCES - II. TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS REWARD - III. CAPTAIN JOE’S MESSAGE - IV. “THE PHANTOM BOARDER” - V. A SURPRISE FOR THE GREASERS - VI. TEDDY BEAR MAKES A HIT - VII. THAT HAUNTED STERN DECK! - VIII. DEPUTY KING GETS A BATH - IX. ANOTHER GUEST FROM THE RIVER - X. THE OLD HOUSE BY THE RIVER - XI. ALEX GETS HIS RECEIPT - XII. ANOTHER GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT - XIII. ALEX PLANS A NIGHT ADVENTURE - XIV. A VISIT FROM RIVER PIRATES - XV. TEDDY MEETS A RELATIVE - XVI. CONCERNING A HEADLESS GHOST - XVII. THE SUNBURST ON THE WALL - XVIII. CASE AND ALEX UNDER ARREST - XIX. TWO GUESTS FROM CHICAGO - XX. A JOURNEY IN THE DARK - XXI. THE CLUE IN THE ROCKS - XXII. THE END OF A LONG JOURNEY - - - - -CHAPTER I.—MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCES. - - -The motor boat _Rambler_ lay pulling at her anchor-chain in the muddy -waters of the Gulf of California. To the North opened the wide, shallow -mouth of the Colorado river, with its many shifting currents and -treacherous sandbars. - -Eastward stretched a Mexican desert, where flourished cacti and forms of -animal life unknown to other parts of the world. Beyond this waste of -sand, which had, in times long gone by, formed the bed of a lake, rose -the peaks and ridges of the Sierra del Pinacates mountains. - -To the South the Montague islands shut out the body of the Gulf, and -Westward a patch of desert led out to a mountain range. There are two -volcanic elevations running down the peninsula, and beyond them lies the -tumbling Pacific ocean, a hundred miles away. - -The sun was lifting out of the desert to the East, rising round and red -and hot, like the bottom of a great brass kettle, and the chill of the -dark hours was changing to the stifling, long-scorching heat which is a -thing of the desert the world over. - -Those who have followed the adventures of the _Rambler_ and her crew, -will remember her last on the Columbia. After a journey through the wild -canyons and forest-lined reaches of the great river of the Northwest -Territories, the motor boat had been shipped to Guaymas, where she had -taken to the water again in the Gulf of California. - -The _Rambler_ carried a crew of three this morning, Clayton Emmett, -Cornelius Witters and Alexander Smith wick, boys of seventeen, who had -explored the Amazon as well as the Columbia in the staunch little boat. -There had been others on the previous trips, but now only these three -were ready for the voyage up the wonderful stream which finds its waters -in the frozen snows of the Rocky Mountains and plays hide-and-seek with -them thousands of feet below the lips of the desert, in the most -mysterious and wildly beautiful canyons known to the world. - -Others might join them at up-river points, but the lads were content to -make the journey just as they were. Now, as the sun rose higher and the -air above the sands began to shimmer in the heat, they tumbled out of -their bunks in the little cabin of the motor boat and, after -invigorating baths in the Gulf, began preparations for breakfast. - -“If we wait much longer,” Alex suggested, as he busied himself in making -coffee, “we won’t want anything for breakfast but snowballs, it will be -so hot, and we’re not likely to get them in this oven of a land. Who’s -going to fry the cakes this morning? Oh, you would, would you!” - -This last sentence was addressed to a grizzly bear cub which shambled -into the cabin and placed two paws and a soft muzzle of a mouth on the -table where the boy stood. This was “Teddy,” the cub Alex had captured -during the trip down the Columbia river. - -“I know what you want, Teddy Bear!” the boy added, as the cub winked a -small eye at him. “You want to wait until I get the sugar out, then you -want to empty one bowl into one bear! Now, you move on!” - -The boy addressed the cub just as he would have spoken to one of his -chums, and the bear appeared to understand what was said to him, for he -grabbed angrily at an egg which Alex had brought to “settle” the coffee -and made off with it, walking upright to the door, with the broken yolk -marking his muzzle, paws and breast with cabalistic inscriptions in -yellow. - -Once on deck the cub was promptly chased over the rail into the Gulf, -where he wallowed clumsily, with three boys laughing at his antics and -penitent looks. When permitted to come, dripping and sullen, on board he -sulked off to a corner and scolded every one who approached until -Captain Joe sat down in front of him and grinned sarcastically at his -plastered fur and stuck-up eyes. - -Captain Joe was a white bulldog the boys had acquired on the Amazon -trip. The bear and the dog were great chums. Captain Joe now sat making -wrinkled faces at the disconsolate cub. - -“Eat him up, Captain Joe!” Cornelius Witters, known to his friends as -“Case,” shouted. “He stole an egg!” - -The dog cocked one short ear and looked reproachfully at the cub. - -“The price of that egg would have bought you a bone, Captain Joe,” -Clayton Emmett, better known as “Clay,” put in. “Take a bit out of him, -just to teach him better manners!” - -Captain Joe winked his red eyes at Teddy and walked away in a dignified -manner, as if not relishing being made the executioner of the crew! The -lads laughed at the animal’s attitude of offended innocence and went on -with their preparations for breakfast. - -The most of the cooking was done on the top of a coal stove, but the -coffee was bubbling on an electric coil which stood on a table at the -back of the cabin. After a dozen pancakes had been cooked Alex placed -them close to the electric coil to keep warm, though, as he said, “The -air was fit to keep them red hot anywhere.” - -There was a small, square window over the electric stove, at the back of -the cabin, a window which opened on about a yard’s width of deck at the -stern of the boat. This small space concealed gasoline tanks, and was -not in sight from either the deck or the cabin of the motor boat. - -Indeed, it was rarely visited, except by Captain Joe and Teddy, who -often took long siestas there when the bulk of the cabin cast shadows on -the bare planks. - -Case cooked heap after heap of brown buckwheat cakes and passed them on -to Alex to be placed in the warming closet, as the boys called the ledge -of the electric stove, “until they had enough to get a good eating start -on,” as Witters observed. Finally he ceased his efforts and glanced at -the place where the tempting heap of cakes had been placed. - -There was not even a crumb of a pancake in sight! Alex was busy getting -out plates and cups, his back to the electric stove and the window. The -coffee was bubbling over the cherry-red coils. - -Case advanced to the stove and looked over it, under it, around it, and -even under the table it stood on. There wasn’t a pancake, or a part of -pancake, anywhere! He rushed up to Alex and shook him by the arm. - -“You never bolted ’em all?” he demanded. “Not every last one of them, -did you? Two dozen of 'em! You never did!” - -Alex dropped a plate on the table and looked quizzically at Case. - -“Sure!” he declared. “Sure I did! What of it?” - -“Two dozen cakes at one gobble!” laughed Case. “Now, you can get ready -to cook more. Land of Promise! Twenty-four—count 'em—twenty-four at one -mouthful! If I had your capacity I’d—” - -Then Alex began to sense the situation. He glanced from Case to the -place where the cakes had just stood in a rich, brown column. Then his -eyes roved about until they encountered Captain Joe and Teddy consoling -each other on the prow of the boat. They certainly couldn’t have done -it! - -“Did you get ’em?” he asked, hopelessly, of Case? “Did you cop 'em out -to prevent our getting indigestion?” - -“You ate them yourself!” Case returned, half angrily. - -Alex grinned and placed his hands at his lean waist. - -“I don’t seem to find ’em anywhere,” he laughed. “Not on me!” - -“Then where did they go?” demanded Case. “Who did get them?” - -Alex walked to the rear window and opened it. The sash swung inward on -hinges, and was not locked, but it rarely was locked. Then he thrust his -head out of the opening and looked down on the small deck. There was no -one there. - -“The old Nick is in the place!” Case cried, presently. “I can smell -sulphur in the air! Suppose we get out of this?” he added, as Clay came -into the cabin. “This ain’t no place for a Christian gentleman!” - -Clay’s eyes sparkled when the story was told to him. - -“It is a joke!” he laughed. “You’ll have to get some fairy tale stronger -than that to account for a lost breakfast! Come on, now, who got the -cakes? Own up, and I’ll fry more. Who is the villain?” - -“You may search me,” Alex answered, dropping into slang. “Case handed -them to me and I put them on the edge of the electric coil. They’ve gone -up in the air, if anybody should ask you! Right up in the air!” - -“Who opened the window?” asked Clay, still unbelieving. - -“I did,” Alex answered. “There’s no one out there.” - -“No one could get on board without being challenged by Captain Joe,” -Case suggested. “Even Teddy would make a row and ask questions of any -stranger! It is uncanny! I’m beginning to think the _Rambler_ is -haunted. Or it may be the locality! Suppose we pull anchor and go on -up?” - -“Just my idea!” Alex agreed. “When we get a few miles up the Colorado, -I’ll cook bacon and eggs for breakfast, and we can have some of the -honey Teddy didn’t get his thieving paws on.” - -So the boys brought up the anchor, started the motors, and in ten -minutes were pushing up the Colorado. The famous river is wide and -shallow at its junction with the Gulf of California, and the constantly -changing currents heap sandbars to-day where there was deep water -yesterday, so the lads proceeded at less than half speed. - -At the end of an hour they were only fifteen miles from the anchorage of -the night before. The river was narrowing. To the east a low line of -sand hills came down to the water, to the west the foothills of the -Sierra de los Cucapas range dropped close to the channel. Something less -than one hundred miles to the north was Yuma, where the Southern Pacific -Railroad crosses the stream. - -The lads cast anchor near the west shore, and Alex brought out the bacon -and eggs, while Case proceeded to brew fresh coffee. By this time the -sun was shining blisteringly on the deck of the motor boat, and all -three lads were in the cabin, with all the small windows open to the -slight breeze. - -“Now,” Clay suggested, as the three sat at the little table in the -center of the cabin, two facing each other and one looking out of the -open doorway which commanded a view of the deck, “suppose we have the -honey we’re going to consume to keep Teddy from acquiring it? Where is -it?” - -“I put it back of the electric stove, there by the window,” Alex -replied. “I’ll get it in a minute.” - -Three faces were turned toward the rear window, three pair of eyes -expressed amazement, incredulity, three boys sprang to their feet and -moved toward the electric stove. The can of honey was not there! - -“I saw it not more than a minute ago!” insisted Case. - -“So did I,” Alex agreed. “Not half a minute ago!” - -Then three faces turned toward the deck. Teddy and Captain Joe lay on -the prow, sweltering in the heat, their ears cocked as if set to catch -some sound as yet only faintly heard. They didn’t have the honey! - -“I reckon,” Alex observed, “that we’ve got a phantom boarder!” - -“He’s got his nerve, whoever he is!” Case said, with a scowl, for Case -was inordinately fond of honey, and had counted much on the can which -had so strangely disappeared. “He’s clever, too!” - -Captain Joe now arose from the deck at the prow and walked to the -railing on the port side. He stood there an instant, as if undecided -what to do next, then lifted his paws to the top of the deck guard and -looked over into the river. - -“I guess the dog’s got him—this phantom boarder!” Clay laughed. - -But Captain Joe went back to the cub in a moment and lay down again. If -there was any stranger around the boat, the dog certainly was not aware -of the fact, the boys concluded. Yet some one had taken the cakes and -the honey! Who could it have been, they asked each other. - -“It wouldn’t be right for us to start on a river trip unaccompanied by a -mystery,” laughed Clay. “We had a mystery with us while we were on the -Amazon, and the Columbia panned out pretty well in that particular, too, -so I’m not much astonished by the presence of a mysterious boarder now. -He ought not to take the best of everything, though,” he added, with a -grin at Case, who was still inconsolable because of the loss of the -honey. - -“Say,” Alex exclaimed, presently. “This is no joke! There’s something -going on here that we ought to know more about. The pancakes and honey -never walked off without legs! Some fierce creature may have come up out -of the river and grabbed them, but I don’t believe it.” - -“Do you think there’s some one hidden on the boat?” asked Case. “If -there is, where is he? No place to hide here, that I know of.” - -“I don’t know anything about that,” Alex returned. “No one from the -shore took the two articles of food, for they were taken at points -fifteen miles apart—unless we have been visited by two thieves using the -same methods, which I do not believe. - -“I’m going to find out whether human hands took the grub, or whether -some monster came up out of the river and assessed us for a square meal. -You boys stay here and watch in front, and I’ll climb on the little deck -over the gasoline tanks and see what’s going on there. If anything I -can’t handle shows up, I’ll call for help!” - -Clay and Case sat for a long time with their eyes fixed on the open deck -and the up-river landscape. They heard Alex scramble over the low cabin -roof and take a position on the narrow space over the tanks. Then all -was still save the rush of the water. Captain Joe arose again, sniffed -at the port rail, peered over into the water, and gave a low growl. - -“He sees something!” Clay cried, excitedly. - -Case hastened to the rear window and looked out, as if to ask Alex a -question. At first he only looked out. Then he leaned out. Then he -dashed out of the cabin and called to Clay, a note of anxiety in his -tone. - -When Clay reached the deck he saw what had excited his chum. Alex was -not on the narrow deck, not on the cabin roof, nowhere on the boat! The -river ran away smooth and clear, sparkling in the light with no craft in -sight. The boy had disappeared as utterly as if he had been dissolved in -the hot air! - - - - -CHAPTER II.—TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS REWARD. - - -When it became certain that Alex was not on board the _Rambler_, Clay -and Case hustled the small rowboat which lay on the cabin roof into the -river, threw in the oars, and cast off the rope. - -If Alex was not on the boat, they reasoned, then he must have fallen -into the water! It had been at least ten minutes since he had left them -to visit the aft deck, and one might float a long way down stream in -that time! The wonder was that he had not cried out when he fell! - -Case rowed with all his strength, doubled by the excitement of the time, -and Clay sat in the prow watching the river ahead. Now he thought he saw -a head bobbing on the waves; now he called out that he had caught sight -of the boy clinging to the shore; now he shuddered at sight of a -clogging mass in the bottom of the stream. - -They called out at the top of their lungs as the rowboat went swiftly -down with the current, but there was no answering cry. Only when the -bulk of the _Rambler_ seemed indistinct and far away through the -shimmering sunlight did they turn the prow up stream. Clay was the first -to speak after that. - -“I don’t believe he ever fell into the river!” he said. “Captain Joe -would have heard the splash, even if we did not, and would surely have -jumped in after the kid. Besides, Alex would have let out a yell if he -had tumbled in, and we should have heard that. He never fell into the -river, I tell you!” - -“Then where did he go?” demanded Case. “I hope yon haven’t any idea that -he went up in the air! Or that he’s hiding to bother us?” - -This last sentence expressed a new hope. The boy might be hiding in some -odd corner of the boat! They resolved to find out about that as soon as -they got aboard again. If he was hiding, well! - -They did not carry out the thought, for they were now near enough to the -_Rambler_ to see that she was slowly, jerkily moving toward the west -shore. - -“Did you pull up the anchor?” Clay demanded of Case. - -“I should say not,” was the indignant reply. “What for should I do that, -I should like to know? Sure you fastened the chain right?” - -“Of course! The chain was all right when we left there.” - -“Then why should she be moving toward the shore? She’s being towed, or -I’m not an inch high! What do you know about that?” - -The _Rambler_ was indeed moving toward the west bank of the river! The -motors were not in action, and yet she was moving, slowly yet steadily, -to the west! In a moment, as they rowed nearer, they saw that she was -drifting down toward them, but was, at the same time, being drawn in -toward the bank. There was no one in sight on the deck or in the open -cabin! - -“This must be a fairy land!” Case grumbled. “There’s something uncanny -in the very air! How do we know that we are in the Colorado river, -anyway? We haven’t seen a ship, or a launch, or a rowboat, except our -own, to-day! Things disappear from the cabin, Alex goes up in the air, -and now the _Rambler_ wiggles off without any motive power showing!” - -“Look at Captain Joe!” shouted Clay. “Just look at the fool dog?” - -Case continued to pull at the oars, anxious to gain the _Rambler_. - -“What is he doing?” he asked, not turning around to see. - -“He’s barking and snapping at something that doesn’t exist!” Clay -replied. “He is fighting with the air—and getting the worst of it!” - -“Keep your head, chum!” Case grinned. “Keep on trying to think! The -worst is yet to come!” - -“Turn around and look, if you don’t believe me,” Clay shouted. - -Case turned about on his seat, letting the oars lie idle in the waves -for a moment, and fixed his eyes on the deck of the _Rambler_, now not -more than a hundred yards away. Captain Joe was barking like mad on the -deck, advancing to the west rail, as if pursuing some one, and then -retreating, as if being beaten back! - -While the boys looked, he crossed the deck half a dozen times, snapping -and snarling at something not in view from the small boat. Whenever he -retreated he seemed to be cringing as from a blow! The boys looked on in -wonder and fright. The dog was fighting the air! - -“Not a thing in sight!” Case commented. “A boat sliding along with no -one near her, and a dog barking at nothing at all. I give it up!” - -“Let me row,” Clay suggested. “You must be getting tired.” - -Case dropped off the seat backward and Clay took up the oars. - -“Tell me what you see,” asked the latter, after rowing a moment. - -“The dog has gone back to his corner,” Case reported, “and Teddy is -doing the investigating. The _Rambler_ is still jerking in shore, and -there’s not a soul in sight! Ever hear of invisible men and things? -Well, that’s just what we’re up against!” - -“Alex is invisible, all right!” grunted Clay. “See him yet?” - -Case did not answer. Instead he dropped into the seat beside Clay, -almost overturning the frail boat before he succeeded in getting into -action with one of the oars. It was a minute before he spoke in -explanation of his conduct. - -“Pull!” he cried. “Pull for your life! There’s some one at the prow of -the boat, pushing her toward shore, and there’s men behind the sand -dunes on the west bank, waiting for her to land! We’re up against a nest -of pirates, I take it! Pull! We must get to the _Rambler_ before it -touches the bank, for the fellows there will swarm over her then.” - -And the lads did pull, with all their might. The current of the Colorado -is not strong there, and so they made good headway. When they came -within fifty yards of the _Rambler_, she was within that distance of the -shore. The men who had been hiding behind the hills a moment before now -came out and called sharply to some one on or about the _Rambler_ to -make haste and bring her in. There was no verbal answer, but the boat -moved faster toward the shore. - -Dripping with perspiration, panting in the hot air, the boys put their -strength to the oars and finally sprang over the railing just as two of -the men entered the water to swim out. They did not draw back when they -saw the boys aboard, but swam rapidly on. - -“The motors!” shouted Clay. “Get them in motion!” - -Case hastened to comply, and Clay dashed into the cabin and returned -with a couple of automatic revolvers. Without speaking he fired a shot -over the head of the nearest swimmer. - -“Missed him!” cried Case. “Let me try one!” - -“Get under motion!” insisted Clay. “When you get under way, drop down -stream! We’ve got to find Alex, dead or alive!” - -A rowboat now shot out from the shore, manned by two men. First the -swimmers were picked up, and then the boat was headed for the _Rambler_. - -“Keep off!” Clay called out. “I’ll shoot if you come nearer.” - -“In the name of the law!” called one of the men in the boat. - -“Never mind the law!” Clay answered. “If you don’t want to get bored -through with a forty-five, keep away from the boat.” - -“I’ve got to come aboard!” was the answer to this. - -“And I’ve got to keep you from doing so!” Clay answered. “We are not -interfering with you, or with the laws of Mexico, and we have no notion -of spending a few months in a Mexican jail while you people dispose of -our boat and our supplies. Keep off! I’ll shoot if you come a foot -closer. What have you done with the boy you took off the _Rambler_?” - -Case looked up from the motors with a hopeful smile. Perhaps that was -the solution of the puzzle! These men might have in some way stolen the -food and taken Alex away. This thought was more cheerful than the one -that the boy had fallen into the river and been drowned. - -The roar of the motors drowned the answer, if, indeed, any was made. As -the propellers swung into motion two figures separated themselves from -the prow of the boat, where they had been clinging, out of sight, and -struck out toward shore. Clay called to them to stop, but they paid no -attention to the command. Directly they were taken into the rowboat. -Clay smiled as he took in the situation. - -“It is easy now,” he shouted. “Those men were evidently diving and -shifting the anchor shoreward, being unable to break the chain, and -being afraid to go on board. Guess they know nothing about motors, or -they’d have had the _Rambler_ miles up stream long before this!” - -The _Rambler_ now struck out for the Gulf, traveling at a swift pace. If -Alex had indeed fallen into the stream, they might yet be able to save -his life, as he was a strong swimmer and resourceful. The men in the -rowboat followed on, losing ground, but persistent. At last Clay halted -the boat and called back to them: - -“What do you people want of us?” - -“Just a little talk,” was the reply, shouted over the water. - -“You tried to steal the boat!” Case shouted back. “You’re thieves!” - -“Not thieves! After thieves!” came the sharp reply. - -“Are you officers?” demanded Clay. - -“Officers! American officers!” was the unexpected reply. - -“They’re faking!” Case cut in. “You saw how they tried to steal the -_Rambler_! I’ve a notion to take a shot at them.” - -Clay swung the _Rambler_ in a circle and came close to the rowboat, an -automatic ready for use. Case looked on with disapproval showing in his -face. - -“Now, what do you want?” Clay demanded, as one of the men arose in the -boat. “I’m not running away from officers, if I know it, nor am I -holding any extended talks with boat thieves. What do you want?” - -“I want to come aboard,” was the stern reply. - -The man who spoke was tall, slender, black of hair and eyes, and with a -grace and freedom of movement which told of life in the open air. Clay -rather liked his looks, and so consented for him to board the _Rambler_. -Case stood by with a revolver to see that no rush was made as the other -vaulted easily over the railing after scrambling lightly up the side of -the motor boat. But there was no need of this, for the others sat -stolidly at the oars, even backing off as the prow bumped the -_Rambler_’s side. - -The man who had boarded the _Rambler_ stood for a moment with his hands -outstretched, to show that his intentions were not hostile, and then -gave a keen look about. It seemed to the boys that he took in every -minute detail of the craft, from the bristling dog at the prow to the -electric coil at the back of the cabin. - -“I’m Joe King,” he finally said. “Joe King, of Arizona. Phoenix, -Arizona, to be exact. I’m a deputy sheriff. Where’s the sawed-off kid -who came aboard your boat just after dark last night?” - -“No one came aboard last night,” answered Clay, half angrily. - -“Short, light weight, freckled, red-headed, quick in his talk,” the -deputy described. “Where is he? No foolishness, now. I want him.” - -“You may have him if you can find him,” grinned Case. “We don’t know any -such boy. If you’re lucky finding boys,” Case continued, “I wish you’d -find Alex Smithwick! He evaporated half an hour ago.” - -Joe King, of Phoenix, Arizona, looked at the two boys doubtfully. He -seemed to think they were joking with him. Clay saw that he was not an -enemy, and briefly told the story of Alex’s disappearance, also of the -vanishing of the honey and cakes. King looked about the boat again. - -“Isn’t he hidden somewhere?” he asked, with a sweep of the arm. - -“There is no place he could hide,” Case answered. “You were on the shore -with your men,” he resumed, “did you see any one leaving the boat?” - -“We caught a view of the river only a few moments ago,” was the -discouraging reply. “If he has been gone half an hour he might have gone -away with a brass band without our knowing it. But here’s a bigger -puzzle,” King continued, “and that is where did this Don Durand go to? -He sure came on board your boat last night at dusk, while you lay -farther down. If you find him, you’ll find the pancakes!” - -“We never saw him!” Clay exclaimed. “He might have taken the food, but -he couldn’t have taken Alex. What do you want of him, anyway?” - -“Why,” was the unexpected reply, “this Don Durand stole a matter of -fifty thousand dollars at Chicago. He is a much-wanted boy just at -present. Ten thousand dollars reward, you know!” - -“How did a boy manage to get hold of so much money?” asked Clay, his -eyes large with astonishment. - -“He was a bank errand boy,” answered King, “and walked off with a -handbag a customer of the concern, one Josiah Trumbull—entrusted to his -care. He has been chased all through the west, but has never been -taken.” - -“And he came on board the _Rambler_ at dusk last night?” asked Case. - -“So my men say. They were watching your boat at that time, thinking it -might be the home of the thief. I have thoughts running in that -direction right this minute! So you’d better give an account of -yourself.” - -Clay, seeing that the deputy was sincere and friendly, told the story of -past and prospective trips. King listened with amused eyes. - -“All right!” he said. “I’ve heard of you boys! You caught a robber up -the Columbia and got a rich reward! Hope you’ll get another one right -here. But this Don Durand is a clever chap, though only the size of a -pint cup! He’s so small that he may be hiding here right now.” - -“I’m glad he got something to eat!” Case exclaimed. “I’ll bet he was -hungry! You don’t think he coaxed Alex off, do you?” - -“Did he have an airship or a diving bell to take him off in?” laughed -King. “He has the price of both, I take it, for the papers say he is -carrying fifty thousand in gold notes around with him.” - -“Alex might have found him out on the aft deck and chased him off, and -then followed him,” Clay suggested. “Alex is a pretty good swimmer,” he -added. “He wins medals in under-water endurance tests!” - -“Now you’re beginning to think right!” King commented. “The boys may be -on shore. If they are, my men will get them. And I reckon they’re -putting up a fight right now,” he added. “Hear the shots?” - -Puffs of smoke lifted over the hills, and then a rattling volley came -from the mountain spur not far to the west. - - - - -CHAPTER III.—CAPTAIN JOE’S MESSAGE. - - -Deputy King stepped over to the deck rail and looked down at the rowboat -in which he had left the shore. It held five men, all dusky, uncouth -looking fellows, with greasy hair and black, suspicious eyes. One of the -men had left the shore with the deputy, two had been picked up in the -river on the way out, and two more had been taken in when the rowboat -came closer to the _Rambler_. - -These last two were the ones who had been working the motor boat toward -the shore by diving and lifting the anchor and putting it over. As the -craft always swung over to the new anchorage, she had gained the shore -by just the distance the anchor had been moved. - -It was known afterward that the men had been sent out to board the motor -boat and bring her in, but that they feared armed opposition from -concealed occupants, and so resorted to the slower but safer, if -laborious, method described. When King looked down upon the boat all -five occupants were actively engaged in getting under way, four handling -oars and the fifth at the helm. They were already a couple of yards from -the motor boat. - -“Here!” cried King. “Come back with that boat! What are you doing? That -firing doesn’t mean anything to you! Come back!” - -The five men laughed insolently, and one of them made significant and -insulting gestures with a thumb at his nose! The boat shot swiftly -toward the shore, leaving King fuming on the deck of the _Rambler_. - -“Nothing stays put in the vicinity of the _Rambler_!” laughed Clay. “I -reckon those are Mexicans, and that they are frightened at the firing.” - -“They are Mexicans, sure enough!” King replied. “But they are not -running away from the shooting. They are going to it!” - -“Not going to fight for the fun of it?” asked Case. - -“They are deserting me and going back to their friends,” King said. -“They now hope to capture the boy without my help, and so get all of the -reward, as well as running off with the good money I paid them to assist -me! I presume they think the men over in the mountain spur have found -the boy and are shooting at him. Why, he’s so small they’d have to use a -telescope to see him at that distance! Anyway, I’m done for, with this -desertion, and may as well take passage with you to Yuma.” - -“You’re welcome to go with us,” Clay answered, “but we’re not going on -until we find Alex. And if he gets tangled up with the Greasers on shore -we’re going after him. We won’t go on without him!” - -“Of course not,” agreed the deputy. “Well, I’ll remain here as long as -you do. I may still stand a chance of getting that reward. Suppose you -put more pancakes and honey on the table back of the electric stove!” he -added with a sly wink. “He may come on board right away, then!” - -“Pancakes will also bring Alex on board,” laughed Clay. “He’s got the -appetite when it comes to pancakes and honey! Never saw a kid eat so -many cakes as Alex can stow away! He’s almost as empty as Teddy Bear.” - -“That the cub yonder?” asked King, pointing to the prow, where Teddy and -Captain Joe lay asleep in the sunshine, apparently beyond all the cares -and worries of a wicked world. “Clever dog, that!” - -Captain Joe, as if conscious that he was under observation, arose, -stretched himself, and walked over to the rail, where he stood sniffing -at the air. Then, with his nose pointing straight toward the shore, he -uttered a series of excited growls. - -“He knows that Alex is there,” Case cried. “Go and get him, Captain -Joe!” he added, and the next instant the dog was in the water. - -“You’ve done a nice thing now!” Clay exclaimed, gazing angrily at Case. -“The dog will be shot before he gets within a rod of the shore.” - -“I never thought of that!” Case replied, regretfully. - -The boys tried to call the dog back to the boat, but he swam on, paying -no attention whatever to their threats and promises! Clay turned to the -rail where the little rowboat had been tied, thinking to follow him in -that, but it was gone! Before setting out for the shore, the Mexicans -who had deserted King had cut it loose, and it could now be seen a long -distance down the river, bobbing about on the twisting currents. - -“I’m going after him anyway!” Clay shouted, rushing to the silent -motors. - -It was Deputy King who checked his ill-advised determination. - -“You can’t get anywhere near the shore with the motor boat,” he said. -“It is so shallow a few yards from here that the rowboat just barely -floats. Will the dog go straight to Alex as you call him?” - -“He will if he is not interfered with,” answered Clay, moodily. - -“Then we’ll watch the dog,” King went on. “Do you know, kids, that I -have a hunch that this Don Durand, the thief, is with Alex? I believe -they left the _Rambler_ together. I don’t know why, or when, or how they -first came together, but that’s the hunch, and I can’t get it out of my -mind.” - -The Mexicans who had deserted the deputy were now landing on a low, -sandy stretch of beach, back of which ran a natural levee of sand, -perhaps six feet in height. Beyond that, and only a few hundred paces -from the water’s edge, a spur of the foothills ran out to the east. - -The Mexicans saw the dog swimming toward them and deployed on the beach -to capture or kill him. This was, perhaps, the very best move they could -have made in the interest of the boys, for Captain Joe sensed danger and -turned south, swimming swiftly down with the current. - -The Mexicans bred a dozen shots at him and then turned their attention -to a commotion in progress between the sand levee and the mountain spur. -The men who had fired from the foothills were advancing across the -level, and the men who had been left on shore by King were lined up to -meet them. Those on the _Rambler_ could not see what was going on, but, -presently a crowd of Mexicans came out on the beach, as if to keep watch -of the _Rambler_. - -“I’d like to know what the mischief is going on there,” exclaimed Case, -as Captain Joe, already far down stream, crept out of the water and -trotted out of sight, after looking back over his shoulder to see that -no guns were pointed at him. - -“I think I can tell you what’s going on,” King suggested. “The men I -left there have come to terms with the native Indians, who are always -ready for a fight or a race! It looks bad for us!” - -“I don’t understand,” Clay ventured. They have nothing against us.” - -“Yes they have,” King went on. “You have a fine motor boat, and the -Mexican Indian always has something against a fellow who has something -he wants himself. What you ought to do now is to run upstream at full -speed, so as to head off any canoe blockade which may be forming.” - -“And leave Alex here?” demanded Case. “I should say not!” - -“Then drop down to where the dog left the water,” advised King. “You -see,” he explained, “I’m still believing that Don Durand is with Alex, -and I’m taking chances on the dog finding the boy.” - -“He will if Alex is there,” Clay observed, confidently. “I only hope the -kid is there,” he added, turning on power and dropping down stream. - -There was a little sand island—one of the kind which lift above the -water one day and sink down the next—just below where Captain Joe had -taken to the shore, and here Case left the _Rambler_, resolved to make -his way to shore along a spit of sand which almost joined the beach with -the island. - -Both Clay and the deputy objected strongly to his going, but he promised -to keep close to the boat and to take no needless risks. The boy bent -low as he crossed the strip of beach, desiring to keep out of sight of -those above if possible. - -“I wish I had gone with him,” King said, as Case disappeared over the -sand hillocks. “He may come across the boys, but find himself unable to -bring Don Durand back with him.” - -“Does the boy know that the search for him is on here?” asked Clay. - -“Oh, he knows, generally, that officers are in pursuit of him,” was the -reply. “He is hiding in all kinds of out-of-the-way places. Without -doubt he slept on your aft deck last night, and breakfasted off pancakes -and honey!” the deputy added, with a provoking grin. “And you never knew -he was there! He must have been hungry.” - -“Then I’m glad he got the pancakes!” insisted Clay. “He was welcome to -them, and might have had a softer bed last night, if he had only made -his presence on the _Rambler_ known to us. How long ago was it that he -took this money?” - -“Oh, somewhere near a month ago,” was the reply. “He has given the -officers a great chase, if he is a mite of a fellow.” - -The _Rambler_ lay off the sand island, and close to it, for the water -was deep on one side, for an hour before any movement was seen on shore. -The Mexicans above had evidently taken shelter from the scorching sun, -believing that they would be able to intercept the boat if she started -up stream, for no one was in sight on shore opposite the old anchorage. -It was very hot on deck, and King and Clay sought the cabin, resolved to -there await some signal from Case. - -Presently Captain Joe’s head showed above the natural levee, and then -the body of the white bulldog lifted over the elevation, shot swiftly to -the water line and swam off to the _Rambler_, Clay and the deputy -watching to see that he was not followed from the shore. - -“Now, what do you think that means?” Clay asked, as Captain Joe gave the -deck a liberal sprinkling and took his place in front of the boy, -regarding him with watchful and anxious eyes. “He wants something.” - -“He wants us to go ashore with him,” King interpreted. “He’s found the -boys, and they are in trouble. Now, what about leaving the boat?” - -“We might as well make the Mexicans a present of it,” Clay answered. - -“That’s true!” King replied. “Well, you can do more with the boys and -the dog than I can, so you would better go with him. I’ll do the best I -can to defend the _Rambler_, if an attack is made.” - -Clay was uncertain as to the correct course to pursue. While he did not -doubt the honesty of the deputy sheriff, he realized that he was out in -quest of a fugitive for whose arrest a large sum of money was offered. -The boy understood that the officer would adopt almost any selfish plan -that promised success to his official undertaking. - -He believed that he would even requisition the _Rambler_ and sail away -with it if he should by chance find, or get, the fugitive on board -during the absence of the owners. There would be need of his sailing -away instantly, too, for the Mexicans were reckless and vicious, and out -after the same reward! - -Just how King might get Durand on board during his absence he had not -the slightest idea. In fact, he considered such a thing as utterly -impossible, and yet he found himself actually considering such a -possibility in reaching out for reasons why he ought not to leave the -_Rambler_ in the sole charge of this stranger. - -Clay knew that there was always a chance that Durand, pursued by the -Mexicans, might make for the motor boat, not knowing the conditions -existing on board. Still, it was so remote a chance that he smiled as he -considered it. But something had to be done. - -Captain Joe’s return, his attitude, told of trouble ashore. If all had -been well with the boys, one or all of them would have accompanied the -dog to the motor boat. Clay decided to take the one chance there was of -losing the _Rambler_—the only chance there was if King was what he -professed to be. The boys demanded his whole attention. - -“There’s only one thing I want to say to you,” King said, as Clay -lowered himself over the rail. “If you find this Durand boy with the -others, just bring him along with you, and say nothing about my being on -board. If you get him here, you shall share the reward.” - -Clay made no promise. He was more than disgusted at the course events -were taking. Instead of sailing, care-free, up the river, as had been -planned, his chums were in some trouble of which he knew nothing on -shore, and he was leaving the _Rambler_ in the charge of an entire -stranger. - -Besides, on their very first day on the Colorado, they had become -entangled in the meshes of a crime committed in Chicago more than a -month before, and the boy had had enough of crime on his previous river -trips! - -Just now, his chief aim was to get entirely away from civilization. He -wanted to get his friends together once more, get rid of King and all -that he represented, and proceed to the wonderful sights to be found on -the river. He wanted to lose sight of everything save the original -purpose of the trip. He had had enough of mixing with others’ affairs! - -He gained the shore without getting more than his feet wet and crossed -the tide-washed stretch of sand to the natural levee. Looking back, he -saw King tinkering with the motors, and was seriously inclined to return -to the _Rambler_. But Captain Joe was urging him on with all the -arguments known to a white bulldog, so he crossed the string of sandy -barrier and set out for the spur which ran down from the foothills. - -There was no one in sight, either up or down the river, and his idea was -that the Mexicans had deserted the position opposite the old anchorage. -Either that, or they were in hiding ahead, waiting to seize him. - -Finally Captain Joe deserted him, wandered off unobserved into one of -the wrinkles in the hills. He could not understand this at all, for the -dog should have continued to lead the way to the source of trouble he -had returned to the _Rambler_ to report. - -For a moment Clay considered the advisability of returning at once to -the motor boat. The sun shone out of the sky like a blazing ball of -fire, and the sands were hot and blinding. As far as he could see, up -and down the river, there were no evidences of human life in sight save -only the _Rambler_, lying on a stream which seemed to Clay to have a -right to boil with the heat which surrounded it. - -But Clay hated a quitter as much as he hated a coward, and so kept on -toward the glaring foothills which lifted straight away to the west. -Then voices to right and left told him that he had been trapped! - - - - -CHAPTER IV.—“THE PHANTOM BOARDER” - - -When Alex climbed over the top of the motor boat’s cabin for the purpose -of investigating the mystery of the disappearance of the cakes and -honey, he saw a dripping lad much smaller than himself sitting close -under the open window composedly devouring the pancakes and honey! So -great was the haste, or so imperious the hunger, of the boy that he was -cramming the cakes into his mouth as if stuffing them into a bag! - -In the sheltered position in which he sat he could not be seen from the -inside of the cabin, even by one glancing through the open window, -unless the person so investigating should thrust his head far out of the -opening. He was crowded up against the rear wall of the cabin, in a -small pool of water which had trinkled out of his soaked garments. It -was evident that he had not long been out of the river. - -Alex, lying flat on his stomach on the roof of the cabin, reached down a -hand in an attempt to seize the intruder by the hair of the head. Now -that he had discovered the purloiner of the breakfast, he was bent on -dragging him, a captive, before his chums—with what was left of the -cakes in sight! - -But the boy did not reach down far enough. Instead of grasping the rusty -red hair of the visitor, he merely seized a flat, postage-stamp cap -which illy protected his head from the rays of the sun. The lad felt his -cap lifting and, thrusting the cakes, covered with honey as they were, -into a pocket of his trousers, looked up to see Alex grinning down at -him. - -To this day Alex insists that he then saw the quickest human movement of -his life. One instant the intruder was sitting on the narrow aft deck -stuffing pancakes into his mouth. The next he was under water, swimming -swiftly down with the current! Alex saw only a twinkle of wet shoes and -dripping stockings and the lad was gone! - -The boy watched the thief for only a second. Without stopping to warn -his chums, without considering the risks he was running, he foolishly -sprang down on the aft deck and dove headfirst into the river. It was -little wonder that the unusual proceedings at the stern of the boat -failed to arouse Captain Joe, for in a minute the boys were under water -and far down stream. - -About the time Clay and Case were looking for their chum, Alex was, in -close pursuit of the pancake thief, crawling out of the river some -distance below at a point, in fact, where a sprawling island of sand was -almost connected with the shore by a long spit! Before the searchers -climbed over on the aft deck, the hot sun had completely evaporated the -water the intruder had brought there in his garments, so there were no -traces of his ever having been there at all! - -Reaching the shore, the fugitive dashed across the tide-leveled beach -and sprang lightly over the levee. Alex came, panting, after him, for -the swim had been a long one, to meet with the surprise of his life when -he half climbed, half tumbled, over the shifting elevation. - -The fugitive seized him as he dropped, turned him over by a deft and -powerful movement of hands, arms and body, and promptly sat down on him, -holding his arms down on his breast! Alex was practically helpless, -although his assailant was much smaller than himself, and panting, too, -from the same long swim—mostly under the reddish brown waters of the -river. He was not long, however, in realizing the humor of the -situation, for he looked up into the freckled face above him with a -grin. - -Now, Alex’s grin was an alluring thing! He had conquered enemies with -it, and secured more than his share of Christmas presents at free -distributions in Chicago, when he was still a little tot. The victorious -thief “fell for it,” as he would have expressed it, and gave back one -that was very much like it! - -“What’s doing?” Alex demanded, in a moment. - -“What do you mean by spoiling my breakfast?” demanded the other. - -Alex roared as heartily as was possible, considering the restrained -position in which he found himself. It was too funny! - -“Your breakfast!” Alex exclaimed. “You’ve got your nerve! My breakfast! -You’ve got your appetite with you, too, if you ate all you stole through -the cabin window! You must have been hungry!” - -The stranger bounded off Alex and sat down on the sand, keeping a -watchful eye on his late prisoner, however. Alex rose to a sitting -position and grinned again. The other took a pancake from his pocket and -began eating. Alex looked on and wondered at the appetite! - -“Does it taste as mussy as it looks?” he asked, referring to the -pancake, which looked like a mass of brown dough dripping with honey and -crushed into odd shapes by soiled fingers. - -“It tastes like something to eat!” was the reply. “Say, but I was about -starved to death when I smelt the pancakes. If I’ll go back on board, -will you cook me some more? I’m still hungry!” - -“Sure I will,” replied Alex. “What did you run away for?” - -“You haven’t heard?” demanded the other, suspiciously. - -“Haven’t heard what?” asked Alex. - -The other looked out to the foothills and back to the levee, which -concealed the river from view. Then he searched his pocket for another -pancake, failed to find it, and rolled along on the sand. - -“Haven’t heard what?” asked Alex, determined to know what the other was -driving at. “What haven’t I heard? What you mean by that?” - -“What’s your name?” the stranger asked, abruptly. - -“Alex Smithwick,” was the quick reply. - -“I’ve heard of you,” the other went on. “Some Chicago newspaper printed -a picture of the _Rambler_ and you three boys. That’s how I found the -nerve to visit you last night. I’m from Chicago. I was looking for you!” - -“Tell me what it is I haven’t heard,” Alex insisted, “and tell me your -name! I’ve told you mine.” - -“I’m Don Durand,” was the quick reply. “I guess that will tell all there -is to tell. Guess you’ve heard that name before!” - -“You ain’t ever been president of the United States, or lightweight -champion, or the jockey that won the derby, or anything like that, have -you?” Alex asked, whimsically. “If you have, I’ve overlooked a big one, -for I never heard that name until just now! Unravel your crime, me son!” -he added, with a grin which brought out all the freckles in his friendly -face. - -“It is a crime, all right!” Don admitted, hanging his head. - -“I didn’t know it!” Alex cried, distressed at the other’s humiliation. -“If I had, I wouldn’t have said the word. If you don’t want to talk -about it, you needn’t.” - -“I want you to know,” Don answered. “I’ve just got to tell some one, or -I’ll bust! I’m a thief!” - -“Pancakes and honey?” asked Alex. “I knew that before!” - -“No; money,” the other went on. “A whole lot of money!” - -“Huh!” Alex observed, looking over the hot sand, the hotter hills, the -brazen sky, and the starved landscape, “did you come down here to serve -out your sentence? Strikes me that you’d better be in some nice cool -jail, where there is plenty of pancakes and honey!” - -“I’ve stolen about all the money there is in the world!” Don said, in a -moment, a troubled look coming over his face. - -“Have you got it yet?” asked Alex. - -“Every cent of it!” was the reply. “Every last cent of it!” - -Don threw off his wet jacket, loosened his waistband, and, after working -both hands in the vicinity of his hips for a moment, making wry faces -every second of the time, drew forth a waterproof belt the bulging sides -of which proclaimed crowded contents. After shaking it to remove any -chance drop of water, Don unfastened the buckles and began unwinding the -oiled silk which enclosed the contents of the belt. - -Directly the long wrapping lay on the sand at the boy’s side, and the -burden of the belt lay revealed. Alex’s eyes bulged out so they ached. - -The waterproof belt had been stuffed with money—gold treasury notes of -the denomination of $1,000! - -“Wow!” Alex exclaimed, almost involuntarily. “Talk about wealth! There -it is! How many of those picture cards are there?” - -“Fifty!” was the quiet reply. “I stole $50,000.” - -“That’s nice!” grinned Alex. “Are you going abroad to buy a little -kingdom with it? Standard Oil hasn’t anything on you!” - -“I’m going to give it to the owner,” was the unexpected reply. - -“Well, why don’t you, then?” asked the boy. - -“Because I don’t know where he is. He’s lost!” - -“You knew where he was when you stole it from him, didn’t you?” asked -Alex. “Why can’t you go find him?” - -“I didn’t steal it from the owner,” was the reply. “I stole it from the -man that stole it from the owner.” - -Don, exploring the belt, brought out two slips of paper, read them over -hastily, and crushed them back into the secure cavity again. - -Alex did not ask what the quick action meant, for he was busy with the -gold notes. He had never before seen so much money at one time in his -life. It seemed to him that all the wealth of the world lay exposed on -the hot sand at his feet. Don regarded it carelessly. - -Presently Alex took the notes into his hands and began counting them. He -placed them in little heaps, then he laid them along the sand, end to -end. He was interrupted in the midst of this fascinating employment by a -low cry from Don. - -“What is it he asked?” gathering the money up in one heap, preparatory -to concealing it. “Some one coming?” - -“Some one peered over that sand dune,” Don answered. “I saw eyes like a -snake’s feasting on the money! I shouldn’t have taken it out in an -exposed place like this. What shall I do with it?” - -Alex’s resourceful mind was not long in finding a way. - -“Grab it up,” he directed. “Make as if you were putting it back in the -belt, but pass it to me, with the silk, and I’ll bury it in the sand. -Here, put plenty of sand in the belt, so it will look like it was still -full of money. Now, put it on! Turn so any one watching us will see you -doing it. They’ll think you're hiding the money in the belt again, but -we’ll fool ’em!” - -Don did as directed by the quick-witted lad, and then Alex started away -toward the river, walking as if he had no idea that there was any one in -the world besides himself and friend. He smiled as he turned to his -companion, whose eyes were fixed intently on the location of the silk -covering which held the treasury notes. - -“Think I’m going to cut and run with the mazuma?” he asked, following -the other’s gaze back to his own wet clothing. - -“Why—why—of course not,” faltered the other. “Why should you?” - -“I’m going to hide it in the sand, and take bearings so that either of -us can find it,” Alex went on. “This neat little bunch of spinach is not -for the Greasers! It might be their ruin!” he added, with a grin. “It -might drive them to drink!” - -“But the tide and the current may wash that sand away, or shift it -about, within the next twenty-four hours,” urged Don, with a sigh. - -“That’s true!” Alex admitted, with a worried look. “That’s true. We are -now up against the responsibilities of great wealth!” he continued, with -another whimsical grin. “Do you see the Greasers watching us yet? They -mustn’t suspect that the belt is empty of cash!” - -“One of them peeped over a rise just as we started away,” was the reply. -“They’re watching us, all right enough. They smell money?” - -Alex threw himself down on the sand, in a position which overlooked the -river, and rolled about in exaggerated ease. Don sat down close at his -side, and the money was buried between them. - -“See that bald old peak across the river?” asked Alex, when the job had -been satisfactorily completed. “And that topknot to the west?” - -“Sure I do!” Don replied, still watching the spot where the money had -been placed, and looking as if he would like to dig it up again. - -“Well, when you want this cash, just come to the top of this barrier and -dig on a straight line between the two. Then you can’t miss it.” - -“Unless the water gets here first!” Don grumbled. - -“It _is_ risky,” Alex admitted, “but if you keep it in the belt the -Greasers stand a show of getting it, so where’s the odds? Just now they -think you’ve got the money on your person, and so, considering it safe -for the present, they won’t be in any hurry about attacking us. That -gives us a chance for our lives, anyway, though they’re pretty sure to -come after us before long.” - -While the lads lay watching the river, and wishing themselves aboard the -distant _Rambler_, three ferocious-looking fellows crept upon them, -moving over the hot sand like snakes. So intently were the lads watching -the motor boat that the first intimation of their peril they received -was the harsh laugh of one of the Mexicans as the three closed up behind -the unsuspecting youngsters. When Alex turned around he found himself -looking into the steel-blue muzzle of an automatic. - -“Welcome to our midst!” the boy said, trying to make a grin come easily. - -One of the Mexicans seized Don by the shoulders and drew him back, as if -about to strip the money belt off him, but another checked him with a -coarse command. It was plain that they still believed the belt to hold -the treasury notes, and plain, too, that the three were not trustful of -each other. At least, for some reason, two of the three preferred -leaving the money where it was for the time being. - -The Mexicans were evidently waiting for some anticipated event to take -place, for they sat down near the boys and kept close watch of the river -and the shore opposite where the motor boat lay. The lads soon saw Case -and Clay row down the river in search of Alex, saw King board the -_Rambler_, saw the Mexicans desert him, and heard the shots fired across -the levee. - -They saw the dog spring overboard and swim down to them, but could not -induce him to come to them. Captain Joe soon disappeared, and in a -minute the _Rambler_ dropped down to the point where he had left the -water and Case landed on the island and made for the shore, almost -exactly where the lads lay with their captors. - -Alex tried to warn the boy, but dropped back in disgust when a gun was -thrust into his face! - - - - -CHAPTER V.—A SURPRISE FOR THE GREASERS. - - -“Get up and get him!” commanded one of the three, in tolerable English, -as Case reached the shore. “We’ll have to take him, too!” - -One of the others replied angrily, but neither of them moved. It was -evident that the three were suspicious of each other, and that neither -of them cared to lose sight of the boy who was believed to have the -stolen money. - -They could not trust each other even to the extent of removing the money -from the boy who was supposed to carry it. Each one thought the boy’s -waist a more desirable place for the cash than the hands of either of -his companions! - -The Mexican who had spoken in English turned to Alex with a malicious -grin on his dusky, dirty, greasy face. - -“Call him here!” he commanded, pointing to Case, now turning off down -the river and looking sharply about for the boys. - -“I won’t!” replied the boy. “I’m not going to help you get him! I hope -he’ll turn around and shoot you up! You let him alone!” - -The other’s eyes blazed angrily and he leveled his revolver at Case, who -was still increasing the distance between himself and the boys. - -“Very well,” the Mexican said. “We can’t permit him to spy about the -country. If you won’t call him to you, I’ll shoot him where he stands. -I’ll give you while you count ten to decide.” - -This put a different complexion on the situation. Alex hesitated only a -second. He had every reason to believe that the Mexican would keep his -word regarding the suggested murder of Case. He looked vicious enough to -commit any crime, even that of shooting a boy in the back. If taken -prisoner, Case might still stand a chance of getting away, while if -deliberately shot down that would be the end of all things for him. - -“Say, Case” the boy cried out, then. “Come on over here. I’ve got -something to show you. Hurry up!” - -Case turned about and ran toward the sheltered spot where the men lay -with their prisoners. The boy’s face was wreathed with smiles, for he -had been more than anxious about Alex. The Mexican’s evil eyes lighted -up wickedly as the boy came up to his chums, looking suspiciously at the -Mexicans as he advanced. - -There were no weapons in sight, and so Case’s suspicions passed away in -a measure, and he sat down by Alex’s side, his eyes fixed inquiringly on -the others, and especially on Don Durand, the boy King had described as -such a desperado. A bulging pocket at once caught the attention of the -Mexican who had ordered Alex to call the lad into captivity. - -“Stand up!” he ordered. “Stand up and throw out those guns!” - -Case threw a hand behind his back, but before he could draw the other -had him covered. Case stood up and dropped his automatics to the sand. -Then he turned a scornful eye on Alex, who sat chuckling as if he -considered it all a great joke. - -“You’re a fine chum!” he said. “Turned pirate, have you?” - -“Of course!” Alex returned. “I’ve got a choice collection of pirates -here. Ever see any alleged human beings who would fit an electric chair -any better than these three? They make a nice flock of jailbirds, don’t -they?” - -“Is that what you called me over here for?” asked Case. “To say that?” - -“I called you over here,” was the reply, “to keep a procession of -bullets out of your back. I’d rather have you here alive than out on the -sands dead! This other chap is Don Durand,” he continued, making the -introduction with a chuckle at the absurdity of the situation. - -“I’ve heard of him,” Case answered. “King told me about the money he -stole. King will soon be down after him!” - -“So!” exclaimed the Mexican. “You think he’ll come after the boy? That -is good news, but he needn’t to take the pains! As soon as we pluck the -kid we’ll send him up to King. What, fellows?” he added, turning to his -sullen companions with a provoking sneer on his hard face. - -The two men nodded, but made no verbal reply to the question. - -“Your friends seem to be afflicted with the mollygrubs!” Alex said, -turning to the spokesman of the party. “Perhaps they’ve been eating -something that doesn’t agree with them! Yes? No? What?” - -“You seem to be a bright boy!” scowled the other. - -“That’s the correct answer!” laughed Alex. “Why don’t you go on up to -the motor boat and get King? He’s looking for you.” - -“I’m not looking for him,” was the sullen reply. “I’m waiting for him to -go away, then I’ll make myself scarce—him and his minions!” - -Case now began to understand the situation. He had heard King say that -Don Durand carried about with him the money he had stolen. He knew that -King’s paid assistants had deserted him in order to get the money for -themselves if they could. What he saw now, was that these Mexicans had -originally been in the employ of the deputy, and that they had succeeded -in getting the boy where King had failed. Still, he could not account -for Alex’s being there with Don. - -“King is going to remain here until he gets his prisoner,” he said, -presently, glancing at Don. “He wants that reward,” he continued, “and -is likely to get it, too, for all of you fellows!” - -“He may have the reward,” snarled the Mexican, glancing at the boy -angrily, as if ready to punish him for speaking without permission. “He -may have the reward. All we want is the stolen money!” - -“I hope it will burn up before you touch it!” Alex cut in. - -“It is hot enough here to burn most anything!” Case observed. - -“You see,” Alex commented, turning to Case, “what a fine, honest bunch I -butted into when I followed Don off the rear deck of the boat! This lad, -Don Durand, is a prince compared with the three Mexicans.” - -The spokesman scowled fiercely, but the boy went on, taking a savage -delight in making at least one of his captors show temper. - -“These three,” Alex added, swinging a hand around the circle of dusky -faces, “are the—the—well, they are the limit! They want to steal the -cash from the boy who stole it from the man who stole it from another -man! When they get it, if they ever do, they will fight over it—and this -Englishman, or the person who speaks English, will murder his companions -and take it all. It is a fine flock of jailbirds!” - -The Mexican addressed a few angry words to a companion, and the latter -arose and moved toward Alex with a long grass rope. The boy sprang away, -but there was the ever-present revolver and the threatening face behind -it, so he settled back on the hot sand. - -“If you say anything more,” the Mexican snarled, “I’ll have your tongue -tied instead of your hands and feet. Understand?” - -Alex submitted to the tying without a word of protest, though he laughed -bravely in the face of the man who did the work. The boy had -accomplished his purpose, and was willing to suffer a temporary -inconvenience. He had notified Case that the three captors were -suspicious of each other, and probably would not stand together if a -rush was made against them. He had also informed him that the money had -not yet been secured by the Mexicans, and that they were as ready to -fight King or their fellow countrymen for it as to battle with their -captives. - -Case understood that Alex was talking for his information, and once more -turned his attention to the motor boat. He saw Captain Joe trot over the -spit and the island and leap on board the craft, saw King and Clay -conversing together for a time, and then saw the dog leave the boat with -Clay close behind him. - -The others saw what was going on, too, and the hearts of the boys sank -at the thought of Clay becoming a prisoner. Before Clay gained the shore -the Mexicans ordered the boys to their feet and retreated with them to a -more sheltered spot higher up in the foothills. Alex did his best, -during the move, to attract the attention of Clay and so warn him, but -the boy was across the levee, following the dog closely, and so the -prisoners with their escort passed over the level, scalding stretch of -sand without being seen by the searcher, who was still on the opposite -side of the barrier. - -From their hiding-place the boys finally saw Clay climb over the sand -levee and continue on his way to the hills. For a moment Captain Joe -moved along ahead of him, his short ears pricked forward, his nose close -to the ground, then the dog ran on and disappeared in a wrinkle to the -south, where the hills reached out nearer to the shoreline. - -The Mexicans were now holding what seemed to be a heated argument as to -the advisability of shooting Clay before he got to them. The boys could -understand only the words used by the spokesman, and he appeared to be -arguing against such a step, advising that murdering an American was a -crime which rarely escaped punishment. Clay heard the voices and stopped -short. - -“Alex! Case!” he cried out. “Where are you hiding?” - -“Answer him! Answer him!” commanded the Mexican. “Tell him to come here! -You will so save his life! Do it quick!” - -“I won’t!” shouted Alex, raising his voice. “I won’t. Keep away, Clay!” -he cried, lifting his bound wrists high above his head in order that -Clay might see. “Keep away until you can bring help!” - -“You fool!” shouted the Mexican. “You murdering fool!” - -Instead of starting away, Clay ran forward, drawing his automatic as he -advanced. Two of the captors fired at him but missed. At the same moment -the third man, angry at Alex’s disobedience of orders, sprang upon him -and raised a revolver as if to beat his brains out. - -But before the weapon could fall something which looked like a white -streak of wrath shot through the air and landed on top of the man who -was bending over the boy. The Mexican struggled, clutched at the dog, -and went down, with Captain Joe’s teeth in the back of his neck. Once on -the ground, he lay perfectly still, as the dog’s teeth seemed less -dangerous when no resistance was offered. - -In the meantime, with Clay running forward, regardless of the shots that -were being fired at him, and Don Durand making off toward the hills to -the west, the two remaining captors lost interest in the situation and -struck out on a swift run. - -When Clay reached the spot where Alex lay, still bound, he heard the boy -urging Case to follow on after Don and bring him back. - -“He thinks Clay is an officer!” Alex shouted. “Go and tell him the -truth. Shoot the Mexicans and bring him back!” - -Case understood in an instant and started on a run after the three, by -this time some little distance away. But the boy had advanced but a few -paces when he saw one of the Mexicans reach out and drag Don to the -ground. There he proceeded to search him for the money belt! - -Case’s shot was not necessary at that time, for the other Mexican turned -about and shot his companion through the head. Then he, in turn, bent -over the boy, unfastening the belt with fingers which were uncertain -because of the excitement of the time. - -Case saw him lift the belt and turn away. He raised his revolver, which -he had snatched from the ground at Clay’s first shot, and fired, not -knowing whether he was aiming at the head or the heels of the fleeing -man. The bullet struck the Mexican in the right shoulder and the belt -dropped to the ground. Without stopping to pick it up the fellow -continued his course to the hills, and, as Case did not follow, was soon -lost to sight. Don Durand was also hidden in the hills. - -When Case returned to Clay and Alex with the sand-stuffed belt in his -hand they both reached out for it. Alex did not care to have the -deception discovered, and Clay desired to take a look at the money which -King had told him about. The Mexican looked on with sullen eyes. - -Alex got the belt and then asked: - -“Why didn’t you bring Don back with you?” - -“He went up in the air,” was the reply, “just like Alex did earlier in -the day. One second he was on the ground with a man searching him, and -the next he was nowhere to be seen. Why did he run away?” - -“He thinks Clay is after him,” grinned Alex. - -“But he left his money behind,” Case put in. - -“Yes,” Alex admitted, with an inward chuckle, “and I’ll look out for it -until he returns. I promised him I would if anything happened to him. -He’s keeping the money for the man it was stolen from.” - -Alex placed the belt about his own waist and watched the Mexican -wiggling away. There was no reason why he should detain him. Don was off -into the mountains and there was little danger of his being caught. The -money was hidden in the sand, and would be safe until either Don or -himself dug it out. So, on the whole, it might be just as well to permit -the fellow to make his escape! - -The firing had, of course, attracted the attention of Deputy King, and -the boys now saw him approaching. The Mexican saw him, too, and, -bounding to his feet, darted away. In two minutes’ time he was out of -sight in the hills. The third man lay dead where he had fallen. - -When King came up there remained only Clay, Case, and Alex to greet him. -Before he had quite reached them, the latter warned the others to say -nothing of the money belt. After they were on their way, after Don was -out of his reach, King would undoubtedly be told by some of the Mexicans -that the belt had passed to Alex. - -In that case, the boy reasoned, the pursuit of Don would cease for a -time, and that would give him an opportunity to find the person the cash -had been stolen from. Don had not told the whole story of the crime to -Alex, but the latter had heard enough to cause him to sympathize with -the boy and wish him all luck in getting away. - -“Why,” King said, coming up to the little group, “I was sure I saw a -smaller lad here with you. Where is he now? Did you let him get away?” - -“He went right up into the blue sky!” insisted Alex. - -“And the Mexicans went with him?” asked King, with a smile. - -“They’ll not catch him,” Case answered, “if he keeps on running.” - -“It looks more like they would catch the Rambler!” shouted Alex. - - - - -CHAPTER VI.—TEDDY BEAR MAKES A HIT. - - -All turned toward the river as Alex shouted out the warning. The level -of the hiding-place chosen by the Mexicans was above that of the levee, -and so the _Rambler_ could be distinctly seen by the boys. She lay in -the river without motion, save now and then a jerky pull at the -anchor-chain, but just below her a rowboat was moving swiftly up stream. - -The intention of the rowers, of whom there were three, to board the -motor boat could not be denied. If they succeeded, and knew how to run -the motors, the craft would be at their mercy. - -Clay, Case and King started toward the river on a brisk run, but Alex -loitered behind for a reason of his own. He knew that the three could do -all that more could accomplish in the way of rescuing the boat, and he -had a little mission of his own to carry out before leaving the place. - -He wanted to secure the buried money and hide it safely away on the -_Rambler_! Clay and Case believed that the belt had contained the cash -when passed over to him. He wanted them to think, when the truth became -known, that the sand filling had been supplied by Don without his -knowledge, and with a view to deceive. - -In short, he wanted no one to know that he had the money. He knew that -he could trust Case and Clay, but he knew, also, that they could not be -dragged into trouble because of the stolen money if they did not know -that it was on board! He wanted to keep the cash for Don, but he did not -want any one to know that he had it. - -When, in the future, the belt should be brought out and shown to contain -only sand, that would settle the money part of the affair so far as the -boys were concerned, he thought. And King did not even know that he had -the belt, and there was no need of his knowing. - -Thus reasoning, even at that exciting time, Alex managed to fall down on -the exact spot where the treasury notes had been buried and secure the -oiled silk package without being observed in the act. - -In fact, at that time, Clay, Case, and King were utilizing all their -energy in the run they were making to head off the rowers and get to the -motor boat first. The men in the boat were rowing to the utmost of their -strength, and it seemed certain that they would win out in the race. - -The three were still on shore when the rowers, abandoning their own boat -in their haste, sprang on the _Rambler_’s deck. One of them rushed to -get the motors into action, while the others drew guns and lined up -along the side of the boat which the others would approach. - -“There is no way but to fight it out!” Clay cried, drawing his own -automatic. “If they get off with the _Rambler_ now, that will be the -last of her so far as we are concerned.” - -The boarders crouched down behind the railing, exhibiting only ugly, -triumphant faces. The man at the motors seemed to be having trouble with -them, for there was no answering snap when he turned on the feed. The -others finally gathered about him, as if to assist in getting the boat -under way. Then an unexpected thing happened. - -The boys saw the man who had first approached the motors spring into the -air with a look of pain and terror on his face. Then the others almost -turned handsprings getting to the prow of the boat. There was a sullen -snarl on the deck, and then a furry object shot forward to the prow -where the intruders stood. - -In a moment the deck was clear, except that Teddy lifted his paws to the -railing and looked across the island at the boys, winking one eye as if -calling attention to a battle well won. He had been asleep by the motors -and the intruder had stepped on him! That told the tale! - -The bear had bitten the fellow through the ankle, and the battle was -ended with that one bite! When the boys reached the boat the three men -were swimming down stream in a futile effort to overtake their deserted -rowboat. Teddy welcomed them on deck with a grin that was almost human. - -After Captain Joe had been praised for his part of the fight on shore, -and after Teddy had been told what a hero he was and given all the honey -he could consume at one sitting, the two, the dog and the bear, repaired -to the aft deck to compare notes and fall asleep. - -“That’s some bear!” King said, as Teddy shambled away. - -“The fellow must have stepped on him,” Alex grinned. “Teddy is -particular about not being stepped on. He doesn’t like to be used as a -rug. My, how those chaps did swim! Guess they thought there were a dozen -bears in the water after them! Yes, Teddy’s some bear.” - -King eyed Alex with disapproval for a moment and then asked: - -“How did you come to let Don Durand get away from you?” - -“Ask the Mexicans how they came to let us get away from them,” replied -the lad. “I guess you saw what was going on. When Don ran away we were -all pretty busy. Besides, you were not much farther away from him than -we were. Why didn’t you catch him?” - -“You were with him some time before the Mexicans came up?” asked King. - -“Not so very long,” was the reply. - -“What did he say to you?” was the next question. - -“He said he took the money from a man who stole it, and would return it -to its real owner as soon as he could find him.” - -King broke into a laugh, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the boy’s -face. Alex only grinned impudently back at him. - -“You believe all he told you?” the deputy asked, in a moment. - -“I didn’t say that. I didn’t say anything about what I believe. I can’t -see as it makes any difference to you, anyway. I’m not a factor in the -case. Don Durand is over there in the hills somewhere. Go and get him—if -you can.” - -King looked the boy straight in the eyes for a moment and then turned -away with a laugh which the boys did not like the sound of, it was so -low and threatening. - -“All right!” he said. “I’ll go and get him!” - -There was anger in the deputy’s face and manner as he stepped over to -the sandy island and turned toward the shore. - -“Wait!” Clay called after him. “Do you see what time it is? Most noon -and we’re all hungry. Wait and have a dinner with us.” - -“Anyhow,” Alex added, conciliatingly, “your Mexican deputies have taken -to the mountains, and you can do nothing alone. Come on back and let us -show you how hungry boys eat! No use to go ashore now!” - -King, noting the changed tone, hesitated, looked shoreward for a time, -and then turned back to the _Rambler_. He was silent for a time, and -then asked: - -“Did this Don Durand say where and when he expected to find the real -owner of the stolen money? Did he say who owns it?” - -Alex shook his head. His idea was that King should join them in a good, -friendly dinner and then go away without asking questions about what Don -had or had not said. He had a notion, a hope, too, that, in time, Don -might join the _Rambler_ crew if King would only get out of the way. - -“We didn’t have time to talk about anything,” he explained, pleasantly. -“Just as soon as we got to shore the ruction commenced, and we were kept -busy taking care of ourselves. He would probably have come back to the -boat with us if he hadn’t seen you. You frightened him away!” - -Having thus adroitly placed the blame for Don’s flight on the deputy, -Alex leaned back in his chair and pretended to be very sleepy. - -“I don’t blame you for his flight,” King finally said, “but I really -believe you might tell me more of his plans. It seems he became quite -friendly with you. Has he kept all the money?” - -“He said he had every cent of it,” Alex replied, not adding that at that -minute the stolen treasury notes were hidden under his own clothing. - -“If I could get hold of the stolen handbag and the money,” King went on, -“I think I might be able to compromise for the boy. The man who lost the -bag and the notes seems to want to get his property back more than he -wants the boy punished.” - -Alex considered this new proposition gravely. Could King suspect that he -had the money? It seemed to the boy that the bag was of too trifling -importance to be mentioned in connection with the money. That is, unless -it had contained something of great value besides the treasury notes! -Was King talking for his benefit in suggesting that the return of the -money and the bag might release Don from further pursuit? - -Then Alex remembered the papers he had seen Don stow away so carefully -in the belt. They might be of the greatest importance, and he resolved -to examine the belt at the first opportunity in order to see if they -were still there. King watched the boy curiously, as if understanding -what was passing in his mind. - -“I don’t think he will ever give up the money,” Alex said, presently, -“until he gives it to the person to whom he thinks it belongs. I guess -he took it from this man Josiah Trumbull just to pass it on to the real -owner. I don’t know anything about the bag. He did not even mention it -to me,” he concluded, looking King enquiringly in the face. - -“The man who came out from Chicago to see me,” the deputy explained, -“laid great stress on the handbag. He seemed to think that Don would -keep the bag as well as the money. And he wanted the bag just as much as -he wanted the treasury notes.” - -“How did he know that Don was out in this country?” asked Alex. - -“Oh,” laughed King, “a lad like Don is easy to follow. He was in Phoenix -and Yuma several days, but always got out just ahead of the man who -engaged me to handle the case. He must have had warning of his coming, I -think.” - -“What was he doing in Yuma and Phoenix?” asked Alex, in a moment. - -“Hanging around the hotels, evidently waiting for some one.” - -“Huh!” the boy ventured. “I guess his story is true, then. He might have -been looking for the real owner of the money and the handbag. Think so?” - -“He may have been,” was the reluctant answer. “In fact, I believe the -boy really thinks he is doing a noble deed in keeping the property he -stole for some unknown person thought by him to own it.” - -“Glad you think that!” exclaimed Alex. “Don thinks he is doing the right -thing, anyway, whether he is or not. I like him!” - -“At any rate,” King concluded, “he has a loyal friend in you, and I -shall say no more about the matter while I am your guest. I hope, -however, that he will give me a chance to confer with him before long.” - -“If he should come to you to talk things over,” Alex asked, “wouldn’t -you arrest him? Would you let him go back to his hiding-place -unmolested? I may see him some day, and I’ll tell him what you say.” - -“Yes; he may talk with me without fear of arrest,” was the reply. “And -now,” the deputy went on, “that I have said just what I came back to -say, I must be on my way. If you see Don, say to him that I want to have -a talk with him, and that he will profit by the interview.” - -King arose and, after expressing thanks for the boys' hospitality, -passed over the sandy island and the tapering spit, and was soon lost to -view in the foothills. Alex watched him with a smile on his shrewd face. - -“There’s something about this case I haven’t got hold of yet,” he mused. -“There was something in the handbag besides money. Anyway, the Trumbull -person wants it, and Don hasn’t got it. Now, I wonder if the papers I -saw Don have were in the handbag, and whether they are not the property -the man who engaged King is so anxious to get?” - -The boys were all tired, and it was finally agreed that they should run -up the river a few miles, “just to get out of the bullet zone,” as Clay -expressed it, and take an afternoon, siesta in the cabin, leaving -Captain Joe and Teddy on guard. Alex was glad of this arrangement, as he -was anxious to get a look at the belt, in order to see if the papers he -had seen Don have were still there. - -The motor boat was speeded for an hour or more, and then Case and Clay -sought their bunks in the cabin. The little room was insufferably hot, -but it was, at that, a slight improvement on the deck outside, so the -lads made the best of it. Alex did not permit himself to sleep with the -others, but lay awake, listening, with his eyes closed, until the -regular breathing of his chums told him that they had passed into the -land of dreams. The boy was miserably tired and sleepy, for the day had -been a trying one, but he forced himself out of his bunk, and over the -cabin roof to the aft deck. - -Captain Joe was sound asleep on the prow, but Teddy crawled over the -cabin with him and cuddled down by his side. Once out of sight of the -others, Alex removed the belt and proceeded to empty the sand out of it. -He remembered that Don had placed the papers he had been so careful of -in the belt, and felt for them. They were packed into a close wad in one -end of the opening, and he took them out. - -They were covered with letters and figures which at first had no meaning -to the boy. One held the letter “X” in the center, the same being -surrounded by letters, standing singly and not in groups like words. - -The other carried a sunburst in the center and was surrounded by -figures, each standing alone, as was the case with the letters. For a -time there seemed to the boy to be no connection whatever between the -two papers, but finally he saw that one referred to location and one to -time. The figures represented hour and minutes and the letters the -points of the compass. Alex could make nothing more of them. - -The papers must be important, for they had been as jealously guarded as -the money itself. Alex thought that in time he might be able to read -their message, so he made exact copies of them for daily use and put the -originals back in the belt. - -Then he unwrapped the money, saw that it was all there, and again placed -it in the oiled silk. It was his idea to hide the money in one place and -the belt in another. He tried to think of a safe place for each, but he -was very tired and sleepy. That had been such a long swim! At last he -rolled the notes up tight in the silk and placed the package in a -pocket, resolved to hide it in the cabin when the boys awoke and left -the way clear. Then he closed his eyes, “just for a minute,” he needed -rest so much! - -The motor boat drew sturdily at its cable. Captain Joe arose from the -prow and cocked his ears at a mysterious sound. Teddy cuddled closer to -the sleeping boy. The sun moved slowly to the west and the heat of the -day in a measure departed. - -Presently the dog moved over to the aft deck and stretched out with his -nose on his paws. Alex, worn out with the activities of the day, slept -on for an hour or more. When he awoke Captain Joe was pulling at his -sleeve and Teddy, the mischievous bear cub, was romping about the small -deck with one end of the oiled silk in his mouth—the strip of oiled silk -which had held the fifty thousand dollars in gold notes! - - - - -CHAPTER VII.—THAT HAUNTED STERN DECK! - - -Alex’s first thought was of the money, the fifty thousand dollars in -gold notes which he had been handling just before he had dropped off -into the sound sleep from which Captain Joe had awakened him. The oiled -silk the bear cub was playing with had enclosed the money! That had not -disappeared, but where were the precious notes—the money upon which so -much depended? The boy was dazed for an instant. - -Then the thought that one of his chums might be playing a practical joke -on him came to his mind. Of course that was it! The motor boat was -anchored nearly in the middle of the Colorado river, not far from the -Gulf of California, at least a mile from either shore, so no one could -have stolen the money! - -The position of the sun told the boy that he had not been asleep more -than an hour, and there were no signs of a boat on the river. If some -thief had boarded the boat Captain Joe would have attacked him. Then he -remembered that the dog had not attacked Don, and was not so certain of -that point. Still, he was hopeful that Case or Clay had taken the money -while he slept, in return for his secrecy in hiding the fact of its -possession from them. Yes; that certainly was it. - -The thought cheered him, and, rising to his feet, he looked through the -open window which gave on the interior of the cabin, expecting to see -the boys chuckling over his distress. But the boys were still asleep. - -This was a facer! The next impression that came to the boy was that -Teddy had shaken the notes out of the silk covering and that they had -fallen into the river. This was not a pleasant conclusion, and Alex -tried to dodge it, but still it forced itself upon him. - -And the original papers? They had gone with the money! Alex felt like -dropping into the river and sinking to the bottom. He had copies of the -papers, but he just could not lose that money! It did not belong to him! -It did not belong to the boy who had entrusted it to him. He would be -accused of stealing it! - -He looked in every crevice of the aft deck, even lifting the trap -covering and looking down on the gasoline tanks. He crawled quietly back -over the cabin roof and searched every part of the deck. There was no -trace of the money or the papers. It was maddening! - -“I guess the notes are drifting down stream,” the boy finally said, with -tears of vexation in his eyes. “Captain Joe,” he added, turning to the -dog, who had followed him over the cabin to the forward deck, “why -didn’t you wake me before? Why did you let Teddy get the package?” - -Captain Joe looked gravely up at the boy and wagged his stump of a tail. -His eyes said that he knew all about it, and could explain everything if -he only had the gift of speech! - -“Did some one come aboard and get it, Captain Joe?” the lad asked, half -convinced, in his misery, that the dog could explain the mystery. - -The dog seemed to understand the question, for he sniffed at the rail of -the boat, appeared to pick up a scent, sprang over the cabin, and sat -down on the aft deck to look steadily into the river. - -“Oh, he did!” Alex cried. “He came in over the prow, climbed over the -cabin, dropped down on the aft deck, snatched the money, and dove into -the river. I understand, old boy! But why didn’t you stop him?” - -Captain Joe, recognizing the tone of reproach, slunk back over the cabin -and lay down on the prow, a favorite resting-place. Teddy laid the strip -of oiled silk at Alex’s feet and looked up with twinkling eyes, as if -inviting the boy to pick it up and have a romp with him! - -“You poor little beastie!” Alex exclaimed. “If you could only talk for a -minute I’d soon know where the money went to! I believe Captain Joe -might tell me more if he wasn’t so lazy!” he added, going back over the -cabin and calling the dog to him. “I believe that stern deck is -haunted!” he added. - -This time he gave the silk to the dog and waited to see what he would do -with it. Captain Joe was undecided for a moment. He seemed to think Alex -a very foolish boy for handing him such a rag as that to pick up a scent -from! Then he went to the aft deck and laid the silk down on the extreme -edge of the low railing. Teddy snatched it off and began romping with -it, much to the disgust of the anxious boy. Hopeless! - -“Fine old watchdog you are!” Alex exclaimed. “Next thing you know, some -one will come on board and steal your ears! You let Don on this deck, -and permitted him to sleep here, you ornery cur, and never said a word -to us about it! Now you’ve let some pirate come here and steal more -money than I’ll ever be able to pay back—not if I live to be a thousand -years old! I didn’t think it of you, Captain Joe!” - -The dog slunk away, and Alex sat down to the bitterest time of his life. -What could he say to Don when he returned and asked for the money? What -could Don say when questioned regarding the honesty of his motives in -taking the handbag and the notes from Trumbull? He could not restore the -money, and therefore his assertion that he had taken it only to place it -where it belonged would look decidedly flat. - -Alex was too honest to think of denying that he had taken the money from -its hiding-place in the sand, although no one knew that he had done so! -He could only admit taking it and tell the story of its loss—a story -which he feared no one would believe! The fifty thousand dollars were -gone, and the boy believed that his chance for an honorable career had -gone with them. - -At last he picked up the silk from the ledge where Captain Joe had -placed it, folded it carefully, and put it into his pocket. Then he -looked about for the belt. That, too, was gone! He looked everywhere for -it, but it was not found. - -He made an especially careful search for it because he knew that he must -account to Clay and Case for it. They knew that he had had it. They had -been led to believe that it still held the stolen money! What would they -say when he told them the exact truth about the matter? - -The boys slept until nearly sunset, and then came rolling out of the -cabin proclaiming appetites beyond those of all other days! As for Alex, -it did not seem to him that he would ever want to eat again! - -“Tell you what, boys,” Clay explained, as the three sat down to a -quickly-prepared supper, “we ought to go on up the river to-night. We -ought to get farther away from the Mexicans and the deputy sheriff. They -are hot after the money Alex is carrying around in that belt, and we may -be attacked at any time. We ought to get up past Yuma, at least!” - -Alex bit his lip and turned his head away. The time had come when he -must face his chums with a story so flimsy that he would not have -believed it if coming from the lips of another! The time had come! - -“Yes,” Case agreed, “we ought to be getting away from here. The men we -did business with down the river would go to any trouble to follow us; -would commit any crime to secure possession of the fifty thousand -dollars Alex has in the belt the Mexican robbed Don Durand of.” - -“Where is the belt?” Clay asked. “Why don’t you show up, Alex, and let -us see what a stack of money looks like? How long do you suppose we will -have to keep it before Don gets to us and claims it?” - -“Yes; produce it!” cried Case. “I can smell it now!” - -“I haven’t got it!” was all Alex could find words to say just then. - -The others looked at him in utter bewilderment until his eyes fell. - -“Who has it, then?” Clay demanded, in a moment. - -“I don’t know!” Alex replied, drearily, and then he told the whole -miserable story—of the sand in the belt, of the papers hidden with the -sand, of the concealment in the levee, of the removal, and finally of -the loss. - -Clay drew a long breath when the boy had concluded. - -“I don’t expect you to believe it,” Alex ventured. “I wouldn’t believe a -yarn like that if told me by a preacher.” - -“If I told you, you would believe it, wouldn’t you?” asked Clay. - -“Yes,” answered Alex, “I would!” - -“Then I believe you!” Clay shouted, loyally, taking the boy’s hand. - -“And I, too, believe you!” Case cut in. “It is queer, though!” - -Alex tried hard to tell the boys how much he appreciated their loyalty, -but his lips were quivering, his throat was too dry for speech, and -there was a suspicious moisture in his eyes, so he gave over the attempt -and sat looking at them in a way which told the story much better than -any words could have done. Half his burden had dropped away, for they -trusted him. Clay was first to speak. - -“Suppose we spot the thief by the process of elimination,” he said. - -“Go ahead, I’m all clogged up, mentally,” Case answered. “How any one -ever got on the _Rambler_ and got off again without our knowing it, is -something I can’t understand. Why, there’s not been a boat in sight all -day, unless one came up while we were asleep,” he added, a little -sheepishly. “I believe there’s magic in it.” - -“Who knew that you had the money, Alex?” asked Clay. - -“The Mexicans, and they thought it was in the belt. Don probably thinks -it is still in the sand heap, and King never knew I had it.” - -“Then we have only three to look after. These are the two Mexicans and -Don. The others are out of it,” said Clay. - -“But why Don?” asked Case. - -“The three I have named would have plenty of reasons for following the -boat,” Clay continued. “Now, let us consider their several chances of -overtaking us. We have traveled about fifteen miles by river, but we -have passed around a long point of land, and are not more than eight -miles from the starting point. You can see how it is by looking at the -river map. - -“Now, the Mexicans would be likely to have horses near at hand, as they -had been deputized as special officers to assist in the capture of the -boy. They could, by quick action, chase across the point and head us -off. - -“Now, about Don. He would go back to the levee to look for the package -of money and would lose time. Besides, he would have to travel on foot, -so that, it seems to me, leaves him out of it. This passes it all up to -the two Mexicans. What do you think of my Sherlocking, eh?” - -“Unless Teddy shook it out of the package and dropped it overboard, you -must be right,” Alex hastened to say. “He was playing with the silk, you -remember!” - -“Or unless Don ran across the point of land we sailed around and took -it,” Case suggested, with a wink. “He might have done so, you know, so -that knocks your Sherlocking all out!” - -“What would Captain Joe be doing while the Mexicans were on the boat?” -asked Clay, perplexed. “I never thought of that! He loves Mexicans like -cats love hot soap. Guess my elimination theory has led me into a hole -that gets me nowhere! Now, what is to be done?” - -“I don’t know!” Alex answered. “I’ve lost the power of thought.” - -“I can’t think in such large sums as fifty thousand dollars,” grinned -Case. “Don’t ask me for an expert opinion! I can’t give one!” - -There was a long silence, and then Alex took out the copies of the -inscriptions—as he called them—which he had found in the belt. Clay and -Case opened their eyes wide at sight of them. When Alex explained their -history, as far as he knew, the boys fell to studying the letters and -figures with anxious interest. Alex looked on doubtfully. - -“What do you make of them?” he finally asked, as Clay held one of the -papers up to the light. - -“Is this an exact copy?” he asked. “Did you place your letters and -figures just as the letters and figures on the originals were placed?” - -“I surely did,” was the reply. “They are exact copies.” - -“Hush, then!” Clay whispered, with a grin. “We tread on dangerous -ground! Aha! These papers tell of the whereabouts of a buried treasure!” - -“Hush!” repeated Case, with a mocking face. “Hush! Also S’cat!” - -Alex looked at his chums reprovingly. This did not seem to him to be a -time for by-play. He had lost a large sum of money which did not belong -to him, and all the world looked black and creepy! - -“Oh, cheer up!” Clay laughed, slapping the boy on the back. “We’ll find -your money for you! Everything always comes out right with us! You know -that yourself. Everything always comes out just as it should!” - -“You know it!” Case cut in. “You know that we always find the right -answer! Now, suppose we let this money and these inscriptions take care -of themselves for the present, while we decide what to do to-night. It -will be bright, from all appearances, so perhaps we’d better be on our -way to the big noises of the Colorado.” - -“I’m willing to go anywhere!” Alex complained. “I can never look myself -in the face again! Think of losing fifty thousand dollars, when a five -case note would look like unlimited wealth to me!” - -“Here comes a fleet of river boats!” Clay shouted. “Look at the little, -one-sided things! What they loaded with. Case?” - -“I’m not a mind reader!” laughed the boy. “Looks, though, like they were -loaded with merchandise. I suppose they’ve been lying in some cool cove -all day, and will make good time to-night.” - -The little steamers came slowly up to where the _Rambler_ was anchored -and passed on without giving the motor boat more attention than a close -scrutiny from the decks. The sun was going down over the ranges to the -west and dusk was settling over the valley of the Colorado. - -The boys heard the rattle of spars and chains for some time after the -little steamers had disappeared under the veil of the twilight, and now -and then a black column of smoke from some stack proclaimed the activity -of a fireman working down in a shallow hold. - -After a short wait the _Rambler_ was gotten under way, and the boys -prepared for a wakeful night. They sat on the forward deck for a long -time, talking over the strange events of the day, and then Alex was -almost forced by his chums off to his bunk. - -As the weary, discouraged lad turned into his bunk he heard noises on -deck which set him to wondering what his chums were doing, but he was -too sleepy to open his eyes. He turned his face to the wall and was soon -asleep. Case and Clay sat well forward and did not hear the bump of a -boat against the stern. - -The dark figure on the aft deck was out of their sight. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII.—DEPUTY KING GETS A BATH. - - -Alex was awakened by the little cabin clock striking midnight. He lay -quiet for a moment without opening his eyes, for he was still very tired -and sleepy, notwithstanding his unfortunate afternoon siesta. Presently -he felt the cold nose of the bear brushing against the palm of one hand, -which was hanging over the edge of the bunk. - -As this was a trick often resorted to by the cub to attract attention -when he was hungry, or wanted some one to play with, the boy took no -special notice of it. Then a strange rustle and stir in the cabin came -to his ears, a combination of sounds which proclaimed a hustling about -of furniture and a tossing about of small articles. - -At that he opened his eyes and sat up. Then he rubbed his sleepy eyes -and stretched out a hand in the direction of the place where he always -kept his automatic at night. The weapon was not there! - -What he saw was King, the deputy sheriff, opening and closing the -drawers under the bunks where Clay and Case slept. He was tumbling the -contents of the drawers over the floor and frowning savagely as he -turned the medley of furnishing goods with nervous hands. - -Now, how came it that King was on board the _Rambler_? The deputy had -left the boat for the purpose of pursuing the boy who had taken the -money and the handbag from Josiah Trumbull. By this time he ought to be -far into the mountainous district to the west. And what was he doing -there? And where were Case and Clay, and Captain Joe? - -These questions, and many others of a similar kind, came to the boy as -he watched King throwing the boys’ shirts, collars, ties, underclothing, -and toilet articles about. But no answers came, except that a low growl -from the dog sounded from the open doorway. Turning, Alex saw that he -was tied by a chain to the top bar of the deck railing. - -Captain Joe was pulling at the chain, his red eyes were glaring angrily, -and his capable teeth showed under his snarling lips. - -Alex beckoned silently to the dog, and he pulled at his chain fiercely -and set up a great barking. Then King looked at the dog and at the bunk -where the astonished Alex sat, still motioning to the dog. - -“Good morning!” the deputy said, with a smile which was not altogether -hostile. “How do you find yourself this morning?” - -“You’ve got your nerve!” Alex replied angrily. - -“If I should lose my nerve,” the deputy returned, with a wink at the -struggling dog, “I wouldn’t get any jobs! Nerve is an asset with me.” - -“What are you doing here—nosing in those drawers?” asked the boy. - -“Looking for the belt you picked up down below,” was the reply. - -“I didn’t pick it up,” Alex answered, with a frown which did not at all -improve his appearance. “I didn’t pick it up.” - -“Your friend did, though, and gave it to you. Where is it?” - -“I haven’t got it! Some one came on board and stole it.” - -“That may be. Clay and Case said the same thing. Let the belt go. Where -is the money?” - -“Stolen,” answered Alex. “Carried off when the belt was taken.” - -“See here,” King went on. “Your chums told me about that, and I do not -believe it. No boy would go to sleep sitting up, with fifty thousand -dollars in treasury notes in his lap. That’s too thin.” - -“All right! You don’t have to believe it.” - -“Besides, who is there that knows you have the money, except me and the -two Mexicans? Don Durand ran away without waiting to see what became of -the belt, so he doesn’t know, and the Mexicans, who do know, and who -told me, have been in my company nearly ever since, so they didn’t get -it. You may as well tell me the truth. It will save time.” - -“I have told you the truth, but you may keep on mussing up things if you -want to. You’ll get your pay for it some day!” - -“No threats, please! I rather like you boys, and I’m sorry you got mixed -up in this affair. I’ll do the best I can for you, but I must have that -money! Also, I must have that belt. There are papers in it which I need -in my business. Get up and get the money and belt!” - -“If I could,” Alex replied, “I’d throw them overboard before I’d let you -have even one look at them! Where are Clay and Case?” he added. - -“I’m sorry for that, too,” King replied, “but I had to drop them off on -a little sand heap not far away. They cut such annoying pranks that I -had to do it. I have the boat anchored, you see, and you may run back -and get them as soon as I get the money and the papers.” - -“What papers?” asked Alex, innocently, as if he had never heard of the -queer documents before. “What you talking about?” - -“The papers that were in the handbag,” King replied, patiently. - -“They were in the belt when it was stolen,” Alex answered, telling the -exact truth, but saying nothing of the copies he had made, and which -were at that moment in an inside pocket of his coat, hanging on the wall -not far from his bunk. - -“Oh, very well!” the deputy said, turning to his work again. “You lie -right there while I search the boat from stem to stern. It may take a -couple of days, but I’ll do it right while I am at it.” - -Alex watched the deputy turning out drawers and poking under them, -investigating the motor pit, and even moving the provision supply out of -the storage compartments. Anxious as the boy was, it still amused him, -for he knew what a hopeless search it was. - -King seemed to think that Alex, deprived of his revolver, would not -attempt interference with his search. He looked over at him now and then -and occasionally spoke to Captain Joe, but for the most part he kept on -with his work of searching the boat. This went on for two hours or more, -until, in fact, a pearl flush crept into the sky. - -During all this time the boy had been thinking fast. How was he to get -rid of King? For all he knew, defeated in his search, as he was sure to -be, the officer would run the boat up to Yuma and lock him up on charge -of receiving and concealing stolen property. And, then, Clay and Case -must be having rather a hard and anxious time of it down on the sand -island where they had been landed, at the point of a gun, by the deputy. - -Captain Joe seemed to have exhausted his rage, and was now showing his -teeth only when King came near him. The dog seemed to think that if Alex -could lie easily in his bunk and talk with the man who was searching the -boat he had no cause to interfere! Besides, he was tied so securely that -there was no hope at all of his getting free! - -Whenever the boy moved uneasily on his bunk King gave an uneasy glance -in that direction. Once Alex tried to get to a revolver which he knew to -be in a cupboard near the rear of the cabin, but King ordered him to lie -down again before his feet were off the bunk. - -After a time, when there was more of pink than pearl in the eastern sky, -Teddy climbed up to the bunk and lay down by the side of the boy. He was -preparing to go to sleep when Alex began whispering in his ear: - -“Take him, Teddy! Take him! Give him a bath!” - -Ever since Teddy’s capture on the Columbia river trip the boys had made -a playmate of him. He had been taught to play leap-frog, and to wrestle -and box. While bathing from the boat the boys had taught him to follow -them into the water, and even to trip and bunt those on deck into the -river if they did not jump in quick enough to suit him. - -Alex was now trying to revive the play spirit in the bear in the hope -that he would attack King and try to push him into the river. Not -understanding the game, the deputy would be apt to take alarm at such a -rush as Teddy sometimes made and so give the boy a chance to arm -himself. - -The cub sat up on the bunk as Alex talked to him, but did not seem to -understand what was wanted. He put his paws in boxing position as he had -been taught to do, and invited Alex out on the floor to have a bout with -him! But this did not help at all! - -“Tip him over, Teddy! Tip him into the river!” Alex whispered. - -Teddy paid no attention to the order, but continued to invite a boxing -contest, much to the disappointment of the boy. While this was going on -a long call from down the stream reached Alex’s ears. That was Clay or -Case. They were getting tired of their enforced residence on the island -and were asking how much longer it was to continue. - -Teddy ruffled his ears at the sound of the familiar voices and King -stood up to shout an answer back. It was a taunting answer, too, and the -boy in the bunk came very near springing out and taking his chances in a -hand-to-hand combat with an armed man! - -The prow of the boat was up stream, as the anchor cable led from that -part of the craft, so the aft deck was nearer to the island where the -boys had been landed than the bow. Besides, the bulk of the cabin was -between the deputy and the island. Desiring to urge upon Clay and Case -the necessity of delivering the money and papers to him, King stepped up -on the cabin roof and entered into conversation with them. - -An hour before the deputy would not have done this, but now he was -becoming a trifle disheartened. He had gone over the boat pretty well -and had found no trace of what he sought. The stories told by the three -boys agreed, and he began to wonder if they were not the truth. He was -inclined to be friendly and, once convinced that the boys were not -deceiving him, he would have treated them with every courtesy. - -At last Teddy appeared to understand that it was to be a game of -hide-and-seek in the water, and bounded off the bunk. King was standing -on top of the cabin, making a trumpet of his hands, talking to the lads -he had marooned down the river. That was an old pose. The boys had often -stood erect on the roof and derided each other’s swimming efforts. - -When the bear came out on the deck King looked down and yelled savagely -at him. This was still a part of the game, too, for the lads often -taunted the cub and then sprang away from him and plunged into the -river! So, when the deputy called down at the bear, the bear sprang at -the deputy, caught his sharp teeth into one trousers leg and promptly -and deftly pushed and pulled him off the roof and into the river, where -he rolled him under a couple of times and swam away, around to the other -side of the boat. - -Alex was out of his bunk the instant he heard the splash. King was -spluttering out great threats when the boy ran on deck with the revolver -he had taken from the cupboard. - -“Taking an early bath?” shouted Alex derisively, as he showed his -weapon. “Don’t come too close to the _Rambler_! You can’t come aboard.” - -King came to the surface again and, ejecting muddy water from his mouth, -shouted back. - -“If you’ll assure me that the money is not there—” - -Teddy swung around from the other side of the boat and ducked him. - -Alex went to the motors and set them in motion. Then he called to the -cub. Teddy was having the time of his life playing with the angry and -half-drowned deputy, and did not respond. - -Alex put the boat in motion and called back to the cub: - -“Go it, old top! If you want to drown, stick out there!” - -The boys had acquired such a habit of talking to the bear as if he were -a human being that Teddy actually understood a good many things that -were said to him. Still, it was not the words but the departure of the -boat which now brought him away from the officer. - -King followed the cub as he swam toward the boat. The boy motioned him -to remain away, and added that if he wanted to save his strength he -might as well head for the nearest shore, which was something like half -a mile away at that point. - -“But I can’t swim that far!” came back from the water. - -Alex threw out a life preserver and shouted back: - -“Float down, then, and kick in as you go along!” - -King seized the life preserver and headed for the shore, while the boy -devoted his energies to getting Teddy on board and running the boat at -full speed down the river without hitting any of the shoal places shown -by the ripples to be dangerous. In a very short time he came to the sand -island where Clay and Case were. - -He threw down the anchor, just below, and stood on the prow making faces -at his chums until they threatened to maroon him the first chance they -got! Captain Joe was now making a great clamor with his chain and Alex -released him. The dog was instantly in the water, swimming to the boys, -now wading out toward the _Rambler_. - -“You’ll have to swim!” Alex shouted, in a moment. “I can’t come any -closer to you, and we’ve lost the rowboat, as you know!” - -“We can’t get any wetter than we did swimming over to the island,” Clay -grumbled. “Where is that deputy from Phoenix?” - -“Making for the shore!” laughed Alex. “Teddy Bear dumped him into the -river and I sent him off with a life preserver.” - -“I’d like to have sent him off with a sore head!” Case muttered, as he -climbed up on the deck, his teeth chattering. “He sneaked on board from -a passing boat and got the drop on us or we wouldn’t be here!” - -“He thought he was in the line of duty,” Clay put in, “but it was rather -tough on us. We never saw him until he had us covered!” Did he find -anything he wanted on board?” - -“Not a thing!” Alex replied. “All he got was a bath!” - -“I’m going to buy a ton of honey and present it to Teddy, with a set of -appreciative resolutions!” Clay declared, as he followed Case to the -deck. “There never was a bear that had such sense!” - -The sun came out hot and red, and the boys kept under the shelter of the -cabin as much as possible that day, still they kept the motor boat -running at good speed. They talked over the loss of the money many times -but were unable to reach any logical solution of the puzzle. - -That night they anchored within sight of Yuma, Arizona. Clay declared -that Alex was too much of a sleepy head to be trusted to keep watch, and -so resolved to stand guard until midnight and then awake Case. - -But Case was not called, and at daylight Clay was nowhere to be found! - - - - -CHAPTER IX.—ANOTHER GUEST FROM THE RIVER. - - -Clay, after Alex and Case were asleep in their bunks, sat out on the -forward deck playing with Teddy and informing him what his opinion of -him was! The cub appeared to understand the compliments paid him, but -Captain Joe looked like he was being overlooked in the allotment of -honors for the events of the day. Clay only scolded him for not uttering -a warning when King came on board. - -The lights of Yuma shone in the distance, and now and then the rush and -roll of a Southern Pacific train stirred the air, but for the most part -it was very still, except for the murmur of the river, where the -_Rambler_ lay. - -The happenings of the day had been so remarkable that Clay’s head almost -ached as he tried to place them in orderly array for deliberate -consideration. The larceny of the money troubled him most, and a good -deal of his thought was given to the mystery of the taking. - -He had taken a fancy to Don Durand, and did not like the idea that -further trouble might come to the lad through a member of the _Rambler_ -company. Don would certainly appear, in time, and claim the money. What -was there to say to him? Would he believe the naked truth when it was -told? Clay was sorry to conclude that he would not! - -While the boy worried over the situation, a light showed on the the city -side of the river, such a light as might have been made by the flare of -a match. Clay watched the point from which it had shown with lazy -interest. The person who had struck the match was probably some tramp, -he concluded, some vagrant loitering there in the hope of finding a -lodging for the night on board the boat. - -Directly another match was struck. This time it was swung in a circle -until the flame was extinguished by the light breeze which was blowing -from the west. Clay began to take a greater interest in the matter, for -it seemed that the person on shore, whoever it was, was attempting to -attract his attention. - -There was no moon, but the stars were out, and the boy knew that the -bulk of the _Rambler_ could be quite distinctly seen from the shore. The -display of light, he thought, might be either a salute to those on board -or a signal to some one on the bank. Curious as to what it really did -mean, he resolved to sit still and await developments. - -It had been an exciting day, and the previous one had been more exciting -still. The most unexpected events had happened since the _Rambler_ had -come within sight of the Colorado river. The boy was weary of the -complications which had been forced upon his companions and himself, and -anxious to be away on stretches of river where there would be only the -great facts of Nature to deal with, still his natural curiosity held his -attention to the vagrant light on shore. - -Half a dozen flares were shown, and Clay began to consider the -advisability of responding to them. He put the notion aside for a time, -and then, the signals continuing, he got out his searchlight and sent a -circle of light toward the shore. Then a boyish voice called out: - -“Hello, the boat!” - -“That’s not a sailor,” thought Clay, showing his light again. “A sailor -would have shouted ‘Ship ahoy!’ Now, I wonder what the fellow wants, at -this time of the night?” - -Again the voice came out of the darkness: - -“I want to come aboard. Can you send a boat after me?” - -“We are not at home to-night,” laughed the boy, amused at the impudence -of the fellow. “Besides,” he continued, “we have no boat. If you want to -see me, you must swim the river.” - -This dubious invitation was accepted almost before the words were out of -the lad’s mouth, and Clay heard a quick splash in the water. Directly -heavy and labored breathing told him that the visitor was nearing the -boat, and that he was having a tiresome time on his journey. - -Presently the light of the stars showed a head bobbing on the surface of -the water, not three yards away, and Clay turned his light in that -direction. It revealed only a head of tow-colored hair and a pale, -distressed face, with eyes strained and anxious from over-exertion. Then -a pair of thin, boyish shoulders lifted above the water. - -“It is only some kid seeking adventure,” thought Clay, tossing down a -rope. “I’ll take him on board long enough to give him a rest, then he -can swim back to the shore. Here, kid!” he went on, “take hold of the -rope’s end and I’ll draw you out of the moisture!” - -With the assistance of the rope and the strong arms at the boat end of -it, the visitor was soon on deck, sitting flat and leaning against the -railing, as if every ounce of strength had been used in the swim from -the shore. Clay’s light showed the stranger to be a boy of not more than -fourteen years—a ragged, hungry-looking boy! - -“Gee!” the boy panted, after a time, “I reckon I’m all in!” - -“What did you do it for?” asked Clay, wondering if the boy really was as -hungry as he looked and wondering, too, if he could feed him without -waking the sleepers in the cabin. - -The boy did not answer the question, but sat looking over the boat, as -if trying to search out some familiar feature or face. - -“You might be a fish,” Clay said, “the way you come up out of the river -at the end of a rope. What do you want?” - -The visitor leaned weakly back against the railing and shut his eyes as -if too tired to keep them open. Clay watched him curiously for a moment -and started for the provision box at the back of the cabin. - -“I know what you want, first of all,” he declared, turning and speaking -in a low tone. “You want a square meal? What?” - -“That’s the answer!” said the other, opening his eyes. “That’s it.” - -“Why didn’t you say so, then?” grumbled Clay, hustling to the provision -box and bringing out cold baked beans, bread, fried fish, and a huge -piece of pie. “Get busy, now!” - -The boy needed no second bidding. He stowed away the victuals in a way -highly satisfactory to his host, and looked up with a grin on his thin -face. - -Clay removed the dishes and sat down by his side, but just then Teddy -came nosing out of the cabin and invited the boy to box with him. In a -second the kid was on the railing and half over into the water. Clay’s -voice was shaking with laughter as he reproved the cub and pulled the -boy back on the deck. Teddy walked away on his hind feet in offended -dignity. - -“You shouldn’t mind a little thing like that!” Clay laughed. “You’d get -used to seeing things if you sailed on the _Rambler_ long!” - -“Then this is really the _Rambler_?” asked the other. - -“Sure it is! Where did you ever hear of the _Rambler_? What’s your name? -How long have you been growing that appetite you just had on exhibition? -It was a corker, if anybody should ask you!” - -“My name is Tom, and I’m from Chicago, and I’ve been without food for -fourteen weeks, if you want the truth!” - -“Hunger doesn’t seem to affect your imagination!” Clay suggested. - -“Well, I don’t know how long it has been since I had a square meal like -that! I invaded a free lunch counter yesterday morning, but the brute of -a barkeep tumbled me out into the street.” - -“Did you walk from Chicago?” asked Clay, after a moment’s silence. - -“I rode the rods,” was the reply. “I’m all stuffed with sand. I’ll turn -into stone, like Arizona wood, in about three weeks.” - -Clay regarded the boy curiously. He spoke gravely, saying odd things as -one might repeat a lesson at school. - -“Tom?” he said, then. “What else besides Tom?” - -“Durand—Thomas Jefferson Durand! My parents gave me a long name because -it didn’t cost them anything, and they had nothing else to give me. I’ll -bet the first Thomas Jefferson wouldn’t look so dignified in his -pictures after he had rode the rods from Chicago! Would he, now?” - -Clay did not reply, for he was wondering if this Durand and the Durand -he had been thinking about that night were brothers. It would be a -strange coincidence if they were! This Durand seemed to know about the -_Rambler_! Perhaps, in some mysterious manner Don had warned him to wait -for the boat as it passed up the river and ascertain if the fifty -thousand dollars had been safely taken out of the sand levee! - -This was a disquieting thought, for the money was gone! Clay decided to -learn the truth immediately, so he asked: - -“Where is your brother Don? Have you seen him lately?” - -Tom winked his eyes and pulled at his tangle of tow-colored hair. - -“Do you know Don?” he asked. “When did you see him last?” - -“So he is really your brother?” demanded Clay, feeling that the hour of -settlement for poor Alex was indeed close at hand. - -“Sure he is!” was the reply. “He’s out in the desert somewhere. He -snatched a lot of money in Chicago and got away with it. So he isn’t in -any of the society columns just now. He’s supposed to be in retreat!” - -This looked a little better, but Clay kept on with his questions. - -“Where did you learn about the _Rambler_?” he asked. “How long have you -been waiting here for us? Who told you to wait?” - -“Don did,” was the quiet reply. “He said he’d wait farther down the -river. We’re going up the Colorado with you—so Don says!” - -“So Don was here recently?” - -“Indeed he was, and told me to wait. He came over from Phoenix on a run, -with a thousand deputy sheriffs after him. He got a boat and went down -the river to meet you. Did he find you?” - -Clay did not answer the question. Instead he asked one. - -“So you both thought the _Rambler_ would be a good place to hide?” - -“Of course we did—to hide in and also to travel on! We know all about -the _Rambler_. The Chicago newspapers wrote you up, you and the boat. We -read all about the Columbia river trip, and all about the trip you were -ready to take on the Colorado, so, as we wanted to get up into the -canyons, we decided to go with you.” - -“What are you going to the canyons for?” asked Clay, thinking of the -mysterious papers Alex had discovered in Don’s belt. “Are you both going -there to hide until the trouble blows over?” - -“When we come back from the canyons,” Tom declared, with a weak grin, -“J. P. Morgan won’t have a thing on us! You see!” - -“Money up there?” asked Clay, shortly, resolved to draw the boy out. - -“I’m not going to tell you what there is in the canyons,” was the reply. -“Say,” Tom went on, “what do you know about fifty thousand dollars in -treasury notes? Ever hear of such a wad as that?” - -Clay imagined the truth would have to be told then, but he thought best -to put off the evil hour as long as possible, so he said: - -“We saw Don down the river, but a deputy chased him away into the -mountains. Probably he’ll manage to find us again before long.” - -“He was hungry, wasn’t he?” asked Tom, with a wink. “He gets awful -hungry sometimes! He’s been out in the desert a long time.” - -“Yes, he was some hungry,” Clay replied, with a laugh. “We fed him up on -pancakes and honey, and he seemed to like them.” - -“You bet he did. He’ll find you again if you remain here a day or two. -He’s going up the Colorado river with you. What’s your name? Is it Case, -or Clay, or Alex? You see, I know your names!” - -“I see you do! Well, I’m Clay, and Case and Alex are asleep.” - -“Asleep with the bear and the dog? Well, that’s fine. Only I was scared -when the bear came at me. Now, let me tell you, Mr. Clay. If you stay -here until to-morrow night Don will find you, and we’ll all go up the -river together. He’ll soon be along on some up-river boat.” - -Clay was of the opinion, just then, that he would rather not wait for -Don! If the meeting could be delayed, he thought, some way of finding -the money might be discovered. At least he hoped so with all his heart. - -While the boys sat there a river boat came toiling up stream. She puffed -past the place where the _Rambler_ lay, dark, and drew up at a little -pier some distance up the river. Tom pointed to a number of passengers, -outlined against the pier lamps, who were leaving the boat for the -shore, and suggested that his brother might be one of the number. - -Clay hoped that he was not, and did not consider it probable that he -was, for it did not seem likely to him that the boy would venture out -into the open with King so eager on his track. Presently the clamor at -the pier died out and the night was still again. Tom huddled closer to -Clay and pressed a folded paper into his hand. - -“Have you ever seen anything like that?” he asked, shivering. - -Clay sheltered his electric and opened the paper. Then he was silent for -some moments. He wanted to think out this new complication. - -The paper showed two rude drawings, duplicates of those which he had -seen on the papers taken from the belt! There were the “X” and the -sunburst, surrounded by letters and figures! The boy was puzzled. - -“What do these drawings mean?” he asked. “Where did they come from?” - -“Don got them out of Trumbull’s handbag,” was the evasive reply. “He -stole them! That is, he stole the originals. It was the papers he sought -when he stole the handbag. He did not know that the fifty thousand -dollars were in the bag when he took it, but he kept the money, just the -same, and will restore it to its rightful owner as soon as he finds -him.” - -This was another phase of the matter! The larceny of the money was only -incidental! The mysterious drawings were the important things. Then Tom -went on to state that the series of drawings was not complete, that -there was one missing, without which the others were worthless, and that -one could be found in an old house at Yuma, which accounted for the boys -making that city their objective point in leaving Chicago! Clay thought -he saw a chance to recompense Don, in a measure, for the loss of the -money. - -“Do you know where this old house is?” he asked, in a moment. - -Tom said that he did, and for a long time the boys discussed the -advisability of making the search for the third paper that very night. -Clay was anxious to do so, for reasons already known, and at last Tom -consented, saying that it would be a short trip. - -And at daybreak, when the boys awoke, the two had not returned! - - - - -CHAPTER X.—THE OLD HOUSE BY THE RIVER. - - -“Perhaps,” Clay suggested, as the two were about to leave the _Rambler_ -for the proposed visit to the old house where the third paper was -believed to be, “it might be well to awake Case, so the boat will not -remain without a guard. How long will it take us to make the visit?” - -“Not longer than a couple of hours,” was the reply. “We ought to be back -here before midnight. The house is close to the river.” - -“Why didn’t you get it before you came on board?” demanded Clay. - -“I was afraid to go there alone in the dark,” was the frank reply. “I -could see more than ten million ghosts every time I thought of it.” - -“Pretty vivid imagination you have!” laughed Clay. “And now,” he went -on, “how are we going to get ashore without getting wet? The first thing -I shall do in the morning will be to buy a small rowboat.” - -“I’m wet now,” Tom grunted, “and I can swim ashore, hire a boat, and -come out after you, if you have the price! I haven’t seen a cent of real -money since the birth of Adam!” - -“Exaggeration seems to be your failing,” Clay laughed. “Well,” he -concluded, “you may go and get a boat if you care to, and can. But don’t -bring a boatman with you. We don’t want any one to know that the -_Rambler_ is unguarded. It seems a pity to awake the boys, so we’ll take -the risk of leaving the boat alone for a time—alone with Captain Joe and -Teddy on guard!” - -“The dog ought to guard the boat, all right,” suggested Tom. - -“He usually does, but twice lately people have come aboard without any -warning from him. One was Don, your brother, and the other was King, the -deputy in search of your brother. However, he may keep awake to-night, -and awake the lads if any one comes sneaking around.” - -Tom reluctantly took to the water again, and soon returned with a small -rowboat which he had rented from an all-night fisherman. Instead of -entering the boat at once, Clay called the boy on deck and handed him a -suit of dry clothes. The garments were much too large for the slender -youth, but they were preferable to the wet ones he removed. Then, taking -two electrics and two automatic revolvers, the two rowed to the shore, -secreted the boat in a little slip, and set out for the old house by the -river. - -“Now,” Clay observed, as they walked along, “you might tell me something -about those papers. What do they stand for, and why are they scattered -so widely? Is there any one on earth who can read them?” - -“The papers,” replied Tom, “refer to a locality in one of the canyons of -the Colorado river. We don’t know exactly what it is they stand for. We -have been told that our fortune lies there, and so we are trying to get -it. It may mean gold, diamonds, copper, silver, or good advice! We never -will know unless we get the third paper and go look for the thing which -lies behind the big ‘X.’ It is a long story.” - -“In one of the canyons of the Colorado river?” repeated Clay. “And that -is the reason you two rascals decided to take passage on the _Rambler_! -You expect us boys to take you up to your fortune?” - -“We shall pay you for the trouble, you know,” falteringly. - -“But suppose you don’t find anything of value there? Suppose the -suggestion you recently made about good advice is the correct one? How -are we to get our pay, then?” asked Clay, with assumed gravity. - -“Then we’ll pay you in good advice,” was the quick reply. “The good -advice will be not to take tramp boys on board your boat on the strength -of any plausible fairy tale they may tell you! How’s that?” - -“Where did these mysterious papers originally come from?” asked Clay, -without replying to the last question, but smiling at the quick humor of -the other. “Who unloaded them on you boys?” - -“Uncle David Durand,” was the reply. “He was a sort of a hermit, and -lived in the Grand Canyon for a long time, all alone, after we left him. -I guess he lived on the fish he caught and his grouches! Every time I -saw him he had fish scales on his vest front and a three-cornered grouch -under his crust. He left the papers to us as an inheritance, with the -warning that we'd have a beaut of a time finding our fortune! We are -having all of that!” - -“But you said Don stole the papers. What about that?” - -“This man Josiah Trumbull stole the two first. This Josiah is a crook. -He lived with Uncle David for a time, trying to worm his secret out of -him, but did not succeed. Then he salted a mine and sold it to a friend -of David’s for $50,000, and got out of the country, with the officers -close behind him. That’s the $50,000 Don took when he stole the handbag -to get the papers.” - -“And you don’t know where this location is?” - -“No more than a rabbit! We think it is near where Uncle lived, but we’ll -find out when we get the third paper. That gives the clue to it all.” - -“Who put it in the old house where we are going to look for it?” - -“A paper in Trumbull’s bag located it there, that’s all I know. Don was -to get it when he reached Yuma, but King was too hot after him. The boy -will be glad to know that we unearthed it—if we do.” - -“It seems to me to be about as clear as mud!” Clay exclaimed, and you’ll -have to tell me about it at some other time. Do you see the old house by -the river yet? We have been quite a time on the way.” - -“It is there,” answered Tom, pointing. “You can see the roof from here. -It is an old derelict, formerly occupied, ages ago, by Uncle David, now -mostly given over to rats. I stood here a long time before I saw your -boat and heard your voices, wondering if I had the courage to go in -there alone without a gun or a light. I found that I hadn’t, and so went -scouting along the river, looking for you.” - -“Rats!” repeated Clay. “You say the old house is mostly given over to -rats? Is that what you said a moment ago?” - -“It surely is,” replied Tom. “Rats own the place now.” - -“Must be a peculiar kind of rats that carry a lantern,” Clay observed. -“If you look you’ll see a light passing from window to window.” - -There surely was a light passing from side to side of a large room which -faced the street. There were no sash in the window openings, and the -large front door hung on one hinge. Taken altogether, it was as -dreary-looking a structure as one would be apt to come across. - -The boys made no attempt to enter the house by the front door. Instead, -they passed around to the west, or river side, and vaulted through an -open window which lighted a room back of the one in front. The river ran -close to the foundation wall on the west, and eddied about under this -window, proclaiming an unusual depth of water there. The house stood in -a hollow, lower than the river, but protected by the raised bank. - -Listening for sounds, watching for lights, Clay and Tom stood by the -window opening a long time without hearing or seeing anything worthy of -note. There was only the murmur of the waters and the uncertain light of -the stars. After a time Clay whispered: - -“Where is the paper you came here to find?” - -“It is supposed to be in an old cupboard in the cellar,” was the reply. -“It is enclosed in a wallet with other documents. I’ll show the way, as -near as I can without having been over the ground since I was a little -chap.” - -“But why—” - -Clay cut the sentence short, for he realized that that was no time or -place to ask questions regarding the motives of the person who had -placed the paper in such a place. Besides, he believed that the person -who had shown a lantern was still in the house. Directly a creaking on -the cellar stairs confirmed this opinion. - -Followed by Tom, who was actually shivering with fright, he crept to the -head of the cellar staircase and looked down into a dark passage. But -while he looked a light sprang out and King’s face was revealed. The -deputy was digging with a shovel in one corner of the cellar! - -The cupboard Tom had mentioned was close to the stairs, and Clay decided -that he could get to it while King worked with his shovel, seize the -wallet, and get out of the house without being seen. - -But King, while industrious, was always watchful. Time and again he -lifted his lantern and glanced keenly around the place. - -Clay started down the steps several times, but always drew back, for the -least noise attracted King’s attention. The boy had no idea how the -deputy had reached Yuma so soon after being put off the _Rambler_, or -why he was digging in the old house, but all this was of less importance -to him than the recovery of the paper said to be in a wallet in the old -cupboard, which stood in plain sight from where he crouched, near the -head of the stairs. At last King picked up his lantern and began looking -in an other and more distant corner of the cellar. - -Then the boys moved down the steps, gained the cupboard, and threw the -door open. Three shelves were revealed, each one covered with a -collection of miscellaneous articles and dust. There were cracked -dishes, broken knives and forks, unknown things tied up in brown paper, -and scores of such articles as a miserly man or woman might store away, -not having the heart to discard them utterly. And there was the wallet! - -Clay seized it eagerly and thrust it into a pocket. Then, as he reached -up to make an investigation of an article on the top shelf, his foot -slipped and he came near falling. - -He would have fallen only that he clung to the shelf for support. But -the shelf was not stable, for his body swayed back as he clung to it, -and then he saw the entire interior of the cupboard swing out! The -displacement of the woodwork revealed an opening in the west wall of the -cellar, against which the cupboard stood. - -Standing back of Clay, Tom saw King lift his lantern and move toward the -stairway. If he came on discovery was certain, so the lad pushed his -companion on into the dark opening and followed him. - -At first Clay resented the action, for the place beyond the opening was -dark, and damp gusts of wind sighed out of it, but at a whispered word -from Tom he groped in and made way for his companion. The light of -King’s lantern flashed almost in their faces as they turned to look out -into the cellar again. - -King was advancing toward them, so Clay reached out and softly drew the -shelves toward the wall. There was a sharp snap, as of metal meeting -metal, and then all was dark and still. - -Clay brought out his electric and flashed it around the place. It was -just a dungeon cut off from the cellar on the river side. The walls were -of stone, and the ceiling was of iron. Through the wall on the west the -murmur of the river could be heard. - -“Looks to me like a miser’s vault,” Clay whispered, as he swung his -electric around. “You say your Uncle David lived in this house once?” - -“Yes, but that was a long time ago. He owned it at the time of his -death, and, the people of Yuma say, used to visit the place once a -year.” - -“He might have stored gold or silver here,” Clay suggested. “This den -wasn’t prepared to keep vegetables in!” - -Tom went to the door and listened, having no answer to the supposition. -He could hear King moving about in the cellar, and finally there came a -tap on the door, which, the boy saw, was covered with a plate of rusty -iron. Then a voice, muffled by wood and metal, came to his ears. It was -King speaking and his tone was one of triumph. - -“Good-night, boys!” the deputy said. “You are welcome to all you find in -there! I’ve been over every inch of it! Good-night. I’ll see that you -remain there for a time!” - -“We might starve to death here, and no one would ever know!” Tom -complained. “I knew Uncle David had such a hole as this, but I never -thought I’d be locked up in it!” - -“How do you think King found out about it?” asked Clay. - -“There must have been papers Don didn’t get with the handbag,” was the -reply. “I don’t know! He found out, anyway, and so did we! I suppose we -are about nine thousand feet under the surface of the earth!” - -“Make it a good one while you are at it,” chuckled Clay. - -“How are we ever going to get out?” asked Tom. “I’m afraid down here in -this musty hole! I always was afraid in the dark. I see ghosts in every -shadow! Guess I was born that way!” - -“We’ll have to dig out,” Clay answered. “We’ve just got to get back to -the _Rambler_! What will the boys think?” - -“Think we’ve run away, I presume.” - -“Then you’ve got another presume coming! They’ll think we have been -abducted and killed. So many strange things have occurred lately that -they have a right to think almost anything! It is after midnight now, -and I was to awaken Case at that time and go to bed.” - -“We’ll both go to bed in the promised land, I guess!” Tom declared, -gloomily. “I don’t see how we’re ever going to dig out of here!” - -“If you’ll cast your mournful eyes over into that corner,” Clay said, -“you’ll see a shovel, or a spade, or some digging implement King must -have left here. I reckon we can do something with that! Do you get me?” - -“I never knew that a shovel could dig through stone or iron,” observed -Tom, still despondent. “You’re just trying to think you can dig out.” - -“Son,” chuckled Clay, “these stones are laid on solid ground. I don’t -know how deep the foundation runs below the bottom of the cellar, but, -no matter about that. We’ll dig down until we get under the wall, and -then the stones will come tumbling down and we’ll walk out—to the -confusion of King and the great delight of the boys and Captain Joe and -Teddy.” - -“I’d like to know how King got up here,” Tom muttered, as Clay took up -the shovel and set to work. “You said he was down the river.” - -“He won’t stay put,” said Clay. “He probably attracted the attention of -a steamer crew and came up ahead of us. There! Look here,” he added. -“The foundation is on a level with the bottom of the cellar. I’ll have -this wall tumbling in no time. Then for the _Rambler_ before daylight.” - -Clay dug away manfully, and the great stones of the wall soon began -sagging down. Directly there was a line of light just under the sill of -the house. - -“Now we’ve got it!” laughed Clay. “Here’s light and fresh air. The moon -must have come up after we came down here. See how light it is! A few -more minutes, and we’ll be out of here and on our way!” - -Quite a section of the wall now fell in, so that Clay had to make quick -motions in order to avoid being crushed by the great rocks. Still there -was insufficient space at the top to permit of their passing out. - -Clay mounted the fallen stones and tried to work his way through, but -found that he could not do so. When he stepped down and took up the -shovel again he found himself standing in water! - -The excavation he had made had connected with the river, and the cellar -was being flooded! - - - - -CHAPTER XI.—ALEX GETS HIS RECEIPT. - - -When Alex and Case awoke at daylight and discovered Clay’s absence, they -began a search of the shore with their glass, supposing that he had gone -into the city for supplies. Then Alex discovered the remains of Tom’s -supper, and Case came across the clothing taken off by the lad. The -clothes were still wet. - -“There’s something queer been going on here!” Case exclaimed. “Clay had -a visitor who swam out to the boat last night!” - -“And the guest had supper here!” Alex contributed. “And Clay must have -gone away with him. Wonder he wouldn’t have awakened us before leaving -the boat!” - -While the boys cooked breakfast, discussing the remarkable disappearance -of Clay as they did so, a boat bumped against the prow of the _Rambler_ -and a voice called out: - -“Hello, there! Where’s my rowboat?” - -Alex, leaning over the railing, saw a swarthy face looking up at him. -The fellow seemed to be angry for he was swearing and gesticulating -wildly. - -“If you think I’ve got your boat you may search me!” the boy said. - -“But you got it last night!” insisted the other. “You rented it for an -hour and never brought it back. What have you done with it?” - -“Guess again!” Alex replied. “I slept all night. Never saw your old -boat. It was some one else who rented it.” - -“Well, the boy who got it said he wanted to bring a friend off this -boat, and that he would return it before midnight.” - -“You’ve been buncoed!” Alex laughed. - -“Wait a minute,” Case broke in. “There may be something to this. You say -a boy got a boat of you to row out to the _Rambler_?” he asked of the -man, now getting ready to board the boat and make physical trouble for -the boys. - -“That’s what I said. Where is that boy now?” “What sort of a looking boy -was it?” asked Case, patiently. - -“A little bit of a chap. He was wet as a rat, and said he had swum off -this boat and wanted to row out to bring a friend off.” - -“Well, did you watch him after he left with the boat?” - -“Yes, and he came out here; and then another boy got into the boat with -him and they rowed ashore. I want my boat or good pay for it—right now!” - -“If you come up here with your threats,” Alex declared, “you’ll get a -rap over the head—and I’ll set the dog on you!” - -“I’ll have you all arrested!” shouted the other. “I want my boat.” - -“Sing it!” chuckled Alex. “You might make a fine song with that ‘I want -my boat’ story of yours. Have you looked along the river bank for it? -The boy might have left it there.” - -“I have not,” was the reply. “It is up to you to return it, and not my -place to look for it. That boat was worth $50 of any man’s money.” - -“Will you wait a moment, please?” Case asked of the boatman, as he drew -Alex to one side. “I may want to go to shore with you before long.” - -The other nodded and stood angrily in his boat, waiting. - -“Now,” Case explained to Alex, “there is no need of making an enemy of -this man with your impudent talk. He is probably right. Some one swam -out here, had supper, swam back and got a boat, and took Clay to the -shore. Now, who could it have been? This beats me?” - -“Couldn’t have been Don, could it?” asked Alex, doubtfully. - -“I’m all at sea,” Case replied. “I don’t understand how Don could have -got up to Yuma, and yet I’m half inclined to believe that it was he who -took the money, though why he should have done so without letting us -know is more than I can figure out.” - -“There’s no head or tail to this business,” Alex declared. “We’re all -mixed up with other folks’ troubles, just as we were on the Amazon and -Columbia river trips! Are you going ashore with this man?” - -“Of course. I’ve got to find out, if I can, where Clay went.” - -“Of course we’ve got to do that.” Alex agreed, “but don’t you go to -mixing with any one else! - -Bring Clay aboard and we’ll fly up the river like little birds! I don’t -want to see any one else for a month! The river and the mountains and -the canyons will do for mine!” - -“That’s just the way I feel about it,” Case replied. “I’m tired of -mixing in affairs that don’t concern me. I want to get up the river and -be let alone. I hope Don will find his money, but I’m not going to -bother my head any more about it.” - -“That’s me!” Alex agreed. “You go ashore and get Clay. He’s not far off. -Take Captain Joe with you. He will follow the boy’s track from the place -where he landed. And when you get Clay, make a run for the _Rambler_! -Don’t stop, even to pick up money, until you get on board, then we’ll -shoot up stream like a shark after a pig! No more of this for me.” - -So, after further talk, Case went ashore with the boatman, and Alex got -out his automatic and sat watching the river bank. Teddy stood up on his -hind legs and invited the boy to a boxing match, but he was too blue and -too anxious to play with the cub. - -“I wonder if Don did get that money?” he thought, over and over again as -he sat watching the shore. “If he did, why didn’t he let me know that he -was taking it?” - -He could find no answers to his questions, so he studied the shore of -the river where the town loomed up and wished from the bottom of his -heart that his friends were on board, and that the _Rambler_ was a -hundred miles away from King, Don, and all the rest! Then he heard a -hail from the river and ran to the prow. - -A small boat lay rocking in the current, and out of it looked the -grinning face of Don Durand! Alex almost dropped over the side in his -amazement. Now that the boy was before his eyes, however, he was -unaffectedly glad to see him. - -He tossed down a rope end so Don could secure his boat to the rail of -the _Rambler_ and, later, gave him a helping hand. When Don gained the -deck he received a cordial greeting. - -“Can you get me out of sight, quickly?” the boy asked. “King is in Yuma, -‘and he’s goin’ to get me if I don’t watch out!’” - -“Of course I’ll help you,” Alex answered. “I don’t like your ways, but -I’m sore on King. He came on board and mussed up the furniture and tied -up the dog, and marooned Clay and Case on a desert island!” - -“That must have been nice!” Don grinned, going to a heap of pancakes -which had been cooked for breakfast and left to grow cold because of the -excitement of the time. “I’m going to eat these few dozen pancakes while -you converse!” he added. “Why don’t you like my ways?” - -“Eat away!” Alex returned. “You’re always hungry when you come on board -the _Rambler_. “I’ll get you coffee in a short time.” - -“There’s nothing to eat in the desert,” Don said, stuffing his mouth -with cakes. “Besides, I’m going to board with you all the way up the -Colorado, so I may as well begin now to make you acquainted with my -appetite. But you didn’t tell me why you don’t like my ways.” - -“Why didn’t you let us know you took the money?” asked Alex, at a -venture, almost trembling as he awaited a reply. - -“Didn’t you get my receipt for it?” asked Don. “It was on the silk -wrapper. I wrote in there! Where is the wrapper?” - -Alex took the silk from a pocket and examined it. Surely enough, there, -on the edge, were the words: “Received contents. Don.” - -“Why, you old fraud!” shouted Alex, overjoyed at the discovery. “You old -river thief! Why didn’t you wake us up and tell us you were after the -money? You’ve made us a lot of trouble!” - -Don grinned and continued his work on the cakes, and Alex finally put -the coffee pot over the coils and made him a cup of hot drink while he -told of running across the point and floating down to the _Rambler_ on a -plank he found in the water. Alex grabbed him, then, and demanded to -know where the money was. - -“Let go!” yelled Don. “I’ve got it in my belt, and I didn’t want any one -but you to know I took it because I didn’t want the others to know where -it was, if anybody should come on board and ask about it, and, then,” he -went on, with a sly wink, “I made the receipt a little blind because I -wanted to teach you not to go to sleep with fifty thousand dollars in -gold notes lying in your lap! That was careless of you!” - -“The notes were in the silk covering, in my pocket,” insisted the boy. - -“Well, perhaps they were, at one time, but Teddy was about to -investigate the package when I crawled up out of the water, off the -plank I’d floated down on! Now, tell me about King coming on board, and -what he did and said.” - -“He must have landed on the _Rambler_ from a small boat dropped off a -river steamer,” Alex answered, still so pleased with the news that the -money was safe that he could hardly talk straight, “and he came in the -night.” - -“And no one saw him? What about the dog’s giving an alarm?” - -“We have figured that out. King had been on board before, and had been -treated kindly, so the dog probably thought he had a right to come back. -But he insulted Captain Joe, after he got on the deck, for he tied him -up. He won’t get on here again right away. Joe will eat him up if he -tries to.” - -Then the boy told of the manner in which Teddy had gotten rid of the -unwelcome visitor, and Don began to make inquiries for Case and Clay. -Alex had to tell him about that, too, and Don looked frightened at the -recital. - -“The boatman said it was a little bit of a fellow?” he asked. “Then that -was my brother, Tom! I was to meet him here, after King got out of the -way. Now, where do you think they are?” - -“I don’t try to think any more,” was the reply. - -“I believe I know where they went,” Don burst out, in a moment. “They -went to the basement of an old house owned by my uncle, and something -has happened to them to prevent their coming back.” - -“If you know where they went, suppose you go bring them back.” - -“And run plump into King! Not for mine. You go! I’ll tell you where the -house is, and you can go and bring them back.” - -“If King hasn’t arrested them, perhaps I can,” Alex added. “He may have -caught them, you know. Well, where do I go? I’ll make a bluff at finding -the boys, and then we’ll go on up the river. Trouble is too thick down -in this country! Show me where the house is.” - -“You see that old tumble-down structure on the river bank, just a little -below the city?” asked Don. “Well, that’s it.” - -“What would they go there for?” demanded the other. “More mystery!” - -“They will tell you that! Now, while you are gone, I’ll fry more cakes -and get a good breakfast. I’m going up the Colorado with you, you know, -and I may as well begin to make myself useful.” - -“You say it well!” returned Alex, but he did not appear to be much -annoyed at the thought of taking on this agreeable passenger. - -Alex descended into the rowboat and cast off. Then he stood up, -excitedly, and pointed to the old building Don had designated. - -“What’s the matter with the old barn?” he called out. “Get the glass and -look at it. It seems to me to be tumbling into the river.” - -“It surely is!” Don cried, looking through the glass. “There’s been -something exciting going on there, and the old house is sliding into the -water. I guess I’d better go ashore with you!” - -“No you don’t!” the boy answered. “You’re going to guard the boat while -I find out about this. If King comes on board, set Teddy at him!” - -“No one will pick money off me while I’m asleep!” roared Don. - -Alex made good time to the shore, but when he reached the little pier -which ran out just south of the junction of the Colorado and Gila rivers -he found a crowd ahead of him. The old house was just below, and the -creaking of parting timbers told of rapid disintegration. - -“What is the trouble?” he asked of the first man he met after landing. - -“Why, the old Durand place is tumbling down,” was the reply, “going into -the river! It is believed that large sums of money are hidden in the old -miser’s den, and the people are flocking here to see if they can snatch -some of it. Doesn’t look now as if any one would get it!” - -“Some of the folks here may be after money,” another on-looker cut in, -“but most of them are watching to see if the boys get out alive. They -say there are two young boys locked up in an iron room down there.” - -“How do you know that?” demanded Alex, his heart in his throat. - -Before the other could answer the question Case came running up. - -“Clay and another boy are in there!” he cried, wringing Alex’s hand. -“They are locked in a deep cellar, with water pouring in on them! If -they don’t drown, the falling walls will kill them!” - -“How do you know they are in there?” Alex asked, hoping to find the -story told by the on-looker and by Case an uncertain one, after all. - -“King came for help to get them out, when he found the cellar was -filling with water,” Case answered. “He said he had arrested them and -put them in the den for safe keeping. He admitted that his act of -authority might be the death of the boys, and he would have been lynched -if he hadn’t run away. How are we ever going to get them out?” - -While they stood there in an excited, anxious group Don came panting up, -wet from a swim from the _Rambler_. Alex began grumbling because the -boat had been left alone, but Don stopped him. - -“I heard what they are saying about the iron room,” Don said, “and the -boys being locked in there! I used to know the location of the spring -that opened that door from the cellar, but I can’t think of it now. If I -only could!” he cried beating his forehead with his fists. - -The old house was tumbling fast. The thin bank which ran along the river -side was now caving, and the ground around the structure, which was -considerably lower than the surface of the river, was being flooded. -Captain Joe pulled at Alex’s leg, drawing him toward the house! - -“I’m going in there to try to find the spring,” Don said, but as the -three lads started for the crumbling old house the officious crowd -seized and drew them back! - - - - -CHAPTER XII.—ANOTHER GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT. - - -At first the incoming water seeped through the bank of the river, under -the surface, as Clay’s excavation had cut almost through the narrow bulk -of earth between the house and the water’s edge. Then, as the -underground current carried earth with it, undermining the bank, the -cellar began to fill from the surface and the line of light under the -sills became simply an aperture for the delivery of water into the -basement of the old house. - -“This is getting serious!” Clay exclaimed, as the cellar filled to the -depth of a foot or more. “We’ve got to do something right off or we’ll -be drowned like rats in a trap!” - -“I learned once, when a kid, how to open this iron door from the -inside,” Tom announced, “but I have forgotten. We lived with Uncle David -for a time, Don and I, until he became too stingy to buy food and -clothing for us, and one day he showed us all about this treasure room, -as he called it. Don remembered, but I did not. If Don were only here -now!” - -Clay turned his electric light on the door, weaving it over every inch -of the iron sheathing and the stone walls on each side. - -“If there’s a spring or anything of that kind here, we ought to be able -to find it,” he declared. “Was it down low or up high. You were a little -shaver then, did you stand up in a chair to reach it, or did you bend -down to the floor? You ought to be able to remember.” - -“But I can’t!” groaned Tom. “I’m afraid! I always was afraid in this old -house. Uncle said there were ghosts in the cellar! I’ll never get over -my dread of the place—never! What shall we do?” - -“Keep poking at everything you see,” commanded Clay, annoyed at the -boy’s attitude. “There must be something to push, or something to pull. -We are certain to find it if we keep on looking. We never came to this -country to be drowned like this! Bet your life we never did!” - -“But the water is getting deeper every minute,” wailed Tom. “Oh, I can -fight out in the open, and like it, too, but I’m terrified in the dark -and in places where strength doesn’t count!” - -“Courage always counts!” Clay answered. “You just keep on looking for -that spring, or that lever, or whatever it is that opens the door!” - -The lads did keep on looking, but the water rose higher and higher. They -could now hear voices outside, though they came dully to their ears, and -now and then a crash came which told of falling timbers. - -Clay realized that the foundations of the house were falling in more -places than one, and that the sills and studding were giving way, but he -did not care to inform Tom of this new peril. He knew that the boy was -not lacking in courage, as courage is usually classed, but he also knew -he possessed the same natural antipathy to darkness that the house cat -possesses for water. Probably because of prenatal influences, the boy -was a coward at the present time, though he tried hard not to show just -how hopeless, and frightened, and despairing he was. - -“There’s a crowd gathering outside,” Clay encouraged, “and they’ll find -some way to get us out. But we’ve got to keep on looking for the means -to open this door. Why, boy, just look here, will you?” - -Clay was pulling at a half-concealed lever which he had found pressed -into a niche in the stone wall as he spoke. It came out slowly and a -stone above it moved as he drew it away from its hiding-place “I thought -I had it!” he cried. “It moves something, but not the door! Queer old -trap, this! Look at it!” - -As the lever came out a stone in the wall started from above and dropped -down on hinges, revealing an opening about a foot in size. - -The boy held his light to the opening for a moment and then drew out a -thick package of papers. One end of the wrapper had been torn off, and -Clay drew a paper out and looked at the lettering on the back of the -fold. Then he thrust the papers into an inside pocket and looked Tom in -the face, his own eyes staring with amazement. - -“What is it?” asked Tom. “What did you find?” - -“Government bonds!” Clay almost shouted. “There are thousands of -dollars’ worth in that package! Think of drowning with all that wealth -in sight! Buck up, young fellow! You’ll soon be a rich man!” - -“I was in hopes the lever opened the door!” Tom muttered. “I’m not -interested in government bonds just now! What good would a million do us -if they found us dead here on this floor?” - -“You give me that tired feeling!” Clay exclaimed. “Keep on looking for -the lever or key which opens the door! Listen! Do you know that voice?” -he added. “That’s Captain Joe, and he’s telling us that he is on his way -to the rescue! Clever old dog, that Captain Joe!” - -The boys searched every square foot of the walls, even reaching up to -the ceiling, but found nothing which would open the door. The water rose -steadily, and the voices outside gradually grew fainter. - -Now the water was up to their hips, now to their waists, now it came to -their arm-pits, now Tom was obliged to stand up on an old chest to keep -his head dry. All around them the building was falling, but nothing -seemed to disturb the iron ceiling above. - -The walls of the cellar were falling, too, in places, but they only -crumpled down in great heaps of stones, leaving no opening through which -the boys might make their way to the free air outside. It was now broad -daylight outside, but the flashlights were still needed in the cellar. - -“We’ve got about a minute more!” Clay admitted, as the water touched his -chin. “We’re up against it at last! I’d like to leave a note for the -boys, but it is too late to write one now. Hear Captain Joe out there? -Say, old sport, I believe he is coming nearer! He surely is! Hurrah!” - -Then the iron door swung open and, the water being somewhat higher in -the den than in other parts of the basement, a strong current set toward -the east, lowering the flood a foot or more where the boys stood. - -First, they saw Captain Joe’s ugly head poking through the water which -filled the doorway. Then Don’s face showed. However, there was a current -setting toward the main basement from the den, and both the boy and the -dog were forced back. - -The outsweep of water had lowered the body of it in the den, so that the -boys were no longer in danger of drowning, but they knew that in time -the little apartment would fill again, as the main cellar filled. Clay -took Tom by the shoulder and pushed him to the doorway. - -“Dive through!” he said, “and when you get out into the cellar make for -the stairs and climb up. This old shack will be afloat in no time! -Hurry, now! Perhaps Captain Joe will help you if you tumble down!” - -Tom shivered and hesitated until Clay became angry. - -“All right!” he said. “I’ll go first. You keep close to me!” - -And so the lads dove through the doorway, groped, half strangled, up the -stairs, over fallen timbers and planks, and so on into the main hall, -where there was no water as yet, but where the floor was sagging because -of the washed-out foundations. - -Case, Alex, and Don were there to meet them. Outside the crowd was -cheering wildly and shouting congratulations to the boys who had entered -the flooded basement to open the door. - -Clay and Tom began expressing their gratitude and their appreciation of -the brave act, but Don cut them off with a question. - -“Did you get the wallet?” he asked. - -“Of course we did!” replied Clay, “and we got something else, too.” - -“What else was there to get?” asked Don. - -“Mighty little left in that old house the last time I was there.” - -“You’ll see, in time!” Tom said, with a knowing wink at Clay. - -“Explanations in the future!” Clay exclaimed. “Just now we’ve got to get -past that sympathetic crowd and back to the boat. Say, Don,” he added, -in a moment, “I can’t wait to get back to the Rambler before asking one -question, and that is this: Did you come aboard the _Rambler_ and get -the money? If you did, say so—quick!” - -“I certainly did!” Don answered. “If I hadn’t would have been lost, for -Teddy was playing with it!” - -“That’s enough!” Clay said. “I’ll learn how and why later on. Wonder if -King is in that crowd out there? It was he who locked us in.” - -“He is not,” grinned Case. “The mob got after him for locking you up in -such a dangerous hole, and he took to his heels! He won’t dare show -himself around here for a few days.” - -“Then all we have to do is to get rid of the crowd,” Clay explained. - -Of course there were many who wished to shake hands with the rescuers -and the rescued, and even Captain Joe came in for a fair share of -praise, but the boys were soon out of the crowd and on their way to the -boat. - -At the water front they found the riverman, still growling and sulking -over the loss of the boat Tom had hired the night before. Tom told him -where the boat had been left, and Clay paid him for the use of it, so he -eagerly consented to row the boys to the _Rambler_, and, later on, to -convey their provisions and gasoline to them. - -“I’m glad we find the boat still here!” Alex said, as he mounted to the -deck, “and I’m glad we have gotten rid of King. Now for a trip up the -river! Now for freedom from sleuths and mysteries!” - -The other boys echoed the sentiment, but when they opened the cabin -door, a moment later, and looked in, there sat King, busy with the cold -pancakes Don had cooked just before he left the boat to assist in the -rescue of Clay and Tom. He smiled as the boys entered. - -“Well, of all the iron nerve—” - -Alex could not finish the sentence. There were no words which could do -justice to the occasion, he thought. - -“Help yourself!” Clay said. “If you’ll wait a little while we’ll give -you hot coffee. We’re going to make some for ourselves!” - -Tom’s greeting was not so cordial. - -“If this was my boat,” he said, “I’d break you in two with my foot. You -came near drowning us. Do you know that?” - -“The people on shore told me!” smiled King. “They came near stringing me -up by the neck for what I did.” - -“You deserved it!” grumbled Don. “Indeed you did.” - -“Now, see here, boys,” King went on, “I had my duty as an officer to do. -If you had been relieved of fifty thousand dollars and valuable papers, -you would expect the law to get them for you, wouldn’t you?” - -No one replied, and the officer went on, calmly eating cold cakes as he -did so—eating and tossing a piece to Teddy now and then. - -“You see,” he resumed, “I hold no grudge against the bear, if he did -dump me into the river! He did just what I would have done under the -circumstances. I don’t blame him. He is a good little beastie!” - -“You wasn’t helping the law any by locking us in there to be drowned!” -Clay remarked, his eyes flashing. - -“Wasn’t I?” asked King. “Let us see about that. You, Don, took fifty -thousand dollars of another man’s money out of Chicago. You carried it -in a belt about your waist. I had to find that money, didn’t I? I -searched the _Rambler_ for it! I had to maroon two of the boys on a sand -island and tie Captain Joe up in order to do it.” - -Captain Joe licked his chops as if he was thinking of making settlement -for the insult right there. Clay called him away, or he would have taken -hold of the deputy’s leg. - -“Yes, I searched the _Rambler_, and got up-river in a steamer after -being dumped off. Here I heard that lights had been seen in the old -house the night before. Now, what was more reasonable than to suppose -that Don had visited the old shack and buried the money in the cellar? I -was there looking for it when you boys came in. I should have released -you as soon as I had finished my search, only I couldn’t unlock the -door. All I could do was to go for assistance, and you all know how that -came out. I nearly lost my life at the hands of a mob, any member of -which would have done exactly as I had done.” - -“You say it well!” snarled Tom. “I don’t trust you, though!” - -“Now,” King continued, without taking notice of the remark, “I’ll tell -you what I’ll do. I understand that there is a question as to whom this -money belongs. It may belong to Don, for all I know! Well, if you will -put the cash in the hands of a banker here I’ll go back home and say -nothing about the deal until you boys have had time to turn around. But -I want it understood, too, that my client, this Josiah Trumbull, is not -to be molested by you for anything he has done in the past.” - -Don agreed to this, and King continued. - -“I have a notion that my client is a roughneck, as well as a three-card -sharp, but I’m going to do the best I can for him, for all that. If it -can be shown that the money belongs to you, Don, or to you, Tom, it -shall be turned over to you. But if this cannot be shown, Trumbull is to -have it, as against any other claimant. Is that right?” - -This was reluctantly agreed to, and then the boys and King prepared the -best meal the larder was capable of, and enjoyed it hugely. After this -they went to the town, leaving Tom and Clay on board, and the money was -put in escrow in one of the banks. Don also put the government bonds on -deposit there. King’s eye stuck out when he saw the bonds and was told -where they had been found, but he only expressed congratulations. - -All this business completed, provisions and gasoline bought, and letters -sent away, the boys went back to the _Rambler_ to study up the three -mysterious papers as forming a whole. But the black wallet held no paper -of any kind! There were a few half-rotten banknotes in it, a small flat -key, and nothing else! - -“We are up against it again!” cried Case. “Well,” with a smile, “we’ll -go right on and try to uncover the mystery without the third piece of -paper. I wonder what this key fits, and if King got that third paper? He -might! What?” - - - - -CHAPTER XIII.—ALEX PLANS A NIGHT ADVENTURE. - - -The boys talked over the possibility of King having the third paper for -a long time. They could not see how the deputy had been able to secure -it, if he had done so, unless he had discovered it in the cellar, which -seemed to them to be highly improbable. - -“That uncle of yours must have been a quaint old chap,” Clay said, -laughingly. “How, for instance, did he know that you would ever find the -bonds in the strong room?” - -“I’m sure that he left a paper somewhere which tells about them,” was -the boy’s reply. “Perhaps this third paper will unravel the whole -mystery. Uncle told us about some papers the last time we saw him at the -shack in the Grand Canyon, but he did not tell us where they were. He -said we would find them after he was dead. I believe that all the papers -were left in a letter for us, and that this man Trumbull stole it.” - -“How do you account for his having a chance to get them?” - -“He was there, in the canyon, living near Uncle, when the latter -died—suddenly and alone, and was the first one there, the others say. It -is said, too, that a letter was left for us, and that it disappeared. I -knew Trumbull to be a thief, because he salted a mine and sold it, so I -naturally suspected him of taking the letter. This is how I came to get -the two papers and the money!” - -“How did you come to find Trumbull in Chicago? All this is very -interesting to me. Wasn’t that a long chance—to find him at all?” - -“We were in Chicago, earning our own living, when Uncle died. The people -living near the canyon wrote us about Uncle’s death, and about this man -Trumbull being there, and about the disappearance of the letter. I -thought the letter might have contained the promised papers, and so -watched for Trumbull, never expecting to see him there, though!” - -“But you did find him! However did it happen?” - -“After being in Chicago a short time, I got a position as errand boy in -a bank. I suspected at the time I got the place that the manager took -more than the usual interest in me, and I thought that he might know -Uncle David. That was before Uncle died, you see. - -“Well, the manager took me on as errand boy, but after a time he kept me -working for him, and about his own private office in the bank, most of -the time, and often asked me about my uncle’s affairs, of which I could -tell him nothing, of course. I had not been there very long when Josiah -Trumbull came into the private office one day and laid a mining -proposition before the manager. - -“I heard some of the talk, and discovered who he was, and also learned -that the mine he proposed developing was in the Grand Canyon of the -Colorado. He said it had been proven that the ore was virtually -inexhaustible, and added that he had come upon papers which showed him -where it was. The location was in the part of the canyon where Uncle had -lived. - -“Then I recalled the talk Uncle David had had with me about valuable -documents, every word of it! I recalled, too, that that this man -Trumbull had been suspected of taking the letter! I watched him closely, -you may be sure! Quite like a detective story, eh?” - -“It may prove to be one before the end is reached,” Clay said. “Go on! -I’m more interested than I can tell you!” - -“Well, one day Trumbull came into the private office with a handbag and -set it down on a desk. He said he had drawn a little money and had -placed the papers he had spoken of with it. He added that he was going -out to the canyon mine to look into the matter. - -“I stole that bag. I did not know that it contained a large sum of -money. I knew only that it contained the papers I wanted. By this time, -you see, I was certain that Trumbull had stolen the papers, that the -papers concerned a mine, and that he was about to acquire what belonged -to Tom and myself. - -“I escaped, as you know. Just how I’ll not tell you now. I should have -consulted the manager, but ran off without doing so. That same day I -read in the newspapers about you boys and the _Rambler_. You see, I had -no money, save the $50,000, and I would not touch that, so I planned to -get to the Gulf of California and go up the Colorado with you! Tom was -crazy about it, and we started away. You know what wretched objects we -were when we came up with you.” - -“But what got the notion into your head that the third paper was in the -wallet in the old cellar?” asked Alex. - -“One day Uncle David told me of the old house being empty and in the -last stages of decay. We had visited the place with him, earlier, you -see, and I knew something about the treasure room. He had always told -me, though, that no money or thing of value would be found there. He -said that I must work for all I got of him. - -“He said, though, that I might find some good advice in the treasure -room after he was dead. I did go there, with Tom, on my way to Chicago, -after we left him, but discovered nothing. I had even forgotten the -manner of getting into the treasure room. But when I found the two -papers in Trumbull’s bag I at once drew the conclusion that the third -paper must be in an old wallet Uncle had referred to as being in the old -cupboard. I was pretty sure it would be found there, as you know. The -only question in my mind was as to whether I should be able to get into -the treasure room and make a search of it without tearing the house -down. Tom did not know of this difficulty, and I never told him.” - -“You’re telling me now!” laughed Tom. - -“When we got to Yuma,” Don went on, “we were too busy dodging King to do -much investigating at the old house. Trumbull must have told King about -it, for he watched the place, as you know, and even dug there for -treasure. Tom and I got separated on the way across, and King saw me -while I was waiting for Tom to come up. - -“When he did come, I left him there and went on down the river to -connect with you. There was nothing Tom could be arrested for. Now, -that’s how I got the money and the two papers, and also how I didn’t get -the third paper!” the boy laughed, “and so we’ll talk about something -else if you don’t mind.” - -“But how are you ever to get this third paper, and how are you to get -the treasure if you don’t?” asked Case. - -“With your permission I’ll go on up with you to where Uncle used to live -and search his old shack. The third paper may be there. Of course the -bonds are what Uncle David referred to as ‘good advice’ in the treasure -room. That was just like him, to call bonds ‘good advice.’ If I ever -discover the third paper, I have no doubt it will tell me where to look -for the bonds. He never thought of their being found in the manner Clay -found them!” - -“Where did you ever hear anything about a third paper?” asked Clay. - -Don took the original papers holding the drawings out of the belt and -held it up to the light. - -“Did you see this line at the bottom?” he asked. Alex gave a start of -surprise. He had studied every figure and letter on the paper and had -seen no line at the bottom, yet there it was, plain to see when the -paper was held up to the sun. The line read: - -“Worthless without No. 3!” - -“There you are,” Don went on. ‘Worthless without No. 3.’ Josiah Trumbull -and King found that line, and they are, or were, hunting for No. 3, just -the same as we are! Now, if you boys think this mystery will spoil your -trip, just put us off and we’ll get to the canyons some other way, but, -still, we’d like to go with you!” - -“I’m so seriously interested in the mystery,” smiled Clay, “that I -wouldn’t feel like making the trip, now, without you and the two pieces -of paper. How do you feel about it, boys?” - -How did they feel about it? What would two healthy boys naturally say to -a mysterious adventure of the sort proposed? Hunting for the buried gold -of Captain Kidd looked like a summer afternoon game of marbles compared -to this! The Grand Canyon and a mystery! Marks on a rock, perhaps -thousands of feet below the level of the plateau! A missing paper and a -contest as to who should get to it first! Surely, no game could be more -exciting. And the boys said so, and all shook hands on the proposition, -after which they ate dinner and Clay went on shore to see about buying -gasoline, provisions and a small rowboat. - -He returned just before nightfall, perspiring with the heat of the -desert sun, and the articles he had bought were soon on board. - -“I saw the last of King,” he reported. “At least the last of him for -some days to come, as he took train for Phoenix. He’s a good sort, is -King, but if he thinks his conscience will hurt if he doesn’t know more -about the secrets of the Grand Canyon, he’ll hire a motor boat and -follow us. I imagine he has telegraphed to Trumbull, for I saw him -waiting at the office for a message. I heard him tell the clerk in the -office to query Chicago.” - -“Good luck to him!” laughed Don. “He is loyal to that thief of a -Trumbull, all right, for he made us promise not to prosecute him if it -should be discovered that he had committed some crime in connection with -his dealings with Uncle David, also to restore the money to him if it -did not prove to belong to Tom and myself.” - -“Some one ought to be in Chicago, watching Trumbull,” suggested Tom. -“Suppose I go? I can get there if the rods hold out! What do you say?” - -“It would be a great idea,” Don agreed, “but we have had enough of -riding on the rods, and we have no money.” - -“But the bonds!” laughed Alex. “What about them? How much are they -worth, Clay?” he added. “You handled them.” - -“Something over one hundred thousand,” was Clay’s reply, “but there is -no proof that they belong to Don and Tom, you know.” - -“That’s why I put them in bank,” Don cut in. - -“If you think you ought to go back to Chicago, Tom,” Clay said, “I’ll -furnish the money. But what can you do there?” - -“He can go to the manager of the bank where I worked,” Don explained, -“and tell him the whole story, and he’ll help. I believe that manager -knows more about this matter than he pretends to!” - -“How did you manage to get into that bank in the first place?” asked -Alex. “It ain’t every street boy that gets such a chance.” - -“Oh, I met one of the bank’s messengers one day, and he told me I might -get a job there. Odd, wasn’t it?” - -Clay broke into a roar of laughter, whereat Don assumed a manner of -wounded dignity and walked away. - -“Come back here, you foolish lad!” Clay called. “You may be sure that -manager does know more about this matter than he pretends to know! The -chances are that he had been keeping track of you for a long time, just -to see what kind of a boy you were!” - -“Then why didn’t he help me?” asked Don. - -“How do you know what your uncle told him to do? I reckon this Uncle -David of yours knew what he was about! He didn’t want you and Tom -spoiled by inheriting a lot of money! He wanted you to dig it up!” - -“Yes,” replied Don, mournfully, “and I guess he buried it so deep that -no one will ever be able to dig it up!” - -“Anyway, you two boys have shown the proper spirit,” Case said, “and -that ought to count for much. And you have the bonds!” - -So it was arranged that Tom should go to Chicago that night and go to -the banker and tell him the part of the story he did not know. The -parting was a grave one, for the brothers were deeply attached to each -other, and there was no knowing what perils would confront either of -them before they met again. - -After supper the _Rambler_ was speeded up the river for twenty miles or -more, “to get her out of the odor of trouble,” as Alex expressed it. - -“Now,” Clay declared, when they came to anchor below Norton, with -Chimney Peak showing not far away, “we are going to have a night free -from boarders and troubles about money. We are off in good earnest at -last.” - -“That’s a pretty tolerable old mountain,” Alex declared, pointing to -Chimney Peak. “I’d like to take a spin over to it.” - -“You’ll stay right on this boat,” ordered Clay. “I’m not going to lose -any time hunting you up.” - -“I won’t get lost in any cellar!” returned Alex, with one of his -provoking grins. - -It was agreed that Case should stand guard that night, and the others -went to their bunks early, with the exception of Captain Joe, who took -his station on the prow and watched the slow-moving water with a -meditative air. Teddy tried for a time to engage him in a boxing -contest, but the dog declined with thanks and continued his inspection -of the river. - -It was a beautiful starlit night, and Alex was too full of the old -spirit of adventure to sleep. He tumbled about in his bunk for a time -and then arose and peered out on deck. - -Captain Joe was still on sentinel duty, but Case was actually asleep in -his chair! The boy was worn out with the excitement and worry of the -day. Alex did not disturb him, but sat down by his side and looked -longingly off toward Chimney Peak. - -“Captain Joe!” he finally whispered. - -The dog pricked up his ears and walked sedately up to the boy. - -“Will you remain here and watch the boat while I go ashore?” asked Alex, -patting the dog on his head. “Will you, old top?” - -Captain Joe looked off toward the mountain summit and made no rash -promises! He was a wise dog, and knew the ways of boys! - -“It is just this way, Captain Joe,” Alex went on, talking to the bulldog -as if he understood every word, “it is just this way. Those sleepy heads -in the cabin, and this one out on deck, would sleep in the presence of -the pyramids! You know it, don’t you?” - -The dog said that he did in a tongue which Alex understood. - -“Well, then we’ll go ashore and see what that hill is made of,” the boy -went on. “We’ll take the rowboat and pay a visit to the Chimney!” It -looks pretty classy from here, eh?” - -Captain Joe admitted that it did, and the boy got out the rowboat and -left the _Rambler_, the dog sitting in the prow with an air of being -necessary to the expedition. The boy and the dog saw adventure ahead and -were recklessly, foolishly glad of it! - - - - -CHAPTER XIV.—A VISIT FROM RIVER PIRATES. - - -Case slept a long time in his chair on the deck of the _Rambler_. The -currents pulled at the anchor chain, and now and then a floating -derelict of a log or discarded box bumped against the sharp-nosed prow, -but the boy was tired, mentally and physically, and did not mind in the -least. - -Teddy, the bear cub, nosed close to him, seeking physical warmth from -the chill of the night, and finally went to sleep himself. When Alex and -Captain Joe looked back from the rim of sand which lay between the shore -line and Chimney Peak, there were no lights to be seen on board the -motor boat—only the bulk of the craft outlined against a starlit sky. - -Finally, when Case did awake, it was with a sense of impending danger. -There is a quality in the human brain which stirs at the vibrations of a -hostile influence, and Case felt it now. - -It was not long before he understood this threat fully, for his chair -was knocked from under his body and he fell with a bump on the deck, -lighting on Teddy, who set up a most dismal howling. While the cub -scrambled out from under the boy’s legs, there came a commotion in the -cabin. Case tried to get up, for he knew that a struggle was on there. - -But he was not permitted to get up. There was a strong hand at his -throat and a knee which dripped water on his chest. - -“All right!” some one said, in the direction of the cabin. - -“All right here!” the figure above Case replied, and then the boy was -jerked to his feet. “I’ll bring him along in. Get a move on, kid!” - -At first Case thought it was King’s voice, but in a second he saw that -it was not, for the fellow broke into a series of oaths and cries of -pain as Teddy seized him by the leg and set his sharp teeth together. - -“Come out here!” the fellow shouted. “Come out here and kill this bear! -He’s chewing my leg off. Hurry up! Bring a gun, too!” - -There was a movement in the cabin and the door opened. Case saw that -Clay and Don were in no better shape to prevent the murder of the cub -than himself. He was afraid that the little bear had used his teeth once -too often. But Case usually acted on the theory that a game is never out -until it is played out, and he did so on this occasion. - -“Take a swim, Teddy!” he shouted to the bear, giving him a push with one -foot. “Take a run and jump into the river. Get busy now!” - -The cub had often heard these words. When the boys were ready for a -river bath Teddy was usually ready, too, and he was always addressed in -the words Case used now, or some almost exactly like them. - -So the bear, thinking, doubtless, that a new game was on, gave one -parting snap at the fellow’s leg and went headfirst into the river. Case -tripped the man who ran to the railing with a revolver in his hand, and -was rewarded by a violent blow on the head. - -“Coming! Coming, Teddy! Get a move on!” Case called out to the bear, and -it was with a good deal of satisfaction that he heard the intelligent -animal snorting with the race spirit as he made clumsily for the shore. -Doubtless the bear wondered why Case was not at his heels on this, as on -other occasions, but he kept on swimming and so escaped death. - -Dazed as he was by the blow he had received, Case heard the fellow -shooting at Teddy, and heard Clay and Don arguing with the men who were -the cause of the commotion in the cabin. - -“Come!” the boy heard a hoarse voice saying, “we have no time to lose. -“You boys went to a bank at Yuma to-day and drew out a lot of money and -a package of government bonds. We want them! Produce!” - -“You are mistaken,” Clay replied, his voice sounding harsh and strained, -as if he was just out of a struggle. “We put our money in the bank, and -the bonds in the bank. We drew nothing out. Take what I have in my -pocket and go. There’s nothing else here for you.” - -Case heard one of the men rattling the coal stove, and a shudder of -horror went through him. Would the midnight raiders be brutal enough to -resort to torture? He had heard of terrible, inhuman things that river -pirates had done. He tried to get up, but was held fast. - -“Here!” a voice in the cabin said. “Don’t wait to heat up that old -stove! Just turn the electric current on this coil. That will prevent -his going to bed with cold feet to-night!” - -“He is telling the truth about the money and bonds,” Case said to his -captor. “They were left in the bank at Yuma, and he gave another lad -money enough to get to Chicago, so we're about broke.” - -“Tell that to the marines!” chuckled the other. “We know what we are -doing, all right. You were seen to take the money away from the Yuma -bank! He’ll remember about it as soon as the coils get hot, too!” - -“Some one lied to you about the transaction at the bank,” Case insisted. -“Who said we took the money and bonds away?” - -“I wish I had that fool bear back here!” Case’s captor snarled. “I’d -burn his teeth out of his head! I shall be lame for a month.” - -“Who told you we took the money and bonds away?” persisted the boy. - -“Why, an old gentleman who stood close by saw you, and we heard him -speaking about it later. He said it wasn’t safe for boys like you to -have so much ready money in this wild country, and we agreed with him. -So we are going to help you take care of it. You’ll hear that fresh kid -inside telling the truth as soon as his feet touch the hot coils.” - -“If you brutes burn Clay,” Case declared, “we’ll give up our trip up the -river and follow you to the end of the world but we’ll bring you to the -gallows! You just remember that!” - -“You’ll crow lower when your own feet feel the fire!” laughed the other. -“You’re brave, all right, but you’re a fool, too!” - -Case threw himself back on the deck and closed his eyes. Every instant -he expected to hear Clay’s cries of anguish as the torture began. There -seemed to be no help anywhere. Don was as helpless as himself. - -All around the boat the night shut down, chill, silent, inscrutable. Far -up the stream the lights of a small town shone indistinctly. To the west -the peaks of Chimney mountain rose into the starlit sky. From the ocean, -a long distance away, a light wind ruffled the water. - -Everywhere was peace, and everywhere the great facts of Nature stood in -friendly attitude to each other. It was only the human element that was -warring! There seemed to be no hope of rescue anywhere! - -Case blamed himself for sleeping while on watch. He blamed Captain Joe -for not giving the alarm when these ruffians sneaked on board. But where -was the dog? He had not seen him since his rude awakening. And where was -Alex? He had not heard the boy’s voice in the cabin. He knew that Alex -would be doing a lot of talking if present! - -The boy knew that there were four men on board. He could hear a craft of -some kind bumping against the side, and so he knew that they had -followed the _Rambler_ from Yuma by way of the river. He could not see -the faces in the cabin, for the door was kept closed, but he could hear -the preparations for torture going on! - -He lay not far from the hatch which covered the motors when the boat was -at anchor. If he could only get a little closer and run his hand down -into the pit he might be able to switch off the electric current so the -coils would not heat. He resolved to try. - -Things were not going well in the cabin, for the boy heard the captors -snarling and cursing at the coils. They did not seem to understand how -to turn on the current, and so there was delay. Case pushed along to the -hatch. As he did so his enemy released his hold for a moment and turned -toward the cabin, saying as he did so: - -“If you chumps don’t know how to run that stove come out here and guard -this kid and I’ll do the work myself! It is easy enough!” - -The fellow started for the cabin and one of the men inside turned toward -the deck. For just an instant Case was free. He reached over to the -hatch, lifted it so as to get his hand into the pit and turned off the -electric current from the containers. In a second the boat was in -darkness, and the pirates were groping about for their prisoners! - -Case made a quick motion toward the railing, but was seized and drawn -back. Clay and Don, who had succeeded in getting out of the cabin, were -thrust back again. Still, the turning off of the current had resulted in -delay, and that was something. - -Clay called out to Case to know if he was still alive, and was given a -courageous reply. Case’s guard bent over him with clenched fists. - -“You turned off the electricity!” he shouted. - -“Turn it on again, or I’ll spoil your face for you. Do it quick, too!” - -There seemed to be no help for it. Case took all the time he could in -lifting the hatch and turning the switch, but at last the lights flared -up again, making the boat as light as day, for during the dark interval -one of the men had turned the switch which fed the prow light. - -While Case lay there, not daring to move hand or foot, his mind went -back to Alex and the dog. Had they been killed at the first moment of -invasion? Had they resisted and been thrown into the river? - -“Come, now,” a voice in the cabin said, “you may as well tell us where -the money is. We are bound to have it, you know!” - -“I have told you the truth about the money?” Clay responded. - -“Heat up the coils!” shouted the first speaker. “We’ll have to warm his -feet for him! It is a cool night, anyway, and it may do him good.” - -The boys listened for some sound of life on the river—for some trading -boat to come creeping up! But there were no indications of the approach -of any river craft whatever. Still, there was a slight jar! - -Perhaps the _Rambler_ had been struck by a floating log! Perhaps an eddy -had sent the boat pulling harder against her chain! There was a slight -movement on the aft deck. Perhaps the dog had been asleep there, or -perhaps Teddy had returned to the _Rambler_ and was creeping up out of -the water The deck guard stepped to the prow to shut off the light. - -Then a shot came from the rear, and the pirate threw up his hands, -balanced unsteadily on the rail for an instant, and fell into the river -like a stone. Case sprang out of the way as the fellow’s companions -rushed from the cabin, brandishing their guns and demanding to know who -had done the shooting. - -Other shots came in quick succession, and another pirate dropped limply -to the deck while the remaining two sprang over the railing and, not -stopping to secure their small launch, struck out for the shore. - -When Clay and Don came out of the cabin they found Alex and Captain Joe -watching the two heads bobbing in the water. Case had arisen to his feet -and was looking with all his eyes at Teddy, perched in a boxing attitude -on the roof of the cabin. - -There was little excitement in Alex’s face as he turned to Clay. - -“I ought to shoot them both,” he said, pointing to the swimmers. “I know -what they were about to do. Shall I shoot them?” - -Clay shook his head and Alex put up his revolver. - -“How did it happen?” the latter asked. “Who are those men?” - -“They are river pirates,” Clay replied, “and I don’t know how it -happened. Case was on guard, but the first thing I knew the men were in -the cabin, holding a gun in my face. I guess Case must have been -asleep.” - -“I was,” Case said, sheepishly. “I ought to be shot!” - -“He was asleep when I went away,” Alex, with a sly wink, contributed. “I -ought to have got him up, but he looked too sleepy!” - -“Where did you go?” demanded Case. “You’re a fine boy, not to make me -get up and attend to business! And Captain Joe must have been sound -asleep, too, or he would have given the alarm!” - -“Captain Joe went to the beach with me,” the boy cut in. “We were just -striking out for the mountain when we saw that something unusual was -going on on board the _Rambler_. Then I saw Teddy swimming to shore and -he told me what was doing! At least he insisted with his teeth on my -returning right off. Guess we got back here just in time!” - -“I guess you did!” Clay admitted. “The pirates were thinking of warming -my feet! I almost wish you had killed them all!” - -A motion on the deck caught the attention of the boys, and Clay went out -to find the pirate who had fallen at the second shot trying to crawl to -the railing. The boy did not interfere. The wounded man reached the -railing at last and threw himself into the river. - -“I don’t believe he is strong enough to swim ashore,” Clay said, “but -we’ll leave that part to him. If he lives, he’ll be hanged some day, so -he may as well drown now. Any man who will resort to physical torture to -extort money has no claims whatever on humanity.” - -“Now,” Don observed, with a quiet smile, “suppose we go on up the river? -You boys were having trouble enough with me before this pack of pirates -took the notion to steal my money from you. It seems to me that the only -safe place for us is up in the Grand Canyon! I move that we get under -way to-night and keep going as long as the river will permit.” - -“That’s good advice,” Clay replied. “We’ll get as far away from this -country as possible before daylight! This thing is getting on my own -nerves! I’ve been looking for a quiet week or two, but I haven’t found -them.” - -The boys lost no time in getting the motors started. Then followed -beautiful days on the river. The boys fished and slept and held boxing -tournaments with Teddy, and sailed on under the sun and under the stars -until the banks grew higher, the mountains closer to the river, and they -knew that they must begin to take great care in navigating, for the -Colorado river is not noted for its peaceful disposition! - -One night they drew into a little creek running into the Colorado from -the California side and built a roaring fire on the shore. - -“Across the river,” Case said, pointing, “are the Blue Ridge mountains, -and the summits you see are Mount Perkins and Mount Davis. Ten or -fifteen miles up the river is Black Canyon, and thirty miles above the -entrance to the canyon is Fortification Rock! There the Colorado turns -to the east. Here our wild sport begins.” - - - - -CHAPTER XV.—TEDDY MEETS A RELATIVE. - - -“And right here is where we back up!” - -It was one day later, and the _Rambler_ lay in what looked to be a great -lock, with gates out of sight! There were high walls on either side, and -just ahead the view was shut off by an abrupt bend in the rocky -formation. The Colorado river was pouring like a Niagara over a ledge -where the narrow canyon turned. - -“This Black Canyon thing does seem to tell us to go back!” Don remarked, -with a sigh. “Looks like I’d have to leave you and take to the plateau -in order to get to the Grand Canyon, after all. “This seems to be a -locked door, all right! No boat can ever get above that tumble!” - -“I’ve heard of boats going past Black Canyon,” Case insisted. - -“They must have gone up in a balloon, then!” Alex suggested. - -“There may be a passage around this series of falls,” Clay said. - -“Well,” Alex sighed. “We’re out of sight of river pirates, anyway. We -can see the blue sky over our heads, and that is about all!” - -“Fine place to camp, on that shelf of rock!” Case put in. “I’d like to -stay here a few days and investigate some of the caverns.” - -“That’s a good idea,” Clay exclaimed. “And while we are looking in the -odd crevices the water has made we may find some way of getting the -_Rambler_ up the river. Anyway, I’m not going to give up the trip until -I have to! A man once went the whole length of the Grand Canyon in a -boat! He must have got many a ducking!” - -“Yes, but he was coming down, while we want to go up! If we were up -above these falls, we might get down, by risking the boat and our own -lives, but I don’t see how we are ever to get up!” - -“There’s always a way!” laughed Alex. “I’ll get some of that drift out -of the eddies and build a fire on that rock while you boys get supper. -If you want fish, catch ’em. Seems to be plenty here.” - -“You’ll have a fine time making that wet wood burn!” cried Case. - -Alex pointed to an opening in the wall of the canyon, back of the rock. - -“I’ve been looking into that nest,” he said, “and I’ve discovered that -there’s dry wood and leaves in there. Some day when the Colorado was on -the rampage, logs and limbs drifted in there and never got out again.” - -“Why wouldn’t that be a good place to camp?” asked Don. “Aren’t you boys -getting tired of sleeping in those narrow bunks every night?” - -“You bet I am,” Alex answered, “and I’ll sleep in the cave if any one -else will. It seems nice and dry in there, and Captain Joe can keep -watch! Who’s in for it? Now, don’t all speak at once!” - -“I am, for one!” Don explained. “I’ll just enjoy it.” - -“The _Rambler_ is good enough for me,” Case asserted, and Clay expressed -the same opinion, so Alex and Don were the only ones to move their -blankets and pillows into the cavern that night when they were ready to -go to bed. Teddy went with them, but the dog crept back to the boat. - -“Bears live in caves, anyway!” laughed Don. “I guess Teddy feels at home -here, the way he is tumbling about. Cute cub, that!” - -There was a fire, fast dying down, just outside the mouth of the cave -where the two boys were, and they lay side by side in their blankets for -a long time watching the flickering blaze and talking of the strange -events which had brought them together. At length Don spoke of the -papers. - -“Do you really hope to find the third paper in the shack your uncle -inhabited in the Grand Canyon?” asked Alex. “I ain’t so sure of it.” - -“I am sure it is there,” Don answered, “but I can’t say whether we shall -find it or not. I’ve been thinking that we might find the spot marked by -an ‘X’ without it. I’m certain that the third paper tells only of -surroundings—perhaps points the way to some bend or cliff. By looking -over the locality very carefully, we may be able to find the sunburst -and the big X. Don’t you think so?” - -“Why, of course,” Alex replied, sleepily. - -“Oh, if you're going to sleep,” laughed Don, “you’ll get no more of my -wisdom! I'm sleepy myself, so here goes.” - -But sleep did not come at once, for there was an interruption. Teddy -arose from the blanket he had chosen as his bed and moved toward the -entrance. The fire was low, now, and the boys could just see his figure -outlined against a mass of red coals. He was growling. - -“Come here, you foolish cub!” Alex called to him. “Don’t you go to -starting anything here! We want to go to sleep. Understand, you cub!” - -Teddy gave a low whine and moved back into the cave. Then the boys -closed their eyes. But Don was restless and sat up in a few moments. -Alex heard him, but kept his eyes closed. Then Don whispered in the -boy’s ear and pulled at his shoulder. - -“Alex!” he whispered. “Look out to the door and tell me if I am seeing -double, will you? There’s Teddy outside again, but he is three times as -large as he was a little while ago. Do you think there’s something in -the atmosphere of this cave that induces growth in bears?” - -“Aw, go to sleep!” was Alex’s response to the query. - -“But that cub has grown to be about nine feet high!” Don went on. “He is -as big, now, as one of the grizzlies at the Lincoln Park Zoo! Just wake -up and see if you think we can get him on board the boat in the morning! -If he continues to grow, he’ll be too big to get on a man of war by -daylight! Come, wake up! This thing is getting on my nerves!” - -Alex opened his eyes and looked, and the bear he saw was about as large -as four Teddies all rolled into one. The great bulk of the animal almost -closed the entrance! Alex sat up with a little cry of alarm. - -“That isn’t Teddy,” he gasped. “That is a bear that wants to come to -bed! I’d give a year off my life to be out of here right now!” - -“Will he bite?” asked Don, innocently. “Teddy doesn’t bite!” - -“Will he bite?” repeated Alex, and retreated to the end of the cave, for -the big bear was entering, snuffing and growling, evidently angry -because there were intruders in his bedchamber! Soon he began nosing at -the blankets where the boys had lain. - -The fire outside flared up and they saw Teddy advancing toward the -larger animal. The cub was walking sidewise, turning his head from right -to left, as playful puppies do when not quite certain of the character -of the reception their advances are to meet with. - -The big fellow looked critically at the cub. The boys were sure they -could see an interrogation point in each eye! To them, at least, he -seemed to be asking: - -“Now, whose baby are you, and what right have you to come into my -bachelor quarters, where babies are never allowed to come?” - -Still sniffing the air, bruin rose on his rear feet as if to take the -intruder into a crushing embrace. This was too much for the little cub -who had been taught boxing lessons by three reckless boys. - -He shot out of the obscurity of the interior of the cave, ambled up to -the person of the house, and gave him a cracking box on the ear! The big -bear went down under the impact of the blow, not having been prepared -for it, and Teddy stood there ready for another round! There was added -peril in every instant now, but, in spite of all, Alex snickered and Don -broke into a ringing laugh. - -“Go it, Teddy!” Alex cried. “Give him another! Hand him one on the bread -basket!” - -Just such words, just such advice, just such encouragement, had the cub -often heard while facing one of his instructors! He knew no more now -than to obey. Bruin received another wallop on the ear, but poor Teddy -went down for the count, and the larger animal sprang at him! - -It seemed for an instant as if the last days of the cub had come, but -fortune favored him. Bruin hesitated for a moment whether to attack the -cub he had floored or to take a bite out of the boys who had invaded his -home. He chose the latter course and sprang for Don. - -Now it began to look as if the boys would never get out of the cave -alive. The bear was between them and the entrance, so they could not run -away from him. Alex felt for his automatic, but remembered that he had -left it on board the _Rambler_. - -Don managed to elude the claws of the bear as the rush came, but all the -time he was being crowded into a corner from which there would be no -escape. He, too, reached for his automatic, but did not find it. - -He found something quite as useful, however, as the result showed, in -the form of an electric flashlight! As the bear advanced the boy opened -the sliding switch and turned the round eye of light full into his face. -Then he advanced, shouting wildly. - -Bruin’s small eyes flinched under the strong flame. He threw up his -nose, sniffed at the intangible thing which cut such a path of fire in -his quarters, and began backing out. Don followed him, still shouting. - -The bear stopped for an instant to give Teddy, now rising from the -floor, a box on the ear and backed out of the cave. At that moment Clay -and Case, who had heard the shouting, appeared on the deck of the motor -boat with weapons in their hands. - -“Shoot him!” Alex cried out to them. “Shoot the big stiff! He’s injured -Teddy. Give him a couple of bullets!” - -Both boys fired and the bear went down. Vital spots had been, in both -cases, reached by the bullets, and the big fellow moved only in -convulsive struggles after he dropped on the smooth rock in front of the -cavern. - -“It seems a pity!” Case said, standing over the fallen giant with his -still smoking revolver in his hand. “The poor old chap had just as good -a right to life as any of us. I’m sorry I shot him!” - -“I guess you didn’t see him slamming Teddy around, and backing Don up -into a corner!” Alex cried. “Only for the searchlight, there would have -been a dead boy instead of a dead bear—perhaps two dead boys!” - -“How is Teddy?” Clay called out. - -“He’s getting on his feet again!” Alex replied. Then he broke into a -laugh which echoed through the cave and out into the canyon and pointed -to the cub bear. - -“Just look at him now!” he cried. “He’s game! He wants to box the big -fellow some more! Come here, Teddy!” - -The cub dropped from his boxing position and approached the boy. - -“Got knocked out, didn’t you?” Alex jeered. “Knocked plumb out!” - -Teddy rubbed the sides of his face with his paws and snorted. - -Alex and Don went back to the boat for the night. They had had quite -enough of the cavern. In the morning, the first thing, the hide was -stripped from the bear, rubbed faithfully with salt, and hung up to -cure. - -After breakfast Clay and Don climbed to the lip of the canyon and walked -a long way to the north, the idea being to see if the river above the -falls was suitable for navigation. They returned at noon and reported -that if they could get over the falls they could run up for miles with -little difficulty. There were rapids, but none the _Rambler_ could not -make headway against, they declared. - -“And we discovered another thing,” Don exclaimed. “This rock we are on -is an island! The river splits something about a mile above here.” - -“Then where does the new channel come into the canyon again?” asked -Case. “Perhaps we can follow up this new channel and so get around the -falls. It is worth looking into, at any rate.” - -“It must be down stream,” Clay suggested, “for we did not pass any -junction. Perhaps we’d better drop down and find it.” - -They found it half a mile below. The new channel was carrying a swift -current, but the water was deep and there were no falls, so the boys got -up full power and started up. The motor boat had the fight of her life, -but she went up gallantly, sometimes hesitating, but always gaining in -the end, until they came out above the falls. - -“A few more like that,” Clay declared, wiping the sweat from his face, -“and we’ll have to take the _Rambler_ to the repair shop. That was a -hard struggle for the old boat.” - -From that time the voyage was not so strenuous, still, the going was -rather more difficult than that encountered on the Columbia river trip. -There were times when the boys were obliged to unload the boat and -almost carry her, times when ropes were used to assist her up swift -sweeps of water; but, then, there were wide valleys where Indians tilled -small patches of earth, and where there were green things in view -always. Whenever opportunity offered the boys procured water from -springs in the hills, for the waters of the Colorado are full of the -silt washed down from the mountains. - -The Colorado river was born when the Rocky Mountains lifted their peaks -above the continent. From their lofty heights the collected moisture -flowed down on the plains below until a river was formed. From the base -of the mountains to the ocean level there is a fall of a mile, so the -river runs swiftly. The water cuts out the light soil and also heaps it -up. In the canyons the river runs 6,000 feet below the level of the -plateau, and people on the desert above might die with thirst because of -the impossibility of getting down to the water. - -The Colorado is forever changing its course and currents. Here mud flats -are forming, there a bank is being washed away. Here a mighty rock -topples into the stream, there the water cuts around a tower, leaving a -pillar three hundred feet high, standing out alone! The river, ages ago, -entered the Gulf of California where Yuma is now; in a few centuries it -will fill up and make a level plain of the entire Gulf. It deposits silt -enough in one year to cover sixty-six square miles of territory with -sediment a foot deep! It is working hard to level the continent, ably -assisted by the Columbia, the Mississippi, the Frazer, the Snake and the -Gila! - -The boys will never forget those days and nights on the Colorado. It was -a golden time, and at last the Grand Canyon opened before them! - - - - -CHAPTER XVI.—CONCERNING A HEADLESS GHOST. - - -“Now,” Clay suggested, on the morning following the arrival at the mouth -of the mightiest canyon on earth, “we may as well make up our minds that -we can’t go very much farther in the _Rambler_. We will go in as far as -we can, then tie up and investigate the great mystery.” - -“If you want to see the Grand Canyon to good advantage,” Don advised, -“get up on the plateau and look down and across. At the level of the -river you see little save blue sky and rock, and you see those like one -looking out of a well! Besides, it is pretty hot down here. - -“There is little breeze, and we are a mile or more nearer the center of -the earth than those at the lips of the cut. When it snows up above it -rains down here. Clumps of willows which grow in the canyon look like -fringes of grass from above. The houses where the guides and a few -Indians live look like soap-boxes from the top. - -“And, then, from the top, you can get the full contrast of the colors in -the layers of rocks. You’ll see a wall of black granite rusty with the -iron that is in it, and, a short distance away, you’ll see red, amber -and green pinnacles with white tops. We’ll have to climb some to get to -the shack where Uncle David lived, and so you may be able to satisfy -your love of nature without going to the top.” - -“Did any one ever sail down through this canyon?” asked Alex. - -“Yes,” Don answered, “Major Powell succeeded in getting through with a -boat, but some members of his party lost their lives. We can nose the -_Rambler_ up for quite a distance yet, but of course we can’t go -through.” - -“Then suppose we camp in the canyon itself to-night?” Alex questioned. -“It will be fine to hear the waters singing!” - -“We may safely do that,” Don answered. “We will, of course, be in what -is known as the inner gorge, that is, away down to bed rock! We can get -to within a couple of miles of the shack by night and make camp there. -Then, in the morning, we can climb up and have a look at the old place.” - -“You lived there for a time with your uncle?” asked Case. - -“Yes, for a couple of years. But Uncle never made much of us boys. He -seemed to want to be alone, and, besides, he often said that we ought to -be out in the world learning to fight humans! Uncle had a notion that -men and women were worse than wild animals! - -“So, after a time, he sent us away, giving us tickets to Chicago by way -of San Francisco and the S. P. While on the way back, as I have already -told you, we visited the old house at Yuma. I never saw Uncle again. He -was a strange old fellow. Where he got all his wealth is more than I -know, but he certainly was rich.” - -It was hard work sailing against the currents of the Colorado, but the -motors were strong and reliable, and at night the boys found themselves -shut in by towering walls of rock. Above, on either side, were shelves, -ledges and precipices. Away at the top grew yellow pine and fir, below -juniper thrived, and farther down were willows and various kinds of -bushes. The light was dim long before sunset, and the river ran dark and -sullen between the frowning walls. - -“We’ve got to stop here,” Don declared, as the _Rambler_ reached a point -where the inner gorge widened out into a small valley—a very small -valley indeed—“for the shelf where the shack stands can be reached only -from this point.” - -“How far up is it?” asked Clay. - -“Something like two thousand feet.” - -“Almost to the surface?” - -“Not half way,” was the laughing reply. “There was a copper mine there, -once, years ago, and the shack was left by the miners when the drive was -deserted. It is an uncanny place!” - -“How do you get there?” asked Alex. “Is it a hard climb?” - -“Rather! In places the path is only thirty inches wide, with a wall a -thousand feet up on one side and a drop of a thousand feet on the other! -In places the way is so steep that steps have been cut in the rock, to -prevent the burros slipping.” - -“Burros!” echoed Alex. Walking up and down that wall!” - -“Both burros and horses, after proper training,” Don answered. - -“I think I'd rather walk!” Alex muttered, and Case nodded agreement. - -“You’ll find that horses’ feet are surer than your own,” Don predicted. -“There is rarely an accident here.” - -The boys anchored the _Rambler_ close to the shore, opposite the little -spread-out of rocky soil and built a fire of driftwood. When night -settled down the stars looked into the gulch bright and clear, and in -time the moon arose and lighted the upper air, though its rays did not -penetrate to the inner gorge at first, of course. - -After supper the lads sat on the deck of the motor boat and watched the -line of moonlight drop down on the west wall. Now it touched the top of -a monument erosion had wrought, now it painted a shadowy wall where -rocks were tottering to a fall. - -“It is going to be a ghost night!” Don said, presently. - -The other boys laughed at the expression, and Clay asked: - -“Do they have ghost nights at the bottom of the canyon?” - -“The ghost nights,” Don explained, gravely, “are found only near the -broad level made by the dumpings of the old copper mine. Anybody who -ever lived hereabouts can tell you that ghosts come forth at midnight -and walk the ledges where they came to their deaths!” - -“Bunk!” grunted Case. That’s all bunk!” - -“About the ghosts? Of course, but there is something mysterious in the -Grand Canyon! There are noises no one can account for, and sights which -no one can explain are common. It is a haunted place!” - -“I’m glad of that!” Alex exclaimed. “I’ve always wanted to form the -acquaintance of a really, truly ghost! One may come to-night!” - -“If one should,” laughed Clay, “you would be the first one to jump out -of your skin with fright! I don’t want to be bothered with ghosts, for -one, for I’m tired and sleepy. Besides, we have a hard climb before us -for to-morrow.” - -When the boys went to bed the west wall of the canyon was silvered with -moonlight, while the east wall was still clothed in shadows. Case’s bunk -was nearest to the door of the cabin, and Captain Joe, seeking -companionship, snuggled down by it. - -The last thing the boy heard, before he dropped into a sound sleep, was -the uneasy breathing of the dog. After a time he awoke with a start. -Captain Joe was bristling and growling. - -“You ornery pup,” Case whispered, “keep still! You’ll wake the boys up! -What do you see out there to growl at?” - -Captain Joe advanced to the prow of the boat and pointed with a -quivering nose to the east wall of the canyon. Then he looked back at -Case and invited an apology for previous coarse treatment! - -Case looked and turned back to awake the other boys, then changed his -mind and stood waiting. On a descending shelf of rock five hundred feet -above the level of the river, a white object could be seen creeping -slowly downward. It was in the shadow at first, but presently came into -a light reflected from the opposite wall. - -Then the boys saw a white horse without a head and a white rider, also -without a head! The horse moved slowly down the shelf toward the river, -and the rider sat upright and stiff, not swaying at all with the motions -of the horse! While Case looked the pair, the white horse and the white -rider, came to an abrupt ending in the shelf. - -To the amazement of the lad they did not stop there. They went on over -the edge of the precipice and something white fell down, down, to a -rocky bed below. As the white thing shot through the air a shriek of -terror echoed over the canyon, and then all was still. - -Case watched and listened with a wildly beating heart. The horse and -rider had certainly gone down the precipice! He awoke Don and told him -of what he had seen. Don looked serious. - -“It is the ghost of the canyon,” he said. “For years, on moonlight -nights, the horse and rider have gone over the precipice. It is said -that a rider met death there years ago, and that his bones, and the -bones of his horse, were found at the bottom of the precipice by a -hunter. For a long time no one would come within sight of that shelf at -night.” - -“I don’t believe in ghosts!” Case asserted. “I don’t believe it was a -ghost at all! It is some trick to drive us away!” - -“But the sight has been seen for a long time—years before we ever -thought of coming here,” urged Don. - -“You don’t actually believe in it?” asked Case. - -“There is something strange about it,” was all the boy would say. - -“Will it ride again to-night?” asked Case. “If I thought it would I’d -sit up and watch for it. I’m interested in this ghost.” - -“It is never twice seen on the same night,” Don replied. “In fact it -comes only when the moon reaches just such a position in the heavens. -Always when the rider moves down the ledge you will see the shadow of -that granite monument resting on the white boulder which nestles like a -setting in that cliff.” - -“Who compiled all the ignorance there is in the world regarding ghosts?” -Case grinned. “I guess if people got a chance to return to earth after -death, they wouldn’t be monkeying around in fool ways like that! This is -some trick! You’ll see if we don’t get to the bottom of it before we go -away! Headless horse, and headless rider! Why, even Captain Joe knew -that they were not ghosts, for he woke me up growling at them!” - -“Where is he now?” asked Don, looking around for the dog. - -“He was here a minute ago,” Case replied. “He is not far away.” - -“Don’t let the ghosts get him,” laughed Don, and went back to his bunk. - -Case did not go to sleep. He was wondering if there really were people -who actually believed in supernatural visitations! Reared in the hard -school of the streets, he had long ago learned to accept nothing as true -which did not comply with the standards of the knowable. - -He wondered, too, where Captain Joe had taken himself off to. Usually -the dog remained close to the boat at night, so his sudden disappearance -was a puzzle to the boy. He whistled softly, but the dog did not come. - -Then Case remembered the remarks Alex had made concerning the moonlight -and the ghost nights. The lad certainly would be ripe for a visit to the -bottom of the precipice. Case did not know what he might find there, but -he had his suspicions as to what had gone down! - -Alex kicked out vigorously and rubbed his eyes sleepily when Case shook -him up in his bunk. He had no thought of getting up! Then Case whispered -in his ear—whispered because he did not want the others to awake and -learn that they were going away on a ghost hunt! - -“The ghost walks!” Case rumbled in the boy’s ear! - -“Leave mine in my pocket!” Alex yawned. “Where is he?” - -“Not the money ghost,” Case snickered, “but the ghost that falls off -mountains without being injured, and rides about the country with his -head under his arm, or somewhere else out of sight. Get up!” - -“Me for the ghost!” Alex exclaimed. “Bring him to me!” - -“We’ve got to go and get him!” Case replied. “And you’d better keep -still, or the whole bunch will want to go. Get up and dress.” - -“I’m dressed,” replied the boy. “I was going out anyhow as soon as the -others got to sleep. Where’s Captain Joe?” - -“The ghost carried him off!” laughed Case. “Indeed he did,” he went on, -as Alex expressed disapproval. “He hasn’t been seen since the headless -ghost rode the headless horse down the bottomless precipice!” - -“Wheels!” cried Alex, in derision. “You’ve got buzzing wheels!” - -Case got the sleepy youngster out of the cabin and told him about the -white rider and also about Don’s account of the tradition. - -“Now,” he added, “I propose that we go down the shore a little way and -climb up the slope to the foot of that precipice. You can see from here -where the shelf ends. Well, anything dropped off the break would fall -into a coulee on the other side of the ridge. See?” - -“Perhaps we can get to the foot of the precipice, and perhaps we can -not,” Alex said, “but we’ll try, anyway. What do you expect to find -there? The dead ghost of a headless horse and rider?” - -Case laughed and the two started away, following the river bank down -until the rise to the east ran out, and then following the coulee back -of it. In a very short time they were at the foot of the smooth wall of -rock which dropped down from the shelf above. The moon was now far up in -the sky, and its light fell directly into the canyon. - -The lads looked carefully about the foot of the wall, but were not -rewarded in any way for their labor. Presently, however, Case bent over -a depression in the soil which had gathered in a corner—washed down from -the heights above—and called to his chum. - -“What do you make of it?” he asked, flashing his electric on the spot -indicated. “Does that look like a ghost’s track?” - -“Dog’s track!” Alex exclaimed. “Captain Joe’s track! Now what was he -doing here? But here’s another footprint!” he went on, all excitement, -“and it wasn’t made by a dog, either. Healthy ghost, that!” - -“The ghost that made that track,” Case answered, “wore a No. 10 shoe -with the taps worn down so as to show the nailheads! And the shoe was -here not long ago, at that. Now, what was the dog doing with a -stranger?” - -“I reckon Captain Joe has been abducted!” grinned Alex. “I’d like to see -the man that did it. He’d be some chewed up, I take it!” - -“Well,” Case went on, “the dog has been captured, for here are the marks -where he pulled back as he was dragged away! And I guess it was no ghost -that did it, either. Just listen to that!” - - - - -CHAPTER XVII.—THE SUNBURST ON THE WALL. - - -The sound to which Case called attention was a long, quavering howl, -such as a dog in captivity will sometimes make. It sounded far away. - -“There’s the proof of it!” the boy said. “Captain Joe has been taken -prisoner, and he’s trying to tell us about it. Now, how the Old Harry -did any living person get him into a mess he couldn’t get out of?” - -“What we want to know, just now,” said Alex, “is where he is, and not -how he got there. The sound came from up above?” he asked. - -“I thought so,” was the reply. - -“Well, how are we going to get up there?” demanded the other. - -The boys passed to the east of the precipice and came to a rugged -incline which seemed to lead to the vicinity of the shelf of rock from -which the ghostly visitors had apparently fallen. It was hard climbing -for those unused to such exercise, but at last they stood on a summit -which connected with the shelf farther along. - -Below, five hundred feet or more, ran the Colorado river, its red waters -hidden from the moonlight except in spots, for the outcropping walls -make a view of the river from the top almost impossible. The boys could -see the _Rambler_ lying at anchor, however, and see the embers of the -cooking fire not far away. There were no lights on board the boat when -they first looked, but presently a glimmer was seen on the aft deck. - -“What is it?” asked Case, mystified. - -“Some one boarding the boat!” Alex cried. “The boys are asleep and -Captain Joe is gone! Now do you see why the dog was abducted? We’ve got -to get down there just as soon as we can. No knowing what may happen!” - -“I guess we’re not going to lack for excitement!” Case mused. “We’ve got -out of the path of commerce, but we seem to have struck a live wire, -after all!” - -“Shall we go back, or just wake the boys and go find the dog?” asked the -other. - -“If we don’t go back, we may not have any boat to go back to!” Case -predicted. “The people down there are never prowling around for their -health.” - -“But the boys would be all right, awake, and I hate to leave the dog in -bad company!” Alex protested. - -“Say,” Case suggested, “suppose we take a couple of shots at the chaps -who are monkeying with the _Rambler_? That will wake the boys!” - -“That surely will wake the boys, anyway,” was the reply, and before Case -could get his gun out Alex was peppering away at the air a few feet -above the cabin of the motor boat. - -The effect, below, was instantaneous. A light flashed out in the cabin, -and then the prow lamp was turned on. Clay and Don could be seen -scrambling out of the doorway, only half dressed. - -There was no one else in sight. The intruder had made himself scarce at -the instant the revolvers had been fired. It was evident that he had not -visited the _Rambler_ with the intention of attacking the boys. - -“Hello, the boat!” yelled Alex, directly. - -“Hello yourself!” came back in Don’s voice. - -“What’s the shooting about?” demanded Clay. - -“Take a run around the boat and see!” Case called back. “There is some -one hiding near there! He can’t be very far away.” - -“Why don’t you come on down?” asked Don. “Where are you?” - -“Looking for the ghost!” Alex called out. “Come up and help.” - -Finally Clay, who had made a quick circuit of the shore near the fire, -reported that there were tracks of heavy shoes, such footgear as no one -but a heavy man would be apt to wear, all around the remains of the -fire! He asked the boys to return to the boat, but they advised a close -watch and decided to continue their search for the dog. - -“Because,” Alex reasoned, “they’ll take him farther away before morning, -and, then, we want to see the ghost before he fades away at the coming -of the dawn! The ghost with big feet!” - -“He’ll fade away before the coming of the dawn if I get a shot at him,” -grumbled Case. “He’s too free with our property!” - -The boys heard the voice of the dog no more. Below they saw the motor -boat blazing with light, the boys stealthily on guard in the cabin. -Above, the moonlight flooded the lips of the canyon. To north and south -the great river roared away, ever diving deeper into the bowels of the -earth, as if to hide its red waters from the light of the sun. - -From shelf to shelf, from coulee to coulee, from slope to slope! It was -a weary night! Many times they thought they heard the dog calling to -them. Once or twice they thought they heard voices. But always -investigation of the localities from which the sounds had seemed to come -brought no satisfactory result. - -“Suppose we go back to the boat?” asked Alex. - -Case threw himself down on a rock, yawned, and pointed to the western -lip of the big canyon. It showed a tinge of pink. - -“It is time, I think,” he said. “This light is not that of the moon, but -of the sun! We’ve been all night blundering around here!” - -But it was not possible to reach the boat in a few minutes. The lads -were far up the east side of the canyon, and the path to the bottom was -long, winding, and uncertain. They had wandered far to the north, too, -and the location of the boat was hidden by a rocky summit. - -Below them lay the level filling in front of the old copper mine. At the -northern extremity of the fill stood a single shack, built of the boles -of yellow pine and roofed with shingles rough-hewn from the same useful -tree. Case pointed down and gave his chum a nudge in the ribs. - -“Uncle David’s home!” he said. “The deserted shack!” - -“Deserted!” echoed the other. “If it is deserted, tell me what the -dickens the chimney is smoking for?” - -What the boy said was true, for a thin column of smoke was ascending -from the chimney of the old mine house, supposed to have been deserted -by mankind long ago! - -“Suppose we go down and make a social call?” suggested Case. - -“It would be all right to find out who lives there,” Alex agreed. - -“Probably some old hermit, like Don’s uncle,” Case ventured. - -“Yes, probably; still, it may be the headless ghost! What do you make of -that ghost business, anyway?” the boy added. - -“I think it is easy enough to solve that puzzle,” Case replied. “Some -man rode a horse down that shelf. Both were sheathed in white except -their heads, which were wrapped in black. When they reached the end of -the shelf the white garments, or blankets, or whatever they were, were -tossed down the precipice. Then the black-clad horse and man went softly -up the shelf again. There you have the solution according to Sherlock -Holmes’ methods! Now, who is it that is playing ghost, and why is he -doing it? That’s the question now.” - -“But we went to the bottom of the precipice and found nothing white -there. How do you account for that, wise one?” - -“But we found footprints, didn’t we? That shows that there was some one -there to-night, doesn’t it? And we found tracks showing that Captain Joe -had been seized, muzzled, and dragged along, didn’t we? No ghost would -do that! Circumstantial evidence is good in this case, but it wouldn’t -convict the ghost of falling over the ledge or of stealing the dog, -because, you see, there is proof that some other person had a chance to -do these same things! Do you understand me?” - -“All right, figure it out to suit yourself,” Alex agreed. “Perhaps -you’ll be able, after a time, to reason out the purposes and personality -of this false-alarm ghost, and to release the dog by induction!” - -“I half believe you think there is a ghost here,” Case argued, half -provoked at the mental attitude of the other. “Don’t you, now?” - -“I certainly do not,” was the answer. “What I object to is your lofty, -cocksure manner of accounting for everything. Here you go ahead and -explain the events of the night as if you had seen every move made. But -you may be right! Really, I half believe you are, and I’m sorry I didn’t -beat you to it by figuring the thing out for myself!” - -“Well, then, as we agree on the ghost matter, suppose we go down to the -house and see who is there? Perhaps the occupant of the shack will -invite us to eat! I’m hungry as a wolf, and then some.” - -As the boys were about to descend to the level space in front of the old -mine bore, Case caught Alex by the arm and pointed to the opposite wall -of the canyon, some distance away. There was excitement in the boy’s -tone and manner as he said: - -“You remember the sunburst on the paper?” - -“I should say so,” replied Alex. “I’ve got a copy of it right here with -me. Why do you bring that mystery up now?” - -“There’s a sunburst over there on the smooth wall!” Case said. “The sun -shines on the rocks so as to produce the effect of one, anyway.” - -“You’ve got to show me!” Alex exclaimed, with a provoking grin. - -Case took out his watch and noted the time. Six o’clock. - -Alex, puzzled, held the paper he had taken from a pocket out to his -chum, asking: - -“Six o’clock, you say? Now, look here! On this paper there is a figure -six marked by the side of the drawing of the sunburst exactly at the -point where the sun now strikes the sunburst on the wall. What does that -mean?” - -“Well,” Case answered, scratching his head, “there is a seven below the -six. We’ll see if the seven stands in the same relation to the sunburst -that the six does.” - -“What do you mean by that?” asked Alex. “I don’t understand.” - -“Look here! The figure six marks where the line of sunlight lies on the -wall at six o’clock! That’s easy, isn’t it? Does the figure seven stand -so as to show where the line of sunlight will lie on the wall at seven -o’clock? Do you get that, muddlehead?” - -“Well, what of it? I don’t see no sustenance in that?” - -“Look at the other paper?” suggested Case. “Look at the big ‘X.’ That -means ten o’clock, what? Suppose it means ten o’clock? Does that give -you no idea? I guess you’re dense this morning, kid!” - -“My head is so empty that it rattles, just as my stomach does!” Alex -replied. “I don’t know a thing!” - -“Well,” Case went on, “I’d like to be here at exactly ten o’clock and -see where the line of sunlight lies on the wall then!” - -“Oh,” cried Alex, “you think the papers point to time! When the line of -sunlight reaches ten on the wall, as shown by the paper, a door will -open and a troop of trained bankers will issue forth bearing chests of -gold in their hands. Something like that, old chum? Do I get you at -last?” - -“No use trying to explain anything to you!” Case replied, turning away -in a rage. “You’d better run back to the boat before you get lost.” - -“Now, don’t get a grouch!” laughed Alex. “You know what I mean. When ten -o’clock comes the line of sunlight will lie over the place where Don’s -uncle hid something. Is that your idea?” - -“Exactly!” was the reply. “Why didn’t you say that before, instead of -giving out fool talk about trained bankers?” - -“Then we’ve found the treasure!” Alex cried, eagerly. - -“That depends,” answered Case. “We’ll come back here at ten this -forenoon and see where the line is. There may be a cross on the wall -there, or there may be a rock formation which resembles an ‘X.’ We’ll -have to investigate. But wouldn’t it be fine if we could dig up this -secret while Clay and Don were puzzling over it?” - -“Indeed it would! But suppose we go down to the shack and see what kind -of people live there. There may be something to eat in it!” - -“If I had your appetite,” Case grumbled, “I’d go somewhere and run a -restaurant! You’re either hungry or sleepy all the time!” - -The lads laughed at the idea of Alex owning a restaurant, and scrambled -down the slope to the level dump where the shack stood. - -Smoke was still coming from the chimney. The windows had been covered -with boards, securely nailed on, and the boys found the doors locked -when they, after knocking, tried to enter. Circling around the shack, -which was of good dimensions, they finally discovered a small door which -was unfastened, and through this they entered. - -They passed, with their electric lights on, through what must at one -time have been a storeroom, came out in an old kitchen, passed on to a -sitting room, which faced the front of the shack, and stopped to listen. - -The smothered breathing of a dog came from an adjoining room, and they -hastened to open the door. Captain Joe was tied up with a chain to a -hook in the wall, the chain so short that he could not move more than a -few inches. His head was covered with a heavy burlap bag, which was tied -tightly around his neck. - -When released and caressed, the dog appeared to be dazed, and the boys -saw at once that he had been doped with some stupefying drug. This -undoubtedly accounted for his being in captivity. In his usual health -the dog would have made the tying of him up a difficult and dangerous -proceeding. After a time Captain Joe lay down and rubbed the sides of -his head with his paws, as if he had a very bad headache! - -In the room where the dog was there was a bed, rumpled and dirty, and a -couple of chairs. Under the bed was a pair of heavy boots, and Alex -whispered to his chum as he looked at them. - -“Big boots,” he said, “and the taps have been worn so that the nails -protrude. Our ghost wore them, all right.” - -Case went to a closet and began rummaging about. Presently he came out -with a couple of milk-white sheets and a couple of black bags with eye -and nose holes in them. - -“We have either struck the home of a train robber or a ghost!” the boy -said. “I’d like to know which!” - -“You are likely to be informed soon,” Alex replied, “for there is some -one coming in at the front door right now!” - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII.—CASE AND ALEX UNDER ARREST. - - -Clay and Don remained awake after the shooting. They kept the lights -burning and waited anxiously for the return of Case and Alex, but they -did not come. - -While they waited Don told Clay the story of the headless horse and -rider, expressing the opinion that the boys had gone out on a ghost -hunt! - -Clay was all interest in a moment, and indignant, too, because he had -not been called in time to view the ghostly procession. - -“That’s just what the boys have done!” he agreed. “They’ve gone off in -search of that ghost! I’d like to be with them!” - -“All the ghosts they find won’t fat them up any,” laughed Don. - -“But they may solve the mystery!” Clay insisted. “That will be worth -while, won’t it?” - -“Of course! Now, I have an idea where they will bring up,” the lad went -on, “and I suggest that we head them off as soon as it is daylight. The -boat will be safe in the daytime, I think.” - -“Where will they go?” asked Clay. “I’d like to surprise them.” - -“If they follow along that shelf, after once getting to the top of it,” -Don went on, “they will come out in time near the old mine, at the shack -where Uncle David lived so long. They will go into the house and look -for the ghost. Let us get there first!” - -“All right! We’ll go just as soon as it gets light.” - -But with the first glimpse of the summer sun came two husky men in a -shell of a boat. They rowed up to the shore and stepped out close to the -place where the _Rambler_ was anchored. They were rough-looking fellows, -with half-breed faces and cruel black eyes. The boys felt for their guns -as they approached, although their movements were intended to be -friendly. - -“Hello!” one of the men shouted. “Hello, strangers!” - -“Come aboard,” Clay said, thinking that he could do no less than invite -the unwelcome guests to join in a cup of coffee, as the beverage was -then bubbling on the electric coils at the back of the cabin. - -The strangers re-entered their boat, pushed over to the _Rambler_, and -mounted to the deck, their snaky eyes taking in every detail of the -craft as they did so. Clay served them coffee and such food as had been -prepared for breakfast, and waited for them to make their business -known. At length one of them broached the subject. - -“You’re Don Durand?” he asked, facing the boy. - -“Yes; but how did you know that?” answered Don. - -“I was about here when you lived with Dave.” - -“I don’t remember you,” the boy said, suspiciously. - -“I’m Flint,” reminded the other. “I worked in the mine for Dave.” - -“I was a little chap, and didn’t know the miners,” Don hastened to say, -for he was nervous under the evil eyes of the fellow who called himself -Flint and claimed acquaintance. - -“Uncle died after you left,” Flint continued, and Don nodded. - -“You’ve come back to look up his property?” - -Don hesitated, but decided to tell the exact truth. - -“I came back to see the country, and if there is anything here that -belongs to me I’ll take it away with me.” - -“There’s nothing here,” Flint said, with a scowl. “A man named Frost -came and took everything there was in the house.” - -“And the papers?” asked Don. “Where are they?” - -“He took them also. He hunted for a buried treasure until he got the -whole county to laughing at him! I reckon Dave didn’t have any treasure -to hide when he died! He was as poor as the rest of us.” - -“I’m going to look through the old house,” Don said. “There may be -something there this man Frost overlooked. By the way, I think I know -this man Frost. But what right had he to come here and remove the -property?” - -“He had some kind of a writing, he said. I never saw it.” - -“Do you know where he came from?” asked Don, then. “From Chicago?” - -“He said he lived in Chicago,” was the evasive reply. - -“Well,” Don concluded, “I’m going to tear the old house down, if it is -necessary to do so to find the papers I want.” - -“The old house belongs to me and Ike, here,” with a nod at his -companion, “and we wouldn’t like to have it torn down.” - -“Who gave it to you?” demanded the boy, angrily. - -“I got it from this man Frost. He sold it to me. I let Ike in on a half -interest, so, as I was sayin’, I wouldn’t like to have it torn down—not -right away! In fact, I’ll shoot any person that even tries to get into -it. Nothing personal, lad! I just speak generally.” - -“Will you give me permission to look through it?” asked Don. - -“I can’t see as it would do you any good to look through it. There is -nothing there but dust and a few living things, such as dishes and the -like. You wouldn’t care to see them, I take it.” - -Don was about to make a hasty reply, but Clay seized him by the arm and -drew him to one side. The boy was shaking with anger. - -“Keep cool!” Clay warned. “We’ll get into that house, all right, but -we’ll do it without permission from him.” - -Flint and Ike went away while the two boys talked together. When they -had disappeared down the river, the lads finished their breakfast and -prepared for a visit to the old mine. It was nearly seven o’clock when -they came within sight, from the south, of the building. They had been -climbing for three hours or more. - -At first they saw no one on the old dump, but before long they saw a -heavy, flabby man in a broadcloth coat and silk hat working away at the -front door of the house. Don’s voice shook as he said: - -“That’s Josiah Trumbull! I guess he’s got me at last!” - -“Looks more like you had him!” Clay retorted. “He seems to have a key to -that door. I reckon he’s been here before.” - -“A good many times!” Don replied. “Too many times!” - -“I wonder if King is anywhere about?” asked Clay. “I don’t think -Trumbull came here alone. I hope he’ll get kicked out of the house, if -he gets in!” - -Trumbull unlocked the door and swung it open. The house was in the -shadow, for it was on the east side of the canyon, but there was a -strong light across the great cut, where the morning sun was shining on -the rocks. Trumbull stopped in the doorway, lighted a cigar, drew a long -breath and turned to enter. - -Then two quick shots came from the interior, and Trumbull crinkled up on -the slice of stone which stood for a platform in front of the door. -Thinking only of the tragedy which had taken place before their eyes, -and not of themselves on their own safety, Clay and Don ran forward and -bent over the fallen man. They saw in a moment that he was quite dead. - -Then Case and Alex came rushing through the doorway, the latter carrying -a smoking revolver in his right hand, his face white and pinched. - -“Great God, lads!” Clay shouted. “Why did you do it? Why didn’t you -wait? Why did you do it?” - -Alex threw down the weapon and was about to make some reply when he was -grabbed from behind. In an instant steel handcuffs were on his wrists as -well as those of Case. There was no struggle. The boys were too dazed to -resist and Clay and Don were too dumfounded to say a word. - -Then, in another moment, King, Flint, and Ike appeared beside the body, -bending over it, and Clay and the others dumbly realized that it was -King who had manacled their chums. - -“You’re caught with the goods!” - -The man who had been called Ike was the speaker, and there was a note of -triumph in his tone. - -“You boys went too far this time. I’m sheriff here, and I saw the -shootin’.” - -“What does it mean?” asked Case. “Neither one of us did the shooting. -Alex’s gun lay on a chair, and we missed it, and the next—” - -“That will do for you!” broke in Ike. “Tell it to the judge.” - -“Let him talk if he wants to,” King said, lifting his eyes bravely to -the accusing ones of the boys. “He has a perfect right to make any -statement he desires to make.” - -“You’re a new one on me!” the man who had been called Ike said, with a -scowl at King. “Who are you, and how did you get into the house? I saw -you running, too, when the shots were fired.” - -“I came here with Trumbull,” was the reply. “He went to the front door -to get in, while I walked around to the rear to see what was going on -there. I had noticed a window up when we approached.” - -“How do we know that you didn’t do the shooting?” demanded Clay. - -“The truth will come out in the end,” King said. “I was in there when -the shots were fired, and so were these men. Who are they?” he asked, -addressing his conversation to Clay. - -“I’m the sheriff,” declared Ike, “and this man and me own the house. We -seen the boys do the shootin’. Yes, we’ve got a clear case.” - -He picked up the revolver Alex had thrown down. - -“Is this yours, kid?” he asked. - -“Yes,” was the dazed reply. - -Ike whirled the cylinder, showing two empty cartridges. Then he put the -weapon into his pocket with a grin. - -“I guess that settles it,” he said. “We’ll take ’em to jail!” - -“I never shot him!” Alex cried out. “I laid my gun down on a chair while -I wrestled around with the dog, getting the bag off his head, and some -one picked it up and fired! Next time I saw it, it was lying on the -floor in front of the door to the side room, and I picked it up.” - -“I saw you with it in your hand, a moment after Trumbull fell,” King -said. “These men appeared in a moment, and must have seen you there, -too.” - -“Indeed we did,” Flint cut in. - -“But you don’t believe he killed this man?” Clay appealed to King. - -“It looks bad!” was the answer. “It looks bad, boys!” - -“You’re prejudiced,” Clay said. “You’ve been sneaking around after us -ever since we came on the river! You stole on board our boat, too, and -tried to rob us. I believe you did the shooting yourself.” - -Clay was angry and excited. His eyes flashed and his cheeks flamed as he -accused King. The deputy made no direct reply, but stood looking at the -revolver and at the prisoners. - -“Well, we may as well take the boys to jail,” Ike suggested. “We’ve got -a long climb to the top, and some distance to go after that.” - -“If the people about here get wind of this cold-blooded murder,” Flint -cut in, maliciously, “there may be a necktie party, so you’d better get -them in a safe place as soon as possible. - -He stared at Clay and Don as he spoke, and finally turned to the -sheriff, who was moving closer to the boys, a triumphant look in his -eyes. - -“I think it might be well to take these two with the others,” he -remarked, including Clay and Don with a swing of his long arm. “If I -make it out right, this is a conspiracy-to-murder case, and these other -lads are just as guilty as the others. Bring ’em along, Ike.” - -Clay and Don sprang back as the sheriff approached to do the other’s -bidding, but King interposed, preventing the advance of the other. - -“Wait a minute!” he said, coolly. “Don’t move, boys,” as the two -continued to retreat, evidently resolved to gain the boat. “This is my -case, and these are my prisoners. I made the arrest, you must remember,” -he continued, turning to Ike. “You can’t take them away from me!” - -“Your prisoners!” shouted the sheriff. “We’ll see about that! Who are -you? I’m the sheriff here! Keep away, or I’ll do something you won’t -like! Keep away,” as King stepped forward. - -King, perfectly calm, indeed, with a cynical smile on his face, took a -long, folded document from a pocket and held it out to Ike. There was a -moment’s pause, and then the other took the paper and glanced at it. - -“You see,” King went on, with provoking composure, “that I am a deputy -sheriff in this county, the same as you are. This commission gives me -the same powers that you have, if you really are a deputy! Now, these -are my prisoners, and when I require your help I’ll ask for it.” - -The boys were still prisoners, but, somehow, Clay felt greatly relieved -at the change in the situation. He regarded King as his enemy, but of -two evils he considered him the least. Flint and Ike slunk back and -stood glowering at the little group. - -“I arrest the four for trespass!” Ike finally roared. “I’ll take them to -jail for that, and you can’t stop me!” - -“They are all my prisoners,” King insisted, “and I’m going to take them -back to the boat. If you are an officer, you may summon the coroner and -have him empanel a jury. And one of you would better remain with the -body, without disturbing it in any way, until the coroner comes.” - -“Are you really going to take us back to the _Rambler_?” asked Clay, his -attitude toward King changing instantly. “You’re a squarer man than I -thought!” he went on, “and I’ll withdraw all I said against you a minute -ago! You won’t lose anything by giving Case and Alex a chance to show -that they didn’t do the shooting!” - -“No officer ever loses anything by being fair,” King said. “Now,” he -went on, “I’m trusting to the honor of you boys, and I want you to do -the right thing by me. I’m going to take off the irons and let the -prisoners move about as they please, and—” - -“If you do,” roared Ike, “I’ll have a man down here to watch ’em! I’ll -have the boys out for a lynching! I’ll show you that no eastern sleuth -can come here and run this county.” - -“Will you remain here while this other man goes for the coroner?” asked -King, paying no attention to the threats of the angry man. - -“It is my duty,” answered the other, sullenly. - -King unlocked the handcuffs and told the boys to wait while he entered -the house. He was gone some minutes, and when he returned his face -showed more excitement than the boys had ever before seen there. - -“Come on, boys,” he exclaimed, without noticing the others, “we’ll get -back to the _Rambler_. It has been some time since I have been aboard -the good old craft.” - -“I hope they’ll get away from you!” howled Ike. - -“I’ll see that they don’t get out of the country if they do!” Flint -cried out. “I’ll see that they get what’s coming to them!” - -Without paying the slightest attention to the oaths and sneers of the -two, King and the boys moved off down the incline, and, after hours of -hard walking, came out on the bank where the _Rambler_ lay. - -“Now,” King said, as they all stood looking at each other with -questioning eyes, “we’ve got as strange a murder case to handle as ever -Holmes undertook to straighten out! - -“It looks black for you two lads, but I’m going to see that you get a -fair show!” - -There was a smile on his face as he spoke! - - - - -CHAPTER XIX.—TWO GUESTS FROM CHICAGO. - - -“Why does it look worse for us than for the two men who were in the -house with us?” asked Clay. “They had as fair a chance to do the -shooting as we did, and they are none too good to shoot a man in the -back!” - -“But Alex’s gun is the one that did the work,” King explained, still -smiling, “and he came out of the house, an instant after the man fell, -with it, still smoking, in his hand! You’ll have to account for the gun -getting away from him, and then back into his hand the next instant!” - -“I can do that, all right,” Case hastened to say, motioning to Alex to -keep still. “When we went into the house we found Captain Joe tied up in -a sleeping room off the sitting room, at the front of the house. There -was a heavy bag tied over the dog’s head, to keep him still, I suppose, -and Alex laid his gun on a chair by the door of the sleeping room while -he took the bag off.” - -“Was the chair in the sitting room or the bedroom?” asked King, -critically. - -“It was in the sitting room, and Alex put it there because he rushed for -the dog the instant we saw him in that plight, laying his gun, which he -carried in his hand, on the first convenient thing he came to. It was -dark in the house, with the windows all nailed up, and I was carrying an -electric flashlight.” - -“Where was the gun the next time you saw it, Alex?” asked King, gravely. - -“It was on the floor, just outside the sleeping room door. I didn’t see -it after I laid it on the chair until the shots had been fired. When I -picked it up it was smoking. Some one grabbed it and fired, then threw -it on the floor. It was done to get us into trouble!” - -There was a short, gloomy silence, and then Clay asked: - -“Mr. King, where were the men when you entered the house?” - -“I did not see them when I first entered,” answered the deputy, with a -quiet smile. “They were somewhere ahead of me.” - -“When did you first see them?” questioned Don, in a moment. - -“I was in the room back of the sitting room when the shots were fired -and I naturally rushed forward, thinking that Trumbull had been foolish -enough to do some shooting. When I passed through the rear door to the -sitting room, the two men were in a back corner of the apartment, and -Alex stood in front of the sleeping room with the smoking gun in his -hand.” - -“Did you hear any noise after the firing of the shots?” - -“Several. Tell me the sort of noise you refer to.” - -“A noise like the sliding of a metal substance across a bare floor.” - -“You have the detective instinct, son,” King replied, with a grin. “Yes, -I did hear a noise which might have been made by a gun sliding across a -bare floor! But we’ll talk of that later. What I want to know now is -what these men said to you boys this morning.” - -“So you know of that, too?” asked Clay, in amazement. - -Very briefly the boy then told of the morning interview, adding: - -“They said they’d shoot any one who tried to enter the house.” - -“But why are they guarding the house?” asked Case. “Why did they shoot -Trumbull when he entered? They must have a notion that there is -something of great value hidden there.” - -“That’s the idea!” King agreed. “They think there’s a third paper -somewhere in the shack! What do you think about it, boys?” - -“Say!” Alex broke in. “We found the sunburst and the big ‘X’ this -morning! If you’ll go at ten some day where we were at six, you’ll see -something! We just happened to notice the wall, when we came to the top -of a shelf, and there the things were!” - -“And so you think you can find the treasure—if there is one hidden -here—without the aid of the third paper?” asked the deputy. - -“I can tell you better after I see where the sun-line touches the -formation we called a sunburst at ten o’clock,” Alex answered. - -“I’ll go with you to-morrow at ten o’clock,” King declared. - -“I should think you’d be taking us to jail!” Alex grinned. - -“You ought to be taken to jail for breaking into that house,” King -laughed, “but if you’ll go get fish enough for us five and a couple of -more fish-hungry people, I’ll let you remain at liberty a little -longer!” - -“If you think I’m going to catch fish for those big stiffs, you have -another think coming!” Alex answered. “I’ll catch fish for you, but not -for the others!” - -“Other people came in here with me,” King went on. “They’ll be here -directly, I think. There! That’s their knock, now!” - -The “knock” was the sharp report of a pistol. King started away in the -rowboat, leaving the boys gathered on the deck of the _Rambler_, all -anxious to be moving, yet not caring to swim ashore. - -Directly the officer came back around a bend in the wall of rock. In the -boat was a man Don recognized on the instant. - -“That’s Myron G. Frost, the manager of the bank where I worked!” he -explained. “I guess he’s come out after me and the handbag!” - -“Where do you think he came from?” asked Case. “How long has he been -prowling around here? You don’t think he’s the ghost, do you?” - -All these questions were asked at random, and to no one in particular, -as King rowed the banker to the _Rambler_. Don moved back as Frost -stepped on the deck, but the banker seized the boy by the hand and gave -him a friendly little shake. - -“You little runaway!” he cried. “I’ll keep track of you after this.” - -“Where’s the use?” asked Don, dolefully. “I’m going to be put in jail -for murder!” - -“Poor Trumbull!” said Frost. “He was a crook, but he was trying to do -the right thing when he was shot down! That was a brutal crime!” - -“But you can’t lay it to me!” Alex declared. “I didn’t do it!” - -The banker looked at King questioningly. - -“Don’t they know?” he asked, and King smiled and shook his head. - -“Flint did the shooting,” the banker said, then. “King and I came near -seeing it done! We came to the door of the sitting room at the moment -Flint was sliding the gun over the bare floor to the place where Alex -found it. We, Trumbull, King, myself, and—well, one more!—came up here -together last night and camped out not far from the old mine, with -others! We saw you boys entering the shack, and King and myself followed -on after you, while Trumbull went to the front door to head you off if -you tried to run away from us. - -“You see,” continued the banker, with a smile, “we did not know exactly -what view you would take of our following you up here! I came near going -to the front door, instead of Trumbull, but he had the key and thought -it advisable to go that way in, himself. If I had, I presume I should -have been shot, just as he was. My idea is that you boys would have been -murdered, too, for the men who did the shooting are suspicious of any -one who even looks at the old shack.” - -“Why didn’t you tell us of this before?” asked Alex, turning to King. -“You scared me out of a year’s growth. I don’t think I’ll ever get over -it!” - -“I arrested you for two reasons,” King replied. “One was to keep the -murderers from doing it. The other was to prevent the murders -discovering they were known to be the guilty ones. If I had done -otherwise, there might have been more shooting, or there might have been -a rush on their part to get away. I’m sorry if I frightened you, boys, -but the scare didn’t last long!” - -“The men may get a hunch, even now, and make off,” Case put in. - -“You heard that shot, a few moments ago?” asked the deputy. - -“Yes; of course we did—and thought some one was shooting for our -benefit! What about it?” - -“That was the signal that the men are under arrest.” - -“But who did it? Say!” Alex blurted out “You make me weary! I’m all up -in the air! Who arrested them? Where was this audience when we entered -the house? How many of you came in here?” - -“Trumbull, King, a couple of officers, and myself—and another!—came -together,” the banker explained. King sent Flint off after the coroner -in order to get the two apart. I have no doubt that each has confessed -on the other before this. They are bad men when well backed up, but -cowards when alone, I am told. Now, what about the third paper?” he -added, with a sly smile. “Have you found it yet?” - -“It is up there under the ‘X’ near the sunburst!” Alex insisted. - -“There is supposed to be a glorious nest of ore under the sunburst,” the -banker remarked, “but the third paper is in my possession! If Don hadn’t -got out of Chicago so quickly, I should have told him about it, and also -saved him a lot of trouble!” - -“Trouble!” echoed Don. “Why, I’ve had the time of my life! But I don’t -see what got you interested so suddenly, Mr. Frost,” he continued. “It -was good of you to come out to us, but it must have been a great -inconvenience to you. Why did you do it? Did King ask you to come?” - -“There was a thin little lad came to the bank, one day, lately, and told -me about an old house at Yuma, and what had happened there, and about -King, and all the rest, so I wired King, and we met on the road. It was -the lean little boy who brought me out here!” - -“And it is the lean little boy who wants a fish dinner!” cried Tom, -dashing out of a hiding-place in the rocks, above the _Rambler_, yet not -so very far away. “Who’s going to catch those fish?” - -“Tom, you rascal!” shouted Don. “Come down here and give an account of -yourself!” - -The lad was soon on board, and the subsequent ceremonies of reception -caused King and the banker to shake their sides with laughter. The boy -was pulled about and mussed over, and hugged until it seemed that there -would be nothing left of him! Captain Joe and Teddy looked on in wonder. - -“Now,” Clay remarked, when the physical reception was all over, “I’m -going to catch some fish. You see that swirl down stream? Well, there’s -a big one in there waiting for me. See me get him.” - -Clay and Don took the rowboat and dropped down with the current. The -river was fairly smooth where the _Rambler_ lay, but farther down there -were obstructions which threw the current over to the west, making a -treacherous passage for a small boat. Those on the _Rambler_ saw the -boys drop down to the fishing ground, and then gave their attention to -the work of the day, which they discussed gravely for a long time. - -When Frost brought out his “third paper” it was discovered that it did -not describe the actual means of getting into the mine which David -Durand had discovered years before, or even what was in it! told of the -bonds in the old house at Yuma, and mentioned the mine, but said that -those who found it should receive the proceeds thereof! - -So the location of the wonderful mine was as much of a mystery as ever, -except that the boys believed they had come pretty close to it in -discovering the formation which resembled a sunburst on the canyon wall! -It was decided that the bonds and the $50,000 belonged to the Durand -boys, the money having been taken from their uncle. The mine was to -become the property of whoever found it! - -“I’m going up to the summit to take a look at that wall again,” Alex -declared. “I can’t get there by ten o’clock, but I can look it over!” - -“And I’ll go with you!” Tom insisted. “I want to see the place where our -fortune is.” - -“Why not three?” asked the banker. “I want to get a look at the cliff -now, as we may have to blow it down to find the ore!” - -So the three went away, and Case and King set about getting ready for -the return of Alex and Don with the fish. Some moments before the lads -had slipped around an angle in the canyon, so they were not in sight. - -“Suppose we drop down and see if they are there?” suggested Case. - -So the _Rambler_ was swung down around the angle. There a surprise -awaited the occupants. The rowboat was there, far over on the west side, -crushed and broken, washed up on a rocky shelf, but the boys were -nowhere to be seen! - - - - -CHAPTER XX.—A JOURNEY IN THE DARK. - - -“I’ve a hunch,” Don said, as the boys rowed off after fish, “that we -would better land on the east shore, at the point where others have -beached the boats, and try our luck fishing off the bank. That current -looks ugly to me!” - -Clay, who was rowing in order to give steerage way, rested a moment and -looked over his shoulder at the water, sweeping toward the west shore -with resistless force. The Colorado river, in passing through the Grand -Canyon, makes many sharp turns in drift because of great rocks which -have tumbled down from the cliffs, and so block the flow, turning it -aside in angry swirls. It was one of these eccentricities the boys -faced. - -“There’s where I want to fish!” Clay explained, bending to the oars -again. “Keep her over to the west, and we’ll get a big one in that deep -pit next to the shore. If we ease along with the current, we won’t tip -over. Don’t let the current strike her on the side!” - -But the current did strike the boat on the side, struck her like a shot -and whirled her round and round. One oar was twisted out of Clay’s hand, -and Don lost the paddle he was steering with. - -“Hang to the boat!” shouted Clay, and Don clung like death to an oarlock -as the boat went over, half filled, righted, and swung toward the west -shore. Striking a rock near the shore, she turned turtle, but the boys -held on, and were dashed out of water where the current beat against a -narrow beach which lay between the shoreline and the cliff. - -Clay scrambled up, limping, and Don made his way farther up holding his -right arm with his left hand. The former caught the boat as the wash -moved it toward the current and drew it up on the shore, a -dilapidated-looking craft, with the prow on one side crushed in! - -“We are having great luck with rowboats!” Clay said, viewing the craft -whimsically. “We ought to buy ’em by the dozen!” - -“The boat be hanged!” Don grunted, rubbing his elbow, “what we need is a -dozen lives! Say, but that was a dump!” - -“Cheer up!” grinned Clay. “All we’ve got to do now is to swim a mile or -so across the stream and get back to the _Rambler_! We’re stranded on a -desert coast, with nothing to eat and nothing to catch fish with!” - -“Perhaps we can follow the shore up and attract the attention of the -boys,” Don suggested. “I can’t swim across!” - -“I don’t believe the _Rambler_ can get over to this shore,” Clay said, -looking over the mass of broken waters. “There’s more than a million big -rocks in there. You know, we kept off this shore when we came up.” - -“Well we can walk up and see what the chances are,” Don grunted. - -But the lads did not walk up very far before they came to a cliff which -stood out flush with the water, and against which the current thundered -with a sound like the booming of heavy artillery. To the west the canyon -wall rose sheer a thousand feet. - -“Right here is where we get ours,” Don exclaimed. “A fly couldn’t climb -up that wall! We’ll have to wait here until the boys look us up.” - -“It won’t take them long to find the broken boat!” Clay mourned. - -“And they’ll want to know about the fish for dinner!” Don finished, with -a grin. - -The cliff which blocked the narrow beach set out from the main wall of -the canyon like the leg of the letter “L,” and the lads sat down in the -angle to dry their clothes in the hot sunshine. In a moment Clay sprang -to his feet and began running up and down the beach. - -“That’s the first symptom!” Don grinned. “You’ll be fit for the foolish -house in an hour or two. Go on and play you’re an aeroplane and lift us -both out of this!” - -“Where does this cold wind come from?” asked Clay, paying no attention -to the facetious remarks of his chum. “There’s an open passage in the -west wall here! Can’t you feel the current of air?” - -“I certainly can,” Don answered. “Perhaps it comes from above!” - -“No, sir! It is right down here in this angle—the opening, I mean! And -it is a strong current of air, too, so it must come from some canyon to -the west. The rocks are piled in here in all kinds of shape, anyway. -When the Colorado bored down, it upset things and left lots of layers -standing on end. Here! See that little opening? Well, there she blows! -Little bit of a hole for so much wind.” - -“Just like a campaign orator!” Don commented. - -Clay looked at his friend reproachfully and crowded into the aperture, -which was formed by two layers of rock, stacked up on end, as he had -before expressed it, much farther apart at the bottom than at the top. -The passage was about four feet in width, and not much more than that in -height. The bottom was covered with a fine sand, laying in wrinkles, and -showing the action of running water. - -“You see,” Clay observed, pointing down, “this is a water channel at -certain seasons of the year, so it must lead to some open place.” - -“You’re never going in there!” shouted Don. “How do you know what kind -of wild animals you’ll run against?” - -“Of course I’m going in,” Clay replied. “For all we know, this hole -leads to a parallel canyon which we can ascend to the vicinity of the -motor boat. If we had our searchlights it would be a picnic.” - -But their searchlights were on board the _Rambler_, and so it was -anything but a picnic the boys had following the dark passage. The walls -brushed their elbows at times, and occasionally they ran their heads -full tilt against the roof of the cavern, but the floor, being at times -the bottom of a torrent, was comparatively level, except that it mounted -up at an angle of about twenty-five degrees. - -The atmosphere was remarkably pure, for the cool wind which had -attracted Clay’s attention to the opening, continued to sweep through -the passage, but it was dark—wretchedly, miserably, uncannily dark, and -the boys imagined many times that they heard the warning growls of wild -animals or felt the touch of slimy reptiles. Twice they came to places -where their progress seemed blocked, but these were only twists in the -rock, and directly they found their way on again. - -Presently, at his very feet, Clay heard the rush of water, and halted. -The boys stood together for a time and listened. It was falling and not -running water they heard. Somewhere in the interior of the mysterious -passage, there was a waterfall. - -“If we only had a light!” wailed Don. “We’re likely to break our necks -or get drowned if we go on without one.” - -“You just wait a second!” Clay announced, gleefully. “I’ve got a few -matches in a water-tight case! Why didn’t I think of them before? I’ve -carried them with me ever since we left Chicago, and never found use for -them until now. Now, suppose I’ve lost the case!” - -There was a moment of suspense, and then the boy’s searching hand came -upon the smooth metal of the match case. There was a chance that the -matches would be worthless, because of the long time they had been kept, -but the boy opened the case and struck one. - -A blue flame sprang up, sizzled, wound around the pine stick, and went -out. It was clear that no match flame could live in that breeze unless -better protected. Clay opened his wet coat and struck another. This one, -protected by the coat and the body of the boy, flamed up. - -Then, with the stick burning brightly, Clay pushed it ahead, shielding -it with his hands as much as possible. At his feet he saw a current of -water disappearing into a hole in the bottom of the passage. Beyond that -point they would be obliged to wade! - -“This accounts for the passage being dry below,” Clay said. “And it -indicates that there’s a passage under this one. The old cliff is -honey-combed with water-bores, I guess!” - -The traveling was more difficult now, but the boys kept on, sloshing -through water up to their ankles. At last they saw a speck of light some -distance ahead, and gradually the passage widened out. The water, -however, grew deeper under their feet as they advanced toward the light. - -“This is a blooming river, that’s what it is!” Don shouted. “If we had a -line we might catch fish in it!” - -“I’ll be swimming in a minute!” Clay called back. “I’m up to my waist -now! And the current is strong enough to lift me off my feet.” - -The pitch of the passage was now greater than before, and the water the -lads were wading in came down with a rush. When they got to the entrance -they were obliged to cling to the wall to avoid being carried back into -the subterranean passage. - -When the boys came to the full light of day, they saw the sun shining on -a pool of clear, glistening water, which lay in a cup-like depression in -a narrow canyon sloping up to the north. Judging from the time they had -been in the passage, Clay concluded that they were at least six hundred -feet from the river, and not far from two hundred feet above it. - -The canyon in which they found themselves was little better than a deep -wrinkle in the massive formation of the west shore, but it seemed to -point the way to an exit up stream. After wading the pool, which was -supplied by springs in the walls, they gained a dry bottom and proceeded -northward, still climbing. - -“If this crack in the earth keeps on this way for a mile or two,” Clay -suggested, “we will come out on the wide shelf that divides the west -wall not far south of the old mine. From there we can signal to the boys -who went up there, and they can come in the motor boat and get us. We -never can swim across. In the first place, it is too far; and in the -second, the current is too strong.” - -“You heard the story Case and Alex told about the sunburst on the wall?” -asked Don. - -“I thought that rather fishy!” Clay replied. - -“We’ll soon have a chance to find out whether it is or not,” Don -continued, “for we’ll come out on the shelf near the place they -described—if we come out on the river bank at all.” - -“But we’d be too close to the sunburst and the ‘X’ to see them,” Clay -remarked. “You have to look at such large things from a distance in -order to discern them at all.” - -“If we can get there some day by ten o’clock,” Don hastened to say, “we -can mark where the line of sunlight lies, and that will help some. But,” -he added, with a frown, “I guess we’re not going to get out to the river -wall by following this old scratch in the earth! Here’s where it turns -to the west! Now, what about it?” - -“It may bring us to the top, anyway!” Clay said, encouragingly. - -But it did not bring them to the top, for directly it ran into a cavern -not unlike that which the boys had passed through! Disgusted and -disheartened, the lads took to the tunnel and pressed on in the -darkness. The only satisfaction they felt was that they were still going -up. - -“If this pitch keeps on,” Don declared, “we’ll come out at the very top -before long!” - -“We’re not far from some top now,” Clay replied, “for it is getting -lighter in here, and the light comes from the roof!” - -But this was true for only a short distance. It soon became dark in the -passage again. After a time, still ascending, the passage turned to the -east, narrowed, and then the boys heard the rush of the river. - -“We’re getting there!” Don shouted. “Look out there!” as he peered out -of the hole. “There’s the river, and there’s the old mine, and there’s -the shelf of rock above which they saw the sunburst!” - -“That’s all right,” grumbled Clay, “but if we drop out of this hole -we’ll fall into the river. The door to this blooming cave doesn’t open -out on the shelf! And it isn’t a very big door at that!” - -“I’ll bet we’re in the mine!” cried Don. - -“No wonder it was never found, then, if people had to reach it the way -we did!” Clay exclaimed. “Say!” he went on, in a moment, “let me get to -that opening again. I wonder if we can’t climb up out of it! I’ve seen -such places! The shelf seems to be only a few feet away, and we may be -able to gain it if we can creep on a wall like flies!” - -“I can!” Don laughed. “Let me get out and show you!” - -But Clay was half out of the narrow entrance, clinging to points of rock -with his fingers, digging his toes into crevices which were too shallow -for much of a hold. - -“Can you make it?” Don called out, anxious and afraid for his chum. - -“Sure I can! Wait until I get up on the shelf and I’ll help you out of -the passage! And, say, there’s the mine dump away up to the north, and -some one on it! I believe it is Alex and Tom. Yes, and there’s the -banker! They are looking through field glasses!” - -“Give me a hand!” cried Don. “I want to be in this procession myself. -Look there,” the boy added, as he stepped up on the shelf of rock, “they -are motioning to us to stand aside! Do you know what that means? It -means that we are standing on the line between them and the sunburst or -the big ‘X.’ I reckon we’ve just come out of the mine!” - -“Hello!” came a call from across the great chasm. - -Clay put his hands to his mouth and called back: - -“Hello yourself! We’ve found the mine!” - -“Where’s your fish?” shouted Tom. “Where’s the f-i-s-h!” - -“Fill your pockets with gold and jump over!” Alex shouted. - -“Send the boat after us!” Don called back. - -Alex made a trumpet of his hands and shouted back: - -“I’ve just been up on the cliff looking for the _Rambler_. She’s gone! -There’s no sign of her anywhere. Where’s the little boat?” - -“Busted!” Clay called back. “Wrecked! smashed!” - -“Then you’ll have to swim!” Alex decided. “And you’ll have to be quick -about it, for there’s a lot of natives climbing up on that shelf who -don’t look very good to me.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXI.—THE CLUE IN THE ROCKS. - - -Clay looked quickly about, but there was no one in sight. Alex, from the -old mine dump, pointed downward, so the boy knew that the natives -referred to were near the river and working upward. - -“If they get up by that route they’ll be doing something,” Don remarked. -“Never heard of any one doing it.” - -“Well, there are people coming up, just the same,” Clay went on. - -“Then they’re coming up to look up the mine!” Don declared. “There’s -probably been a lot of talk about the mine lately, and the people of the -county are all stirred up over it!” - -“They haven’t got anything on us,” Clay grinned. “We saw it first!” - -“You’re right about that, but here’s the bunch coming! Hear their -voices? Suppose we duck out of sight? Can we get back into the mine?” - -“I can,” replied Clay, and in a minute the shelf where the boys had -stood was empty. - -In five minutes’ time, however, half a dozen roughly dressed men were -talking in front of the opening from which the lads looked out; that is, -as near in front of it as they could get without standing on air! - -“I say there was some one up here!” a harsh voice insisted. “The people -over there were shouting across to him.” - -“Where is he, then?” asked another voice. - -“I don’t know! I half believe some of those confounded boys have found -the mine opening and hidden it in!” - -“I guess they can’t find it if we can’t,” came another voice. - -“But Flint said it was somewhere off this shelf.” - -“If he knew where it was, why didn’t he find it?” - -And so the talk went on, while the men searched every foot of the shelf -and the wall back of the shelf. It was clear that Flint, after being -arrested for the murder of Trumbull, had tried to buy his liberty by -proclaiming a discovery of the famous Durand mine! - -“We don’t have to discover it to-day,” was finally said. “We can come -back at any time and locate it.” - -“But what about those boys? Old Dave Durand left a paper, so I’m told, -saying that whoever found this mine might have it. Now, if these boys -find it, what good does that do us?” - -“Well, keep right on looking if you want to!” was the surly answer. -“I’ve had enough of climbing to-day. Besides, those people on the old -mine dump are watching us. We wouldn’t dare enter the mine if we should -find it—not with them looking on!” - -“I wish we had our searchlights,” Clay remarked, as soon as the others -had disappeared. “We may be in the mine and we may not be! I don’t -believe there is any gold or silver here, anyway! If there was gold -here, there would be outcroppings in other places close by.” - -“That is the way it strikes me,” Don returned. “If there is anything of -value in here, I reckon Uncle David put it here. If you knew what a -queer old fellow he was, you would think so, too.” - -“What would he have to hide here? He secreted the bonds in the old house -at Yuma, and it seems to me that if he had possessed other things of -great worth he would have put them with the bonds.” - -“There is no knowing how much money the old fellow had,” Don continued. -“He made a million or more in Chicago real estate, and at the time of -his death, I am told, there wasn’t a cent of his money in any of the -Chicago banks. He was afraid of banks. I guess that Mr. Frost was the -only banker he ever trusted, and he trusted him with his nephews and not -with his money! Oh, yes,” the boy went on, with a sigh, “the poor old -man sent word to Frost to look after Tom and I! So Frost says. I never -knew that Uncle cared enough about us to do even that!” - -“What would he naturally leave in a place like this?” asked Clay. - -“Bonds or money—money, probably.” - -“I’ve got a few matches left,” Clay insisted, “and I’m going to use them -to see what sort of a place this is. If there is any money here we ought -to be getting it out.” - -“Yes; before the natives come back,” - -Clay lit a match and looked about. Where he stood there was merely a -long passage, high and roomy at the back but narrowing down to the small -opening the boys had used in front. There were no openings in the walls, -no places where anything might have been stored away. - -“Now, go on in farther before you light another,” Don suggested. “He may -have made a hiding-place of the next angle.” - -The flame of the match revealed a shallow niche in the north wall. In -the niche lay a metal box the size of a sardine box. It was covered with -rust, and did not open readily when Clay drew at the cover. - -It came open after a time, however, and both boys bent over it. - -“This isn’t a treasure!” Don exclaimed. “This is a clue! A sure enough -clue in the rocks! And only paper!” - -Clay put the box, closed, into a pocket and moved toward the entrance. -Don followed on behind, gloomily enough. He had expected so much of the -discovery they had made, and a tin box had been the only product of it! - -“Just our luck!” he complained, as the two stumbled along. - -“Never you mind!” Clay said. “How do you know what this box contains? It -is only a paper, but even a paper may tell where a million is hidden! -Wait until we get out into the sunshine, and we’ll see what it says. -Your Uncle David certainly was an odd one! The idea of any one in his -right mind hiding a paper in a dreary place like that!” - -At last the boys reached the ledge again. Mr. Frost, Alex and Tom were -still on the level dump in front of the old mine. They motioned to Clay -and Don as they came out, indicating that they were going away to look -for the _Rambler_. Clay held up the box, drew the paper out, and held -that up, too. There was excitement across the great chasm! - -Alex seemed to be pointing the way down, and Banker Frost was motioning -to Clay to be careful of the box and the paper. - -“If those natives got down from here, we can!” Don exclaimed. “We can go -anywhere they can! How we are going to get across the river is what gets -me! Can you swim it?” - -“I’m not going to take the risk,” was the reply. “They will have to come -after us in the _Rambler_.” - -“But the _Rambler_ has disappeared,” Don reminded the other. - -“I don’t believe anything serious has happened to her!” Clay insisted. -“Case and King ought to be able to take good care of her.” - -Just as the boy finished speaking the clamor of the motors of the -_Rambler_ was heard. King and Case had picked up the broken rowboat and -started up toward the old anchorage. - -But the motor boat did not stop at the landing. Instead, she ran up -toward the old mine. It was pretty risky, but the _Rambler_ was staunch -and true to her helm, and finally passed the perilous places and lay in -reasonably quiet water opposite the mine. Under ordinary circumstances -King would not have countenanced such an undertaking, but both were -anxious over the fate of the boys who had gone off in the small boat, -and they were anxious to confer with Frost and the others on the -subject. - -The three on the dump, after a long and difficult downward climb, -reached the water’s edge and managed to get on board without getting -wet, as the river was deep and still at the end of the dump, and the -motor boat ran up close to the bank. - -They had scarcely begun telling the story of the missing boys when Alex -pointed to Clay and Don, crawling down the opposite wall like flies. - -“How did they ever get there?” asked King, amazement in his face. - -“We’ll never know until they tell us!” laughed Alex. “Can’t you run the -boat over and get them?” - -Here was another risk, but finally, by running far up stream and coming -down on the west side and tossing out a long rope, Clay and Don, wet but -triumphant, were hauled on board. Clay with the precious metal box -containing the paper wrapped up in his coat and held as much out of the -river as possible. - -When the box was opened and the paper spread out, it was found to hold -only a map of the old shack by the mine. Under the location of the -window in the sitting room where Trumbull had been shot to death, the -paper showed a black mark—a great cross, evidently made to imitate the -rocky formation above the cave where the paper had been discovered. - -“So it wasn’t a treasure you found in the mine,” laughed Frost, looking -at the map, “it was only a clue!” - -Clay insisted that the boat be put back to the mine landing, and again -they all made the long climb to the old house. There was no mark of any -description under the window designated by the map, but Alex found a -hatchet and went at the ceiling with which the room was lined. - -In a moment he came to a metal surface off which the hatchet slipped. - -“Work around it! Dig it out! It is a treasure chest!” - -Don laughed as he spoke, for, to tell the truth, he had no idea that -anything more of great value would be found. His idea was that the bonds -already found had constituted the greater part of his uncle’s wealth. - -Directly a steel box which weighed at least fifty pounds was brought -out. The cover was on tight, and there was no key. In fact, it did not -seem possible to get the box open without having it cut with tools -secured for that special purpose. - -Frost looked at the box closely and smiled as he noted how neatly the -lock was concealed—even the keyhole, if one there was, being out of -sight. The box was carried aboard the _Rambler_, with great difficulty, -and then a start for the old landing was made. - -The surprise of the day was when the mysterious box was opened! - - - - -CHAPTER XXII.—THE END OF A LONG JOURNEY. - - -It was growing dusk when the motor boat reached its old anchorage. The -hungry lads set themselves at work getting supper at once, and Alex and -Case volunteered to bring in fish! Clay and Don had made such a mess of -their fishing expedition that the boys roared when a fish supper was -mentioned. - -“If we didn’t get fish,” Clay replied to their taunts, “we got something -more valuable! I guess that iron box is worth more than a fish!” - -“I don’t see as it is,” Tom grunted. “No one can get it open!” - -“There ain’t no place to open it!” Alex complained. “I believe it is -just a solid block of metal. It is heavy enough to be that!” - -Case and Alex went ashore and followed down the bank, dropping lines -into deep pools until they were out of sight of the _Rambler_. In the -meantime Frost and King stood regarding the iron box. Indeed, there -seemed to be no way of opening it. While they contemplated the puzzle a -hail from shore was heard, and directly a man sprang aboard, the -_Rambler_ having been drawn close to the bank because of the loss of the -rowboat. - -“This is the sheriff,” King explained, as the boys regarded the newcomer -with suspicion. “I presume he has news of Flint and Ike.” - -“They confessed about as soon as they were placed under arrest,” the -sheriff began, “and each one lays all the blame on the other. It seems -that they knew from David Durand himself that articles of value would be -left for his nephews to find, and ever since his death they have been -looking for the treasure. They believed it to be a mine.” - -“And they have been living in the old house?” asked Don. - -“Yes, most of the time.” - -“Then they weren’t far from something that was hidden,” the boy -declared. “This box was secreted in the wall.” - -“What is in it?” asked the officer. - -“We don’t know. We can’t open it!” was the discouraged reply. - -“But there must be a key somewhere,” the sheriff said. - -“There isn’t even a keyhole,” Don grinned. “It’s shut tight!” - -“Well,” the officer went on, “Flint and Ike have confessed, and they -will be hanged. That is what I came here to tell you. The body of the -dead man will be buried near the old mine, if that is satisfactory to -you all,” he continued. “He was a crook, too, wasn’t he?” he added. - -“For years he was,” the banker replied, “but at last he came to his -senses and offered to help me in restoring the dead man’s fortune to his -nephews. He employed King—the man you made a deputy at my request—to -assist in finding the boys, after Don took the handbag and got away. He -came out here to help solve the mystery of the mine. He had the third -paper at one time, but returned it to me.” - -“David Durand found strange hiding-places for his money!” the sheriff -mused. “Think of the bonds in the old house, and this box in the cave. I -have been thinking of the queer old chap ever since Mr. King told me -about him. It is a wonder the bonds were ever found—and the old wallet! -What a place for property!” - -“There’s a letter somewhere which explains everything!” Don insisted. - -“It wasn’t in the wallet, was it?” asked King. Don shook his head, and -Clay brought out the wallet to prove it. - -“Here’s some banknotes,” he said. “They will have to be sent in for -redemption, they’re so rotten, and this thin piece of steel. That’s all -there is in here. Look and see for yourselves.” - -While they were examining the wallet and the half-rotten banknotes. Clay -stood with the key in his hand, looking at it thoughtfully. In a moment -he walked over to the iron box and began an inspection of that. He felt -over every part of the surface several times before his fingers came to -a little perturbance. - -Then, in a moment he had the key pushed into a slit of a hole which had -been brought to view by the removal of a small plug-like piece of metal -which had been set into the body of the box. He moved the key this way -and that for a moment, and then there came a sharp click. The top of the -box, working on rusty springs, flew back, revealing a mass of papers, -with a sealed envelope lying on top. - -They all gathered around while Don, to whom the letter was addressed, -opened the message from his dead uncle. The writing was very brief. It -said: - -“If you find this the bonds belong to you and Tom. There are more bonds -in the strong room at the old house in Yuma. I have given you all the -trouble I could think of, my boy, before delivering my property into -your hands. I don’t think it good for boys to get money easily. If this -box is never found until the bonds have rotted, then so much of the -government debt will have been paid. If you should ever get locked in -the Yuma treasure room, the key to the iron door is in the wall-safe -with the bonds. From your cranky uncle.” - -“That is all!” Don said, slowly. “And we might have gotten out of that -cellar if we had only looked closer into the wall-safe!” - -“A strange old man!” mused the banker. “He never provided for Don and -Tom, personally, yet he interested me in them. He trusted Trumbull -instead of me—unless Trumbull stole the two papers which were in the -handbag with the money!” - -“He did steal them!” King declared. “Don knew he had stolen them, for -his uncle had, in a measure, told him about them. When Trumbull -mentioned papers revealing the location of a mine in the Grand Canyon, -Don knew of course. I presume, however, that David thought Don would -have the two papers, so he gave me the third one, which Trumbull stole -and afterwards returned!” - -“It has been a great muddle!” Clay laughed, “and we came along with the -_Rambler_ just in time to get mixed up in it.” - -“Look in the packages,” the banker advised, “and see how much of a -fortune you have. The letter speaks of bonds.” - -There were in the iron chest government bonds to five times the value of -those found in the treasure room at Yuma, so Don and Tom were very -wealthy boys. - -“We are always finding wealth for others!” laughed Clay, “but none for -ourselves! However, we are planning to take a trip down the Mississippi -next, and we may have better luck there! But here come the boys with -plenty of fish, and we’ll have supper right away!” - -And such a supper as they had! All the precious dainties the lads had -been hoarding for some such event were brought out, and there was -feasting until a late hour. Captain Joe and Teddy had their full share -of the good things, and the dog was forgiven for permitting himself to -be doped by Flint! If he could have talked he would have explained that -the drug was eaten in a very fine piece of meat, and would have added -that he would never more take food from a strange hand! - -“By the way,” the sheriff said, as he arose to go, “with the arrest of -Flint and Ike the ghost of the Grand Canyon is laid! They have been -playing ghost a long time to keep people away from the supposed mine.” - -Then Alex explained how he had found the white wrappings they had worn, -and also the black head coverings, in the closet at the old shack. - -“And now, can we get up any farther?” asked Clay, as the lads were -preparing for sleep. “Is this the end of navigation for us?” - -“You can’t have any fun in going on,” Don declared. “It would be a great -task to get the motor boat up farther.” - -“Then we’ll turn back,” Clay decided, “and see if we can find as much -excitement in the down trip as we did in the up trip!” - -“I don’t see how you can!” Don laughed. “You won’t have the two trouble -makers with you, for Tom and I have decided to go back to Chicago with -Mr. Frost, and meet you there later.” - -“If you boys don’t mind,” King said, “I’d like to go down the Colorado -with you. I’m in need of just such a loafing spell.” - -The permission was given, and the next morning, after Frost, Don, and -Tom had climbed to the plateau and started away to the nearest railroad -station, the _Rambler_ was gotten under way, and the down trip begun. - -It was a glorious river trip. The desert shone and glistened in the sun, -the mountains laughed from under their white caps, the river sang its -everlasting song of peace and quiet! - -The boys took a month to reach Yuma. There the _Rambler_ was placed on -board a platform car and started on its journey eastward. It was the -plan to ship the motor boat to as near the head waters of the -Mississippi as possible and sail down that mighty stream in the early -fall. - -An account of this exciting trip will be found in the next volume of -this series, entitled: - -“The Motor Boat Boys on the Mississippi; or, the Trail to the Gulf!” - - THE END - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The River Motor Boat Boys on the -Colorado, by Harry Gordon - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RIVER MOTOR BOAT BOYS ON COLORADO *** - -***** This file should be named 50132-0.txt or 50132-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/1/3/50132/ - -Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.bookcove.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The River Motor Boat Boys on the Colorado - The Clue in the Rocks - -Author: Harry Gordon - -Release Date: October 4, 2015 [EBook #50132] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RIVER MOTOR BOAT BOYS ON COLORADO *** - - - - -Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.bookcove.net - - - - - - -</pre> - - - - - <div class='figcenter id01'> - <img src='images/illus-fpc.jpg' style='width:100%' alt=''/> - <div style='width:100%'> - Alex pointed to Clay and Don, crawling down the opposite wall like flies. - </div> - </div> - - - <hr class='clearpage'/> - <div class='lgc'> - <div class='line' style='font-size: 1.6em; margin: 20px auto 10px auto;'>The River Motor Boat Boys on the Colorado</div> - <br/> - <div class='line'>OR</div> - <br/> - <div class='line' style='font-size: 1.2em; margin: 10px auto 20px auto;'>The Clue in the Rocks</div> - <br/> - <div class='line' style='margin-bottom: 20px;'>By HARRY GORDON</div> - <br/> - <div class='line'>Author of</div> - <div class='cb-container'><div class='cb'> - <div class='line'>“The River Motor Boat Boys on the Mississippi,”</div> - <div class='line'>“The River Motor Boat Boys on the St. Lawrence,”</div> - <div class='line'>“The River Motor Boat Boys on the Amazon,”</div> - <div class='line'>“The River Motor Boat Boys on the Columbia,’</div> - <div class='line'>“The River Motor Boat Boys on the Ohio.”</div> - </div></div> - <br/> - <div class='line' style='margin-top: 20px;'>A. L. Burt Company</div> - <div class='line'>New York</div> - </div> - - - <hr class='clearpage'/> - <div class='lgc'> - <div class='line'>Copyright, 1913</div> - <div class='line'>By A. L. Burt Company</div> - <br/> - <div class='line' style='font-size: smaller;'>THE SIX RIVER MOTOR BOYS ON THE COLORADO</div> - </div> - - - <hr class='clearpage'/> - <div class='lgc'> - <div class='line' style='margin-bottom: 10px;'>TABLE OF CONTENTS</div> - <br/> - </div> - <div class='cb-container'><div class='cb'> - <div class='line'><a href='#chI'>I. MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCES</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chII'>II. TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS REWARD</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chIII'>III. CAPTAIN JOE’S MESSAGE</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chIV'>IV. “THE PHANTOM BOARDER”</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chV'>V. A SURPRISE FOR THE GREASERS</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chVI'>VI. TEDDY BEAR MAKES A HIT</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chVII'>VII. THAT HAUNTED STERN DECK!</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chVIII'>VIII. DEPUTY KING GETS A BATH</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chIX'>IX. ANOTHER GUEST FROM THE RIVER</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chX'>X. THE OLD HOUSE BY THE RIVER</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chXI'>XI. ALEX GETS HIS RECEIPT</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chXII'>XII. ANOTHER GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chXIII'>XIII. ALEX PLANS A NIGHT ADVENTURE</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chXIV'>XIV. A VISIT FROM RIVER PIRATES</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chXV'>XV. TEDDY MEETS A RELATIVE</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chXVI'>XVI. CONCERNING A HEADLESS GHOST</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chXVII'>XVII. THE SUNBURST ON THE WALL</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chXVIII'>XVIII. CASE AND ALEX UNDER ARREST</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chXIX'>XIX. TWO GUESTS FROM CHICAGO</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chXX'>XX. A JOURNEY IN THE DARK</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chXXI'>XXI. THE CLUE IN THE ROCKS</a></div> - <div class='line'><a href='#chXXII'>XXII. THE END OF A LONG JOURNEY</a></div> - </div></div> - <hr class='clearpage'/> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chI'>CHAPTER I.—MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCES.</h2> - -<p class='first'>The motor boat <i>Rambler</i> lay pulling at her -anchor-chain in the muddy waters of the Gulf of -California. To the North opened the wide, shallow -mouth of the Colorado river, with its many shifting -currents and treacherous sandbars.</p> - -<p>Eastward stretched a Mexican desert, where -flourished cacti and forms of animal life unknown to -other parts of the world. Beyond this waste of sand, -which had, in times long gone by, formed the bed of -a lake, rose the peaks and ridges of the Sierra del -Pinacates mountains.</p> - -<p>To the South the Montague islands shut out the -body of the Gulf, and Westward a patch of desert -led out to a mountain range. There are two volcanic -elevations running down the peninsula, and -beyond them lies the tumbling Pacific ocean, a -hundred miles away.</p> - -<p>The sun was lifting out of the desert to the East, -rising round and red and hot, like the bottom of a -great brass kettle, and the chill of the dark hours -was changing to the stifling, long-scorching heat -which is a thing of the desert the world over.</p> - -<p>Those who have followed the adventures of the -<i>Rambler</i> and her crew, will remember her last on -the Columbia. After a journey through the wild -canyons and forest-lined reaches of the great river -of the Northwest Territories, the motor boat had -been shipped to Guaymas, where she had taken to -the water again in the Gulf of California.</p> - -<p>The <i>Rambler</i> carried a crew of three this -morning, Clayton Emmett, Cornelius Witters and -Alexander Smith wick, boys of seventeen, who had -explored the Amazon as well as the Columbia in the -staunch little boat. There had been others on the -previous trips, but now only these three were ready -for the voyage up the wonderful stream which finds -its waters in the frozen snows of the Rocky -Mountains and plays hide-and-seek with them thousands -of feet below the lips of the desert, in the most -mysterious and wildly beautiful canyons known to the -world.</p> - -<p>Others might join them at up-river points, but the -lads were content to make the journey just as they -were. Now, as the sun rose higher and the air above -the sands began to shimmer in the heat, they tumbled -out of their bunks in the little cabin of the motor -boat and, after invigorating baths in the Gulf, began -preparations for breakfast.</p> - -<p>“If we wait much longer,” Alex suggested, as he -busied himself in making coffee, “we won’t want -anything for breakfast but snowballs, it will be so -hot, and we’re not likely to get them in this oven of -a land. Who’s going to fry the cakes this morning? -Oh, you would, would you!”</p> - -<p>This last sentence was addressed to a grizzly bear -cub which shambled into the cabin and placed two -paws and a soft muzzle of a mouth on the table -where the boy stood. This was “Teddy,” the cub -Alex had captured during the trip down the -Columbia river.</p> - -<p>“I know what you want, Teddy Bear!” the boy -added, as the cub winked a small eye at him. “You -want to wait until I get the sugar out, then you want -to empty one bowl into one bear! Now, you move -on!”</p> - -<p>The boy addressed the cub just as he would have -spoken to one of his chums, and the bear appeared -to understand what was said to him, for he grabbed -angrily at an egg which Alex had brought to “settle” -the coffee and made off with it, walking upright -to the door, with the broken yolk marking his -muzzle, paws and breast with cabalistic inscriptions -in yellow.</p> - -<p>Once on deck the cub was promptly chased over -the rail into the Gulf, where he wallowed clumsily, -with three boys laughing at his antics and penitent -looks. When permitted to come, dripping and -sullen, on board he sulked off to a corner and scolded -every one who approached until Captain Joe sat -down in front of him and grinned sarcastically at -his plastered fur and stuck-up eyes.</p> - -<p>Captain Joe was a white bulldog the boys had -acquired on the Amazon trip. The bear and the dog -were great chums. Captain Joe now sat making -wrinkled faces at the disconsolate cub.</p> - -<p>“Eat him up, Captain Joe!” Cornelius Witters, -known to his friends as “Case,” shouted. “He -stole an egg!”</p> - -<p>The dog cocked one short ear and looked -reproachfully at the cub.</p> - -<p>“The price of that egg would have bought you a -bone, Captain Joe,” Clayton Emmett, better known -as “Clay,” put in. “Take a bit out of him, just to -teach him better manners!”</p> - -<p>Captain Joe winked his red eyes at Teddy and -walked away in a dignified manner, as if not relishing -being made the executioner of the crew! The -lads laughed at the animal’s attitude of offended -innocence and went on with their preparations for -breakfast.</p> - -<p>The most of the cooking was done on the top of -a coal stove, but the coffee was bubbling on an -electric coil which stood on a table at the back of the -cabin. After a dozen pancakes had been cooked -Alex placed them close to the electric coil to keep -warm, though, as he said, “The air was fit to keep -them red hot anywhere.”</p> - -<p>There was a small, square window over the electric -stove, at the back of the cabin, a window which -opened on about a yard’s width of deck at the stern -of the boat. This small space concealed gasoline -tanks, and was not in sight from either the deck or -the cabin of the motor boat.</p> - -<p>Indeed, it was rarely visited, except by Captain -Joe and Teddy, who often took long siestas there -when the bulk of the cabin cast shadows on the -bare planks.</p> - -<p>Case cooked heap after heap of brown buckwheat -cakes and passed them on to Alex to be placed in -the warming closet, as the boys called the ledge of -the electric stove, “until they had enough to get a -good eating start on,” as Witters observed. Finally -he ceased his efforts and glanced at the place where -the tempting heap of cakes had been placed.</p> - -<p>There was not even a crumb of a pancake in sight! -Alex was busy getting out plates and cups, his back -to the electric stove and the window. The coffee -was bubbling over the cherry-red coils.</p> - -<p>Case advanced to the stove and looked over it, -under it, around it, and even under the table it stood -on. There wasn’t a pancake, or a part of pancake, -anywhere! He rushed up to Alex and shook him -by the arm.</p> - -<p>“You never bolted ’em all?” he demanded. -“Not every last one of them, did you? Two dozen -of 'em! You never did!”</p> - -<p>Alex dropped a plate on the table and looked -quizzically at Case.</p> - -<p>“Sure!” he declared. “Sure I did! What of -it?”</p> - -<p>“Two dozen cakes at one gobble!” laughed Case. -“Now, you can get ready to cook more. Land of -Promise! Twenty-four—count 'em—twenty-four -at one mouthful! If I had your capacity I’d—”</p> - -<p>Then Alex began to sense the situation. He -glanced from Case to the place where the cakes had -just stood in a rich, brown column. Then his eyes -roved about until they encountered Captain Joe and -Teddy consoling each other on the prow of the -boat. They certainly couldn’t have done it!</p> - -<p>“Did you get ’em?” he asked, hopelessly, of -Case? “Did you cop 'em out to prevent our getting -indigestion?”</p> - -<p>“You ate them yourself!” Case returned, half -angrily.</p> - -<p>Alex grinned and placed his hands at his lean -waist.</p> - -<p>“I don’t seem to find ’em anywhere,” he laughed. -“Not on me!”</p> - -<p>“Then where did they go?” demanded Case. -“Who did get them?”</p> - -<p>Alex walked to the rear window and opened it. -The sash swung inward on hinges, and was not -locked, but it rarely was locked. Then he thrust his -head out of the opening and looked down on the -small deck. There was no one there.</p> - -<p>“The old Nick is in the place!” Case cried, -presently. “I can smell sulphur in the air! Suppose we -get out of this?” he added, as Clay came into the -cabin. “This ain’t no place for a Christian gentleman!”</p> - -<p>Clay’s eyes sparkled when the story was told to -him.</p> - -<p>“It is a joke!” he laughed. “You’ll have to get -some fairy tale stronger than that to account for a -lost breakfast! Come on, now, who got the cakes? -Own up, and I’ll fry more. Who is the villain?”</p> - -<p>“You may search me,” Alex answered, dropping -into slang. “Case handed them to me and I put -them on the edge of the electric coil. They’ve gone -up in the air, if anybody should ask you! Right up -in the air!”</p> - -<p>“Who opened the window?” asked Clay, still unbelieving.</p> - -<p>“I did,” Alex answered. “There’s no one out there.”</p> - -<p>“No one could get on board without being challenged -by Captain Joe,” Case suggested. “Even -Teddy would make a row and ask questions of any -stranger! It is uncanny! I’m beginning to think -the <i>Rambler</i> is haunted. Or it may be the locality! -Suppose we pull anchor and go on up?”</p> - -<p>“Just my idea!” Alex agreed. “When we get a -few miles up the Colorado, I’ll cook bacon and eggs -for breakfast, and we can have some of the honey -Teddy didn’t get his thieving paws on.”</p> - -<p>So the boys brought up the anchor, started the -motors, and in ten minutes were pushing up the -Colorado. The famous river is wide and shallow at -its junction with the Gulf of California, and the -constantly changing currents heap sandbars to-day -where there was deep water yesterday, so the lads -proceeded at less than half speed.</p> - -<p>At the end of an hour they were only fifteen miles -from the anchorage of the night before. The river -was narrowing. To the east a low line of sand hills -came down to the water, to the west the foothills of -the Sierra de los Cucapas range dropped close to the -channel. Something less than one hundred miles to -the north was Yuma, where the Southern Pacific -Railroad crosses the stream.</p> - -<p>The lads cast anchor near the west shore, and -Alex brought out the bacon and eggs, while Case -proceeded to brew fresh coffee. By this time the -sun was shining blisteringly on the deck of the motor -boat, and all three lads were in the cabin, with all the -small windows open to the slight breeze.</p> - -<p>“Now,” Clay suggested, as the three sat at the -little table in the center of the cabin, two facing each -other and one looking out of the open doorway -which commanded a view of the deck, “suppose we -have the honey we’re going to consume to keep -Teddy from acquiring it? Where is it?”</p> - -<p>“I put it back of the electric stove, there by the -window,” Alex replied. “I’ll get it in a minute.”</p> - -<p>Three faces were turned toward the rear window, -three pair of eyes expressed amazement, incredulity, -three boys sprang to their feet and moved toward -the electric stove. The can of honey was not -there!</p> - -<p>“I saw it not more than a minute ago!” insisted -Case.</p> - -<p>“So did I,” Alex agreed. “Not half a minute -ago!”</p> - -<p>Then three faces turned toward the deck. Teddy -and Captain Joe lay on the prow, sweltering in the -heat, their ears cocked as if set to catch some sound -as yet only faintly heard. They didn’t have the -honey!</p> - -<p>“I reckon,” Alex observed, “that we’ve got a -phantom boarder!”</p> - -<p>“He’s got his nerve, whoever he is!” Case said, -with a scowl, for Case was inordinately fond of -honey, and had counted much on the can which had -so strangely disappeared. “He’s clever, too!”</p> - -<p>Captain Joe now arose from the deck at the prow -and walked to the railing on the port side. He stood -there an instant, as if undecided what to do next, -then lifted his paws to the top of the deck guard and -looked over into the river.</p> - -<p>“I guess the dog’s got him—this phantom boarder!” -Clay laughed.</p> - -<p>But Captain Joe went back to the cub in a moment -and lay down again. If there was any stranger -around the boat, the dog certainly was not aware of -the fact, the boys concluded. Yet some one had -taken the cakes and the honey! Who could it have -been, they asked each other.</p> - -<p>“It wouldn’t be right for us to start on a river -trip unaccompanied by a mystery,” laughed Clay. -“We had a mystery with us while we were on the -Amazon, and the Columbia panned out pretty well -in that particular, too, so I’m not much astonished -by the presence of a mysterious boarder now. He -ought not to take the best of everything, though,” he -added, with a grin at Case, who was still -inconsolable because of the loss of the honey.</p> - -<p>“Say,” Alex exclaimed, presently. “This is no -joke! There’s something going on here that we -ought to know more about. The pancakes and honey -never walked off without legs! Some fierce creature -may have come up out of the river and grabbed -them, but I don’t believe it.”</p> - -<p>“Do you think there’s some one hidden on the -boat?” asked Case. “If there is, where is he? No -place to hide here, that I know of.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know anything about that,” Alex returned. -“No one from the shore took the two -articles of food, for they were taken at points fifteen -miles apart—unless we have been visited by two -thieves using the same methods, which I do not believe.</p> - -<p>“I’m going to find out whether human hands took -the grub, or whether some monster came up out of -the river and assessed us for a square meal. You -boys stay here and watch in front, and I’ll climb on -the little deck over the gasoline tanks and see what’s -going on there. If anything I can’t handle shows -up, I’ll call for help!”</p> - -<p>Clay and Case sat for a long time with their eyes -fixed on the open deck and the up-river landscape. -They heard Alex scramble over the low cabin roof -and take a position on the narrow space over the -tanks. Then all was still save the rush of the water. -Captain Joe arose again, sniffed at the port rail, -peered over into the water, and gave a low growl.</p> - -<p>“He sees something!” Clay cried, excitedly.</p> - -<p>Case hastened to the rear window and looked out, -as if to ask Alex a question. At first he only looked -out. Then he leaned out. Then he dashed out of -the cabin and called to Clay, a note of anxiety in his -tone.</p> - -<p>When Clay reached the deck he saw what had -excited his chum. Alex was not on the narrow deck, -not on the cabin roof, nowhere on the boat! The -river ran away smooth and clear, sparkling in the -light with no craft in sight. The boy had disappeared -as utterly as if he had been dissolved in the -hot air!</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chII'>CHAPTER II.—TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS REWARD.</h2> - -<p class='first'>When it became certain that Alex was not on -board the <i>Rambler</i>, Clay and Case hustled the small -rowboat which lay on the cabin roof into the river, -threw in the oars, and cast off the rope.</p> - -<p>If Alex was not on the boat, they reasoned, then -he must have fallen into the water! It had been at -least ten minutes since he had left them to visit the -aft deck, and one might float a long way down -stream in that time! The wonder was that he had -not cried out when he fell!</p> - -<p>Case rowed with all his strength, doubled by the -excitement of the time, and Clay sat in the prow -watching the river ahead. Now he thought he saw -a head bobbing on the waves; now he called out that -he had caught sight of the boy clinging to the shore; -now he shuddered at sight of a clogging mass in the -bottom of the stream.</p> - -<p>They called out at the top of their lungs as the -rowboat went swiftly down with the current, but -there was no answering cry. Only when the bulk of -the <i>Rambler</i> seemed indistinct and far away through -the shimmering sunlight did they turn the prow up -stream. Clay was the first to speak after that.</p> - -<p>“I don’t believe he ever fell into the river!” he -said. “Captain Joe would have heard the splash, -even if we did not, and would surely have jumped in -after the kid. Besides, Alex would have let out a -yell if he had tumbled in, and we should have heard -that. He never fell into the river, I tell you!”</p> - -<p>“Then where did he go?” demanded Case. “I -hope yon haven’t any idea that he went up in the air! -Or that he’s hiding to bother us?”</p> - -<p>This last sentence expressed a new hope. The -boy might be hiding in some odd corner of the boat! -They resolved to find out about that as soon as they -got aboard again. If he was hiding, well!</p> - -<p>They did not carry out the thought, for they were -now near enough to the <i>Rambler</i> to see that she was -slowly, jerkily moving toward the west shore.</p> - -<p>“Did you pull up the anchor?” Clay demanded -of Case.</p> - -<p>“I should say not,” was the indignant reply. -“What for should I do that, I should like to know? -Sure you fastened the chain right?”</p> - -<p>“Of course! The chain was all right when we -left there.”</p> - -<p>“Then why should she be moving toward the -shore? She’s being towed, or I’m not an inch high! -What do you know about that?”</p> - -<p>The <i>Rambler</i> was indeed moving toward the west -bank of the river! The motors were not in action, -and yet she was moving, slowly yet steadily, to the -west! In a moment, as they rowed nearer, they saw -that she was drifting down toward them, but was, -at the same time, being drawn in toward the bank. -There was no one in sight on the deck or in the open -cabin!</p> - -<p>“This must be a fairy land!” Case grumbled. -“There’s something uncanny in the very air! How -do we know that we are in the Colorado river, -anyway? We haven’t seen a ship, or a launch, or a -rowboat, except our own, to-day! Things disappear -from the cabin, Alex goes up in the air, and now the -<i>Rambler</i> wiggles off without any motive power -showing!”</p> - -<p>“Look at Captain Joe!” shouted Clay. “Just -look at the fool dog?”</p> - -<p>Case continued to pull at the oars, anxious to gain -the <i>Rambler</i>.</p> - -<p>“What is he doing?” he asked, not turning -around to see.</p> - -<p>“He’s barking and snapping at something that -doesn’t exist!” Clay replied. “He is fighting with -the air—and getting the worst of it!”</p> - -<p>“Keep your head, chum!” Case grinned. “Keep -on trying to think! The worst is yet to come!”</p> - -<p>“Turn around and look, if you don’t believe me,” -Clay shouted.</p> - -<p>Case turned about on his seat, letting the oars lie -idle in the waves for a moment, and fixed his eyes -on the deck of the <i>Rambler</i>, now not more than a -hundred yards away. Captain Joe was barking like -mad on the deck, advancing to the west rail, as if -pursuing some one, and then retreating, as if being -beaten back!</p> - -<p>While the boys looked, he crossed the deck half -a dozen times, snapping and snarling at something -not in view from the small boat. Whenever he -retreated he seemed to be cringing as from a blow! -The boys looked on in wonder and fright. The dog -was fighting the air!</p> - -<p>“Not a thing in sight!” Case commented. “A -boat sliding along with no one near her, and a dog -barking at nothing at all. I give it up!”</p> - -<p>“Let me row,” Clay suggested. “You must be -getting tired.”</p> - -<p>Case dropped off the seat backward and Clay took -up the oars.</p> - -<p>“Tell me what you see,” asked the latter, after -rowing a moment.</p> - -<p>“The dog has gone back to his corner,” Case -reported, “and Teddy is doing the investigating. The -<i>Rambler</i> is still jerking in shore, and there’s not a -soul in sight! Ever hear of invisible men and -things? Well, that’s just what we’re up against!”</p> - -<p>“Alex is invisible, all right!” grunted Clay. -“See him yet?”</p> - -<p>Case did not answer. Instead he dropped into the -seat beside Clay, almost overturning the frail boat -before he succeeded in getting into action with one -of the oars. It was a minute before he spoke in -explanation of his conduct.</p> - -<p>“Pull!” he cried. “Pull for your life! There’s -some one at the prow of the boat, pushing her -toward shore, and there’s men behind the sand dunes -on the west bank, waiting for her to land! We’re -up against a nest of pirates, I take it! Pull! We -must get to the <i>Rambler</i> before it touches the bank, -for the fellows there will swarm over her then.”</p> - -<p>And the lads did pull, with all their might. The -current of the Colorado is not strong there, and so -they made good headway. When they came within -fifty yards of the <i>Rambler</i>, she was within that -distance of the shore. The men who had been hiding -behind the hills a moment before now came out and -called sharply to some one on or about the <i>Rambler</i> -to make haste and bring her in. There was no -verbal answer, but the boat moved faster toward the -shore.</p> - -<p>Dripping with perspiration, panting in the hot -air, the boys put their strength to the oars and finally -sprang over the railing just as two of the men -entered the water to swim out. They did not draw -back when they saw the boys aboard, but swam -rapidly on.</p> - -<p>“The motors!” shouted Clay. “Get them in motion!”</p> - -<p>Case hastened to comply, and Clay dashed into the -cabin and returned with a couple of automatic -revolvers. Without speaking he fired a shot over the -head of the nearest swimmer.</p> - -<p>“Missed him!” cried Case. “Let me try one!”</p> - -<p>“Get under motion!” insisted Clay. “When you -get under way, drop down stream! We’ve got to -find Alex, dead or alive!”</p> - -<p>A rowboat now shot out from the shore, manned -by two men. First the swimmers were picked up, -and then the boat was headed for the <i>Rambler</i>.</p> - -<p>“Keep off!” Clay called out. “I’ll shoot if you -come nearer.”</p> - -<p>“In the name of the law!” called one of the men -in the boat.</p> - -<p>“Never mind the law!” Clay answered. “If you don’t -want to get bored through with a forty-five, -keep away from the boat.”</p> - -<p>“I’ve got to come aboard!” was the answer to -this.</p> - -<p>“And I’ve got to keep you from doing so!” Clay -answered. “We are not interfering with you, or -with the laws of Mexico, and we have no notion of -spending a few months in a Mexican jail while you -people dispose of our boat and our supplies. Keep -off! I’ll shoot if you come a foot closer. What -have you done with the boy you took off -the <i>Rambler</i>?”</p> - -<p>Case looked up from the motors with a hopeful -smile. Perhaps that was the solution of the puzzle! -These men might have in some way stolen the food -and taken Alex away. This thought was more -cheerful than the one that the boy had fallen into -the river and been drowned.</p> - -<p>The roar of the motors drowned the answer, if, -indeed, any was made. As the propellers swung into -motion two figures separated themselves from the -prow of the boat, where they had been clinging, out -of sight, and struck out toward shore. Clay called -to them to stop, but they paid no attention to the -command. Directly they were taken into the rowboat. -Clay smiled as he took in the situation.</p> - -<p>“It is easy now,” he shouted. “Those men were -evidently diving and shifting the anchor shoreward, -being unable to break the chain, and being afraid to -go on board. Guess they know nothing about -motors, or they’d have had the <i>Rambler</i> miles up -stream long before this!”</p> - -<p>The <i>Rambler</i> now struck out for the Gulf, -traveling at a swift pace. If Alex had indeed fallen into -the stream, they might yet be able to save his life, -as he was a strong swimmer and resourceful. The -men in the rowboat followed on, losing ground, but -persistent. At last Clay halted the boat and called -back to them:</p> - -<p>“What do you people want of us?”</p> - -<p>“Just a little talk,” was the reply, shouted over -the water.</p> - -<p>“You tried to steal the boat!” Case shouted back. -“You’re thieves!”</p> - -<p>“Not thieves! After thieves!” came the sharp reply.</p> - -<p>“Are you officers?” demanded Clay.</p> - -<p>“Officers! American officers!” was the unexpected reply.</p> - -<p>“They’re faking!” Case cut in. “You saw how -they tried to steal the <i>Rambler</i>! I’ve a notion to -take a shot at them.”</p> - -<p>Clay swung the <i>Rambler</i> in a circle and came close -to the rowboat, an automatic ready for use. Case -looked on with disapproval showing in his face.</p> - -<p>“Now, what do you want?” Clay demanded, as -one of the men arose in the boat. “I’m not running -away from officers, if I know it, nor am I holding -any extended talks with boat thieves. What do you -want?”</p> - -<p>“I want to come aboard,” was the stern reply.</p> - -<p>The man who spoke was tall, slender, black of -hair and eyes, and with a grace and freedom of -movement which told of life in the open air. Clay -rather liked his looks, and so consented for him to -board the <i>Rambler</i>. Case stood by with a revolver -to see that no rush was made as the other vaulted -easily over the railing after scrambling lightly up the -side of the motor boat. But there was no need of -this, for the others sat stolidly at the oars, even -backing off as the prow bumped the <i>Rambler</i>’s side.</p> - -<p>The man who had boarded the <i>Rambler</i> stood -for a moment with his hands outstretched, to show -that his intentions were not hostile, and then gave -a keen look about. It seemed to the boys that he -took in every minute detail of the craft, from the -bristling dog at the prow to the electric coil at the -back of the cabin.</p> - -<p>“I’m Joe King,” he finally said. “Joe King, of -Arizona. Phoenix, Arizona, to be exact. I’m a -deputy sheriff. Where’s the sawed-off kid who -came aboard your boat just after dark last night?”</p> - -<p>“No one came aboard last night,” answered Clay, -half angrily.</p> - -<p>“Short, light weight, freckled, red-headed, quick -in his talk,” the deputy described. “Where is he? -No foolishness, now. I want him.”</p> - -<p>“You may have him if you can find him,” grinned -Case. “We don’t know any such boy. If you’re -lucky finding boys,” Case continued, “I wish you’d -find Alex Smithwick! He evaporated half an hour -ago.”</p> - -<p>Joe King, of Phoenix, Arizona, looked at the two -boys doubtfully. He seemed to think they were -joking with him. Clay saw that he was not an -enemy, and briefly told the story of Alex’s -disappearance, also of the vanishing of the honey and -cakes. King looked about the boat again.</p> - -<p>“Isn’t he hidden somewhere?” he asked, with a -sweep of the arm.</p> - -<p>“There is no place he could hide,” Case answered. -“You were on the shore with your men,” he resumed, -“did you see any one leaving the boat?”</p> - -<p>“We caught a view of the river only a few -moments ago,” was the discouraging reply. “If he has -been gone half an hour he might have gone away -with a brass band without our knowing it. But -here’s a bigger puzzle,” King continued, “and that -is where did this Don Durand go to? He sure came -on board your boat last night at dusk, while you lay -farther down. If you find him, you’ll find the pancakes!”</p> - -<p>“We never saw him!” Clay exclaimed. “He -might have taken the food, but he couldn’t have -taken Alex. What do you want of him, anyway?”</p> - -<p>“Why,” was the unexpected reply, “this Don -Durand stole a matter of fifty thousand dollars at -Chicago. He is a much-wanted boy just at present. -Ten thousand dollars reward, you know!”</p> - -<p>“How did a boy manage to get hold of so much -money?” asked Clay, his eyes large with astonishment.</p> - -<p>“He was a bank errand boy,” answered King, -“and walked off with a handbag a customer of -the concern, one Josiah Trumbull—entrusted to his -care. He has been chased all through the west, but -has never been taken.”</p> - -<p>“And he came on board the <i>Rambler</i> at dusk last -night?” asked Case.</p> - -<p>“So my men say. They were watching your boat -at that time, thinking it might be the home of the -thief. I have thoughts running in that direction -right this minute! So you’d better give an account -of yourself.”</p> - -<p>Clay, seeing that the deputy was sincere and -friendly, told the story of past and prospective trips. -King listened with amused eyes.</p> - -<p>“All right!” he said. “I’ve heard of you boys! -You caught a robber up the Columbia and got a rich -reward! Hope you’ll get another one right here. -But this Don Durand is a clever chap, though only -the size of a pint cup! He’s so small that he may -be hiding here right now.”</p> - -<p>“I’m glad he got something to eat!” Case exclaimed. -“I’ll bet he was hungry! You don’t think -he coaxed Alex off, do you?”</p> - -<p>“Did he have an airship or a diving bell to take -him off in?” laughed King. “He has the price of -both, I take it, for the papers say he is carrying fifty -thousand in gold notes around with him.”</p> - -<p>“Alex might have found him out on the aft -deck and chased him off, and then followed him,” -Clay suggested. “Alex is a pretty good swimmer,” -he added. “He wins medals in under-water endurance -tests!”</p> - -<p>“Now you’re beginning to think right!” King -commented. “The boys may be on shore. If they -are, my men will get them. And I reckon they’re -putting up a fight right now,” he added. “Hear the -shots?”</p> - -<p>Puffs of smoke lifted over the hills, and then a -rattling volley came from the mountain spur not far -to the west.</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chIII'>CHAPTER III.—CAPTAIN JOE’S MESSAGE.</h2> - -<p class='first'>Deputy King stepped over to the deck rail and -looked down at the rowboat in which he had left -the shore. It held five men, all dusky, uncouth -looking fellows, with greasy hair and black, suspicious -eyes. One of the men had left the shore with the -deputy, two had been picked up in the river on the -way out, and two more had been taken in when -the rowboat came closer to the <i>Rambler</i>.</p> - -<p>These last two were the ones who had been working -the motor boat toward the shore by diving and -lifting the anchor and putting it over. As the craft -always swung over to the new anchorage, she had -gained the shore by just the distance the anchor had -been moved.</p> - -<p>It was known afterward that the men had been -sent out to board the motor boat and bring her in, -but that they feared armed opposition from -concealed occupants, and so resorted to the slower but -safer, if laborious, method described. When King -looked down upon the boat all five occupants were -actively engaged in getting under way, four handling -oars and the fifth at the helm. They were -already a couple of yards from the motor boat.</p> - -<p>“Here!” cried King. “Come back with that -boat! What are you doing? That firing doesn’t -mean anything to you! Come back!”</p> - -<p>The five men laughed insolently, and one of them -made significant and insulting gestures with a thumb -at his nose! The boat shot swiftly toward the shore, -leaving King fuming on the deck of the <i>Rambler</i>.</p> - -<p>“Nothing stays put in the vicinity of -the <i>Rambler</i>!” laughed Clay. “I reckon those are -Mexicans, and that they are frightened at the firing.”</p> - -<p>“They are Mexicans, sure enough!” King replied. -“But they are not running away from the -shooting. They are going to it!”</p> - -<p>“Not going to fight for the fun of it?” asked -Case.</p> - -<p>“They are deserting me and going back to their -friends,” King said. “They now hope to capture -the boy without my help, and so get all of the -reward, as well as running off with the good money I -paid them to assist me! I presume they think the -men over in the mountain spur have found the boy -and are shooting at him. Why, he’s so small they’d -have to use a telescope to see him at that distance! -Anyway, I’m done for, with this desertion, and may -as well take passage with you to Yuma.”</p> - -<p>“You’re welcome to go with us,” Clay answered, -“but we’re not going on until we find Alex. And -if he gets tangled up with the Greasers on shore -we’re going after him. We won’t go on without -him!”</p> - -<p>“Of course not,” agreed the deputy. “Well, I’ll -remain here as long as you do. I may still stand a -chance of getting that reward. Suppose you put -more pancakes and honey on the table back of the -electric stove!” he added with a sly wink. “He -may come on board right away, then!”</p> - -<p>“Pancakes will also bring Alex on board,” -laughed Clay. “He’s got the appetite when it comes -to pancakes and honey! Never saw a kid eat so -many cakes as Alex can stow away! He’s almost -as empty as Teddy Bear.”</p> - -<p>“That the cub yonder?” asked King, pointing to -the prow, where Teddy and Captain Joe lay asleep in -the sunshine, apparently beyond all the cares and -worries of a wicked world. “Clever dog, that!”</p> - -<p>Captain Joe, as if conscious that he was under -observation, arose, stretched himself, and walked over -to the rail, where he stood sniffing at the air. Then, -with his nose pointing straight toward the shore, -he uttered a series of excited growls.</p> - -<p>“He knows that Alex is there,” Case cried. “Go -and get him, Captain Joe!” he added, and the next -instant the dog was in the water.</p> - -<p>“You’ve done a nice thing now!” Clay -exclaimed, gazing angrily at Case. “The dog will be -shot before he gets within a rod of the shore.”</p> - -<p>“I never thought of that!” Case replied, regretfully.</p> - -<p>The boys tried to call the dog back to the boat, -but he swam on, paying no attention whatever to -their threats and promises! Clay turned to the rail -where the little rowboat had been tied, thinking to -follow him in that, but it was gone! Before setting -out for the shore, the Mexicans who had deserted -King had cut it loose, and it could now be seen a -long distance down the river, bobbing about on the -twisting currents.</p> - -<p>“I’m going after him anyway!” Clay shouted, -rushing to the silent motors.</p> - -<p>It was Deputy King who checked his ill-advised -determination.</p> - -<p>“You can’t get anywhere near the shore with the -motor boat,” he said. “It is so shallow a few yards -from here that the rowboat just barely floats. Will -the dog go straight to Alex as you call him?”</p> - -<p>“He will if he is not interfered with,” answered -Clay, moodily.</p> - -<p>“Then we’ll watch the dog,” King went on. -“Do you know, kids, that I have a hunch that this -Don Durand, the thief, is with Alex? I believe they -left the <i>Rambler</i> together. I don’t know why, or -when, or how they first came together, but that’s -the hunch, and I can’t get it out of my mind.”</p> - -<p>The Mexicans who had deserted the deputy were -now landing on a low, sandy stretch of beach, back -of which ran a natural levee of sand, perhaps six -feet in height. Beyond that, and only a few -hundred paces from the water’s edge, a spur of the -foothills ran out to the east.</p> - -<p>The Mexicans saw the dog swimming toward -them and deployed on the beach to capture or kill -him. This was, perhaps, the very best move they -could have made in the interest of the boys, for -Captain Joe sensed danger and turned south, swimming -swiftly down with the current.</p> - -<p>The Mexicans bred a dozen shots at him and then -turned their attention to a commotion in progress -between the sand levee and the mountain spur. The -men who had fired from the foothills were advancing -across the level, and the men who had been left -on shore by King were lined up to meet them. -Those on the <i>Rambler</i> could not see what was going -on, but, presently a crowd of Mexicans came out on -the beach, as if to keep watch of the <i>Rambler</i>.</p> - -<p>“I’d like to know what the mischief is going on -there,” exclaimed Case, as Captain Joe, already far -down stream, crept out of the water and trotted out -of sight, after looking back over his shoulder to see -that no guns were pointed at him.</p> - -<p>“I think I can tell you what’s going on,” King -suggested. “The men I left there have come to -terms with the native Indians, who are always ready -for a fight or a race! It looks bad for us!”</p> - -<p>“I don’t understand,” Clay ventured. They have -nothing against us.”</p> - -<p>“Yes they have,” King went on. “You have a -fine motor boat, and the Mexican Indian always has -something against a fellow who has something he -wants himself. What you ought to do now is to -run upstream at full speed, so as to head off any -canoe blockade which may be forming.”</p> - -<p>“And leave Alex here?” demanded Case. “I -should say not!”</p> - -<p>“Then drop down to where the dog left the -water,” advised King. “You see,” he explained, -“I’m still believing that Don Durand is with Alex, -and I’m taking chances on the dog finding the boy.”</p> - -<p>“He will if Alex is there,” Clay observed, -confidently. “I only hope the kid is there,” he added, -turning on power and dropping down stream.</p> - -<p>There was a little sand island—one of the kind -which lift above the water one day and sink down -the next—just below where Captain Joe had taken to -the shore, and here Case left the <i>Rambler</i>, resolved -to make his way to shore along a spit of sand which -almost joined the beach with the island.</p> - -<p>Both Clay and the deputy objected strongly to his -going, but he promised to keep close to the boat and -to take no needless risks. The boy bent low as he -crossed the strip of beach, desiring to keep out of -sight of those above if possible.</p> - -<p>“I wish I had gone with him,” King said, as Case -disappeared over the sand hillocks. “He may come -across the boys, but find himself unable to bring -Don Durand back with him.”</p> - -<p>“Does the boy know that the search for him is on -here?” asked Clay.</p> - -<p>“Oh, he knows, generally, that officers are in pursuit -of him,” was the reply. “He is hiding in all -kinds of out-of-the-way places. Without doubt he -slept on your aft deck last night, and breakfasted off -pancakes and honey!” the deputy added, with a -provoking grin. “And you never knew he was -there! He must have been hungry.”</p> - -<p>“Then I’m glad he got the pancakes!” insisted -Clay. “He was welcome to them, and might have -had a softer bed last night, if he had only made his -presence on the <i>Rambler</i> known to us. How long -ago was it that he took this money?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, somewhere near a month ago,” was the -reply. “He has given the officers a great chase, if -he is a mite of a fellow.”</p> - -<p>The <i>Rambler</i> lay off the sand island, and close to -it, for the water was deep on one side, for an hour -before any movement was seen on shore. The -Mexicans above had evidently taken shelter from the -scorching sun, believing that they would be able to -intercept the boat if she started up stream, for no one -was in sight on shore opposite the old anchorage. -It was very hot on deck, and King and Clay sought -the cabin, resolved to there await some signal from -Case.</p> - -<p>Presently Captain Joe’s head showed above the -natural levee, and then the body of the white bulldog -lifted over the elevation, shot swiftly to the water -line and swam off to the <i>Rambler</i>, Clay and the -deputy watching to see that he was not followed -from the shore.</p> - -<p>“Now, what do you think that means?” Clay -asked, as Captain Joe gave the deck a liberal -sprinkling and took his place in front of the boy, regarding -him with watchful and anxious eyes. “He wants -something.”</p> - -<p>“He wants us to go ashore with him,” King interpreted. -“He’s found the boys, and they are in -trouble. Now, what about leaving the boat?”</p> - -<p>“We might as well make the Mexicans a present -of it,” Clay answered.</p> - -<p>“That’s true!” King replied. “Well, you can do -more with the boys and the dog than I can, so you -would better go with him. I’ll do the best I can to -defend the <i>Rambler</i>, if an attack is made.”</p> - -<p>Clay was uncertain as to the correct course to -pursue. While he did not doubt the honesty of the -deputy sheriff, he realized that he was out in quest -of a fugitive for whose arrest a large sum of money -was offered. The boy understood that the officer -would adopt almost any selfish plan that promised -success to his official undertaking.</p> - -<p>He believed that he would even requisition the -<i>Rambler</i> and sail away with it if he should by chance -find, or get, the fugitive on board during the absence -of the owners. There would be need of his sailing -away instantly, too, for the Mexicans were reckless -and vicious, and out after the same reward!</p> - -<p>Just how King might get Durand on board during -his absence he had not the slightest idea. In fact, -he considered such a thing as utterly impossible, -and yet he found himself actually considering such a -possibility in reaching out for reasons why he ought -not to leave the <i>Rambler</i> in the sole charge of this -stranger.</p> - -<p>Clay knew that there was always a chance that -Durand, pursued by the Mexicans, might make for -the motor boat, not knowing the conditions existing -on board. Still, it was so remote a chance that he -smiled as he considered it. But something had to -be done.</p> - -<p>Captain Joe’s return, his attitude, told of trouble -ashore. If all had been well with the boys, one or all -of them would have accompanied the dog to the -motor boat. Clay decided to take the one chance -there was of losing the <i>Rambler</i>—the only chance -there was if King was what he professed to be. The -boys demanded his whole attention.</p> - -<p>“There’s only one thing I want to say to you,” -King said, as Clay lowered himself over the rail. -“If you find this Durand boy with the others, just -bring him along with you, and say nothing about my -being on board. If you get him here, you shall -share the reward.”</p> - -<p>Clay made no promise. He was more than -disgusted at the course events were taking. Instead of -sailing, care-free, up the river, as had been planned, -his chums were in some trouble of which he knew -nothing on shore, and he was leaving the <i>Rambler</i> -in the charge of an entire stranger.</p> - -<p>Besides, on their very first day on the Colorado, -they had become entangled in the meshes of a crime -committed in Chicago more than a month before, -and the boy had had enough of crime on his previous -river trips!</p> - -<p>Just now, his chief aim was to get entirely away -from civilization. He wanted to get his friends -together once more, get rid of King and all that he -represented, and proceed to the wonderful sights to be -found on the river. He wanted to lose sight of -everything save the original purpose of the trip. He -had had enough of mixing with others’ affairs!</p> - -<p>He gained the shore without getting more than -his feet wet and crossed the tide-washed stretch of -sand to the natural levee. Looking back, he saw -King tinkering with the motors, and was seriously -inclined to return to the <i>Rambler</i>. But Captain Joe -was urging him on with all the arguments known -to a white bulldog, so he crossed the string of sandy -barrier and set out for the spur which ran down -from the foothills.</p> - -<p>There was no one in sight, either up or down the -river, and his idea was that the Mexicans had -deserted the position opposite the old anchorage. -Either that, or they were in hiding ahead, waiting to -seize him.</p> - -<p>Finally Captain Joe deserted him, wandered off -unobserved into one of the wrinkles in the hills. He -could not understand this at all, for the dog should -have continued to lead the way to the source of -trouble he had returned to the <i>Rambler</i> to report.</p> - -<p>For a moment Clay considered the advisability of -returning at once to the motor boat. The sun shone -out of the sky like a blazing ball of fire, and the -sands were hot and blinding. As far as he could -see, up and down the river, there were no evidences -of human life in sight save only the <i>Rambler</i>, lying -on a stream which seemed to Clay to have a right -to boil with the heat which surrounded it.</p> - -<p>But Clay hated a quitter as much as he hated a -coward, and so kept on toward the glaring foothills -which lifted straight away to the west. Then voices -to right and left told him that he had been trapped!</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chIV'>CHAPTER IV.—“THE PHANTOM BOARDER”</h2> - -<p class='first'>When Alex climbed over the top of the motor -boat’s cabin for the purpose of investigating the -mystery of the disappearance of the cakes and honey, -he saw a dripping lad much smaller than himself -sitting close under the open window composedly devouring -the pancakes and honey! So great was the -haste, or so imperious the hunger, of the boy that he -was cramming the cakes into his mouth as if stuffing -them into a bag!</p> - -<p>In the sheltered position in which he sat he could -not be seen from the inside of the cabin, even by one -glancing through the open window, unless the person -so investigating should thrust his head far out -of the opening. He was crowded up against the rear -wall of the cabin, in a small pool of water which had -trinkled out of his soaked garments. It was evident -that he had not long been out of the river.</p> - -<p>Alex, lying flat on his stomach on the roof of the -cabin, reached down a hand in an attempt to seize the -intruder by the hair of the head. Now that he had -discovered the purloiner of the breakfast, he was -bent on dragging him, a captive, before his chums—with -what was left of the cakes in sight!</p> - -<p>But the boy did not reach down far enough. Instead -of grasping the rusty red hair of the visitor, he -merely seized a flat, postage-stamp cap which illy -protected his head from the rays of the sun. The -lad felt his cap lifting and, thrusting the cakes, -covered with honey as they were, into a pocket of his -trousers, looked up to see Alex grinning down at him.</p> - -<p>To this day Alex insists that he then saw the -quickest human movement of his life. One instant -the intruder was sitting on the narrow aft deck -stuffing pancakes into his mouth. The next he was -under water, swimming swiftly down with the current! -Alex saw only a twinkle of wet shoes and -dripping stockings and the lad was gone!</p> - -<p>The boy watched the thief for only a second. -Without stopping to warn his chums, without -considering the risks he was running, he foolishly -sprang down on the aft deck and dove headfirst into -the river. It was little wonder that the unusual -proceedings at the stern of the boat failed to arouse -Captain Joe, for in a minute the boys were under -water and far down stream.</p> - -<p>About the time Clay and Case were looking for -their chum, Alex was, in close pursuit of the pancake -thief, crawling out of the river some distance below -at a point, in fact, where a sprawling island of sand -was almost connected with the shore by a long spit! -Before the searchers climbed over on the aft deck, -the hot sun had completely evaporated the water -the intruder had brought there in his garments, so -there were no traces of his ever having been there -at all!</p> - -<p>Reaching the shore, the fugitive dashed across the -tide-leveled beach and sprang lightly over the levee. -Alex came, panting, after him, for the swim had -been a long one, to meet with the surprise of his -life when he half climbed, half tumbled, over the -shifting elevation.</p> - -<p>The fugitive seized him as he dropped, turned him -over by a deft and powerful movement of hands, -arms and body, and promptly sat down on him, holding -his arms down on his breast! Alex was practically -helpless, although his assailant was much -smaller than himself, and panting, too, from the -same long swim—mostly under the reddish brown -waters of the river. He was not long, however, in -realizing the humor of the situation, for he looked -up into the freckled face above him with a grin.</p> - -<p>Now, Alex’s grin was an alluring thing! He had -conquered enemies with it, and secured more than -his share of Christmas presents at free distributions -in Chicago, when he was still a little tot. The -victorious thief “fell for it,” as he would have -expressed it, and gave back one that was very much -like it!</p> - -<p>“What’s doing?” Alex demanded, in a moment.</p> - -<p>“What do you mean by spoiling my breakfast?” -demanded the other.</p> - -<p>Alex roared as heartily as was possible, considering -the restrained position in which he found himself. -It was too funny!</p> - -<p>“Your breakfast!” Alex exclaimed. “You’ve -got your nerve! My breakfast! You’ve got your -appetite with you, too, if you ate all you stole -through the cabin window! You must have been -hungry!”</p> - -<p>The stranger bounded off Alex and sat down on -the sand, keeping a watchful eye on his late prisoner, -however. Alex rose to a sitting position and -grinned again. The other took a pancake from his -pocket and began eating. Alex looked on and -wondered at the appetite!</p> - -<p>“Does it taste as mussy as it looks?” he asked, -referring to the pancake, which looked like a mass -of brown dough dripping with honey and crushed -into odd shapes by soiled fingers.</p> - -<p>“It tastes like something to eat!” was the reply. -“Say, but I was about starved to death when I -smelt the pancakes. If I’ll go back on board, will -you cook me some more? I’m still hungry!”</p> - -<p>“Sure I will,” replied Alex. “What did you run -away for?”</p> - -<p>“You haven’t heard?” demanded the other, suspiciously.</p> - -<p>“Haven’t heard what?” asked Alex.</p> - -<p>The other looked out to the foothills and back to -the levee, which concealed the river from view. -Then he searched his pocket for another pancake, -failed to find it, and rolled along on the sand.</p> - -<p>“Haven’t heard what?” asked Alex, determined -to know what the other was driving at. “What -haven’t I heard? What you mean by that?”</p> - -<p>“What’s your name?” the stranger asked, abruptly.</p> - -<p>“Alex Smithwick,” was the quick reply.</p> - -<p>“I’ve heard of you,” the other went on. “Some -Chicago newspaper printed a picture of the <i>Rambler</i> -and you three boys. That’s how I found the nerve to -visit you last night. I’m from Chicago. I was -looking for you!”</p> - -<p>“Tell me what it is I haven’t heard,” Alex -insisted, “and tell me your name! I’ve told you -mine.”</p> - -<p>“I’m Don Durand,” was the quick reply. “I -guess that will tell all there is to tell. Guess you’ve -heard that name before!”</p> - -<p>“You ain’t ever been president of the United -States, or lightweight champion, or the jockey that -won the derby, or anything like that, have you?” -Alex asked, whimsically. “If you have, I’ve -overlooked a big one, for I never heard that name until -just now! Unravel your crime, me son!” he added, -with a grin which brought out all the freckles in his -friendly face.</p> - -<p>“It is a crime, all right!” Don admitted, hanging -his head.</p> - -<p>“I didn’t know it!” Alex cried, distressed at the -other’s humiliation. “If I had, I wouldn’t have said -the word. If you don’t want to talk about it, you -needn’t.”</p> - -<p>“I want you to know,” Don answered. “I’ve just -got to tell some one, or I’ll bust! I’m a thief!”</p> - -<p>“Pancakes and honey?” asked Alex. “I knew -that before!”</p> - -<p>“No; money,” the other went on. “A whole lot -of money!”</p> - -<p>“Huh!” Alex observed, looking over the hot -sand, the hotter hills, the brazen sky, and the starved -landscape, “did you come down here to serve out -your sentence? Strikes me that you’d better be in -some nice cool jail, where there is plenty of pancakes -and honey!”</p> - -<p>“I’ve stolen about all the money there is in the -world!” Don said, in a moment, a troubled look -coming over his face.</p> - -<p>“Have you got it yet?” asked Alex.</p> - -<p>“Every cent of it!” was the reply. “Every last -cent of it!”</p> - -<p>Don threw off his wet jacket, loosened his waistband, -and, after working both hands in the vicinity -of his hips for a moment, making wry faces every -second of the time, drew forth a waterproof belt the -bulging sides of which proclaimed crowded contents. -After shaking it to remove any chance drop of -water, Don unfastened the buckles and began -unwinding the oiled silk which enclosed the contents of -the belt.</p> - -<p>Directly the long wrapping lay on the sand at the -boy’s side, and the burden of the belt lay revealed. -Alex’s eyes bulged out so they ached.</p> - -<p>The waterproof belt had been stuffed with -money—gold treasury notes of the denomination of -$1,000!</p> - -<p>“Wow!” Alex exclaimed, almost involuntarily. -“Talk about wealth! There it is! How many of -those picture cards are there?”</p> - -<p>“Fifty!” was the quiet reply. “I stole $50,000.”</p> - -<p>“That’s nice!” grinned Alex. “Are you going -abroad to buy a little kingdom with it? Standard -Oil hasn’t anything on you!”</p> - -<p>“I’m going to give it to the owner,” was the -unexpected reply.</p> - -<p>“Well, why don’t you, then?” asked the boy.</p> - -<p>“Because I don’t know where he is. He’s lost!”</p> - -<p>“You knew where he was when you stole it from -him, didn’t you?” asked Alex. “Why can’t you go -find him?”</p> - -<p>“I didn’t steal it from the owner,” was the reply. -“I stole it from the man that stole it from the -owner.”</p> - -<p>Don, exploring the belt, brought out two slips of -paper, read them over hastily, and crushed them back -into the secure cavity again.</p> - -<p>Alex did not ask what the quick action meant, for -he was busy with the gold notes. He had never -before seen so much money at one time in his life. It -seemed to him that all the wealth of the world lay -exposed on the hot sand at his feet. Don regarded -it carelessly.</p> - -<p>Presently Alex took the notes into his hands and -began counting them. He placed them in little -heaps, then he laid them along the sand, end to end. -He was interrupted in the midst of this fascinating -employment by a low cry from Don.</p> - -<p>“What is it he asked?” gathering the money up -in one heap, preparatory to concealing it. “Some -one coming?”</p> - -<p>“Some one peered over that sand dune,” Don -answered. “I saw eyes like a snake’s feasting on the -money! I shouldn’t have taken it out in an exposed -place like this. What shall I do with it?”</p> - -<p>Alex’s resourceful mind was not long in finding a -way.</p> - -<p>“Grab it up,” he directed. “Make as if you were -putting it back in the belt, but pass it to me, with the -silk, and I’ll bury it in the sand. Here, put plenty of -sand in the belt, so it will look like it was still full -of money. Now, put it on! Turn so any one watching -us will see you doing it. They’ll think you're -hiding the money in the belt again, but we’ll fool -’em!”</p> - -<p>Don did as directed by the quick-witted lad, and -then Alex started away toward the river, walking as -if he had no idea that there was any one in the world -besides himself and friend. He smiled as he turned -to his companion, whose eyes were fixed intently on -the location of the silk covering which held the -treasury notes.</p> - -<p>“Think I’m going to cut and run with the -mazuma?” he asked, following the other’s gaze back -to his own wet clothing.</p> - -<p>“Why—why—of course not,” faltered the other. -“Why should you?”</p> - -<p>“I’m going to hide it in the sand, and take -bearings so that either of us can find it,” Alex went on. -“This neat little bunch of spinach is not for the -Greasers! It might be their ruin!” he added, with -a grin. “It might drive them to drink!”</p> - -<p>“But the tide and the current may wash that sand -away, or shift it about, within the next twenty-four -hours,” urged Don, with a sigh.</p> - -<p>“That’s true!” Alex admitted, with a worried -look. “That’s true. We are now up against the -responsibilities of great wealth!” he continued, with -another whimsical grin. “Do you see the Greasers -watching us yet? They mustn’t suspect that the -belt is empty of cash!”</p> - -<p>“One of them peeped over a rise just as we started -away,” was the reply. “They’re watching us, all -right enough. They smell money?”</p> - -<p>Alex threw himself down on the sand, in a position -which overlooked the river, and rolled about in -exaggerated ease. Don sat down close at his side, -and the money was buried between them.</p> - -<p>“See that bald old peak across the river?” asked -Alex, when the job had been satisfactorily completed. -“And that topknot to the west?”</p> - -<p>“Sure I do!” Don replied, still watching the spot -where the money had been placed, and looking as if -he would like to dig it up again.</p> - -<p>“Well, when you want this cash, just come to the -top of this barrier and dig on a straight line between -the two. Then you can’t miss it.”</p> - -<p>“Unless the water gets here first!” Don grumbled.</p> - -<p>“It <i>is</i> risky,” Alex admitted, “but if you keep it -in the belt the Greasers stand a show of getting it, -so where’s the odds? Just now they think you’ve -got the money on your person, and so, considering it -safe for the present, they won’t be in any hurry -about attacking us. That gives us a chance for our -lives, anyway, though they’re pretty sure to come -after us before long.”</p> - -<p>While the lads lay watching the river, and wishing -themselves aboard the distant <i>Rambler</i>, three -ferocious-looking fellows crept upon them, moving over -the hot sand like snakes. So intently were the lads -watching the motor boat that the first intimation of -their peril they received was the harsh laugh of one -of the Mexicans as the three closed up behind the -unsuspecting youngsters. When Alex turned around -he found himself looking into the steel-blue muzzle -of an automatic.</p> - -<p>“Welcome to our midst!” the boy said, trying to -make a grin come easily.</p> - -<p>One of the Mexicans seized Don by the shoulders -and drew him back, as if about to strip the money -belt off him, but another checked him with a coarse -command. It was plain that they still believed the -belt to hold the treasury notes, and plain, too, that -the three were not trustful of each other. At least, -for some reason, two of the three preferred leaving -the money where it was for the time being.</p> - -<p>The Mexicans were evidently waiting for some -anticipated event to take place, for they sat down -near the boys and kept close watch of the river and -the shore opposite where the motor boat lay. The -lads soon saw Case and Clay row down the river in -search of Alex, saw King board the <i>Rambler</i>, saw -the Mexicans desert him, and heard the shots fired -across the levee.</p> - -<p>They saw the dog spring overboard and swim -down to them, but could not induce him to come to -them. Captain Joe soon disappeared, and in a minute -the <i>Rambler</i> dropped down to the point where he -had left the water and Case landed on the island and -made for the shore, almost exactly where the lads -lay with their captors.</p> - -<p>Alex tried to warn the boy, but dropped back in -disgust when a gun was thrust into his face!</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chV'>CHAPTER V.—A SURPRISE FOR THE GREASERS.</h2> - -<p class='first'>“Get up and get him!” commanded one of the -three, in tolerable English, as Case reached the -shore. “We’ll have to take him, too!”</p> - -<p>One of the others replied angrily, but neither of -them moved. It was evident that the three were -suspicious of each other, and that neither of them -cared to lose sight of the boy who was believed to -have the stolen money.</p> - -<p>They could not trust each other even to the extent -of removing the money from the boy who was -supposed to carry it. Each one thought the boy’s waist -a more desirable place for the cash than the hands of -either of his companions!</p> - -<p>The Mexican who had spoken in English turned to -Alex with a malicious grin on his dusky, dirty, -greasy face.</p> - -<p>“Call him here!” he commanded, pointing to -Case, now turning off down the river and looking -sharply about for the boys.</p> - -<p>“I won’t!” replied the boy. “I’m not going to -help you get him! I hope he’ll turn around and -shoot you up! You let him alone!”</p> - -<p>The other’s eyes blazed angrily and he leveled his -revolver at Case, who was still increasing the -distance between himself and the boys.</p> - -<p>“Very well,” the Mexican said. “We can’t -permit him to spy about the country. If you won’t call -him to you, I’ll shoot him where he stands. I’ll give -you while you count ten to decide.”</p> - -<p>This put a different complexion on the situation. -Alex hesitated only a second. He had every reason -to believe that the Mexican would keep his word -regarding the suggested murder of Case. He looked -vicious enough to commit any crime, even that of -shooting a boy in the back. If taken prisoner, Case -might still stand a chance of getting away, while if -deliberately shot down that would be the end of all -things for him.</p> - -<p>“Say, Case” the boy cried out, then. “Come on -over here. I’ve got something to show you. Hurry -up!”</p> - -<p>Case turned about and ran toward the sheltered -spot where the men lay with their prisoners. The -boy’s face was wreathed with smiles, for he had been -more than anxious about Alex. The Mexican’s evil -eyes lighted up wickedly as the boy came up to his -chums, looking suspiciously at the Mexicans as he -advanced.</p> - -<p>There were no weapons in sight, and so Case’s -suspicions passed away in a measure, and he sat down -by Alex’s side, his eyes fixed inquiringly on the -others, and especially on Don Durand, the boy King -had described as such a desperado. A bulging -pocket at once caught the attention of the Mexican -who had ordered Alex to call the lad into captivity.</p> - -<p>“Stand up!” he ordered. “Stand up and throw -out those guns!”</p> - -<p>Case threw a hand behind his back, but before he -could draw the other had him covered. Case stood -up and dropped his automatics to the sand. Then he -turned a scornful eye on Alex, who sat chuckling as -if he considered it all a great joke.</p> - -<p>“You’re a fine chum!” he said. “Turned pirate, -have you?”</p> - -<p>“Of course!” Alex returned. “I’ve got a choice -collection of pirates here. Ever see any alleged -human beings who would fit an electric chair any -better than these three? They make a nice flock of -jailbirds, don’t they?”</p> - -<p>“Is that what you called me over here for?” -asked Case. “To say that?”</p> - -<p>“I called you over here,” was the reply, “to keep -a procession of bullets out of your back. I’d rather -have you here alive than out on the sands dead! -This other chap is Don Durand,” he continued, -making the introduction with a chuckle at the absurdity -of the situation.</p> - -<p>“I’ve heard of him,” Case answered. “King -told me about the money he stole. King will soon -be down after him!”</p> - -<p>“So!” exclaimed the Mexican. “You think he’ll -come after the boy? That is good news, but he -needn’t to take the pains! As soon as we pluck the -kid we’ll send him up to King. What, fellows?” -he added, turning to his sullen companions with a -provoking sneer on his hard face.</p> - -<p>The two men nodded, but made no verbal reply to -the question.</p> - -<p>“Your friends seem to be afflicted with the -mollygrubs!” Alex said, turning to the spokesman -of the party. “Perhaps they’ve been eating -something that doesn’t agree with them! Yes? No? -What?”</p> - -<p>“You seem to be a bright boy!” scowled the -other.</p> - -<p>“That’s the correct answer!” laughed Alex. -“Why don’t you go on up to the motor boat and get -King? He’s looking for you.”</p> - -<p>“I’m not looking for him,” was the sullen reply. -“I’m waiting for him to go away, then I’ll make -myself scarce—him and his minions!”</p> - -<p>Case now began to understand the situation. He -had heard King say that Don Durand carried about -with him the money he had stolen. He knew that -King’s paid assistants had deserted him in order to -get the money for themselves if they could. What -he saw now, was that these Mexicans had originally -been in the employ of the deputy, and that they had -succeeded in getting the boy where King had failed. -Still, he could not account for Alex’s being there -with Don.</p> - -<p>“King is going to remain here until he gets his -prisoner,” he said, presently, glancing at Don. -“He wants that reward,” he continued, “and is -likely to get it, too, for all of you fellows!”</p> - -<p>“He may have the reward,” snarled the Mexican, -glancing at the boy angrily, as if ready to punish -him for speaking without permission. “He may -have the reward. All we want is the stolen -money!”</p> - -<p>“I hope it will burn up before you touch it!” -Alex cut in.</p> - -<p>“It is hot enough here to burn most anything!” -Case observed.</p> - -<p>“You see,” Alex commented, turning to Case, -“what a fine, honest bunch I butted into when I -followed Don off the rear deck of the boat! This lad, -Don Durand, is a prince compared with the three -Mexicans.”</p> - -<p>The spokesman scowled fiercely, but the boy went -on, taking a savage delight in making at least one of -his captors show temper.</p> - -<p>“These three,” Alex added, swinging a hand -around the circle of dusky faces, “are the—the—well, -they are the limit! They want to steal the -cash from the boy who stole it from the man who -stole it from another man! When they get it, if -they ever do, they will fight over it—and this -Englishman, or the person who speaks English, will -murder his companions and take it all. It is a fine -flock of jailbirds!”</p> - -<p>The Mexican addressed a few angry words to a -companion, and the latter arose and moved toward -Alex with a long grass rope. The boy sprang -away, but there was the ever-present revolver and -the threatening face behind it, so he settled back on -the hot sand.</p> - -<p>“If you say anything more,” the Mexican -snarled, “I’ll have your tongue tied instead of your -hands and feet. Understand?”</p> - -<p>Alex submitted to the tying without a word of -protest, though he laughed bravely in the face of -the man who did the work. The boy had accomplished -his purpose, and was willing to suffer a -temporary inconvenience. He had notified Case that -the three captors were suspicious of each other, and -probably would not stand together if a rush was -made against them. He had also informed him that -the money had not yet been secured by the Mexicans, -and that they were as ready to fight King or their -fellow countrymen for it as to battle with their -captives.</p> - -<p>Case understood that Alex was talking for his -information, and once more turned his attention to -the motor boat. He saw Captain Joe trot over the -spit and the island and leap on board the craft, saw -King and Clay conversing together for a time, and -then saw the dog leave the boat with Clay close -behind him.</p> - -<p>The others saw what was going on, too, and the -hearts of the boys sank at the thought of Clay -becoming a prisoner. Before Clay gained the shore -the Mexicans ordered the boys to their feet and -retreated with them to a more sheltered spot higher up -in the foothills. Alex did his best, during the move, -to attract the attention of Clay and so warn him, but -the boy was across the levee, following the dog -closely, and so the prisoners with their escort passed -over the level, scalding stretch of sand without being -seen by the searcher, who was still on the opposite -side of the barrier.</p> - -<p>From their hiding-place the boys finally saw Clay -climb over the sand levee and continue on his way to -the hills. For a moment Captain Joe moved along -ahead of him, his short ears pricked forward, his -nose close to the ground, then the dog ran on and -disappeared in a wrinkle to the south, where the -hills reached out nearer to the shoreline.</p> - -<p>The Mexicans were now holding what seemed to -be a heated argument as to the advisability of -shooting Clay before he got to them. The boys could -understand only the words used by the spokesman, -and he appeared to be arguing against such a step, -advising that murdering an American was a crime -which rarely escaped punishment. Clay heard the -voices and stopped short.</p> - -<p>“Alex! Case!” he cried out. “Where are you -hiding?”</p> - -<p>“Answer him! Answer him!” commanded the -Mexican. “Tell him to come here! You will so -save his life! Do it quick!”</p> - -<p>“I won’t!” shouted Alex, raising his voice. “I -won’t. Keep away, Clay!” he cried, lifting his -bound wrists high above his head in order that Clay -might see. “Keep away until you can bring help!”</p> - -<p>“You fool!” shouted the Mexican. “You -murdering fool!”</p> - -<p>Instead of starting away, Clay ran forward, -drawing his automatic as he advanced. Two of the -captors fired at him but missed. At the same -moment the third man, angry at Alex’s disobedience of -orders, sprang upon him and raised a revolver as if -to beat his brains out.</p> - -<p>But before the weapon could fall something which -looked like a white streak of wrath shot through -the air and landed on top of the man who was -bending over the boy. The Mexican struggled, clutched -at the dog, and went down, with Captain Joe’s teeth -in the back of his neck. Once on the ground, he lay -perfectly still, as the dog’s teeth seemed less -dangerous when no resistance was offered.</p> - -<p>In the meantime, with Clay running forward, -regardless of the shots that were being fired at him, -and Don Durand making off toward the hills to the -west, the two remaining captors lost interest in the -situation and struck out on a swift run.</p> - -<p>When Clay reached the spot where Alex lay, still -bound, he heard the boy urging Case to follow on -after Don and bring him back.</p> - -<p>“He thinks Clay is an officer!” Alex shouted. -“Go and tell him the truth. Shoot the Mexicans -and bring him back!”</p> - -<p>Case understood in an instant and started on a -run after the three, by this time some little distance -away. But the boy had advanced but a few paces -when he saw one of the Mexicans reach out and -drag Don to the ground. There he proceeded to -search him for the money belt!</p> - -<p>Case’s shot was not necessary at that time, for -the other Mexican turned about and shot his -companion through the head. Then he, in turn, bent -over the boy, unfastening the belt with fingers which -were uncertain because of the excitement of the -time.</p> - -<p>Case saw him lift the belt and turn away. He -raised his revolver, which he had snatched from the -ground at Clay’s first shot, and fired, not knowing -whether he was aiming at the head or the heels of -the fleeing man. The bullet struck the Mexican in -the right shoulder and the belt dropped to the -ground. Without stopping to pick it up the fellow -continued his course to the hills, and, as Case did -not follow, was soon lost to sight. Don Durand -was also hidden in the hills.</p> - -<p>When Case returned to Clay and Alex with the -sand-stuffed belt in his hand they both reached out -for it. Alex did not care to have the deception -discovered, and Clay desired to take a look at the -money which King had told him about. The -Mexican looked on with sullen eyes.</p> - -<p>Alex got the belt and then asked:</p> - -<p>“Why didn’t you bring Don back with you?”</p> - -<p>“He went up in the air,” was the reply, “just -like Alex did earlier in the day. One second he -was on the ground with a man searching him, and -the next he was nowhere to be seen. Why did he -run away?”</p> - -<p>“He thinks Clay is after him,” grinned Alex.</p> - -<p>“But he left his money behind,” Case put in.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” Alex admitted, with an inward chuckle, -“and I’ll look out for it until he returns. I -promised him I would if anything happened to him. -He’s keeping the money for the man it was stolen -from.”</p> - -<p>Alex placed the belt about his own waist and -watched the Mexican wiggling away. There was -no reason why he should detain him. Don was off -into the mountains and there was little danger of -his being caught. The money was hidden in the -sand, and would be safe until either Don or himself -dug it out. So, on the whole, it might be just as -well to permit the fellow to make his escape!</p> - -<p>The firing had, of course, attracted the attention -of Deputy King, and the boys now saw him -approaching. The Mexican saw him, too, and, -bounding to his feet, darted away. In two minutes’ time -he was out of sight in the hills. The third man lay -dead where he had fallen.</p> - -<p>When King came up there remained only Clay, -Case, and Alex to greet him. Before he had quite -reached them, the latter warned the others to say -nothing of the money belt. After they were on their -way, after Don was out of his reach, King would -undoubtedly be told by some of the Mexicans that -the belt had passed to Alex.</p> - -<p>In that case, the boy reasoned, the pursuit of Don -would cease for a time, and that would give him an -opportunity to find the person the cash had been -stolen from. Don had not told the whole story of -the crime to Alex, but the latter had heard enough -to cause him to sympathize with the boy and wish -him all luck in getting away.</p> - -<p>“Why,” King said, coming up to the little group, -“I was sure I saw a smaller lad here with you. -Where is he now? Did you let him get away?”</p> - -<p>“He went right up into the blue sky!” insisted -Alex.</p> - -<p>“And the Mexicans went with him?” asked -King, with a smile.</p> - -<p>“They’ll not catch him,” Case answered, “if he -keeps on running.”</p> - -<p>“It looks more like they would catch the Rambler!” -shouted Alex.</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chVI'>CHAPTER VI.—TEDDY BEAR MAKES A HIT.</h2> - -<p class='first'>All turned toward the river as Alex shouted out -the warning. The level of the hiding-place chosen -by the Mexicans was above that of the levee, and so -the <i>Rambler</i> could be distinctly seen by the boys. -She lay in the river without motion, save now and -then a jerky pull at the anchor-chain, but just below -her a rowboat was moving swiftly up stream.</p> - -<p>The intention of the rowers, of whom there were -three, to board the motor boat could not be denied. -If they succeeded, and knew how to run the motors, -the craft would be at their mercy.</p> - -<p>Clay, Case and King started toward the river on -a brisk run, but Alex loitered behind for a reason -of his own. He knew that the three could do all -that more could accomplish in the way of rescuing -the boat, and he had a little mission of his own to -carry out before leaving the place.</p> - -<p>He wanted to secure the buried money and hide it -safely away on the <i>Rambler</i>! Clay and Case -believed that the belt had contained the cash when -passed over to him. He wanted them to think, when -the truth became known, that the sand filling had -been supplied by Don without his knowledge, and -with a view to deceive.</p> - -<p>In short, he wanted no one to know that he had -the money. He knew that he could trust Case and -Clay, but he knew, also, that they could not be -dragged into trouble because of the stolen money -if they did not know that it was on board! He -wanted to keep the cash for Don, but he did not -want any one to know that he had it.</p> - -<p>When, in the future, the belt should be brought -out and shown to contain only sand, that would -settle the money part of the affair so far as the -boys were concerned, he thought. And King did -not even know that he had the belt, and there was no -need of his knowing.</p> - -<p>Thus reasoning, even at that exciting time, Alex -managed to fall down on the exact spot where the -treasury notes had been buried and secure the oiled -silk package without being observed in the act.</p> - -<p>In fact, at that time, Clay, Case, and King were -utilizing all their energy in the run they were -making to head off the rowers and get to the motor boat -first. The men in the boat were rowing to the -utmost of their strength, and it seemed certain that -they would win out in the race.</p> - -<p>The three were still on shore when the rowers, -abandoning their own boat in their haste, sprang on -the <i>Rambler</i>’s deck. One of them rushed to get the -motors into action, while the others drew guns and -lined up along the side of the boat which the others -would approach.</p> - -<p>“There is no way but to fight it out!” Clay cried, -drawing his own automatic. “If they get off with -the <i>Rambler</i> now, that will be the last of her so far -as we are concerned.”</p> - -<p>The boarders crouched down behind the railing, -exhibiting only ugly, triumphant faces. The man -at the motors seemed to be having trouble with -them, for there was no answering snap when he -turned on the feed. The others finally gathered -about him, as if to assist in getting the boat under -way. Then an unexpected thing happened.</p> - -<p>The boys saw the man who had first approached -the motors spring into the air with a look of pain -and terror on his face. Then the others almost -turned handsprings getting to the prow of the boat. -There was a sullen snarl on the deck, and then a -furry object shot forward to the prow where the -intruders stood.</p> - -<p>In a moment the deck was clear, except that Teddy -lifted his paws to the railing and looked across the -island at the boys, winking one eye as if calling -attention to a battle well won. He had been asleep by -the motors and the intruder had stepped on him! -That told the tale!</p> - -<p>The bear had bitten the fellow through the ankle, -and the battle was ended with that one bite! When -the boys reached the boat the three men were -swimming down stream in a futile effort to overtake their -deserted rowboat. Teddy welcomed them on deck -with a grin that was almost human.</p> - -<p>After Captain Joe had been praised for his part -of the fight on shore, and after Teddy had been told -what a hero he was and given all the honey he could -consume at one sitting, the two, the dog and the -bear, repaired to the aft deck to compare notes and -fall asleep.</p> - -<p>“That’s some bear!” King said, as Teddy shambled away.</p> - -<p>“The fellow must have stepped on him,” Alex -grinned. “Teddy is particular about not being -stepped on. He doesn’t like to be used as a rug. -My, how those chaps did swim! Guess they thought -there were a dozen bears in the water after them! -Yes, Teddy’s some bear.”</p> - -<p>King eyed Alex with disapproval for a moment -and then asked:</p> - -<p>“How did you come to let Don Durand get away -from you?”</p> - -<p>“Ask the Mexicans how they came to let us get -away from them,” replied the lad. “I guess you -saw what was going on. When Don ran away we -were all pretty busy. Besides, you were not much -farther away from him than we were. Why didn’t -you catch him?”</p> - -<p>“You were with him some time before the Mexicans -came up?” asked King.</p> - -<p>“Not so very long,” was the reply.</p> - -<p>“What did he say to you?” was the next question.</p> - -<p>“He said he took the money from a man who -stole it, and would return it to its real owner as -soon as he could find him.”</p> - -<p>King broke into a laugh, his eyes narrowing as -he looked at the boy’s face. Alex only grinned -impudently back at him.</p> - -<p>“You believe all he told you?” the deputy asked, -in a moment.</p> - -<p>“I didn’t say that. I didn’t say anything about -what I believe. I can’t see as it makes any difference -to you, anyway. I’m not a factor in the case. Don -Durand is over there in the hills somewhere. Go -and get him—if you can.”</p> - -<p>King looked the boy straight in the eyes for a -moment and then turned away with a laugh which -the boys did not like the sound of, it was so low and -threatening.</p> - -<p>“All right!” he said. “I’ll go and get him!”</p> - -<p>There was anger in the deputy’s face and manner -as he stepped over to the sandy island and turned -toward the shore.</p> - -<p>“Wait!” Clay called after him. “Do you see -what time it is? Most noon and we’re all hungry. -Wait and have a dinner with us.”</p> - -<p>“Anyhow,” Alex added, conciliatingly, “your -Mexican deputies have taken to the mountains, and -you can do nothing alone. Come on back and let -us show you how hungry boys eat! No use to go -ashore now!”</p> - -<p>King, noting the changed tone, hesitated, looked -shoreward for a time, and then turned back to the -<i>Rambler</i>. He was silent for a time, and then asked:</p> - -<p>“Did this Don Durand say where and when he -expected to find the real owner of the stolen money? -Did he say who owns it?”</p> - -<p>Alex shook his head. His idea was that King -should join them in a good, friendly dinner and then -go away without asking questions about what Don -had or had not said. He had a notion, a hope, too, -that, in time, Don might join the <i>Rambler</i> crew if -King would only get out of the way.</p> - -<p>“We didn’t have time to talk about anything,” -he explained, pleasantly. “Just as soon as we got -to shore the ruction commenced, and we were kept -busy taking care of ourselves. He would probably -have come back to the boat with us if he hadn’t seen -you. You frightened him away!”</p> - -<p>Having thus adroitly placed the blame for Don’s -flight on the deputy, Alex leaned back in his chair -and pretended to be very sleepy.</p> - -<p>“I don’t blame you for his flight,” King finally -said, “but I really believe you might tell me more -of his plans. It seems he became quite friendly with -you. Has he kept all the money?”</p> - -<p>“He said he had every cent of it,” Alex replied, -not adding that at that minute the stolen treasury -notes were hidden under his own clothing.</p> - -<p>“If I could get hold of the stolen handbag and the -money,” King went on, “I think I might be able to -compromise for the boy. The man who lost the -bag and the notes seems to want to get his property -back more than he wants the boy punished.”</p> - -<p>Alex considered this new proposition gravely. -Could King suspect that he had the money? It -seemed to the boy that the bag was of too trifling -importance to be mentioned in connection with the -money. That is, unless it had contained something -of great value besides the treasury notes! Was King -talking for his benefit in suggesting that the return -of the money and the bag might release Don from -further pursuit?</p> - -<p>Then Alex remembered the papers he had seen -Don stow away so carefully in the belt. They -might be of the greatest importance, and he resolved -to examine the belt at the first opportunity in order -to see if they were still there. King watched the -boy curiously, as if understanding what was passing -in his mind.</p> - -<p>“I don’t think he will ever give up the money,” -Alex said, presently, “until he gives it to the -person to whom he thinks it belongs. I guess he took -it from this man Josiah Trumbull just to pass it on -to the real owner. I don’t know anything about the -bag. He did not even mention it to me,” he concluded, -looking King enquiringly in the face.</p> - -<p>“The man who came out from Chicago to see -me,” the deputy explained, “laid great stress on the -handbag. He seemed to think that Don would keep -the bag as well as the money. And he wanted the -bag just as much as he wanted the treasury notes.”</p> - -<p>“How did he know that Don was out in this -country?” asked Alex.</p> - -<p>“Oh,” laughed King, “a lad like Don is easy to -follow. He was in Phoenix and Yuma several days, -but always got out just ahead of the man who -engaged me to handle the case. He must have had -warning of his coming, I think.”</p> - -<p>“What was he doing in Yuma and Phoenix?” -asked Alex, in a moment.</p> - -<p>“Hanging around the hotels, evidently waiting -for some one.”</p> - -<p>“Huh!” the boy ventured. “I guess his story is -true, then. He might have been looking for the real -owner of the money and the handbag. Think so?”</p> - -<p>“He may have been,” was the reluctant answer. -“In fact, I believe the boy really thinks he is doing -a noble deed in keeping the property he stole for -some unknown person thought by him to own it.”</p> - -<p>“Glad you think that!” exclaimed Alex. “Don -thinks he is doing the right thing, anyway, whether -he is or not. I like him!”</p> - -<p>“At any rate,” King concluded, “he has a loyal -friend in you, and I shall say no more about the -matter while I am your guest. I hope, however, -that he will give me a chance to confer with him -before long.”</p> - -<p>“If he should come to you to talk things over,” -Alex asked, “wouldn’t you arrest him? Would -you let him go back to his hiding-place unmolested? -I may see him some day, and I’ll tell him what you -say.”</p> - -<p>“Yes; he may talk with me without fear of -arrest,” was the reply. “And now,” the deputy -went on, “that I have said just what I came back to -say, I must be on my way. If you see Don, say to -him that I want to have a talk with him, and that he -will profit by the interview.”</p> - -<p>King arose and, after expressing thanks for the -boys' hospitality, passed over the sandy island and -the tapering spit, and was soon lost to view in the -foothills. Alex watched him with a smile on his -shrewd face.</p> - -<p>“There’s something about this case I haven’t got -hold of yet,” he mused. “There was something in -the handbag besides money. Anyway, the Trumbull -person wants it, and Don hasn’t got it. Now, I -wonder if the papers I saw Don have were in the -handbag, and whether they are not the property the -man who engaged King is so anxious to get?”</p> - -<p>The boys were all tired, and it was finally agreed -that they should run up the river a few miles, “just -to get out of the bullet zone,” as Clay expressed it, -and take an afternoon, siesta in the cabin, leaving -Captain Joe and Teddy on guard. Alex was glad -of this arrangement, as he was anxious to get a look -at the belt, in order to see if the papers he had seen -Don have were still there.</p> - -<p>The motor boat was speeded for an hour or more, -and then Case and Clay sought their bunks in the -cabin. The little room was insufferably hot, but it -was, at that, a slight improvement on the deck -outside, so the lads made the best of it. Alex did not -permit himself to sleep with the others, but lay -awake, listening, with his eyes closed, until the -regular breathing of his chums told him that they had -passed into the land of dreams. The boy was -miserably tired and sleepy, for the day had been a -trying one, but he forced himself out of his bunk, and -over the cabin roof to the aft deck.</p> - -<p>Captain Joe was sound asleep on the prow, but -Teddy crawled over the cabin with him and cuddled -down by his side. Once out of sight of the others, -Alex removed the belt and proceeded to empty the -sand out of it. He remembered that Don had placed -the papers he had been so careful of in the belt, and -felt for them. They were packed into a close wad -in one end of the opening, and he took them out.</p> - -<p>They were covered with letters and figures which -at first had no meaning to the boy. One held the -letter “X” in the center, the same being surrounded -by letters, standing singly and not in groups like -words.</p> - -<p>The other carried a sunburst in the center and -was surrounded by figures, each standing alone, as -was the case with the letters. For a time there -seemed to the boy to be no connection whatever -between the two papers, but finally he saw that one -referred to location and one to time. The figures -represented hour and minutes and the letters the -points of the compass. Alex could make nothing -more of them.</p> - -<p>The papers must be important, for they had been -as jealously guarded as the money itself. Alex -thought that in time he might be able to read their -message, so he made exact copies of them for daily -use and put the originals back in the belt.</p> - -<p>Then he unwrapped the money, saw that it was -all there, and again placed it in the oiled silk. It -was his idea to hide the money in one place and the -belt in another. He tried to think of a safe place -for each, but he was very tired and sleepy. That -had been such a long swim! At last he rolled the -notes up tight in the silk and placed the package in -a pocket, resolved to hide it in the cabin when the -boys awoke and left the way clear. Then he closed -his eyes, “just for a minute,” he needed rest so -much!</p> - -<p>The motor boat drew sturdily at its cable. -Captain Joe arose from the prow and cocked his ears at -a mysterious sound. Teddy cuddled closer to the -sleeping boy. The sun moved slowly to the west -and the heat of the day in a measure departed.</p> - -<p>Presently the dog moved over to the aft deck and -stretched out with his nose on his paws. Alex, -worn out with the activities of the day, slept on for -an hour or more. When he awoke Captain Joe was -pulling at his sleeve and Teddy, the mischievous -bear cub, was romping about the small deck with -one end of the oiled silk in his mouth—the strip of -oiled silk which had held the fifty thousand dollars -in gold notes!</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chVII'>CHAPTER VII.—THAT HAUNTED STERN DECK!</h2> - -<p class='first'>Alex’s first thought was of the money, the fifty -thousand dollars in gold notes which he had been -handling just before he had dropped off into the -sound sleep from which Captain Joe had awakened -him. The oiled silk the bear cub was playing with -had enclosed the money! That had not disappeared, -but where were the precious notes—the money upon -which so much depended? The boy was dazed for -an instant.</p> - -<p>Then the thought that one of his chums might be -playing a practical joke on him came to his mind. -Of course that was it! The motor boat was -anchored nearly in the middle of the Colorado river, -not far from the Gulf of California, at least a mile -from either shore, so no one could have stolen the -money!</p> - -<p>The position of the sun told the boy that he had -not been asleep more than an hour, and there were -no signs of a boat on the river. If some thief had -boarded the boat Captain Joe would have attacked -him. Then he remembered that the dog had not -attacked Don, and was not so certain of that point. -Still, he was hopeful that Case or Clay had taken -the money while he slept, in return for his secrecy -in hiding the fact of its possession from them. Yes; -that certainly was it.</p> - -<p>The thought cheered him, and, rising to his feet, -he looked through the open window which gave on -the interior of the cabin, expecting to see the boys -chuckling over his distress. But the boys were still -asleep.</p> - -<p>This was a facer! The next impression that came -to the boy was that Teddy had shaken the notes out -of the silk covering and that they had fallen into the -river. This was not a pleasant conclusion, and -Alex tried to dodge it, but still it forced itself upon -him.</p> - -<p>And the original papers? They had gone with -the money! Alex felt like dropping into the river -and sinking to the bottom. He had copies of the -papers, but he just could not lose that money! It -did not belong to him! It did not belong to the boy -who had entrusted it to him. He would be accused -of stealing it!</p> - -<p>He looked in every crevice of the aft deck, even -lifting the trap covering and looking down on the -gasoline tanks. He crawled quietly back over the -cabin roof and searched every part of the deck. -There was no trace of the money or the papers. It -was maddening!</p> - -<p>“I guess the notes are drifting down stream,” the -boy finally said, with tears of vexation in his eyes. -“Captain Joe,” he added, turning to the dog, who -had followed him over the cabin to the forward -deck, “why didn’t you wake me before? Why did -you let Teddy get the package?”</p> - -<p>Captain Joe looked gravely up at the boy and -wagged his stump of a tail. His eyes said that he -knew all about it, and could explain everything if -he only had the gift of speech!</p> - -<p>“Did some one come aboard and get it, Captain -Joe?” the lad asked, half convinced, in his misery, -that the dog could explain the mystery.</p> - -<p>The dog seemed to understand the question, for -he sniffed at the rail of the boat, appeared to pick up -a scent, sprang over the cabin, and sat down on the -aft deck to look steadily into the river.</p> - -<p>“Oh, he did!” Alex cried. “He came in over -the prow, climbed over the cabin, dropped down on -the aft deck, snatched the money, and dove into the -river. I understand, old boy! But why didn’t you -stop him?”</p> - -<p>Captain Joe, recognizing the tone of reproach, -slunk back over the cabin and lay down on the prow, -a favorite resting-place. Teddy laid the strip of -oiled silk at Alex’s feet and looked up with -twinkling eyes, as if inviting the boy to pick it up and -have a romp with him!</p> - -<p>“You poor little beastie!” Alex exclaimed. “If -you could only talk for a minute I’d soon know -where the money went to! I believe Captain Joe -might tell me more if he wasn’t so lazy!” he added, -going back over the cabin and calling the dog to -him. “I believe that stern deck is haunted!” he -added.</p> - -<p>This time he gave the silk to the dog and waited -to see what he would do with it. Captain Joe was -undecided for a moment. He seemed to think Alex -a very foolish boy for handing him such a rag as -that to pick up a scent from! Then he went to the -aft deck and laid the silk down on the extreme edge -of the low railing. Teddy snatched it off and began -romping with it, much to the disgust of the anxious -boy. Hopeless!</p> - -<p>“Fine old watchdog you are!” Alex exclaimed. -“Next thing you know, some one will come on -board and steal your ears! You let Don on this -deck, and permitted him to sleep here, you ornery -cur, and never said a word to us about it! Now -you’ve let some pirate come here and steal more -money than I’ll ever be able to pay back—not if I -live to be a thousand years old! I didn’t think it of -you, Captain Joe!”</p> - -<p>The dog slunk away, and Alex sat down to the -bitterest time of his life. What could he say to Don -when he returned and asked for the money? What -could Don say when questioned regarding the -honesty of his motives in taking the handbag and the -notes from Trumbull? He could not restore the -money, and therefore his assertion that he had taken -it only to place it where it belonged would look -decidedly flat.</p> - -<p>Alex was too honest to think of denying that he -had taken the money from its hiding-place in the -sand, although no one knew that he had done so! -He could only admit taking it and tell the story of -its loss—a story which he feared no one would -believe! The fifty thousand dollars were gone, and -the boy believed that his chance for an honorable -career had gone with them.</p> - -<p>At last he picked up the silk from the ledge where -Captain Joe had placed it, folded it carefully, and -put it into his pocket. Then he looked about for the -belt. That, too, was gone! He looked everywhere -for it, but it was not found.</p> - -<p>He made an especially careful search for it -because he knew that he must account to Clay and -Case for it. They knew that he had had it. They -had been led to believe that it still held the stolen -money! What would they say when he told them -the exact truth about the matter?</p> - -<p>The boys slept until nearly sunset, and then came -rolling out of the cabin proclaiming appetites -beyond those of all other days! As for Alex, it did -not seem to him that he would ever want to eat -again!</p> - -<p>“Tell you what, boys,” Clay explained, as the -three sat down to a quickly-prepared supper, “we -ought to go on up the river to-night. We ought to -get farther away from the Mexicans and the deputy -sheriff. They are hot after the money Alex is -carrying around in that belt, and we may be -attacked at any time. We ought to get up past Yuma, -at least!”</p> - -<p>Alex bit his lip and turned his head away. The -time had come when he must face his chums with a -story so flimsy that he would not have believed it if -coming from the lips of another! The time had -come!</p> - -<p>“Yes,” Case agreed, “we ought to be getting -away from here. The men we did business with -down the river would go to any trouble to follow -us; would commit any crime to secure possession of -the fifty thousand dollars Alex has in the belt the -Mexican robbed Don Durand of.”</p> - -<p>“Where is the belt?” Clay asked. “Why don’t -you show up, Alex, and let us see what a stack of -money looks like? How long do you suppose we -will have to keep it before Don gets to us and claims -it?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; produce it!” cried Case. “I can smell it -now!”</p> - -<p>“I haven’t got it!” was all Alex could find words -to say just then.</p> - -<p>The others looked at him in utter bewilderment -until his eyes fell.</p> - -<p>“Who has it, then?” Clay demanded, in a moment.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know!” Alex replied, drearily, and -then he told the whole miserable story—of the sand -in the belt, of the papers hidden with the sand, of -the concealment in the levee, of the removal, and -finally of the loss.</p> - -<p>Clay drew a long breath when the boy had concluded.</p> - -<p>“I don’t expect you to believe it,” Alex ventured. -“I wouldn’t believe a yarn like that if told me by a -preacher.”</p> - -<p>“If I told you, you would believe it, wouldn’t -you?” asked Clay.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” answered Alex, “I would!”</p> - -<p>“Then I believe you!” Clay shouted, loyally, -taking the boy’s hand.</p> - -<p>“And I, too, believe you!” Case cut in. “It -is queer, though!”</p> - -<p>Alex tried hard to tell the boys how much he -appreciated their loyalty, but his lips were quivering, -his throat was too dry for speech, and there was a -suspicious moisture in his eyes, so he gave over the -attempt and sat looking at them in a way which -told the story much better than any words could -have done. Half his burden had dropped away, for -they trusted him. Clay was first to speak.</p> - -<p>“Suppose we spot the thief by the process of -elimination,” he said.</p> - -<p>“Go ahead, I’m all clogged up, mentally,” Case -answered. “How any one ever got on the <i>Rambler</i> -and got off again without our knowing it, is -something I can’t understand. Why, there’s not been a -boat in sight all day, unless one came up while we -were asleep,” he added, a little sheepishly. “I -believe there’s magic in it.”</p> - -<p>“Who knew that you had the money, Alex?” asked Clay.</p> - -<p>“The Mexicans, and they thought it was in the -belt. Don probably thinks it is still in the sand -heap, and King never knew I had it.”</p> - -<p>“Then we have only three to look after. These -are the two Mexicans and Don. The others are -out of it,” said Clay.</p> - -<p>“But why Don?” asked Case.</p> - -<p>“The three I have named would have plenty of -reasons for following the boat,” Clay continued. -“Now, let us consider their several chances of -overtaking us. We have traveled about fifteen miles by -river, but we have passed around a long point of -land, and are not more than eight miles from the -starting point. You can see how it is by looking at -the river map.</p> - -<p>“Now, the Mexicans would be likely to have -horses near at hand, as they had been deputized as -special officers to assist in the capture of the boy. -They could, by quick action, chase across the point -and head us off.</p> - -<p>“Now, about Don. He would go back to the -levee to look for the package of money and would -lose time. Besides, he would have to travel on foot, -so that, it seems to me, leaves him out of it. This -passes it all up to the two Mexicans. What do you -think of my Sherlocking, eh?”</p> - -<p>“Unless Teddy shook it out of the package and -dropped it overboard, you must be right,” Alex -hastened to say. “He was playing with the silk, -you remember!”</p> - -<p>“Or unless Don ran across the point of land we -sailed around and took it,” Case suggested, with a -wink. “He might have done so, you know, so that -knocks your Sherlocking all out!”</p> - -<p>“What would Captain Joe be doing while the -Mexicans were on the boat?” asked Clay, -perplexed. “I never thought of that! He loves -Mexicans like cats love hot soap. Guess my elimination -theory has led me into a hole that gets me nowhere! -Now, what is to be done?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know!” Alex answered. “I’ve lost -the power of thought.”</p> - -<p>“I can’t think in such large sums as fifty -thousand dollars,” grinned Case. “Don’t ask me for an -expert opinion! I can’t give one!”</p> - -<p>There was a long silence, and then Alex took out -the copies of the inscriptions—as he called them—which -he had found in the belt. Clay and Case -opened their eyes wide at sight of them. When -Alex explained their history, as far as he knew, the -boys fell to studying the letters and figures with -anxious interest. Alex looked on doubtfully.</p> - -<p>“What do you make of them?” he finally asked, -as Clay held one of the papers up to the light.</p> - -<p>“Is this an exact copy?” he asked. “Did you -place your letters and figures just as the letters and -figures on the originals were placed?”</p> - -<p>“I surely did,” was the reply. “They are exact -copies.”</p> - -<p>“Hush, then!” Clay whispered, with a grin. -“We tread on dangerous ground! Aha! These -papers tell of the whereabouts of a buried treasure!”</p> - -<p>“Hush!” repeated Case, with a mocking face. -“Hush! Also S’cat!”</p> - -<p>Alex looked at his chums reprovingly. This did -not seem to him to be a time for by-play. He had -lost a large sum of money which did not belong to -him, and all the world looked black and creepy!</p> - -<p>“Oh, cheer up!” Clay laughed, slapping the boy -on the back. “We’ll find your money for you! -Everything always comes out right with us! You -know that yourself. Everything always comes out -just as it should!”</p> - -<p>“You know it!” Case cut in. “You know that -we always find the right answer! Now, suppose we -let this money and these inscriptions take care of -themselves for the present, while we decide what to -do to-night. It will be bright, from all appearances, -so perhaps we’d better be on our way to the big -noises of the Colorado.”</p> - -<p>“I’m willing to go anywhere!” Alex complained. -“I can never look myself in the face -again! Think of losing fifty thousand dollars, when -a five case note would look like unlimited wealth to -me!”</p> - -<p>“Here comes a fleet of river boats!” Clay -shouted. “Look at the little, one-sided things! -What they loaded with. Case?”</p> - -<p>“I’m not a mind reader!” laughed the boy. -“Looks, though, like they were loaded with -merchandise. I suppose they’ve been lying in some -cool cove all day, and will make good time to-night.”</p> - -<p>The little steamers came slowly up to where the -<i>Rambler</i> was anchored and passed on without -giving the motor boat more attention than a close -scrutiny from the decks. The sun was going down over -the ranges to the west and dusk was settling over the -valley of the Colorado.</p> - -<p>The boys heard the rattle of spars and chains for -some time after the little steamers had disappeared -under the veil of the twilight, and now and then a -black column of smoke from some stack proclaimed -the activity of a fireman working down in a shallow -hold.</p> - -<p>After a short wait the <i>Rambler</i> was gotten under -way, and the boys prepared for a wakeful night. -They sat on the forward deck for a long time, -talking over the strange events of the day, and then -Alex was almost forced by his chums off to his -bunk.</p> - -<p>As the weary, discouraged lad turned into his -bunk he heard noises on deck which set him to -wondering what his chums were doing, but he was too -sleepy to open his eyes. He turned his face to the -wall and was soon asleep. Case and Clay sat well -forward and did not hear the bump of a boat against -the stern.</p> - -<p>The dark figure on the aft deck was out of their -sight.</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chVIII'>CHAPTER VIII.—DEPUTY KING GETS A BATH.</h2> - -<p class='first'>Alex was awakened by the little cabin clock -striking midnight. He lay quiet for a moment -without opening his eyes, for he was still very tired and -sleepy, notwithstanding his unfortunate afternoon -siesta. Presently he felt the cold nose of the bear -brushing against the palm of one hand, which was -hanging over the edge of the bunk.</p> - -<p>As this was a trick often resorted to by the cub -to attract attention when he was hungry, or wanted -some one to play with, the boy took no special -notice of it. Then a strange rustle and stir in the -cabin came to his ears, a combination of sounds -which proclaimed a hustling about of furniture and -a tossing about of small articles.</p> - -<p>At that he opened his eyes and sat up. Then he -rubbed his sleepy eyes and stretched out a hand in -the direction of the place where he always kept -his automatic at night. The weapon was not there!</p> - -<p>What he saw was King, the deputy sheriff, opening -and closing the drawers under the bunks where -Clay and Case slept. He was tumbling the contents -of the drawers over the floor and frowning savagely -as he turned the medley of furnishing goods with -nervous hands.</p> - -<p>Now, how came it that King was on board the -<i>Rambler</i>? The deputy had left the boat for the -purpose of pursuing the boy who had taken the money -and the handbag from Josiah Trumbull. By this -time he ought to be far into the mountainous district -to the west. And what was he doing there? And -where were Case and Clay, and Captain Joe?</p> - -<p>These questions, and many others of a similar -kind, came to the boy as he watched King throwing -the boys’ shirts, collars, ties, underclothing, and -toilet articles about. But no answers came, except -that a low growl from the dog sounded from the -open doorway. Turning, Alex saw that he was -tied by a chain to the top bar of the deck railing.</p> - -<p>Captain Joe was pulling at the chain, his red eyes -were glaring angrily, and his capable teeth showed -under his snarling lips.</p> - -<p>Alex beckoned silently to the dog, and he pulled -at his chain fiercely and set up a great barking. -Then King looked at the dog and at the bunk where -the astonished Alex sat, still motioning to the dog.</p> - -<p>“Good morning!” the deputy said, with a smile -which was not altogether hostile. “How do you -find yourself this morning?”</p> - -<p>“You’ve got your nerve!” Alex replied angrily.</p> - -<p>“If I should lose my nerve,” the deputy returned, -with a wink at the struggling dog, “I wouldn’t get -any jobs! Nerve is an asset with me.”</p> - -<p>“What are you doing here—nosing in those -drawers?” asked the boy.</p> - -<p>“Looking for the belt you picked up down below,” -was the reply.</p> - -<p>“I didn’t pick it up,” Alex answered, with a -frown which did not at all improve his appearance. -“I didn’t pick it up.”</p> - -<p>“Your friend did, though, and gave it to you. -Where is it?”</p> - -<p>“I haven’t got it! Some one came on board and -stole it.”</p> - -<p>“That may be. Clay and Case said the same -thing. Let the belt go. Where is the money?”</p> - -<p>“Stolen,” answered Alex. “Carried off when -the belt was taken.”</p> - -<p>“See here,” King went on. “Your chums told -me about that, and I do not believe it. No boy -would go to sleep sitting up, with fifty thousand -dollars in treasury notes in his lap. That’s too -thin.”</p> - -<p>“All right! You don’t have to believe it.”</p> - -<p>“Besides, who is there that knows you have the -money, except me and the two Mexicans? Don -Durand ran away without waiting to see what -became of the belt, so he doesn’t know, and the -Mexicans, who do know, and who told me, have been in -my company nearly ever since, so they didn’t get -it. You may as well tell me the truth. It will save -time.”</p> - -<p>“I have told you the truth, but you may keep on -mussing up things if you want to. You’ll get your -pay for it some day!”</p> - -<p>“No threats, please! I rather like you boys, and -I’m sorry you got mixed up in this affair. I’ll do -the best I can for you, but I must have that money! -Also, I must have that belt. There are papers in it -which I need in my business. Get up and get the -money and belt!”</p> - -<p>“If I could,” Alex replied, “I’d throw them -overboard before I’d let you have even one look at -them! Where are Clay and Case?” he added.</p> - -<p>“I’m sorry for that, too,” King replied, “but I -had to drop them off on a little sand heap not far -away. They cut such annoying pranks that I had to -do it. I have the boat anchored, you see, and you -may run back and get them as soon as I get the -money and the papers.”</p> - -<p>“What papers?” asked Alex, innocently, as if -he had never heard of the queer documents before. -“What you talking about?”</p> - -<p>“The papers that were in the handbag,” King -replied, patiently.</p> - -<p>“They were in the belt when it was stolen,” Alex -answered, telling the exact truth, but saying -nothing of the copies he had made, and which were at -that moment in an inside pocket of his coat, -hanging on the wall not far from his bunk.</p> - -<p>“Oh, very well!” the deputy said, turning to his -work again. “You lie right there while I search -the boat from stem to stern. It may take a couple -of days, but I’ll do it right while I am at it.”</p> - -<p>Alex watched the deputy turning out drawers -and poking under them, investigating the motor -pit, and even moving the provision supply out of the -storage compartments. Anxious as the boy was, it -still amused him, for he knew what a hopeless search -it was.</p> - -<p>King seemed to think that Alex, deprived of his -revolver, would not attempt interference with his -search. He looked over at him now and then and -occasionally spoke to Captain Joe, but for the most -part he kept on with his work of searching the boat. -This went on for two hours or more, until, in fact, -a pearl flush crept into the sky.</p> - -<p>During all this time the boy had been thinking -fast. How was he to get rid of King? For all he -knew, defeated in his search, as he was sure to be, -the officer would run the boat up to Yuma and lock -him up on charge of receiving and concealing stolen -property. And, then, Clay and Case must be having -rather a hard and anxious time of it down on the -sand island where they had been landed, at the point -of a gun, by the deputy.</p> - -<p>Captain Joe seemed to have exhausted his rage, -and was now showing his teeth only when King -came near him. The dog seemed to think that if -Alex could lie easily in his bunk and talk with the -man who was searching the boat he had no cause to -interfere! Besides, he was tied so securely that -there was no hope at all of his getting free!</p> - -<p>Whenever the boy moved uneasily on his bunk -King gave an uneasy glance in that direction. Once -Alex tried to get to a revolver which he knew to be -in a cupboard near the rear of the cabin, but King -ordered him to lie down again before his feet were -off the bunk.</p> - -<p>After a time, when there was more of pink than -pearl in the eastern sky, Teddy climbed up to the -bunk and lay down by the side of the boy. He was -preparing to go to sleep when Alex began -whispering in his ear:</p> - -<p>“Take him, Teddy! Take him! Give him a -bath!”</p> - -<p>Ever since Teddy’s capture on the Columbia river -trip the boys had made a playmate of him. He had -been taught to play leap-frog, and to wrestle and -box. While bathing from the boat the boys had -taught him to follow them into the water, and even -to trip and bunt those on deck into the river if they -did not jump in quick enough to suit him.</p> - -<p>Alex was now trying to revive the play spirit in -the bear in the hope that he would attack King and -try to push him into the river. Not understanding -the game, the deputy would be apt to take alarm at -such a rush as Teddy sometimes made and so give -the boy a chance to arm himself.</p> - -<p>The cub sat up on the bunk as Alex talked to -him, but did not seem to understand what was -wanted. He put his paws in boxing position as he -had been taught to do, and invited Alex out on the -floor to have a bout with him! But this did not -help at all!</p> - -<p>“Tip him over, Teddy! Tip him into the river!” -Alex whispered.</p> - -<p>Teddy paid no attention to the order, but -continued to invite a boxing contest, much to the -disappointment of the boy. While this was going on a -long call from down the stream reached Alex’s -ears. That was Clay or Case. They were getting -tired of their enforced residence on the island and -were asking how much longer it was to continue.</p> - -<p>Teddy ruffled his ears at the sound of the familiar -voices and King stood up to shout an answer back. -It was a taunting answer, too, and the boy in the -bunk came very near springing out and taking his -chances in a hand-to-hand combat with an armed -man!</p> - -<p>The prow of the boat was up stream, as the -anchor cable led from that part of the craft, so the -aft deck was nearer to the island where the boys -had been landed than the bow. Besides, the bulk of -the cabin was between the deputy and the island. -Desiring to urge upon Clay and Case the necessity -of delivering the money and papers to him, King -stepped up on the cabin roof and entered into -conversation with them.</p> - -<p>An hour before the deputy would not have done -this, but now he was becoming a trifle disheartened. -He had gone over the boat pretty well and had -found no trace of what he sought. The stories told -by the three boys agreed, and he began to wonder if -they were not the truth. He was inclined to be -friendly and, once convinced that the boys were not -deceiving him, he would have treated them with -every courtesy.</p> - -<p>At last Teddy appeared to understand that it was -to be a game of hide-and-seek in the water, and -bounded off the bunk. King was standing on top -of the cabin, making a trumpet of his hands, -talking to the lads he had marooned down the river. -That was an old pose. The boys had often stood -erect on the roof and derided each other’s swimming -efforts.</p> - -<p>When the bear came out on the deck King looked -down and yelled savagely at him. This was still a -part of the game, too, for the lads often taunted the -cub and then sprang away from him and plunged -into the river! So, when the deputy called down at -the bear, the bear sprang at the deputy, caught his -sharp teeth into one trousers leg and promptly and -deftly pushed and pulled him off the roof and into -the river, where he rolled him under a couple of -times and swam away, around to the other side of -the boat.</p> - -<p>Alex was out of his bunk the instant he heard -the splash. King was spluttering out great threats -when the boy ran on deck with the revolver he had -taken from the cupboard.</p> - -<p>“Taking an early bath?” shouted Alex -derisively, as he showed his weapon. “Don’t come too -close to the <i>Rambler</i>! You can’t come aboard.”</p> - -<p>King came to the surface again and, ejecting -muddy water from his mouth, shouted back.</p> - -<p>“If you’ll assure me that the money is not -there—”</p> - -<p>Teddy swung around from the other side of the -boat and ducked him.</p> - -<p>Alex went to the motors and set them in motion. -Then he called to the cub. Teddy was having the -time of his life playing with the angry and -half-drowned deputy, and did not respond.</p> - -<p>Alex put the boat in motion and called back to -the cub:</p> - -<p>“Go it, old top! If you want to drown, stick out -there!”</p> - -<p>The boys had acquired such a habit of talking to -the bear as if he were a human being that Teddy -actually understood a good many things that were -said to him. Still, it was not the words but the -departure of the boat which now brought him away -from the officer.</p> - -<p>King followed the cub as he swam toward the -boat. The boy motioned him to remain away, and -added that if he wanted to save his strength he -might as well head for the nearest shore, which was -something like half a mile away at that point.</p> - -<p>“But I can’t swim that far!” came back from -the water.</p> - -<p>Alex threw out a life preserver and shouted back:</p> - -<p>“Float down, then, and kick in as you go along!”</p> - -<p>King seized the life preserver and headed for the -shore, while the boy devoted his energies to getting -Teddy on board and running the boat at full speed -down the river without hitting any of the shoal -places shown by the ripples to be dangerous. In a -very short time he came to the sand island where -Clay and Case were.</p> - -<p>He threw down the anchor, just below, and stood -on the prow making faces at his chums until they -threatened to maroon him the first chance they got! -Captain Joe was now making a great clamor with -his chain and Alex released him. The dog was -instantly in the water, swimming to the boys, now -wading out toward the <i>Rambler</i>.</p> - -<p>“You’ll have to swim!” Alex shouted, in a -moment. “I can’t come any closer to you, and we’ve -lost the rowboat, as you know!”</p> - -<p>“We can’t get any wetter than we did swimming -over to the island,” Clay grumbled. “Where is -that deputy from Phoenix?”</p> - -<p>“Making for the shore!” laughed Alex. “Teddy -Bear dumped him into the river and I sent him off -with a life preserver.”</p> - -<p>“I’d like to have sent him off with a sore head!” -Case muttered, as he climbed up on the deck, his -teeth chattering. “He sneaked on board from a -passing boat and got the drop on us or we wouldn’t -be here!”</p> - -<p>“He thought he was in the line of duty,” Clay -put in, “but it was rather tough on us. We never -saw him until he had us covered!” Did he find -anything he wanted on board?”</p> - -<p>“Not a thing!” Alex replied. “All he got was -a bath!”</p> - -<p>“I’m going to buy a ton of honey and present -it to Teddy, with a set of appreciative resolutions!” -Clay declared, as he followed Case to the deck. -“There never was a bear that had such sense!”</p> - -<p>The sun came out hot and red, and the boys kept -under the shelter of the cabin as much as possible -that day, still they kept the motor boat running at -good speed. They talked over the loss of the money -many times but were unable to reach any logical -solution of the puzzle.</p> - -<p>That night they anchored within sight of Yuma, -Arizona. Clay declared that Alex was too much -of a sleepy head to be trusted to keep watch, and so -resolved to stand guard until midnight and then -awake Case.</p> - -<p>But Case was not called, and at daylight Clay -was nowhere to be found!</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chIX'>CHAPTER IX.—ANOTHER GUEST FROM THE RIVER.</h2> - -<p class='first'>Clay, after Alex and Case were asleep in their -bunks, sat out on the forward deck playing with -Teddy and informing him what his opinion of him -was! The cub appeared to understand the -compliments paid him, but Captain Joe looked like he was -being overlooked in the allotment of honors for the -events of the day. Clay only scolded him for not -uttering a warning when King came on board.</p> - -<p>The lights of Yuma shone in the distance, and -now and then the rush and roll of a Southern Pacific -train stirred the air, but for the most part it was -very still, except for the murmur of the river, -where the <i>Rambler</i> lay.</p> - -<p>The happenings of the day had been so -remarkable that Clay’s head almost ached as he tried to -place them in orderly array for deliberate -consideration. The larceny of the money troubled him most, -and a good deal of his thought was given to the -mystery of the taking.</p> - -<p>He had taken a fancy to Don Durand, and did -not like the idea that further trouble might come to -the lad through a member of the <i>Rambler</i> company. -Don would certainly appear, in time, and claim the -money. What was there to say to him? Would he -believe the naked truth when it was told? Clay was -sorry to conclude that he would not!</p> - -<p>While the boy worried over the situation, a light -showed on the the city side of the river, such a light -as might have been made by the flare of a match. -Clay watched the point from which it had shown -with lazy interest. The person who had struck the -match was probably some tramp, he concluded, -some vagrant loitering there in the hope of finding -a lodging for the night on board the boat.</p> - -<p>Directly another match was struck. This time -it was swung in a circle until the flame was -extinguished by the light breeze which was blowing from -the west. Clay began to take a greater interest in -the matter, for it seemed that the person on shore, -whoever it was, was attempting to attract his -attention.</p> - -<p>There was no moon, but the stars were out, and -the boy knew that the bulk of the <i>Rambler</i> could be -quite distinctly seen from the shore. The display -of light, he thought, might be either a salute to -those on board or a signal to some one on the bank. -Curious as to what it really did mean, he resolved -to sit still and await developments.</p> - -<p>It had been an exciting day, and the previous one -had been more exciting still. The most unexpected -events had happened since the <i>Rambler</i> had come -within sight of the Colorado river. The boy was -weary of the complications which had been forced -upon his companions and himself, and anxious to be -away on stretches of river where there would be -only the great facts of Nature to deal with, still his -natural curiosity held his attention to the vagrant -light on shore.</p> - -<p>Half a dozen flares were shown, and Clay began -to consider the advisability of responding to them. -He put the notion aside for a time, and then, the -signals continuing, he got out his searchlight and -sent a circle of light toward the shore. Then a -boyish voice called out:</p> - -<p>“Hello, the boat!”</p> - -<p>“That’s not a sailor,” thought Clay, showing his -light again. “A sailor would have shouted ‘Ship -ahoy!’ Now, I wonder what the fellow wants, at -this time of the night?”</p> - -<p>Again the voice came out of the darkness:</p> - -<p>“I want to come aboard. Can you send a boat -after me?”</p> - -<p>“We are not at home to-night,” laughed the boy, -amused at the impudence of the fellow. “Besides,” -he continued, “we have no boat. If you want to see -me, you must swim the river.”</p> - -<p>This dubious invitation was accepted almost -before the words were out of the lad’s mouth, and -Clay heard a quick splash in the water. Directly -heavy and labored breathing told him that the -visitor was nearing the boat, and that he was having a -tiresome time on his journey.</p> - -<p>Presently the light of the stars showed a head -bobbing on the surface of the water, not three yards -away, and Clay turned his light in that direction. It -revealed only a head of tow-colored hair and a pale, -distressed face, with eyes strained and anxious from -over-exertion. Then a pair of thin, boyish -shoulders lifted above the water.</p> - -<p>“It is only some kid seeking adventure,” thought -Clay, tossing down a rope. “I’ll take him on board -long enough to give him a rest, then he can swim -back to the shore. Here, kid!” he went on, “take -hold of the rope’s end and I’ll draw you out of the -moisture!”</p> - -<p>With the assistance of the rope and the strong -arms at the boat end of it, the visitor was soon on -deck, sitting flat and leaning against the railing, as if -every ounce of strength had been used in the swim -from the shore. Clay’s light showed the stranger to -be a boy of not more than fourteen years—a ragged, -hungry-looking boy!</p> - -<p>“Gee!” the boy panted, after a time, “I reckon -I’m all in!”</p> - -<p>“What did you do it for?” asked Clay, -wondering if the boy really was as hungry as he looked -and wondering, too, if he could feed him without -waking the sleepers in the cabin.</p> - -<p>The boy did not answer the question, but sat -looking over the boat, as if trying to search out some -familiar feature or face.</p> - -<p>“You might be a fish,” Clay said, “the way you -come up out of the river at the end of a rope. What -do you want?”</p> - -<p>The visitor leaned weakly back against the -railing and shut his eyes as if too tired to keep them -open. Clay watched him curiously for a moment -and started for the provision box at the back of the -cabin.</p> - -<p>“I know what you want, first of all,” he declared, -turning and speaking in a low tone. “You want a -square meal? What?”</p> - -<p>“That’s the answer!” said the other, opening his -eyes. “That’s it.”</p> - -<p>“Why didn’t you say so, then?” grumbled Clay, -hustling to the provision box and bringing out cold -baked beans, bread, fried fish, and a huge piece of -pie. “Get busy, now!”</p> - -<p>The boy needed no second bidding. He stowed -away the victuals in a way highly satisfactory to his -host, and looked up with a grin on his thin face.</p> - -<p>Clay removed the dishes and sat down by his -side, but just then Teddy came nosing out of the -cabin and invited the boy to box with him. In a -second the kid was on the railing and half over into -the water. Clay’s voice was shaking with laughter -as he reproved the cub and pulled the boy back on -the deck. Teddy walked away on his hind feet in -offended dignity.</p> - -<p>“You shouldn’t mind a little thing like that!” -Clay laughed. “You’d get used to seeing things if -you sailed on the <i>Rambler</i> long!”</p> - -<p>“Then this is really the <i>Rambler</i>?” asked the -other.</p> - -<p>“Sure it is! Where did you ever hear of the -<i>Rambler</i>? What’s your name? How long have -you been growing that appetite you just had on -exhibition? It was a corker, if anybody should ask -you!”</p> - -<p>“My name is Tom, and I’m from Chicago, and -I’ve been without food for fourteen weeks, if you -want the truth!”</p> - -<p>“Hunger doesn’t seem to affect your imagination!” -Clay suggested.</p> - -<p>“Well, I don’t know how long it has been since I -had a square meal like that! I invaded a free lunch -counter yesterday morning, but the brute of a -barkeep tumbled me out into the street.”</p> - -<p>“Did you walk from Chicago?” asked Clay, after -a moment’s silence.</p> - -<p>“I rode the rods,” was the reply. “I’m all stuffed -with sand. I’ll turn into stone, like Arizona wood, -in about three weeks.”</p> - -<p>Clay regarded the boy curiously. He spoke -gravely, saying odd things as one might repeat a -lesson at school.</p> - -<p>“Tom?” he said, then. “What else besides -Tom?”</p> - -<p>“Durand—Thomas Jefferson Durand! My parents -gave me a long name because it didn’t cost them -anything, and they had nothing else to give me. -I’ll bet the first Thomas Jefferson wouldn’t look so -dignified in his pictures after he had rode the rods -from Chicago! Would he, now?”</p> - -<p>Clay did not reply, for he was wondering if this -Durand and the Durand he had been thinking about -that night were brothers. It would be a strange -coincidence if they were! This Durand seemed to -know about the <i>Rambler</i>! Perhaps, in some -mysterious manner Don had warned him to wait for -the boat as it passed up the river and ascertain if the -fifty thousand dollars had been safely taken out of -the sand levee!</p> - -<p>This was a disquieting thought, for the money -was gone! Clay decided to learn the truth -immediately, so he asked:</p> - -<p>“Where is your brother Don? Have you seen -him lately?”</p> - -<p>Tom winked his eyes and pulled at his tangle of -tow-colored hair.</p> - -<p>“Do you know Don?” he asked. “When did -you see him last?”</p> - -<p>“So he is really your brother?” demanded Clay, -feeling that the hour of settlement for poor Alex -was indeed close at hand.</p> - -<p>“Sure he is!” was the reply. “He’s out in the -desert somewhere. He snatched a lot of money in -Chicago and got away with it. So he isn’t in any of -the society columns just now. He’s supposed to be -in retreat!”</p> - -<p>This looked a little better, but Clay kept on with -his questions.</p> - -<p>“Where did you learn about the <i>Rambler</i>?” he -asked. “How long have you been waiting here for -us? Who told you to wait?”</p> - -<p>“Don did,” was the quiet reply. “He said he’d -wait farther down the river. We’re going up the -Colorado with you—so Don says!”</p> - -<p>“So Don was here recently?”</p> - -<p>“Indeed he was, and told me to wait. He came -over from Phoenix on a run, with a thousand deputy -sheriffs after him. He got a boat and went down -the river to meet you. Did he find you?”</p> - -<p>Clay did not answer the question. Instead he -asked one.</p> - -<p>“So you both thought the <i>Rambler</i> would be a -good place to hide?”</p> - -<p>“Of course we did—to hide in and also to travel -on! We know all about the <i>Rambler</i>. The Chicago -newspapers wrote you up, you and the boat. We -read all about the Columbia river trip, and all about -the trip you were ready to take on the Colorado, so, -as we wanted to get up into the canyons, we -decided to go with you.”</p> - -<p>“What are you going to the canyons for?” asked -Clay, thinking of the mysterious papers Alex had -discovered in Don’s belt. “Are you both going -there to hide until the trouble blows over?”</p> - -<p>“When we come back from the canyons,” Tom -declared, with a weak grin, “J. P. Morgan won’t -have a thing on us! You see!”</p> - -<p>“Money up there?” asked Clay, shortly, -resolved to draw the boy out.</p> - -<p>“I’m not going to tell you what there is in the -canyons,” was the reply. “Say,” Tom went on, -“what do you know about fifty thousand dollars in -treasury notes? Ever hear of such a wad as that?”</p> - -<p>Clay imagined the truth would have to be told -then, but he thought best to put off the evil hour as -long as possible, so he said:</p> - -<p>“We saw Don down the river, but a deputy -chased him away into the mountains. Probably -he’ll manage to find us again before long.”</p> - -<p>“He was hungry, wasn’t he?” asked Tom, with -a wink. “He gets awful hungry sometimes! He’s -been out in the desert a long time.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, he was some hungry,” Clay replied, with -a laugh. “We fed him up on pancakes and honey, -and he seemed to like them.”</p> - -<p>“You bet he did. He’ll find you again if you -remain here a day or two. He’s going up the -Colorado river with you. What’s your name? Is it -Case, or Clay, or Alex? You see, I know your -names!”</p> - -<p>“I see you do! Well, I’m Clay, and Case and -Alex are asleep.”</p> - -<p>“Asleep with the bear and the dog? Well, that’s -fine. Only I was scared when the bear came at me. -Now, let me tell you, Mr. Clay. If you stay here -until to-morrow night Don will find you, and we’ll -all go up the river together. He’ll soon be along -on some up-river boat.”</p> - -<p>Clay was of the opinion, just then, that he would -rather not wait for Don! If the meeting could be -delayed, he thought, some way of finding the money -might be discovered. At least he hoped so with all -his heart.</p> - -<p>While the boys sat there a river boat came -toiling up stream. She puffed past the place where the -<i>Rambler</i> lay, dark, and drew up at a little pier -some distance up the river. Tom pointed to a number of -passengers, outlined against the pier lamps, who -were leaving the boat for the shore, and suggested -that his brother might be one of the number.</p> - -<p>Clay hoped that he was not, and did not consider -it probable that he was, for it did not seem likely to -him that the boy would venture out into the open -with King so eager on his track. Presently the -clamor at the pier died out and the night was still -again. Tom huddled closer to Clay and pressed a -folded paper into his hand.</p> - -<p>“Have you ever seen anything like that?” he -asked, shivering.</p> - -<p>Clay sheltered his electric and opened the paper. -Then he was silent for some moments. He wanted -to think out this new complication.</p> - -<p>The paper showed two rude drawings, duplicates -of those which he had seen on the papers taken from -the belt! There were the “X” and the sunburst, -surrounded by letters and figures! The boy was -puzzled.</p> - -<p>“What do these drawings mean?” he asked. -“Where did they come from?”</p> - -<p>“Don got them out of Trumbull’s handbag,” was -the evasive reply. “He stole them! That is, he -stole the originals. It was the papers he sought -when he stole the handbag. He did not know that -the fifty thousand dollars were in the bag when he -took it, but he kept the money, just the same, and -will restore it to its rightful owner as soon as he -finds him.”</p> - -<p>This was another phase of the matter! The -larceny of the money was only incidental! The -mysterious drawings were the important things. -Then Tom went on to state that the series of -drawings was not complete, that there was one missing, -without which the others were worthless, and that -one could be found in an old house at Yuma, which -accounted for the boys making that city their -objective point in leaving Chicago! Clay thought he -saw a chance to recompense Don, in a measure, for -the loss of the money.</p> - -<p>“Do you know where this old house is?” he -asked, in a moment.</p> - -<p>Tom said that he did, and for a long time the -boys discussed the advisability of making the search -for the third paper that very night. Clay was -anxious to do so, for reasons already known, and at last -Tom consented, saying that it would be a short trip.</p> - -<p>And at daybreak, when the boys awoke, the two -had not returned!</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chX'>CHAPTER X.—THE OLD HOUSE BY THE RIVER.</h2> - -<p class='first'>“Perhaps,” Clay suggested, as the two were -about to leave the <i>Rambler</i> for the proposed visit to -the old house where the third paper was believed to -be, “it might be well to awake Case, so the boat will -not remain without a guard. How long will it take -us to make the visit?”</p> - -<p>“Not longer than a couple of hours,” was the -reply. “We ought to be back here before midnight. -The house is close to the river.”</p> - -<p>“Why didn’t you get it before you came on -board?” demanded Clay.</p> - -<p>“I was afraid to go there alone in the dark,” was -the frank reply. “I could see more than ten -million ghosts every time I thought of it.”</p> - -<p>“Pretty vivid imagination you have!” laughed -Clay. “And now,” he went on, “how are we going -to get ashore without getting wet? The first thing -I shall do in the morning will be to buy a small -rowboat.”</p> - -<p>“I’m wet now,” Tom grunted, “and I can swim -ashore, hire a boat, and come out after you, if you -have the price! I haven’t seen a cent of real money -since the birth of Adam!”</p> - -<p>“Exaggeration seems to be your failing,” Clay -laughed. “Well,” he concluded, “you may go and -get a boat if you care to, and can. But don’t bring -a boatman with you. We don’t want any one to -know that the <i>Rambler</i> is unguarded. It seems a -pity to awake the boys, so we’ll take the risk of -leaving the boat alone for a time—alone with Captain -Joe and Teddy on guard!”</p> - -<p>“The dog ought to guard the boat, all right,” -suggested Tom.</p> - -<p>“He usually does, but twice lately people have -come aboard without any warning from him. One -was Don, your brother, and the other was King, the -deputy in search of your brother. However, he -may keep awake to-night, and awake the lads if any -one comes sneaking around.”</p> - -<p>Tom reluctantly took to the water again, and -soon returned with a small rowboat which he had -rented from an all-night fisherman. Instead of -entering the boat at once, Clay called the boy on deck -and handed him a suit of dry clothes. The garments -were much too large for the slender youth, but they -were preferable to the wet ones he removed. Then, -taking two electrics and two automatic revolvers, -the two rowed to the shore, secreted the boat in a -little slip, and set out for the old house by the river.</p> - -<p>“Now,” Clay observed, as they walked along, -“you might tell me something about those papers. -What do they stand for, and why are they scattered -so widely? Is there any one on earth who can read -them?”</p> - -<p>“The papers,” replied Tom, “refer to a locality -in one of the canyons of the Colorado river. We -don’t know exactly what it is they stand for. We -have been told that our fortune lies there, and so -we are trying to get it. It may mean gold, diamonds, -copper, silver, or good advice! We never will know -unless we get the third paper and go look for the -thing which lies behind the big ‘X.’ It is a long -story.”</p> - -<p>“In one of the canyons of the Colorado river?” -repeated Clay. “And that is the reason you two -rascals decided to take passage on the <i>Rambler</i>! -You expect us boys to take you up to your fortune?”</p> - -<p>“We shall pay you for the trouble, you know,” -falteringly.</p> - -<p>“But suppose you don’t find anything of value -there? Suppose the suggestion you recently made -about good advice is the correct one? How are we -to get our pay, then?” asked Clay, with assumed -gravity.</p> - -<p>“Then we’ll pay you in good advice,” was the -quick reply. “The good advice will be not to take -tramp boys on board your boat on the strength of -any plausible fairy tale they may tell you! How’s -that?”</p> - -<p>“Where did these mysterious papers originally -come from?” asked Clay, without replying to the -last question, but smiling at the quick humor of the -other. “Who unloaded them on you boys?”</p> - -<p>“Uncle David Durand,” was the reply. “He -was a sort of a hermit, and lived in the Grand -Canyon for a long time, all alone, after we left him. I -guess he lived on the fish he caught and his -grouches! Every time I saw him he had fish scales -on his vest front and a three-cornered grouch under -his crust. He left the papers to us as an inheritance, -with the warning that we'd have a beaut of a time -finding our fortune! We are having all of that!”</p> - -<p>“But you said Don stole the papers. What about -that?”</p> - -<p>“This man Josiah Trumbull stole the two first. -This Josiah is a crook. He lived with Uncle David -for a time, trying to worm his secret out of him, but -did not succeed. Then he salted a mine and sold it -to a friend of David’s for $50,000, and got out of -the country, with the officers close behind him. -That’s the $50,000 Don took when he stole the -handbag to get the papers.”</p> - -<p>“And you don’t know where this location is?”</p> - -<p>“No more than a rabbit! We think it is near -where Uncle lived, but we’ll find out when we get -the third paper. That gives the clue to it all.”</p> - -<p>“Who put it in the old house where we are going -to look for it?”</p> - -<p>“A paper in Trumbull’s bag located it there, -that’s all I know. Don was to get it when he -reached Yuma, but King was too hot after him. -The boy will be glad to know that we unearthed -it—if we do.”</p> - -<p>“It seems to me to be about as clear as mud!” -Clay exclaimed, and you’ll have to tell me about it -at some other time. Do you see the old house by -the river yet? We have been quite a time on the way.”</p> - -<p>“It is there,” answered Tom, pointing. “You -can see the roof from here. It is an old derelict, -formerly occupied, ages ago, by Uncle David, now -mostly given over to rats. I stood here a long time -before I saw your boat and heard your voices, -wondering if I had the courage to go in there alone -without a gun or a light. I found that I hadn’t, and -so went scouting along the river, looking for you.”</p> - -<p>“Rats!” repeated Clay. “You say the old house -is mostly given over to rats? Is that what you said -a moment ago?”</p> - -<p>“It surely is,” replied Tom. “Rats own the -place now.”</p> - -<p>“Must be a peculiar kind of rats that carry a -lantern,” Clay observed. “If you look you’ll see a -light passing from window to window.”</p> - -<p>There surely was a light passing from side to side -of a large room which faced the street. There were -no sash in the window openings, and the large front -door hung on one hinge. Taken altogether, it was -as dreary-looking a structure as one would be apt -to come across.</p> - -<p>The boys made no attempt to enter the house by -the front door. Instead, they passed around to the -west, or river side, and vaulted through an open -window which lighted a room back of the one in -front. The river ran close to the foundation wall -on the west, and eddied about under this window, -proclaiming an unusual depth of water there. The -house stood in a hollow, lower than the river, but -protected by the raised bank.</p> - -<p>Listening for sounds, watching for lights, Clay -and Tom stood by the window opening a long time -without hearing or seeing anything worthy of note. -There was only the murmur of the waters and the -uncertain light of the stars. After a time Clay -whispered:</p> - -<p>“Where is the paper you came here to find?”</p> - -<p>“It is supposed to be in an old cupboard in the -cellar,” was the reply. “It is enclosed in a wallet -with other documents. I’ll show the way, as near as -I can without having been over the ground since I -was a little chap.”</p> - -<p>“But why—”</p> - -<p>Clay cut the sentence short, for he realized that -that was no time or place to ask questions regarding -the motives of the person who had placed the paper -in such a place. Besides, he believed that the person -who had shown a lantern was still in the house. -Directly a creaking on the cellar stairs confirmed -this opinion.</p> - -<p>Followed by Tom, who was actually shivering with -fright, he crept to the head of the cellar staircase -and looked down into a dark passage. But -while he looked a light sprang out and King’s face -was revealed. The deputy was digging with a -shovel in one corner of the cellar!</p> - -<p>The cupboard Tom had mentioned was close to -the stairs, and Clay decided that he could get to it -while King worked with his shovel, seize the wallet, -and get out of the house without being seen.</p> - -<p>But King, while industrious, was always watchful. -Time and again he lifted his lantern and -glanced keenly around the place.</p> - -<p>Clay started down the steps several times, but -always drew back, for the least noise attracted King’s -attention. The boy had no idea how the deputy had -reached Yuma so soon after being put off the -<i>Rambler</i>, or why he was digging in the old house, -but all this was of less importance to him than the -recovery of the paper said to be in a wallet in the -old cupboard, which stood in plain sight from where -he crouched, near the head of the stairs. At last -King picked up his lantern and began looking in an -other and more distant corner of the cellar.</p> - - -<p>Then the boys moved down the steps, gained the -cupboard, and threw the door open. Three shelves -were revealed, each one covered with a collection of -miscellaneous articles and dust. There were cracked -dishes, broken knives and forks, unknown things -tied up in brown paper, and scores of such articles -as a miserly man or woman might store away, not -having the heart to discard them utterly. And there -was the wallet!</p> - -<p>Clay seized it eagerly and thrust it into a pocket. -Then, as he reached up to make an investigation of -an article on the top shelf, his foot slipped and he -came near falling.</p> - -<p>He would have fallen only that he clung to the -shelf for support. But the shelf was not stable, for -his body swayed back as he clung to it, and then he -saw the entire interior of the cupboard swing out! -The displacement of the woodwork revealed an -opening in the west wall of the cellar, against which -the cupboard stood.</p> - -<p>Standing back of Clay, Tom saw King lift his -lantern and move toward the stairway. If he came -on discovery was certain, so the lad pushed his -companion on into the dark opening and followed him.</p> - -<p>At first Clay resented the action, for the place -beyond the opening was dark, and damp gusts of wind -sighed out of it, but at a whispered word from Tom -he groped in and made way for his companion. The -light of King’s lantern flashed almost in their faces -as they turned to look out into the cellar again.</p> - -<p>King was advancing toward them, so Clay reached -out and softly drew the shelves toward the wall. -There was a sharp snap, as of metal meeting metal, -and then all was dark and still.</p> - -<p>Clay brought out his electric and flashed it around -the place. It was just a dungeon cut off from the -cellar on the river side. The walls were of stone, -and the ceiling was of iron. Through the wall on -the west the murmur of the river could be heard.</p> - -<p>“Looks to me like a miser’s vault,” Clay whispered, -as he swung his electric around. “You say -your Uncle David lived in this house once?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, but that was a long time ago. He owned -it at the time of his death, and, the people of Yuma -say, used to visit the place once a year.”</p> - -<p>“He might have stored gold or silver here,” Clay -suggested. “This den wasn’t prepared to keep -vegetables in!”</p> - -<p>Tom went to the door and listened, having no -answer to the supposition. He could hear King -moving about in the cellar, and finally there came a -tap on the door, which, the boy saw, was covered -with a plate of rusty iron. Then a voice, muffled by -wood and metal, came to his ears. It was King -speaking and his tone was one of triumph.</p> - -<p>“Good-night, boys!” the deputy said. “You are -welcome to all you find in there! I’ve been over -every inch of it! Good-night. I’ll see that you -remain there for a time!”</p> - -<p>“We might starve to death here, and no one -would ever know!” Tom complained. “I knew -Uncle David had such a hole as this, but I never -thought I’d be locked up in it!”</p> - -<p>“How do you think King found out about it?” -asked Clay.</p> - -<p>“There must have been papers Don didn’t get -with the handbag,” was the reply. “I don’t know! -He found out, anyway, and so did we! I suppose -we are about nine thousand feet under the surface -of the earth!”</p> - -<p>“Make it a good one while you are at it,” -chuckled Clay.</p> - -<p>“How are we ever going to get out?” asked -Tom. “I’m afraid down here in this musty hole! -I always was afraid in the dark. I see ghosts in -every shadow! Guess I was born that way!”</p> - -<p>“We’ll have to dig out,” Clay answered. “We’ve -just got to get back to the <i>Rambler</i>! What will the -boys think?”</p> - -<p>“Think we’ve run away, I presume.”</p> - -<p>“Then you’ve got another presume coming! -They’ll think we have been abducted and killed. So -many strange things have occurred lately that they -have a right to think almost anything! It is after -midnight now, and I was to awaken Case at that -time and go to bed.”</p> - -<p>“We’ll both go to bed in the promised land, I -guess!” Tom declared, gloomily. “I don’t see how -we’re ever going to dig out of here!”</p> - -<p>“If you’ll cast your mournful eyes over into that -corner,” Clay said, “you’ll see a shovel, or a spade, -or some digging implement King must have left -here. I reckon we can do something with that! Do -you get me?”</p> - -<p>“I never knew that a shovel could dig through -stone or iron,” observed Tom, still despondent. -“You’re just trying to think you can dig out.”</p> - -<p>“Son,” chuckled Clay, “these stones are laid on -solid ground. I don’t know how deep the foundation -runs below the bottom of the cellar, but, no -matter about that. We’ll dig down until we get -under the wall, and then the stones will come -tumbling down and we’ll walk out—to the confusion of -King and the great delight of the boys and Captain -Joe and Teddy.”</p> - -<p>“I’d like to know how King got up here,” Tom -muttered, as Clay took up the shovel and set to -work. “You said he was down the river.”</p> - -<p>“He won’t stay put,” said Clay. “He probably -attracted the attention of a steamer crew and came -up ahead of us. There! Look here,” he added. -“The foundation is on a level with the bottom of -the cellar. I’ll have this wall tumbling in no time. -Then for the <i>Rambler</i> before daylight.”</p> - -<p>Clay dug away manfully, and the great stones of -the wall soon began sagging down. Directly there -was a line of light just under the sill of the house.</p> - -<p>“Now we’ve got it!” laughed Clay. “Here’s -light and fresh air. The moon must have come up -after we came down here. See how light it is! A -few more minutes, and we’ll be out of here and on -our way!”</p> - -<p>Quite a section of the wall now fell in, so that -Clay had to make quick motions in order to avoid -being crushed by the great rocks. Still there was -insufficient space at the top to permit of their -passing out.</p> - -<p>Clay mounted the fallen stones and tried to work -his way through, but found that he could not do so. -When he stepped down and took up the shovel again -he found himself standing in water!</p> - -<p>The excavation he had made had connected with -the river, and the cellar was being flooded!</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chXI'>CHAPTER XI.—ALEX GETS HIS RECEIPT.</h2> - -<p class='first'>When Alex and Case awoke at daylight and -discovered Clay’s absence, they began a search of the -shore with their glass, supposing that he had gone -into the city for supplies. Then Alex discovered -the remains of Tom’s supper, and Case came across -the clothing taken off by the lad. The clothes were -still wet.</p> - -<p>“There’s something queer been going on here!” -Case exclaimed. “Clay had a visitor who swam out -to the boat last night!”</p> - -<p>“And the guest had supper here!” Alex contributed. -“And Clay must have gone away with -him. Wonder he wouldn’t have awakened us before -leaving the boat!”</p> - -<p>While the boys cooked breakfast, discussing the -remarkable disappearance of Clay as they did so, a -boat bumped against the prow of the <i>Rambler</i> and -a voice called out:</p> - -<p>“Hello, there! Where’s my rowboat?”</p> - -<p>Alex, leaning over the railing, saw a swarthy face -looking up at him. The fellow seemed to be angry -for he was swearing and gesticulating wildly.</p> - -<p>“If you think I’ve got your boat you may search -me!” the boy said.</p> - -<p>“But you got it last night!” insisted the other. -“You rented it for an hour and never brought it -back. What have you done with it?”</p> - -<p>“Guess again!” Alex replied. “I slept all night. -Never saw your old boat. It was some one else who -rented it.”</p> - -<p>“Well, the boy who got it said he wanted to bring -a friend off this boat, and that he would return it -before midnight.”</p> - -<p>“You’ve been buncoed!” Alex laughed.</p> - -<p>“Wait a minute,” Case broke in. “There may -be something to this. You say a boy got a boat of -you to row out to the <i>Rambler</i>?” he asked of the -man, now getting ready to board the boat and make -physical trouble for the boys.</p> - -<p>“That’s what I said. Where is that boy now?” -“What sort of a looking boy was it?” asked -Case, patiently.</p> - -<p>“A little bit of a chap. He was wet as a rat, and -said he had swum off this boat and wanted to row -out to bring a friend off.”</p> - -<p>“Well, did you watch him after he left with the -boat?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, and he came out here; and then another -boy got into the boat with him and they rowed -ashore. I want my boat or good pay for it—right -now!”</p> - -<p>“If you come up here with your threats,” Alex -declared, “you’ll get a rap over the head—and I’ll -set the dog on you!”</p> - -<p>“I’ll have you all arrested!” shouted the other. -“I want my boat.”</p> - -<p>“Sing it!” chuckled Alex. “You might make -a fine song with that ‘I want my boat’ story of -yours. Have you looked along the river bank for -it? The boy might have left it there.”</p> - -<p>“I have not,” was the reply. “It is up to you to -return it, and not my place to look for it. That boat -was worth $50 of any man’s money.”</p> - -<p>“Will you wait a moment, please?” Case asked -of the boatman, as he drew Alex to one side. “I -may want to go to shore with you before long.”</p> - -<p>The other nodded and stood angrily in his boat, -waiting.</p> - -<p>“Now,” Case explained to Alex, “there is no -need of making an enemy of this man with your -impudent talk. He is probably right. Some one -swam out here, had supper, swam back and got a -boat, and took Clay to the shore. Now, who could -it have been? This beats me?”</p> - -<p>“Couldn’t have been Don, could it?” asked Alex, -doubtfully.</p> - -<p>“I’m all at sea,” Case replied. “I don’t -understand how Don could have got up to Yuma, and yet -I’m half inclined to believe that it was he who took -the money, though why he should have done so -without letting us know is more than I can figure -out.”</p> - -<p>“There’s no head or tail to this business,” Alex -declared. “We’re all mixed up with other folks’ -troubles, just as we were on the Amazon and -Columbia river trips! Are you going ashore with this -man?”</p> - -<p>“Of course. I’ve got to find out, if I can, where -Clay went.”</p> - -<p>“Of course we’ve got to do that.” Alex agreed, -“but don’t you go to mixing with any one else!</p> - -<p>Bring Clay aboard and we’ll fly up the river like -little birds! I don’t want to see any one else for a -month! The river and the mountains and the -canyons will do for mine!”</p> - -<p>“That’s just the way I feel about it,” Case replied. -“I’m tired of mixing in affairs that don’t -concern me. I want to get up the river and be let -alone. I hope Don will find his money, but I’m not -going to bother my head any more about it.”</p> - -<p>“That’s me!” Alex agreed. “You go ashore -and get Clay. He’s not far off. Take Captain Joe -with you. He will follow the boy’s track from the -place where he landed. And when you get Clay, -make a run for the <i>Rambler</i>! Don’t stop, even to -pick up money, until you get on board, then we’ll -shoot up stream like a shark after a pig! No more -of this for me.”</p> - -<p>So, after further talk, Case went ashore with the -boatman, and Alex got out his automatic and sat -watching the river bank. Teddy stood up on his -hind legs and invited the boy to a boxing match, but -he was too blue and too anxious to play with the -cub.</p> - -<p>“I wonder if Don did get that money?” he -thought, over and over again as he sat watching the -shore. “If he did, why didn’t he let me know that -he was taking it?”</p> - -<p>He could find no answers to his questions, so he -studied the shore of the river where the town loomed -up and wished from the bottom of his heart that his -friends were on board, and that the <i>Rambler</i> was a -hundred miles away from King, Don, and all the -rest! Then he heard a hail from the river and ran -to the prow.</p> - -<p>A small boat lay rocking in the current, and out of -it looked the grinning face of Don Durand! Alex -almost dropped over the side in his amazement. -Now that the boy was before his eyes, however, he -was unaffectedly glad to see him.</p> - -<p>He tossed down a rope end so Don could secure -his boat to the rail of the <i>Rambler</i> and, later, gave -him a helping hand. When Don gained the deck he -received a cordial greeting.</p> - -<p>“Can you get me out of sight, quickly?” the boy -asked. “King is in Yuma, ‘and he’s goin’ to get -me if I don’t watch out!’”</p> - -<p>“Of course I’ll help you,” Alex answered. “I -don’t like your ways, but I’m sore on King. He -came on board and mussed up the furniture and tied -up the dog, and marooned Clay and Case on a -desert island!”</p> - -<p>“That must have been nice!” Don grinned, going -to a heap of pancakes which had been cooked for -breakfast and left to grow cold because of the -excitement of the time. “I’m going to eat these few -dozen pancakes while you converse!” he added. -“Why don’t you like my ways?”</p> - -<p>“Eat away!” Alex returned. “You’re always -hungry when you come on board the <i>Rambler</i>. -“I’ll get you coffee in a short time.”</p> - -<p>“There’s nothing to eat in the desert,” Don said, -stuffing his mouth with cakes. “Besides, I’m going -to board with you all the way up the Colorado, so I -may as well begin now to make you acquainted with -my appetite. But you didn’t tell me why you don’t -like my ways.”</p> - -<p>“Why didn’t you let us know you took the -money?” asked Alex, at a venture, almost trembling -as he awaited a reply.</p> - -<p>“Didn’t you get my receipt for it?” asked Don. -“It was on the silk wrapper. I wrote in there! -Where is the wrapper?”</p> - -<p>Alex took the silk from a pocket and examined it. -Surely enough, there, on the edge, were the words: -“Received contents. Don.”</p> - -<p>“Why, you old fraud!” shouted Alex, overjoyed -at the discovery. “You old river thief! Why -didn’t you wake us up and tell us you were after the -money? You’ve made us a lot of trouble!”</p> - -<p>Don grinned and continued his work on the cakes, -and Alex finally put the coffee pot over the coils -and made him a cup of hot drink while he told of -running across the point and floating down to the -<i>Rambler</i> on a plank he found in the water. Alex -grabbed him, then, and demanded to know where -the money was.</p> - -<p>“Let go!” yelled Don. “I’ve got it in my belt, -and I didn’t want any one but you to know I took -it because I didn’t want the others to know where -it was, if anybody should come on board and ask -about it, and, then,” he went on, with a sly wink, -“I made the receipt a little blind because I wanted -to teach you not to go to sleep with fifty thousand -dollars in gold notes lying in your lap! That was -careless of you!”</p> - -<p>“The notes were in the silk covering, in my -pocket,” insisted the boy.</p> - -<p>“Well, perhaps they were, at one time, but Teddy -was about to investigate the package when I crawled -up out of the water, off the plank I’d floated down -on! Now, tell me about King coming on board, and -what he did and said.”</p> - -<p>“He must have landed on the <i>Rambler</i> from a -small boat dropped off a river steamer,” Alex -answered, still so pleased with the news that the -money was safe that he could hardly talk straight, -“and he came in the night.”</p> - -<p>“And no one saw him? What about the dog’s -giving an alarm?”</p> - -<p>“We have figured that out. King had been on -board before, and had been treated kindly, so the -dog probably thought he had a right to come back. -But he insulted Captain Joe, after he got on the -deck, for he tied him up. He won’t get on here -again right away. Joe will eat him up if he tries -to.”</p> - -<p>Then the boy told of the manner in which Teddy -had gotten rid of the unwelcome visitor, and Don -began to make inquiries for Case and Clay. Alex -had to tell him about that, too, and Don looked -frightened at the recital.</p> - -<p>“The boatman said it was a little bit of a fellow?” -he asked. “Then that was my brother, -Tom! I was to meet him here, after King got out -of the way. Now, where do you think they are?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t try to think any more,” was the reply.</p> - -<p>“I believe I know where they went,” Don burst -out, in a moment. “They went to the basement of -an old house owned by my uncle, and something has -happened to them to prevent their coming back.”</p> - -<p>“If you know where they went, suppose you go -bring them back.”</p> - -<p>“And run plump into King! Not for mine. You -go! I’ll tell you where the house is, and you can go -and bring them back.”</p> - -<p>“If King hasn’t arrested them, perhaps I can,” -Alex added. “He may have caught them, you -know. Well, where do I go? I’ll make a bluff at -finding the boys, and then we’ll go on up the river. -Trouble is too thick down in this country! Show -me where the house is.”</p> - -<p>“You see that old tumble-down structure on the -river bank, just a little below the city?” asked Don. -“Well, that’s it.”</p> - -<p>“What would they go there for?” demanded the -other. “More mystery!”</p> - -<p>“They will tell you that! Now, while you are -gone, I’ll fry more cakes and get a good breakfast. -I’m going up the Colorado with you, you know, and -I may as well begin to make myself useful.”</p> - -<p>“You say it well!” returned Alex, but he did not -appear to be much annoyed at the thought of taking -on this agreeable passenger.</p> - -<p>Alex descended into the rowboat and cast off. -Then he stood up, excitedly, and pointed to the old -building Don had designated.</p> - -<p>“What’s the matter with the old barn?” he called -out. “Get the glass and look at it. It seems to me -to be tumbling into the river.”</p> - -<p>“It surely is!” Don cried, looking through the -glass. “There’s been something exciting going on -there, and the old house is sliding into the water. -I guess I’d better go ashore with you!”</p> - -<p>“No you don’t!” the boy answered. “You’re -going to guard the boat while I find out about this. -If King comes on board, set Teddy at him!”</p> - -<p>“No one will pick money off me while I’m -asleep!” roared Don.</p> - -<p>Alex made good time to the shore, but when he -reached the little pier which ran out just south of -the junction of the Colorado and Gila rivers he -found a crowd ahead of him. The old house was -just below, and the creaking of parting timbers told -of rapid disintegration.</p> - -<p>“What is the trouble?” he asked of the first man -he met after landing.</p> - -<p>“Why, the old Durand place is tumbling down,” -was the reply, “going into the river! It is believed -that large sums of money are hidden in the old -miser’s den, and the people are flocking here to see if -they can snatch some of it. Doesn’t look now as if -any one would get it!”</p> - -<p>“Some of the folks here may be after money,” -another on-looker cut in, “but most of them are -watching to see if the boys get out alive. They say -there are two young boys locked up in an iron room -down there.”</p> - -<p>“How do you know that?” demanded Alex, his -heart in his throat.</p> - -<p>Before the other could answer the question Case -came running up.</p> - -<p>“Clay and another boy are in there!” he cried, -wringing Alex’s hand. “They are locked in a deep -cellar, with water pouring in on them! If they -don’t drown, the falling walls will kill them!”</p> - -<p>“How do you know they are in there?” Alex -asked, hoping to find the story told by the on-looker -and by Case an uncertain one, after all.</p> - -<p>“King came for help to get them out, when he -found the cellar was filling with water,” Case -answered. “He said he had arrested them and put -them in the den for safe keeping. He admitted that -his act of authority might be the death of the boys, -and he would have been lynched if he hadn’t run -away. How are we ever going to get them out?”</p> - -<p>While they stood there in an excited, anxious -group Don came panting up, wet from a swim from -the <i>Rambler</i>. Alex began grumbling because the -boat had been left alone, but Don stopped him.</p> - -<p>“I heard what they are saying about the iron -room,” Don said, “and the boys being locked in -there! I used to know the location of the spring -that opened that door from the cellar, but I can’t -think of it now. If I only could!” he cried beating -his forehead with his fists.</p> - -<p>The old house was tumbling fast. The thin bank -which ran along the river side was now caving, and -the ground around the structure, which was -considerably lower than the surface of the river, was -being flooded. Captain Joe pulled at Alex’s leg, -drawing him toward the house!</p> - -<p>“I’m going in there to try to find the spring,” Don -said, but as the three lads started for the crumbling -old house the officious crowd seized and drew them -back!</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chXII'>CHAPTER XII.—ANOTHER GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT.</h2> - -<p class='first'>At first the incoming water seeped through the -bank of the river, under the surface, as Clay’s -excavation had cut almost through the narrow bulk of -earth between the house and the water’s edge. -Then, as the underground current carried earth with -it, undermining the bank, the cellar began to fill from -the surface and the line of light under the sills -became simply an aperture for the delivery of water -into the basement of the old house.</p> - -<p>“This is getting serious!” Clay exclaimed, as the -cellar filled to the depth of a foot or more. “We’ve -got to do something right off or we’ll be drowned -like rats in a trap!”</p> - -<p>“I learned once, when a kid, how to open this -iron door from the inside,” Tom announced, “but I -have forgotten. We lived with Uncle David for a -time, Don and I, until he became too stingy to buy -food and clothing for us, and one day he showed us -all about this treasure room, as he called it. Don -remembered, but I did not. If Don were only here -now!”</p> - -<p>Clay turned his electric light on the door, -weaving it over every inch of the iron sheathing and the -stone walls on each side.</p> - -<p>“If there’s a spring or anything of that kind here, -we ought to be able to find it,” he declared. “Was -it down low or up high. You were a little shaver -then, did you stand up in a chair to reach it, or did -you bend down to the floor? You ought to be able -to remember.”</p> - -<p>“But I can’t!” groaned Tom. “I’m afraid! I -always was afraid in this old house. Uncle said -there were ghosts in the cellar! I’ll never get over -my dread of the place—never! What shall we do?”</p> - -<p>“Keep poking at everything you see,” commanded -Clay, annoyed at the boy’s attitude. “There must -be something to push, or something to pull. We are -certain to find it if we keep on looking. We never -came to this country to be drowned like this! Bet -your life we never did!”</p> - -<p>“But the water is getting deeper every minute,” -wailed Tom. “Oh, I can fight out in the open, and -like it, too, but I’m terrified in the dark and in places -where strength doesn’t count!”</p> - -<p>“Courage always counts!” Clay answered. -“You just keep on looking for that spring, or that -lever, or whatever it is that opens the door!”</p> - -<p>The lads did keep on looking, but the water rose -higher and higher. They could now hear voices -outside, though they came dully to their ears, and now -and then a crash came which told of falling timbers.</p> - -<p>Clay realized that the foundations of the house -were falling in more places than one, and that the -sills and studding were giving way, but he did not -care to inform Tom of this new peril. He knew that -the boy was not lacking in courage, as courage is -usually classed, but he also knew he possessed the -same natural antipathy to darkness that the house -cat possesses for water. Probably because of -prenatal influences, the boy was a coward at the present -time, though he tried hard not to show just how -hopeless, and frightened, and despairing he was.</p> - -<p>“There’s a crowd gathering outside,” Clay -encouraged, “and they’ll find some way to get us out. -But we’ve got to keep on looking for the means to -open this door. Why, boy, just look here, will you?”</p> - -<p>Clay was pulling at a half-concealed lever which -he had found pressed into a niche in the stone wall -as he spoke. It came out slowly and a stone above -it moved as he drew it away from its hiding-place -“I thought I had it!” he cried. “It moves -something, but not the door! Queer old trap, this! -Look at it!”</p> - -<p>As the lever came out a stone in the wall started -from above and dropped down on hinges, revealing -an opening about a foot in size.</p> - -<p>The boy held his light to the opening for a moment -and then drew out a thick package of papers. One -end of the wrapper had been torn off, and Clay drew -a paper out and looked at the lettering on the back -of the fold. Then he thrust the papers into an inside -pocket and looked Tom in the face, his own eyes -staring with amazement.</p> - -<p>“What is it?” asked Tom. “What did you -find?”</p> - -<p>“Government bonds!” Clay almost shouted. -“There are thousands of dollars’ worth in that -package! Think of drowning with all that wealth in -sight! Buck up, young fellow! You’ll soon be a -rich man!”</p> - -<p>“I was in hopes the lever opened the door!” Tom -muttered. “I’m not interested in government bonds -just now! What good would a million do us if they -found us dead here on this floor?”</p> - -<p>“You give me that tired feeling!” Clay exclaimed. -“Keep on looking for the lever or key -which opens the door! Listen! Do you know that -voice?” he added. “That’s Captain Joe, and he’s -telling us that he is on his way to the rescue! Clever -old dog, that Captain Joe!”</p> - -<p>The boys searched every square foot of the walls, -even reaching up to the ceiling, but found nothing -which would open the door. The water rose steadily, -and the voices outside gradually grew fainter.</p> - -<p>Now the water was up to their hips, now to their -waists, now it came to their arm-pits, now Tom was -obliged to stand up on an old chest to keep his head -dry. All around them the building was falling, but -nothing seemed to disturb the iron ceiling above.</p> - -<p>The walls of the cellar were falling, too, in places, -but they only crumpled down in great heaps of -stones, leaving no opening through which the boys -might make their way to the free air outside. It -was now broad daylight outside, but the flashlights -were still needed in the cellar.</p> - -<p>“We’ve got about a minute more!” Clay -admitted, as the water touched his chin. “We’re up -against it at last! I’d like to leave a note for the -boys, but it is too late to write one now. Hear -Captain Joe out there? Say, old sport, I believe he is -coming nearer! He surely is! Hurrah!”</p> - -<p>Then the iron door swung open and, the water -being somewhat higher in the den than in other parts -of the basement, a strong current set toward the east, -lowering the flood a foot or more where the boys -stood.</p> - -<p>First, they saw Captain Joe’s ugly head poking -through the water which filled the doorway. Then -Don’s face showed. However, there was a current -setting toward the main basement from the den, and -both the boy and the dog were forced back.</p> - -<p>The outsweep of water had lowered the body of -it in the den, so that the boys were no longer in -danger of drowning, but they knew that in time the -little apartment would fill again, as the main cellar -filled. Clay took Tom by the shoulder and pushed -him to the doorway.</p> - -<p>“Dive through!” he said, “and when you get out -into the cellar make for the stairs and climb up. -This old shack will be afloat in no time! Hurry, -now! Perhaps Captain Joe will help you if you -tumble down!”</p> - -<p>Tom shivered and hesitated until Clay became -angry.</p> - -<p>“All right!” he said. “I’ll go first. You keep -close to me!”</p> - -<p>And so the lads dove through the doorway, -groped, half strangled, up the stairs, over fallen -timbers and planks, and so on into the main hall, -where there was no water as yet, but where the floor -was sagging because of the washed-out foundations.</p> - -<p>Case, Alex, and Don were there to meet them. -Outside the crowd was cheering wildly and shouting -congratulations to the boys who had entered the -flooded basement to open the door.</p> - -<p>Clay and Tom began expressing their gratitude -and their appreciation of the brave act, but Don cut -them off with a question.</p> - -<p>“Did you get the wallet?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Of course we did!” replied Clay, “and we got -something else, too.”</p> - -<p>“What else was there to get?” asked Don.</p> - -<p>“Mighty little left in that old house the last time I -was there.”</p> - -<p>“You’ll see, in time!” Tom said, with a knowing -wink at Clay.</p> - -<p>“Explanations in the future!” Clay exclaimed. -“Just now we’ve got to get past that sympathetic -crowd and back to the boat. Say, Don,” he added, -in a moment, “I can’t wait to get back to the -Rambler before asking one question, and that is this: -Did you come aboard the <i>Rambler</i> and get the -money? If you did, say so—quick!”</p> - -<p>“I certainly did!” Don answered. “If I hadn’t -would have been lost, for Teddy was playing with -it!”</p> - -<p>“That’s enough!” Clay said. “I’ll learn how and -why later on. Wonder if King is in that crowd out -there? It was he who locked us in.”</p> - -<p>“He is not,” grinned Case. “The mob got after -him for locking you up in such a dangerous hole, and -he took to his heels! He won’t dare show himself -around here for a few days.”</p> - -<p>“Then all we have to do is to get rid of the -crowd,” Clay explained.</p> - -<p>Of course there were many who wished to shake -hands with the rescuers and the rescued, and even -Captain Joe came in for a fair share of praise, but -the boys were soon out of the crowd and on their -way to the boat.</p> - -<p>At the water front they found the riverman, still -growling and sulking over the loss of the boat Tom -had hired the night before. Tom told him where the -boat had been left, and Clay paid him for the use of -it, so he eagerly consented to row the boys to the -<i>Rambler</i>, and, later on, to convey their provisions -and gasoline to them.</p> - -<p>“I’m glad we find the boat still here!” Alex said, -as he mounted to the deck, “and I’m glad we have -gotten rid of King. Now for a trip up the river! -Now for freedom from sleuths and mysteries!”</p> - -<p>The other boys echoed the sentiment, but when -they opened the cabin door, a moment later, and -looked in, there sat King, busy with the cold -pancakes Don had cooked just before he left the boat to -assist in the rescue of Clay and Tom. He smiled as -the boys entered.</p> - -<p>“Well, of all the iron nerve—”</p> - -<p>Alex could not finish the sentence. There were -no words which could do justice to the occasion, he -thought.</p> - -<p>“Help yourself!” Clay said. “If you’ll wait a -little while we’ll give you hot coffee. We’re going to -make some for ourselves!”</p> - -<p>Tom’s greeting was not so cordial.</p> - -<p>“If this was my boat,” he said, “I’d break you -in two with my foot. You came near drowning us. -Do you know that?”</p> - -<p>“The people on shore told me!” smiled King. -“They came near stringing me up by the neck for -what I did.”</p> - -<p>“You deserved it!” grumbled Don. “Indeed -you did.”</p> - -<p>“Now, see here, boys,” King went on, “I had my -duty as an officer to do. If you had been relieved of -fifty thousand dollars and valuable papers, you -would expect the law to get them for you, wouldn’t -you?”</p> - -<p>No one replied, and the officer went on, calmly -eating cold cakes as he did so—eating and tossing a -piece to Teddy now and then.</p> - -<p>“You see,” he resumed, “I hold no grudge -against the bear, if he did dump me into the river! -He did just what I would have done under the -circumstances. I don’t blame him. He is a good little -beastie!”</p> - -<p>“You wasn’t helping the law any by locking us in -there to be drowned!” Clay remarked, his eyes -flashing.</p> - -<p>“Wasn’t I?” asked King. “Let us see about -that. You, Don, took fifty thousand dollars of -another man’s money out of Chicago. You carried it -in a belt about your waist. I had to find that money, -didn’t I? I searched the <i>Rambler</i> for it! I had to -maroon two of the boys on a sand island and tie -Captain Joe up in order to do it.”</p> - -<p>Captain Joe licked his chops as if he was thinking -of making settlement for the insult right there. -Clay called him away, or he would have taken hold -of the deputy’s leg.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I searched the <i>Rambler</i>, and got up-river -in a steamer after being dumped off. Here I heard -that lights had been seen in the old house the night -before. Now, what was more reasonable than to -suppose that Don had visited the old shack and -buried the money in the cellar? I was there looking -for it when you boys came in. I should have -released you as soon as I had finished my search, only -I couldn’t unlock the door. All I could do was to -go for assistance, and you all know how that came -out. I nearly lost my life at the hands of a mob, -any member of which would have done exactly as -I had done.”</p> - -<p>“You say it well!” snarled Tom. “I don’t trust -you, though!”</p> - -<p>“Now,” King continued, without taking notice of -the remark, “I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I understand -that there is a question as to whom this money -belongs. It may belong to Don, for all I know! Well, -if you will put the cash in the hands of a banker here -I’ll go back home and say nothing about the deal -until you boys have had time to turn around. But I -want it understood, too, that my client, this Josiah -Trumbull, is not to be molested by you for anything -he has done in the past.”</p> - -<p>Don agreed to this, and King continued.</p> - -<p>“I have a notion that my client is a roughneck, as -well as a three-card sharp, but I’m going to do the -best I can for him, for all that. If it can be shown -that the money belongs to you, Don, or to you, Tom, -it shall be turned over to you. But if this cannot -be shown, Trumbull is to have it, as against any -other claimant. Is that right?”</p> - -<p>This was reluctantly agreed to, and then the boys -and King prepared the best meal the larder was -capable of, and enjoyed it hugely. After this they -went to the town, leaving Tom and Clay on board, -and the money was put in escrow in one of the -banks. Don also put the government bonds on -deposit there. King’s eye stuck out when he saw -the bonds and was told where they had been found, -but he only expressed congratulations.</p> - -<p>All this business completed, provisions and -gasoline bought, and letters sent away, the boys went -back to the <i>Rambler</i> to study up the three -mysterious papers as forming a whole. But the black wallet -held no paper of any kind! There were a few half-rotten -banknotes in it, a small flat key, and nothing -else!</p> - -<p>“We are up against it again!” cried Case. -“Well,” with a smile, “we’ll go right on and try to -uncover the mystery without the third piece of -paper. I wonder what this key fits, and if King got -that third paper? He might! What?”</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chXIII'>CHAPTER XIII.—ALEX PLANS A NIGHT ADVENTURE.</h2> - -<p class='first'>The boys talked over the possibility of King -having the third paper for a long time. They could -not see how the deputy had been able to secure it, -if he had done so, unless he had discovered it in the -cellar, which seemed to them to be highly improbable.</p> - -<p>“That uncle of yours must have been a quaint -old chap,” Clay said, laughingly. “How, for -instance, did he know that you would ever find the -bonds in the strong room?”</p> - -<p>“I’m sure that he left a paper somewhere which -tells about them,” was the boy’s reply. “Perhaps -this third paper will unravel the whole mystery. -Uncle told us about some papers the last time we -saw him at the shack in the Grand Canyon, but he -did not tell us where they were. He said we would -find them after he was dead. I believe that all the -papers were left in a letter for us, and that this man -Trumbull stole it.”</p> - -<p>“How do you account for his having a chance to -get them?”</p> - -<p>“He was there, in the canyon, living near Uncle, -when the latter died—suddenly and alone, and was -the first one there, the others say. It is said, too, -that a letter was left for us, and that it disappeared. -I knew Trumbull to be a thief, because he salted a -mine and sold it, so I naturally suspected him of -taking the letter. This is how I came to get the two -papers and the money!”</p> - -<p>“How did you come to find Trumbull in Chicago? -All this is very interesting to me. Wasn’t -that a long chance—to find him at all?”</p> - -<p>“We were in Chicago, earning our own living, -when Uncle died. The people living near the -canyon wrote us about Uncle’s death, and about this -man Trumbull being there, and about the disappearance -of the letter. I thought the letter might -have contained the promised papers, and so watched -for Trumbull, never expecting to see him there, -though!”</p> - -<p>“But you did find him! However did it happen?”</p> - -<p>“After being in Chicago a short time, I got a -position as errand boy in a bank. I suspected at -the time I got the place that the manager took more -than the usual interest in me, and I thought that he -might know Uncle David. That was before Uncle -died, you see.</p> - -<p>“Well, the manager took me on as errand boy, -but after a time he kept me working for him, and -about his own private office in the bank, most of the -time, and often asked me about my uncle’s affairs, -of which I could tell him nothing, of course. I had -not been there very long when Josiah Trumbull -came into the private office one day and laid a -mining proposition before the manager.</p> - -<p>“I heard some of the talk, and discovered who -he was, and also learned that the mine he proposed -developing was in the Grand Canyon of the -Colorado. He said it had been proven that the ore was -virtually inexhaustible, and added that he had come -upon papers which showed him where it was. The -location was in the part of the canyon where Uncle -had lived.</p> - -<p>“Then I recalled the talk Uncle David had had -with me about valuable documents, every word of -it! I recalled, too, that that this man Trumbull had -been suspected of taking the letter! I watched him -closely, you may be sure! Quite like a detective -story, eh?”</p> - -<p>“It may prove to be one before the end is -reached,” Clay said. “Go on! I’m more interested -than I can tell you!”</p> - -<p>“Well, one day Trumbull came into the private -office with a handbag and set it down on a desk. -He said he had drawn a little money and had placed -the papers he had spoken of with it. He added that -he was going out to the canyon mine to look into -the matter.</p> - -<p>“I stole that bag. I did not know that it -contained a large sum of money. I knew only that it -contained the papers I wanted. By this time, you -see, I was certain that Trumbull had stolen the -papers, that the papers concerned a mine, and that he -was about to acquire what belonged to Tom and -myself.</p> - -<p>“I escaped, as you know. Just how I’ll not tell -you now. I should have consulted the manager, but -ran off without doing so. That same day I read in -the newspapers about you boys and the <i>Rambler</i>. -You see, I had no money, save the $50,000, and I -would not touch that, so I planned to get to the Gulf -of California and go up the Colorado with you! -Tom was crazy about it, and we started away. You -know what wretched objects we were when we came -up with you.”</p> - -<p>“But what got the notion into your head that the -third paper was in the wallet in the old cellar?” -asked Alex.</p> - -<p>“One day Uncle David told me of the old house -being empty and in the last stages of decay. We -had visited the place with him, earlier, you see, and -I knew something about the treasure room. He had -always told me, though, that no money or thing of -value would be found there. He said that I must -work for all I got of him.</p> - -<p>“He said, though, that I might find some good -advice in the treasure room after he was dead. I -did go there, with Tom, on my way to Chicago, after -we left him, but discovered nothing. I had even -forgotten the manner of getting into the treasure -room. But when I found the two papers in Trumbull’s -bag I at once drew the conclusion that the -third paper must be in an old wallet Uncle had -referred to as being in the old cupboard. I was -pretty sure it would be found there, as you know. -The only question in my mind was as to whether I -should be able to get into the treasure room and -make a search of it without tearing the house down. -Tom did not know of this difficulty, and I never -told him.”</p> - -<p>“You’re telling me now!” laughed Tom.</p> - -<p>“When we got to Yuma,” Don went on, “we -were too busy dodging King to do much investigating -at the old house. Trumbull must have told -King about it, for he watched the place, as you -know, and even dug there for treasure. Tom and I -got separated on the way across, and King saw me -while I was waiting for Tom to come up.</p> - -<p>“When he did come, I left him there and went -on down the river to connect with you. There was -nothing Tom could be arrested for. Now, that’s -how I got the money and the two papers, and also -how I didn’t get the third paper!” the boy laughed, -“and so we’ll talk about something else if you don’t -mind.”</p> - -<p>“But how are you ever to get this third paper, -and how are you to get the treasure if you don’t?” -asked Case.</p> - -<p>“With your permission I’ll go on up with you to -where Uncle used to live and search his old shack. -The third paper may be there. Of course the bonds -are what Uncle David referred to as ‘good advice’ -in the treasure room. That was just like him, to -call bonds ‘good advice.’ If I ever discover the -third paper, I have no doubt it will tell me where to -look for the bonds. He never thought of their -being found in the manner Clay found them!”</p> - -<p>“Where did you ever hear anything about a third -paper?” asked Clay.</p> - -<p>Don took the original papers holding the -drawings out of the belt and held it up to the light.</p> - -<p>“Did you see this line at the bottom?” he asked. -Alex gave a start of surprise. He had studied -every figure and letter on the paper and had seen -no line at the bottom, yet there it was, plain to -see when the paper was held up to the sun. The -line read:</p> - -<p>“Worthless without No. 3!”</p> - -<p>“There you are,” Don went on. ‘Worthless -without No. 3.’ Josiah Trumbull and King found -that line, and they are, or were, hunting for No. 3, -just the same as we are! Now, if you boys think -this mystery will spoil your trip, just put us off and -we’ll get to the canyons some other way, but, still, -we’d like to go with you!”</p> - -<p>“I’m so seriously interested in the mystery,” -smiled Clay, “that I wouldn’t feel like making the -trip, now, without you and the two pieces of paper. -How do you feel about it, boys?”</p> - -<p>How did they feel about it? What would two -healthy boys naturally say to a mysterious adventure -of the sort proposed? Hunting for the buried -gold of Captain Kidd looked like a summer afternoon -game of marbles compared to this! The -Grand Canyon and a mystery! Marks on a rock, -perhaps thousands of feet below the level of the -plateau! A missing paper and a contest as to who -should get to it first! Surely, no game could be -more exciting. And the boys said so, and all shook -hands on the proposition, after which they ate -dinner and Clay went on shore to see about buying -gasoline, provisions and a small rowboat.</p> - -<p>He returned just before nightfall, perspiring with -the heat of the desert sun, and the articles he had -bought were soon on board.</p> - -<p>“I saw the last of King,” he reported. “At least -the last of him for some days to come, as he took -train for Phoenix. He’s a good sort, is King, but -if he thinks his conscience will hurt if he doesn’t -know more about the secrets of the Grand Canyon, -he’ll hire a motor boat and follow us. I imagine he -has telegraphed to Trumbull, for I saw him waiting -at the office for a message. I heard him tell the -clerk in the office to query Chicago.”</p> - -<p>“Good luck to him!” laughed Don. “He is -loyal to that thief of a Trumbull, all right, for he -made us promise not to prosecute him if it should -be discovered that he had committed some crime in -connection with his dealings with Uncle David, also -to restore the money to him if it did not prove to -belong to Tom and myself.”</p> - -<p>“Some one ought to be in Chicago, watching -Trumbull,” suggested Tom. “Suppose I go? I -can get there if the rods hold out! What do you -say?”</p> - -<p>“It would be a great idea,” Don agreed, “but -we have had enough of riding on the rods, and we -have no money.”</p> - -<p>“But the bonds!” laughed Alex. “What about -them? How much are they worth, Clay?” he -added. “You handled them.”</p> - -<p>“Something over one hundred thousand,” was -Clay’s reply, “but there is no proof that they -belong to Don and Tom, you know.”</p> - -<p>“That’s why I put them in bank,” Don cut in.</p> - -<p>“If you think you ought to go back to Chicago, -Tom,” Clay said, “I’ll furnish the money. But -what can you do there?”</p> - -<p>“He can go to the manager of the bank where I -worked,” Don explained, “and tell him the whole -story, and he’ll help. I believe that manager knows -more about this matter than he pretends to!”</p> - -<p>“How did you manage to get into that bank in -the first place?” asked Alex. “It ain’t every street -boy that gets such a chance.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I met one of the bank’s messengers one day, -and he told me I might get a job there. Odd, wasn’t -it?”</p> - -<p>Clay broke into a roar of laughter, whereat Don -assumed a manner of wounded dignity and walked -away.</p> - -<p>“Come back here, you foolish lad!” Clay called. -“You may be sure that manager does know more -about this matter than he pretends to know! The -chances are that he had been keeping track of you -for a long time, just to see what kind of a boy you -were!”</p> - -<p>“Then why didn’t he help me?” asked Don.</p> - -<p>“How do you know what your uncle told him to -do? I reckon this Uncle David of yours knew what -he was about! He didn’t want you and Tom spoiled -by inheriting a lot of money! He wanted you to -dig it up!”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied Don, mournfully, “and I guess -he buried it so deep that no one will ever be able to -dig it up!”</p> - -<p>“Anyway, you two boys have shown the proper -spirit,” Case said, “and that ought to count for -much. And you have the bonds!”</p> - -<p>So it was arranged that Tom should go to Chicago -that night and go to the banker and tell him -the part of the story he did not know. The parting -was a grave one, for the brothers were deeply -attached to each other, and there was no knowing -what perils would confront either of them before -they met again.</p> - -<p>After supper the <i>Rambler</i> was speeded up the -river for twenty miles or more, “to get her out of -the odor of trouble,” as Alex expressed it.</p> - -<p>“Now,” Clay declared, when they came to anchor -below Norton, with Chimney Peak showing -not far away, “we are going to have a night free -from boarders and troubles about money. We are -off in good earnest at last.”</p> - -<p>“That’s a pretty tolerable old mountain,” Alex -declared, pointing to Chimney Peak. “I’d like to -take a spin over to it.”</p> - -<p>“You’ll stay right on this boat,” ordered Clay. -“I’m not going to lose any time hunting you up.”</p> - -<p>“I won’t get lost in any cellar!” returned Alex, -with one of his provoking grins.</p> - -<p>It was agreed that Case should stand guard that -night, and the others went to their bunks early, with -the exception of Captain Joe, who took his station -on the prow and watched the slow-moving water -with a meditative air. Teddy tried for a time to -engage him in a boxing contest, but the dog declined -with thanks and continued his inspection of -the river.</p> - -<p>It was a beautiful starlit night, and Alex was -too full of the old spirit of adventure to sleep. He -tumbled about in his bunk for a time and then arose -and peered out on deck.</p> - -<p>Captain Joe was still on sentinel duty, but Case -was actually asleep in his chair! The boy was worn -out with the excitement and worry of the day. -Alex did not disturb him, but sat down by his side -and looked longingly off toward Chimney Peak.</p> - -<p>“Captain Joe!” he finally whispered.</p> - -<p>The dog pricked up his ears and walked sedately -up to the boy.</p> - -<p>“Will you remain here and watch the boat while -I go ashore?” asked Alex, patting the dog on his -head. “Will you, old top?”</p> - -<p>Captain Joe looked off toward the mountain -summit and made no rash promises! He was a wise -dog, and knew the ways of boys!</p> - -<p>“It is just this way, Captain Joe,” Alex went on, -talking to the bulldog as if he understood every -word, “it is just this way. Those sleepy heads in -the cabin, and this one out on deck, would sleep in -the presence of the pyramids! You know it, don’t -you?”</p> - -<p>The dog said that he did in a tongue which Alex -understood.</p> - -<p>“Well, then we’ll go ashore and see what that -hill is made of,” the boy went on. “We’ll take the -rowboat and pay a visit to the Chimney!” It looks -pretty classy from here, eh?”</p> - -<p>Captain Joe admitted that it did, and the boy got -out the rowboat and left the <i>Rambler</i>, the dog -sitting in the prow with an air of being necessary to -the expedition. The boy and the dog saw adventure -ahead and were recklessly, foolishly glad of it!</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chXIV'>CHAPTER XIV.—A VISIT FROM RIVER PIRATES.</h2> - -<p class='first'>Case slept a long time in his chair on the deck of -the <i>Rambler</i>. The currents pulled at the anchor -chain, and now and then a floating derelict of a log -or discarded box bumped against the sharp-nosed -prow, but the boy was tired, mentally and physically, -and did not mind in the least.</p> - -<p>Teddy, the bear cub, nosed close to him, seeking -physical warmth from the chill of the night, and -finally went to sleep himself. When Alex and Captain -Joe looked back from the rim of sand which -lay between the shore line and Chimney Peak, there -were no lights to be seen on board the motor -boat—only the bulk of the craft outlined against a -starlit sky.</p> - -<p>Finally, when Case did awake, it was with a -sense of impending danger. There is a quality in -the human brain which stirs at the vibrations of a -hostile influence, and Case felt it now.</p> - -<p>It was not long before he understood this threat -fully, for his chair was knocked from under his -body and he fell with a bump on the deck, lighting -on Teddy, who set up a most dismal howling. While -the cub scrambled out from under the boy’s legs, -there came a commotion in the cabin. Case tried -to get up, for he knew that a struggle was on there.</p> - -<p>But he was not permitted to get up. There was a -strong hand at his throat and a knee which dripped -water on his chest.</p> - -<p>“All right!” some one said, in the direction of -the cabin.</p> - -<p>“All right here!” the figure above Case replied, -and then the boy was jerked to his feet. “I’ll bring -him along in. Get a move on, kid!”</p> - -<p>At first Case thought it was King’s voice, but in a -second he saw that it was not, for the fellow broke -into a series of oaths and cries of pain as Teddy -seized him by the leg and set his sharp teeth -together.</p> - -<p>“Come out here!” the fellow shouted. “Come -out here and kill this bear! He’s chewing my leg -off. Hurry up! Bring a gun, too!”</p> - -<p>There was a movement in the cabin and the door -opened. Case saw that Clay and Don were in no -better shape to prevent the murder of the cub than -himself. He was afraid that the little bear had -used his teeth once too often. But Case usually -acted on the theory that a game is never out until it -is played out, and he did so on this occasion.</p> - -<p>“Take a swim, Teddy!” he shouted to the bear, -giving him a push with one foot. “Take a run and -jump into the river. Get busy now!”</p> - -<p>The cub had often heard these words. When the -boys were ready for a river bath Teddy was usually -ready, too, and he was always addressed in the -words Case used now, or some almost exactly like -them.</p> - -<p>So the bear, thinking, doubtless, that a new game -was on, gave one parting snap at the fellow’s leg -and went headfirst into the river. Case tripped the -man who ran to the railing with a revolver in his -hand, and was rewarded by a violent blow on the -head.</p> - -<p>“Coming! Coming, Teddy! Get a move on!” -Case called out to the bear, and it was with a good -deal of satisfaction that he heard the intelligent -animal snorting with the race spirit as he made -clumsily for the shore. Doubtless the bear wondered -why Case was not at his heels on this, as on other -occasions, but he kept on swimming and so escaped -death.</p> - -<p>Dazed as he was by the blow he had received, -Case heard the fellow shooting at Teddy, and heard -Clay and Don arguing with the men who were the -cause of the commotion in the cabin.</p> - -<p>“Come!” the boy heard a hoarse voice saying, -“we have no time to lose. “You boys went to a -bank at Yuma to-day and drew out a lot of money -and a package of government bonds. We want -them! Produce!”</p> - -<p>“You are mistaken,” Clay replied, his voice -sounding harsh and strained, as if he was just out -of a struggle. “We put our money in the bank, -and the bonds in the bank. We drew nothing out. -Take what I have in my pocket and go. There’s -nothing else here for you.”</p> - -<p>Case heard one of the men rattling the coal stove, -and a shudder of horror went through him. Would -the midnight raiders be brutal enough to resort to -torture? He had heard of terrible, inhuman things -that river pirates had done. He tried to get up, but -was held fast.</p> - -<p>“Here!” a voice in the cabin said. “Don’t wait -to heat up that old stove! Just turn the electric -current on this coil. That will prevent his going to bed -with cold feet to-night!”</p> - -<p>“He is telling the truth about the money and -bonds,” Case said to his captor. “They were left -in the bank at Yuma, and he gave another lad money -enough to get to Chicago, so we're about broke.”</p> - -<p>“Tell that to the marines!” chuckled the other. -“We know what we are doing, all right. You were -seen to take the money away from the Yuma bank! -He’ll remember about it as soon as the coils get hot, -too!”</p> - -<p>“Some one lied to you about the transaction at -the bank,” Case insisted. “Who said we took the -money and bonds away?”</p> - -<p>“I wish I had that fool bear back here!” Case’s -captor snarled. “I’d burn his teeth out of his head! -I shall be lame for a month.”</p> - -<p>“Who told you we took the money and bonds away?” -persisted the boy.</p> - -<p>“Why, an old gentleman who stood close by saw -you, and we heard him speaking about it later. He -said it wasn’t safe for boys like you to have so much -ready money in this wild country, and we agreed -with him. So we are going to help you take care of -it. You’ll hear that fresh kid inside telling the -truth as soon as his feet touch the hot coils.”</p> - -<p>“If you brutes burn Clay,” Case declared, “we’ll -give up our trip up the river and follow you to the -end of the world but we’ll bring you to the gallows! -You just remember that!”</p> - -<p>“You’ll crow lower when your own feet feel the -fire!” laughed the other. “You’re brave, all right, -but you’re a fool, too!”</p> - -<p>Case threw himself back on the deck and closed -his eyes. Every instant he expected to hear Clay’s -cries of anguish as the torture began. There seemed -to be no help anywhere. Don was as helpless as -himself.</p> - -<p>All around the boat the night shut down, chill, -silent, inscrutable. Far up the stream the lights of -a small town shone indistinctly. To the west the -peaks of Chimney mountain rose into the starlit sky. -From the ocean, a long distance away, a light wind -ruffled the water.</p> - -<p>Everywhere was peace, and everywhere the great -facts of Nature stood in friendly attitude to each -other. It was only the human element that was -warring! There seemed to be no hope of rescue -anywhere!</p> - -<p>Case blamed himself for sleeping while on watch. -He blamed Captain Joe for not giving the alarm -when these ruffians sneaked on board. But where -was the dog? He had not seen him since his rude -awakening. And where was Alex? He had not -heard the boy’s voice in the cabin. He knew that -Alex would be doing a lot of talking if present!</p> - -<p>The boy knew that there were four men on -board. He could hear a craft of some kind bumping -against the side, and so he knew that they had -followed the <i>Rambler</i> from Yuma by way of the river. -He could not see the faces in the cabin, for the door -was kept closed, but he could hear the preparations -for torture going on!</p> - -<p>He lay not far from the hatch which covered the -motors when the boat was at anchor. If he could -only get a little closer and run his hand down into -the pit he might be able to switch off the electric -current so the coils would not heat. He resolved to try.</p> - -<p>Things were not going well in the cabin, for the -boy heard the captors snarling and cursing at the -coils. They did not seem to understand how to turn -on the current, and so there was delay. Case pushed -along to the hatch. As he did so his enemy released -his hold for a moment and turned toward the cabin, -saying as he did so:</p> - -<p>“If you chumps don’t know how to run that -stove come out here and guard this kid and I’ll do -the work myself! It is easy enough!”</p> - -<p>The fellow started for the cabin and one of the -men inside turned toward the deck. For just an -instant Case was free. He reached over to the -hatch, lifted it so as to get his hand into the pit and -turned off the electric current from the containers. -In a second the boat was in darkness, and the pirates -were groping about for their prisoners!</p> - -<p>Case made a quick motion toward the railing, but -was seized and drawn back. Clay and Don, who -had succeeded in getting out of the cabin, were -thrust back again. Still, the turning off of the -current had resulted in delay, and that was something.</p> - -<p>Clay called out to Case to know if he was still -alive, and was given a courageous reply. Case’s -guard bent over him with clenched fists.</p> - -<p>“You turned off the electricity!” he shouted.</p> - -<p>“Turn it on again, or I’ll spoil your face for you. -Do it quick, too!”</p> - -<p>There seemed to be no help for it. Case took all -the time he could in lifting the hatch and turning -the switch, but at last the lights flared up again, -making the boat as light as day, for during the dark -interval one of the men had turned the switch which -fed the prow light.</p> - -<p>While Case lay there, not daring to move hand -or foot, his mind went back to Alex and the dog. -Had they been killed at the first moment of -invasion? Had they resisted and been thrown into the -river?</p> - -<p>“Come, now,” a voice in the cabin said, “you -may as well tell us where the money is. We are -bound to have it, you know!”</p> - -<p>“I have told you the truth about the money?” -Clay responded.</p> - -<p>“Heat up the coils!” shouted the first speaker. -“We’ll have to warm his feet for him! It is a cool -night, anyway, and it may do him good.”</p> - -<p>The boys listened for some sound of life on the -river—for some trading boat to come creeping up! -But there were no indications of the approach of -any river craft whatever. Still, there was a slight jar!</p> - -<p>Perhaps the <i>Rambler</i> had been struck by a -floating log! Perhaps an eddy had sent the boat pulling -harder against her chain! There was a slight -movement on the aft deck. Perhaps the dog had been -asleep there, or perhaps Teddy had returned to the -<i>Rambler</i> and was creeping up out of the water -The deck guard stepped to the prow to shut off the -light.</p> - -<p>Then a shot came from the rear, and the pirate -threw up his hands, balanced unsteadily on the rail -for an instant, and fell into the river like a stone. -Case sprang out of the way as the fellow’s -companions rushed from the cabin, brandishing their -guns and demanding to know who had done the -shooting.</p> - -<p>Other shots came in quick succession, and another -pirate dropped limply to the deck while the -remaining two sprang over the railing and, not stopping -to secure their small launch, struck out for the -shore.</p> - -<p>When Clay and Don came out of the cabin they -found Alex and Captain Joe watching the two -heads bobbing in the water. Case had arisen to his -feet and was looking with all his eyes at Teddy, -perched in a boxing attitude on the roof of the -cabin.</p> - -<p>There was little excitement in Alex’s face as he -turned to Clay.</p> - -<p>“I ought to shoot them both,” he said, pointing -to the swimmers. “I know what they were about -to do. Shall I shoot them?”</p> - -<p>Clay shook his head and Alex put up his revolver.</p> - -<p>“How did it happen?” the latter asked. “Who -are those men?”</p> - -<p>“They are river pirates,” Clay replied, “and I -don’t know how it happened. Case was on guard, -but the first thing I knew the men were in the cabin, -holding a gun in my face. I guess Case must have -been asleep.”</p> - -<p>“I was,” Case said, sheepishly. “I ought to be -shot!”</p> - -<p>“He was asleep when I went away,” Alex, with -a sly wink, contributed. “I ought to have got him -up, but he looked too sleepy!”</p> - -<p>“Where did you go?” demanded Case. “You’re -a fine boy, not to make me get up and attend to -business! And Captain Joe must have been sound -asleep, too, or he would have given the alarm!”</p> - -<p>“Captain Joe went to the beach with me,” the -boy cut in. “We were just striking out for the -mountain when we saw that something unusual was -going on on board the <i>Rambler</i>. Then I saw Teddy -swimming to shore and he told me what was doing! -At least he insisted with his teeth on my returning -right off. Guess we got back here just in time!”</p> - -<p>“I guess you did!” Clay admitted. “The pirates -were thinking of warming my feet! I almost wish -you had killed them all!”</p> - -<p>A motion on the deck caught the attention of the -boys, and Clay went out to find the pirate who had -fallen at the second shot trying to crawl to the -railing. The boy did not interfere. The wounded man -reached the railing at last and threw himself into the -river.</p> - -<p>“I don’t believe he is strong enough to swim -ashore,” Clay said, “but we’ll leave that part to him. -If he lives, he’ll be hanged some day, so he may as -well drown now. Any man who will resort to -physical torture to extort money has no claims -whatever on humanity.”</p> - -<p>“Now,” Don observed, with a quiet smile, -“suppose we go on up the river? You boys were having -trouble enough with me before this pack of pirates -took the notion to steal my money from you. It -seems to me that the only safe place for us is up in -the Grand Canyon! I move that we get under way -to-night and keep going as long as the river will -permit.”</p> - -<p>“That’s good advice,” Clay replied. “We’ll get -as far away from this country as possible before -daylight! This thing is getting on my own nerves! -I’ve been looking for a quiet week or two, but I -haven’t found them.”</p> - -<p>The boys lost no time in getting the motors -started. Then followed beautiful days on the river. -The boys fished and slept and held boxing -tournaments with Teddy, and sailed on under the sun and -under the stars until the banks grew higher, the -mountains closer to the river, and they knew that -they must begin to take great care in navigating, -for the Colorado river is not noted for its peaceful -disposition!</p> - -<p>One night they drew into a little creek running -into the Colorado from the California side and built -a roaring fire on the shore.</p> - -<p>“Across the river,” Case said, pointing, “are the -Blue Ridge mountains, and the summits you see are -Mount Perkins and Mount Davis. Ten or fifteen -miles up the river is Black Canyon, and thirty miles -above the entrance to the canyon is Fortification -Rock! There the Colorado turns to the east. Here -our wild sport begins.”</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chXV'>CHAPTER XV.—TEDDY MEETS A RELATIVE.</h2> - -<p class='first'>“And right here is where we back up!”</p> - -<p>It was one day later, and the <i>Rambler</i> lay in what -looked to be a great lock, with gates out of sight! -There were high walls on either side, and just ahead -the view was shut off by an abrupt bend in the -rocky formation. The Colorado river was pouring -like a Niagara over a ledge where the narrow -canyon turned.</p> - -<p>“This Black Canyon thing does seem to tell us to -go back!” Don remarked, with a sigh. “Looks -like I’d have to leave you and take to the plateau in -order to get to the Grand Canyon, after all. “This -seems to be a locked door, all right! No boat can -ever get above that tumble!”</p> - -<p>“I’ve heard of boats going past Black Canyon,” -Case insisted.</p> - -<p>“They must have gone up in a balloon, then!” -Alex suggested.</p> - -<p>“There may be a passage around this series of -falls,” Clay said.</p> - -<p>“Well,” Alex sighed. “We’re out of sight of -river pirates, anyway. We can see the blue sky -over our heads, and that is about all!”</p> - -<p>“Fine place to camp, on that shelf of rock!” -Case put in. “I’d like to stay here a few days and -investigate some of the caverns.”</p> - -<p>“That’s a good idea,” Clay exclaimed. “And -while we are looking in the odd crevices the water -has made we may find some way of getting the -<i>Rambler</i> up the river. Anyway, I’m not going to -give up the trip until I have to! A man once went -the whole length of the Grand Canyon in a boat! -He must have got many a ducking!”</p> - -<p>“Yes, but he was coming down, while we want -to go up! If we were up above these falls, we -might get down, by risking the boat and our own -lives, but I don’t see how we are ever to get up!”</p> - -<p>“There’s always a way!” laughed Alex. “I’ll -get some of that drift out of the eddies and build a -fire on that rock while you boys get supper. If you -want fish, catch ’em. Seems to be plenty here.”</p> - -<p>“You’ll have a fine time making that wet wood -burn!” cried Case.</p> - -<p>Alex pointed to an opening in the wall of the -canyon, back of the rock.</p> - -<p>“I’ve been looking into that nest,” he said, “and -I’ve discovered that there’s dry wood and leaves in -there. Some day when the Colorado was on the -rampage, logs and limbs drifted in there and never -got out again.”</p> - -<p>“Why wouldn’t that be a good place to camp?” -asked Don. “Aren’t you boys getting tired of -sleeping in those narrow bunks every night?”</p> - -<p>“You bet I am,” Alex answered, “and I’ll sleep -in the cave if any one else will. It seems nice and -dry in there, and Captain Joe can keep watch! -Who’s in for it? Now, don’t all speak at once!”</p> - -<p>“I am, for one!” Don explained. “I’ll just -enjoy it.”</p> - -<p>“The <i>Rambler</i> is good enough for me,” Case -asserted, and Clay expressed the same opinion, so -Alex and Don were the only ones to move their -blankets and pillows into the cavern that night when -they were ready to go to bed. Teddy went with -them, but the dog crept back to the boat.</p> - -<p>“Bears live in caves, anyway!” laughed Don. -“I guess Teddy feels at home here, the way he is -tumbling about. Cute cub, that!”</p> - -<p>There was a fire, fast dying down, just outside -the mouth of the cave where the two boys were, and -they lay side by side in their blankets for a long time -watching the flickering blaze and talking of the -strange events which had brought them together. -At length Don spoke of the papers.</p> - -<p>“Do you really hope to find the third paper in -the shack your uncle inhabited in the Grand -Canyon?” asked Alex. “I ain’t so sure of it.”</p> - -<p>“I am sure it is there,” Don answered, “but I -can’t say whether we shall find it or not. I’ve been -thinking that we might find the spot marked by an -‘X’ without it. I’m certain that the third paper -tells only of surroundings—perhaps points the way -to some bend or cliff. By looking over the locality -very carefully, we may be able to find the sunburst -and the big X. Don’t you think so?”</p> - -<p>“Why, of course,” Alex replied, sleepily.</p> - -<p>“Oh, if you're going to sleep,” laughed Don, -“you’ll get no more of my wisdom! I'm sleepy -myself, so here goes.”</p> - -<p>But sleep did not come at once, for there was an -interruption. Teddy arose from the blanket he -had chosen as his bed and moved toward the -entrance. The fire was low, now, and the boys could -just see his figure outlined against a mass of red -coals. He was growling.</p> - -<p>“Come here, you foolish cub!” Alex called to -him. “Don’t you go to starting anything here! -We want to go to sleep. Understand, you cub!”</p> - -<p>Teddy gave a low whine and moved back into the -cave. Then the boys closed their eyes. But Don -was restless and sat up in a few moments. Alex -heard him, but kept his eyes closed. Then Don -whispered in the boy’s ear and pulled at his -shoulder.</p> - -<p>“Alex!” he whispered. “Look out to the door -and tell me if I am seeing double, will you? There’s -Teddy outside again, but he is three times as large -as he was a little while ago. Do you think there’s -something in the atmosphere of this cave that -induces growth in bears?”</p> - -<p>“Aw, go to sleep!” was Alex’s response to the -query.</p> - -<p>“But that cub has grown to be about nine feet -high!” Don went on. “He is as big, now, as one -of the grizzlies at the Lincoln Park Zoo! Just -wake up and see if you think we can get him on -board the boat in the morning! If he continues to -grow, he’ll be too big to get on a man of war by -daylight! Come, wake up! This thing is getting on -my nerves!”</p> - -<p>Alex opened his eyes and looked, and the bear he -saw was about as large as four Teddies all rolled -into one. The great bulk of the animal almost -closed the entrance! Alex sat up with a little cry -of alarm.</p> - -<p>“That isn’t Teddy,” he gasped. “That is a bear -that wants to come to bed! I’d give a year off my -life to be out of here right now!”</p> - -<p>“Will he bite?” asked Don, innocently. “Teddy -doesn’t bite!”</p> - -<p>“Will he bite?” repeated Alex, and retreated to -the end of the cave, for the big bear was entering, -snuffing and growling, evidently angry because -there were intruders in his bedchamber! Soon he -began nosing at the blankets where the boys had -lain.</p> - -<p>The fire outside flared up and they saw Teddy -advancing toward the larger animal. The cub was -walking sidewise, turning his head from right to -left, as playful puppies do when not quite certain of -the character of the reception their advances are to -meet with.</p> - -<p>The big fellow looked critically at the cub. The -boys were sure they could see an interrogation point -in each eye! To them, at least, he seemed to be -asking:</p> - -<p>“Now, whose baby are you, and what right have -you to come into my bachelor quarters, where babies -are never allowed to come?”</p> - -<p>Still sniffing the air, bruin rose on his rear feet as -if to take the intruder into a crushing embrace. -This was too much for the little cub who had been -taught boxing lessons by three reckless boys.</p> - -<p>He shot out of the obscurity of the interior of the -cave, ambled up to the person of the house, and gave -him a cracking box on the ear! The big bear went -down under the impact of the blow, not having been -prepared for it, and Teddy stood there ready for -another round! There was added peril in every -instant now, but, in spite of all, Alex snickered and -Don broke into a ringing laugh.</p> - -<p>“Go it, Teddy!” Alex cried. “Give him -another! Hand him one on the bread basket!”</p> - -<p>Just such words, just such advice, just such -encouragement, had the cub often heard while facing -one of his instructors! He knew no more now than -to obey. Bruin received another wallop on the ear, -but poor Teddy went down for the count, and the -larger animal sprang at him!</p> - -<p>It seemed for an instant as if the last days of -the cub had come, but fortune favored him. Bruin -hesitated for a moment whether to attack the cub -he had floored or to take a bite out of the boys who -had invaded his home. He chose the latter course -and sprang for Don.</p> - -<p>Now it began to look as if the boys would never -get out of the cave alive. The bear was between -them and the entrance, so they could not run away -from him. Alex felt for his automatic, but -remembered that he had left it on board the <i>Rambler</i>.</p> - -<p>Don managed to elude the claws of the bear as -the rush came, but all the time he was being crowded -into a corner from which there would be no escape. -He, too, reached for his automatic, but did not -find it.</p> - -<p>He found something quite as useful, however, as -the result showed, in the form of an electric -flashlight! As the bear advanced the boy opened the -sliding switch and turned the round eye of light full -into his face. Then he advanced, shouting wildly.</p> - -<p>Bruin’s small eyes flinched under the strong -flame. He threw up his nose, sniffed at the -intangible thing which cut such a path of fire in his -quarters, and began backing out. Don followed -him, still shouting.</p> - -<p>The bear stopped for an instant to give Teddy, -now rising from the floor, a box on the ear and -backed out of the cave. At that moment Clay and -Case, who had heard the shouting, appeared on -the deck of the motor boat with weapons in their -hands.</p> - -<p>“Shoot him!” Alex cried out to them. “Shoot -the big stiff! He’s injured Teddy. Give him a -couple of bullets!”</p> - -<p>Both boys fired and the bear went down. Vital -spots had been, in both cases, reached by the bullets, -and the big fellow moved only in convulsive -struggles after he dropped on the smooth rock in front -of the cavern.</p> - -<p>“It seems a pity!” Case said, standing over the -fallen giant with his still smoking revolver in his -hand. “The poor old chap had just as good a right -to life as any of us. I’m sorry I shot him!”</p> - -<p>“I guess you didn’t see him slamming Teddy -around, and backing Don up into a corner!” Alex -cried. “Only for the searchlight, there would have -been a dead boy instead of a dead bear—perhaps -two dead boys!”</p> - -<p>“How is Teddy?” Clay called out.</p> - -<p>“He’s getting on his feet again!” Alex replied. -Then he broke into a laugh which echoed through -the cave and out into the canyon and pointed to the -cub bear.</p> - -<p>“Just look at him now!” he cried. “He’s game! -He wants to box the big fellow some more! Come -here, Teddy!”</p> - -<p>The cub dropped from his boxing position and -approached the boy.</p> - -<p>“Got knocked out, didn’t you?” Alex jeered. -“Knocked plumb out!”</p> - -<p>Teddy rubbed the sides of his face with his paws -and snorted.</p> - -<p>Alex and Don went back to the boat for the -night. They had had quite enough of the cavern. -In the morning, the first thing, the hide was stripped -from the bear, rubbed faithfully with salt, and hung -up to cure.</p> - -<p>After breakfast Clay and Don climbed to the lip -of the canyon and walked a long way to the north, -the idea being to see if the river above the falls was -suitable for navigation. They returned at noon and -reported that if they could get over the falls they -could run up for miles with little difficulty. There -were rapids, but none the <i>Rambler</i> could not make -headway against, they declared.</p> - -<p>“And we discovered another thing,” Don exclaimed. -“This rock we are on is an island! The -river splits something about a mile above here.”</p> - -<p>“Then where does the new channel come into the -canyon again?” asked Case. “Perhaps we can follow -up this new channel and so get around the falls. -It is worth looking into, at any rate.”</p> - -<p>“It must be down stream,” Clay suggested, “for -we did not pass any junction. Perhaps we’d better -drop down and find it.”</p> - -<p>They found it half a mile below. The new channel -was carrying a swift current, but the water was -deep and there were no falls, so the boys got up full -power and started up. The motor boat had the -fight of her life, but she went up gallantly, -sometimes hesitating, but always gaining in the end, until -they came out above the falls.</p> - -<p>“A few more like that,” Clay declared, wiping -the sweat from his face, “and we’ll have to take -the <i>Rambler</i> to the repair shop. That was a hard -struggle for the old boat.”</p> - -<p>From that time the voyage was not so strenuous, -still, the going was rather more difficult than that -encountered on the Columbia river trip. There -were times when the boys were obliged to unload -the boat and almost carry her, times when ropes were -used to assist her up swift sweeps of water; but, -then, there were wide valleys where Indians tilled -small patches of earth, and where there were green -things in view always. Whenever opportunity -offered the boys procured water from springs in the -hills, for the waters of the Colorado are full of the -silt washed down from the mountains.</p> - -<p>The Colorado river was born when the Rocky -Mountains lifted their peaks above the continent. -From their lofty heights the collected moisture -flowed down on the plains below until a river was -formed. From the base of the mountains to the -ocean level there is a fall of a mile, so the river runs -swiftly. The water cuts out the light soil and also -heaps it up. In the canyons the river runs 6,000 -feet below the level of the plateau, and people on -the desert above might die with thirst because of the -impossibility of getting down to the water.</p> - -<p>The Colorado is forever changing its course and -currents. Here mud flats are forming, there a bank -is being washed away. Here a mighty rock topples -into the stream, there the water cuts around a tower, -leaving a pillar three hundred feet high, standing out -alone! The river, ages ago, entered the Gulf of -California where Yuma is now; in a few centuries -it will fill up and make a level plain of the entire -Gulf. It deposits silt enough in one year to cover -sixty-six square miles of territory with sediment a -foot deep! It is working hard to level the continent, -ably assisted by the Columbia, the Mississippi, the -Frazer, the Snake and the Gila!</p> - -<p>The boys will never forget those days and nights -on the Colorado. It was a golden time, and at last -the Grand Canyon opened before them!</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chXVI'>CHAPTER XVI.—CONCERNING A HEADLESS GHOST.</h2> - -<p class='first'>“Now,” Clay suggested, on the morning following -the arrival at the mouth of the mightiest canyon -on earth, “we may as well make up our minds that -we can’t go very much farther in the <i>Rambler</i>. -We will go in as far as we can, then tie up and -investigate the great mystery.”</p> - -<p>“If you want to see the Grand Canyon to good -advantage,” Don advised, “get up on the plateau -and look down and across. At the level of the river -you see little save blue sky and rock, and you see -those like one looking out of a well! Besides, it is -pretty hot down here.</p> - -<p>“There is little breeze, and we are a mile or more -nearer the center of the earth than those at the lips -of the cut. When it snows up above it rains down -here. Clumps of willows which grow in the -canyon look like fringes of grass from above. The -houses where the guides and a few Indians live -look like soap-boxes from the top.</p> - -<p>“And, then, from the top, you can get the full -contrast of the colors in the layers of rocks. You’ll -see a wall of black granite rusty with the iron that -is in it, and, a short distance away, you’ll see red, -amber and green pinnacles with white tops. We’ll -have to climb some to get to the shack where Uncle -David lived, and so you may be able to satisfy your -love of nature without going to the top.”</p> - -<p>“Did any one ever sail down through this canyon?” -asked Alex.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” Don answered, “Major Powell succeeded -in getting through with a boat, but some members -of his party lost their lives. We can nose the -<i>Rambler</i> up for quite a distance yet, but -of course we can’t go through.”</p> - -<p>“Then suppose we camp in the canyon itself to-night?” -Alex questioned. “It will be fine to hear -the waters singing!”</p> - -<p>“We may safely do that,” Don answered. “We -will, of course, be in what is known as the inner -gorge, that is, away down to bed rock! We can -get to within a couple of miles of the shack by night -and make camp there. Then, in the morning, we -can climb up and have a look at the old place.”</p> - -<p>“You lived there for a time with your uncle?” -asked Case.</p> - -<p>“Yes, for a couple of years. But Uncle never -made much of us boys. He seemed to want to be -alone, and, besides, he often said that we ought to -be out in the world learning to fight humans! Uncle -had a notion that men and women were worse than -wild animals!</p> - -<p>“So, after a time, he sent us away, giving us -tickets to Chicago by way of San Francisco and the -S. P. While on the way back, as I have already -told you, we visited the old house at Yuma. I -never saw Uncle again. He was a strange old -fellow. Where he got all his wealth is more than -I know, but he certainly was rich.”</p> - -<p>It was hard work sailing against the currents of -the Colorado, but the motors were strong and -reliable, and at night the boys found themselves shut -in by towering walls of rock. Above, on either side, -were shelves, ledges and precipices. Away at the -top grew yellow pine and fir, below juniper thrived, -and farther down were willows and various kinds -of bushes. The light was dim long before sunset, -and the river ran dark and sullen between the -frowning walls.</p> - -<p>“We’ve got to stop here,” Don declared, as the -<i>Rambler</i> reached a point where the inner gorge -widened out into a small valley—a very small valley -indeed—“for the shelf where the shack stands can -be reached only from this point.”</p> - -<p>“How far up is it?” asked Clay.</p> - -<p>“Something like two thousand feet.”</p> - -<p>“Almost to the surface?”</p> - -<p>“Not half way,” was the laughing reply. “There -was a copper mine there, once, years ago, and the -shack was left by the miners when the drive was -deserted. It is an uncanny place!”</p> - -<p>“How do you get there?” asked Alex. “Is it -a hard climb?”</p> - -<p>“Rather! In places the path is only thirty inches -wide, with a wall a thousand feet up on one side -and a drop of a thousand feet on the other! In -places the way is so steep that steps have been cut in -the rock, to prevent the burros slipping.”</p> - -<p>“Burros!” echoed Alex. Walking up and down -that wall!”</p> - -<p>“Both burros and horses, after proper training,” -Don answered.</p> - -<p>“I think I'd rather walk!” Alex muttered, and -Case nodded agreement.</p> - -<p>“You’ll find that horses’ feet are surer than your -own,” Don predicted. “There is rarely an accident -here.”</p> - -<p>The boys anchored the <i>Rambler</i> close to the -shore, opposite the little spread-out of rocky soil and -built a fire of driftwood. When night settled down -the stars looked into the gulch bright and clear, and -in time the moon arose and lighted the upper air, -though its rays did not penetrate to the inner gorge -at first, of course.</p> - -<p>After supper the lads sat on the deck of the -motor boat and watched the line of moonlight drop -down on the west wall. Now it touched the top of -a monument erosion had wrought, now it painted -a shadowy wall where rocks were tottering to a -fall.</p> - -<p>“It is going to be a ghost night!” Don said, -presently.</p> - -<p>The other boys laughed at the expression, and -Clay asked:</p> - -<p>“Do they have ghost nights at the bottom of the -canyon?”</p> - -<p>“The ghost nights,” Don explained, gravely, -“are found only near the broad level made by the -dumpings of the old copper mine. Anybody who -ever lived hereabouts can tell you that ghosts come -forth at midnight and walk the ledges where they -came to their deaths!”</p> - -<p>“Bunk!” grunted Case. That’s all bunk!”</p> - -<p>“About the ghosts? Of course, but there is -something mysterious in the Grand Canyon! There -are noises no one can account for, and sights which -no one can explain are common. It is a haunted -place!”</p> - -<p>“I’m glad of that!” Alex exclaimed. “I’ve -always wanted to form the acquaintance of a really, -truly ghost! One may come to-night!”</p> - -<p>“If one should,” laughed Clay, “you would be -the first one to jump out of your skin with fright! I -don’t want to be bothered with ghosts, for one, for -I’m tired and sleepy. Besides, we have a hard climb -before us for to-morrow.”</p> - -<p>When the boys went to bed the west wall of the -canyon was silvered with moonlight, while the east -wall was still clothed in shadows. Case’s bunk was -nearest to the door of the cabin, and Captain Joe, -seeking companionship, snuggled down by it.</p> - -<p>The last thing the boy heard, before he dropped -into a sound sleep, was the uneasy breathing of the -dog. After a time he awoke with a start. Captain -Joe was bristling and growling.</p> - -<p>“You ornery pup,” Case whispered, “keep still! -You’ll wake the boys up! What do you see out -there to growl at?”</p> - -<p>Captain Joe advanced to the prow of the boat -and pointed with a quivering nose to the east wall -of the canyon. Then he looked back at Case and -invited an apology for previous coarse treatment!</p> - -<p>Case looked and turned back to awake the other -boys, then changed his mind and stood waiting. On -a descending shelf of rock five hundred feet above -the level of the river, a white object could be seen -creeping slowly downward. It was in the shadow at -first, but presently came into a light reflected from -the opposite wall.</p> - -<p>Then the boys saw a white horse without a head -and a white rider, also without a head! The horse -moved slowly down the shelf toward the river, and -the rider sat upright and stiff, not swaying at all -with the motions of the horse! While Case looked -the pair, the white horse and the white rider, came -to an abrupt ending in the shelf.</p> - -<p>To the amazement of the lad they did not stop -there. They went on over the edge of the precipice -and something white fell down, down, to a rocky -bed below. As the white thing shot through the -air a shriek of terror echoed over the canyon, and -then all was still.</p> - -<p>Case watched and listened with a wildly beating -heart. The horse and rider had certainly gone down -the precipice! He awoke Don and told him of what -he had seen. Don looked serious.</p> - -<p>“It is the ghost of the canyon,” he said. “For -years, on moonlight nights, the horse and rider have -gone over the precipice. It is said that a rider met -death there years ago, and that his bones, and the -bones of his horse, were found at the bottom of the -precipice by a hunter. For a long time no one -would come within sight of that shelf at night.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t believe in ghosts!” Case asserted. “I -don’t believe it was a ghost at all! It is some trick -to drive us away!”</p> - -<p>“But the sight has been seen for a long time—years -before we ever thought of coming here,” urged Don.</p> - -<p>“You don’t actually believe in it?” asked Case.</p> - -<p>“There is something strange about it,” was all -the boy would say.</p> - -<p>“Will it ride again to-night?” asked Case. “If -I thought it would I’d sit up and watch for it. I’m -interested in this ghost.”</p> - -<p>“It is never twice seen on the same night,” Don -replied. “In fact it comes only when the moon -reaches just such a position in the heavens. Always -when the rider moves down the ledge you will see -the shadow of that granite monument resting on -the white boulder which nestles like a setting in -that cliff.”</p> - -<p>“Who compiled all the ignorance there is in the -world regarding ghosts?” Case grinned. “I guess -if people got a chance to return to earth after death, -they wouldn’t be monkeying around in fool ways -like that! This is some trick! You’ll see if we -don’t get to the bottom of it before we go away! -Headless horse, and headless rider! Why, even -Captain Joe knew that they were not ghosts, for he -woke me up growling at them!”</p> - -<p>“Where is he now?” asked Don, looking around -for the dog.</p> - -<p>“He was here a minute ago,” Case replied. “He -is not far away.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t let the ghosts get him,” laughed Don, -and went back to his bunk.</p> - -<p>Case did not go to sleep. He was wondering if -there really were people who actually believed in -supernatural visitations! Reared in the hard school -of the streets, he had long ago learned to accept -nothing as true which did not comply with the -standards of the knowable.</p> - -<p>He wondered, too, where Captain Joe had taken -himself off to. Usually the dog remained close to -the boat at night, so his sudden disappearance was -a puzzle to the boy. He whistled softly, but the dog -did not come.</p> - -<p>Then Case remembered the remarks Alex had -made concerning the moonlight and the ghost nights. -The lad certainly would be ripe for a visit to the -bottom of the precipice. Case did not know what -he might find there, but he had his suspicions as to -what had gone down!</p> - -<p>Alex kicked out vigorously and rubbed his eyes -sleepily when Case shook him up in his bunk. He -had no thought of getting up! Then Case whispered -in his ear—whispered because he did not want the -others to awake and learn that they were going -away on a ghost hunt!</p> - -<p>“The ghost walks!” Case rumbled in the boy’s -ear!</p> - -<p>“Leave mine in my pocket!” Alex yawned. -“Where is he?”</p> - -<p>“Not the money ghost,” Case snickered, “but -the ghost that falls off mountains without being -injured, and rides about the country with his head -under his arm, or somewhere else out of sight. Get -up!”</p> - -<p>“Me for the ghost!” Alex exclaimed. “Bring -him to me!”</p> - -<p>“We’ve got to go and get him!” Case replied. -“And you’d better keep still, or the whole bunch -will want to go. Get up and dress.”</p> - -<p>“I’m dressed,” replied the boy. “I was going -out anyhow as soon as the others got to sleep. -Where’s Captain Joe?”</p> - -<p>“The ghost carried him off!” laughed Case. -“Indeed he did,” he went on, as Alex expressed -disapproval. “He hasn’t been seen since the -headless ghost rode the headless horse down the -bottomless precipice!”</p> - -<p>“Wheels!” cried Alex, in derision. “You’ve -got buzzing wheels!”</p> - -<p>Case got the sleepy youngster out of the cabin -and told him about the white rider and also about -Don’s account of the tradition.</p> - -<p>“Now,” he added, “I propose that we go down -the shore a little way and climb up the slope to the -foot of that precipice. You can see from here where -the shelf ends. Well, anything dropped off the -break would fall into a coulee on the other side of -the ridge. See?”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps we can get to the foot of the precipice, -and perhaps we can not,” Alex said, “but we’ll try, -anyway. What do you expect to find there? The -dead ghost of a headless horse and rider?”</p> - -<p>Case laughed and the two started away, following -the river bank down until the rise to the east ran -out, and then following the coulee back of it. In -a very short time they were at the foot of the -smooth wall of rock which dropped down from the -shelf above. The moon was now far up in the sky, -and its light fell directly into the canyon.</p> - -<p>The lads looked carefully about the foot of the -wall, but were not rewarded in any way for their -labor. Presently, however, Case bent over a depression -in the soil which had gathered in a corner—washed -down from the heights above—and called -to his chum.</p> - -<p>“What do you make of it?” he asked, flashing -his electric on the spot indicated. “Does that look -like a ghost’s track?”</p> - -<p>“Dog’s track!” Alex exclaimed. “Captain -Joe’s track! Now what was he doing here? But -here’s another footprint!” he went on, all -excitement, “and it wasn’t made by a dog, either. -Healthy ghost, that!”</p> - -<p>“The ghost that made that track,” Case answered, -“wore a No. 10 shoe with the taps worn down so -as to show the nailheads! And the shoe was here -not long ago, at that. Now, what was the dog -doing with a stranger?”</p> - -<p>“I reckon Captain Joe has been abducted!” -grinned Alex. “I’d like to see the man that did -it. He’d be some chewed up, I take it!”</p> - -<p>“Well,” Case went on, “the dog has been captured, -for here are the marks where he pulled back -as he was dragged away! And I guess it was -no ghost that did it, either. Just listen to that!”</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chXVII'>CHAPTER XVII.—THE SUNBURST ON THE WALL.</h2> - -<p class='first'>The sound to which Case called attention was a -long, quavering howl, such as a dog in captivity -will sometimes make. It sounded far away.</p> - -<p>“There’s the proof of it!” the boy said. “Captain -Joe has been taken prisoner, and he’s trying to -tell us about it. Now, how the Old Harry did any -living person get him into a mess he couldn’t get -out of?”</p> - -<p>“What we want to know, just now,” said Alex, -“is where he is, and not how he got there. The -sound came from up above?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“I thought so,” was the reply.</p> - -<p>“Well, how are we going to get up there?” demanded -the other.</p> - -<p>The boys passed to the east of the precipice and -came to a rugged incline which seemed to lead to the -vicinity of the shelf of rock from which the ghostly -visitors had apparently fallen. It was hard -climbing for those unused to such exercise, but at last -they stood on a summit which connected with the -shelf farther along.</p> - -<p>Below, five hundred feet or more, ran the Colorado -river, its red waters hidden from the moonlight -except in spots, for the outcropping walls -make a view of the river from the top almost -impossible. The boys could see the <i>Rambler</i> lying at -anchor, however, and see the embers of the cooking -fire not far away. There were no lights on board -the boat when they first looked, but presently a glimmer -was seen on the aft deck.</p> - -<p>“What is it?” asked Case, mystified.</p> - -<p>“Some one boarding the boat!” Alex cried. -“The boys are asleep and Captain Joe is gone! Now -do you see why the dog was abducted? We’ve got -to get down there just as soon as we can. No -knowing what may happen!”</p> - -<p>“I guess we’re not going to lack for excitement!” -Case mused. “We’ve got out of the path -of commerce, but we seem to have struck a live wire, -after all!”</p> - -<p>“Shall we go back, or just wake the boys and go -find the dog?” asked the other.</p> - -<p>“If we don’t go back, we may not have any boat -to go back to!” Case predicted. “The people down -there are never prowling around for their health.”</p> - -<p>“But the boys would be all right, awake, and I -hate to leave the dog in bad company!” Alex -protested.</p> - -<p>“Say,” Case suggested, “suppose we take a -couple of shots at the chaps who are monkeying with -the <i>Rambler</i>? That will wake the boys!”</p> - -<p>“That surely will wake the boys, anyway,” was -the reply, and before Case could get his gun out -Alex was peppering away at the air a few feet above -the cabin of the motor boat.</p> - -<p>The effect, below, was instantaneous. A light -flashed out in the cabin, and then the prow lamp was -turned on. Clay and Don could be seen scrambling -out of the doorway, only half dressed.</p> - -<p>There was no one else in sight. The intruder had -made himself scarce at the instant the revolvers had -been fired. It was evident that he had not visited -the <i>Rambler</i> with the intention of attacking the -boys.</p> - -<p>“Hello, the boat!” yelled Alex, directly.</p> - -<p>“Hello yourself!” came back in Don’s voice.</p> - -<p>“What’s the shooting about?” demanded Clay.</p> - -<p>“Take a run around the boat and see!” Case -called back. “There is some one hiding near there! -He can’t be very far away.”</p> - -<p>“Why don’t you come on down?” asked Don. -“Where are you?”</p> - -<p>“Looking for the ghost!” Alex called out. -“Come up and help.”</p> - -<p>Finally Clay, who had made a quick circuit of the -shore near the fire, reported that there were tracks -of heavy shoes, such footgear as no one but a heavy -man would be apt to wear, all around the remains of -the fire! He asked the boys to return to the boat, -but they advised a close watch and decided to -continue their search for the dog.</p> - -<p>“Because,” Alex reasoned, “they’ll take him farther -away before morning, and, then, we want to see -the ghost before he fades away at the coming of the -dawn! The ghost with big feet!”</p> - -<p>“He’ll fade away before the coming of the dawn -if I get a shot at him,” grumbled Case. “He’s too -free with our property!”</p> - -<p>The boys heard the voice of the dog no more. -Below they saw the motor boat blazing with light, -the boys stealthily on guard in the cabin. Above, -the moonlight flooded the lips of the canyon. To -north and south the great river roared away, ever -diving deeper into the bowels of the earth, as if to -hide its red waters from the light of the sun.</p> - -<p>From shelf to shelf, from coulee to coulee, from -slope to slope! It was a weary night! Many times -they thought they heard the dog calling to them. -Once or twice they thought they heard voices. But -always investigation of the localities from which the -sounds had seemed to come brought no satisfactory -result.</p> - -<p>“Suppose we go back to the boat?” asked Alex.</p> - -<p>Case threw himself down on a rock, yawned, and -pointed to the western lip of the big canyon. It -showed a tinge of pink.</p> - -<p>“It is time, I think,” he said. “This light is not -that of the moon, but of the sun! We’ve been all -night blundering around here!”</p> - -<p>But it was not possible to reach the boat in a few -minutes. The lads were far up the east side of the -canyon, and the path to the bottom was long, winding, -and uncertain. They had wandered far to the -north, too, and the location of the boat was hidden -by a rocky summit.</p> - -<p>Below them lay the level filling in front of the old -copper mine. At the northern extremity of the fill -stood a single shack, built of the boles of yellow -pine and roofed with shingles rough-hewn from the -same useful tree. Case pointed down and gave his -chum a nudge in the ribs.</p> - -<p>“Uncle David’s home!” he said. “The deserted -shack!”</p> - -<p>“Deserted!” echoed the other. “If it is deserted, -tell me what the dickens the chimney is -smoking for?”</p> - -<p>What the boy said was true, for a thin column of -smoke was ascending from the chimney of the old -mine house, supposed to have been deserted by mankind -long ago!</p> - -<p>“Suppose we go down and make a social call?” -suggested Case.</p> - -<p>“It would be all right to find out who lives there,” -Alex agreed.</p> - -<p>“Probably some old hermit, like Don’s uncle,” -Case ventured.</p> - -<p>“Yes, probably; still, it may be the headless -ghost! What do you make of that ghost business, -anyway?” the boy added.</p> - -<p>“I think it is easy enough to solve that puzzle,” -Case replied. “Some man rode a horse down that -shelf. Both were sheathed in white except their -heads, which were wrapped in black. When they -reached the end of the shelf the white garments, or -blankets, or whatever they were, were tossed down -the precipice. Then the black-clad horse and man -went softly up the shelf again. There you have the -solution according to Sherlock Holmes’ methods! -Now, who is it that is playing ghost, and why is he -doing it? That’s the question now.”</p> - -<p>“But we went to the bottom of the precipice and -found nothing white there. How do you account -for that, wise one?”</p> - -<p>“But we found footprints, didn’t we? That -shows that there was some one there to-night, -doesn’t it? And we found tracks showing that -Captain Joe had been seized, muzzled, and dragged -along, didn’t we? No ghost would do that! -Circumstantial evidence is good in this case, but it -wouldn’t convict the ghost of falling over the ledge -or of stealing the dog, because, you see, there is -proof that some other person had a chance to do -these same things! Do you understand me?”</p> - -<p>“All right, figure it out to suit yourself,” Alex -agreed. “Perhaps you’ll be able, after a time, to -reason out the purposes and personality of this -false-alarm ghost, and to release the dog by induction!”</p> - -<p>“I half believe you think there is a ghost here,” -Case argued, half provoked at the mental attitude -of the other. “Don’t you, now?”</p> - -<p>“I certainly do not,” was the answer. “What I -object to is your lofty, cocksure manner of accounting -for everything. Here you go ahead and explain -the events of the night as if you had seen every move -made. But you may be right! Really, I half believe -you are, and I’m sorry I didn’t beat you to it -by figuring the thing out for myself!”</p> - -<p>“Well, then, as we agree on the ghost matter, -suppose we go down to the house and see who is -there? Perhaps the occupant of the shack will invite -us to eat! I’m hungry as a wolf, and then -some.”</p> - -<p>As the boys were about to descend to the level -space in front of the old mine bore, Case caught -Alex by the arm and pointed to the opposite wall of -the canyon, some distance away. There was excitement -in the boy’s tone and manner as he said:</p> - -<p>“You remember the sunburst on the paper?”</p> - -<p>“I should say so,” replied Alex. “I’ve got a -copy of it right here with me. Why do you bring -that mystery up now?”</p> - -<p>“There’s a sunburst over there on the smooth -wall!” Case said. “The sun shines on the rocks so -as to produce the effect of one, anyway.”</p> - -<p>“You’ve got to show me!” Alex exclaimed, with -a provoking grin.</p> - -<p>Case took out his watch and noted the time. Six -o’clock.</p> - -<p>Alex, puzzled, held the paper he had taken from -a pocket out to his chum, asking:</p> - -<p>“Six o’clock, you say? Now, look here! On this -paper there is a figure six marked by the side of the -drawing of the sunburst exactly at the point where -the sun now strikes the sunburst on the wall. What -does that mean?”</p> - -<p>“Well,” Case answered, scratching his head, -“there is a seven below the six. We’ll see if the -seven stands in the same relation to the sunburst that -the six does.”</p> - -<p>“What do you mean by that?” asked Alex. “I -don’t understand.”</p> - -<p>“Look here! The figure six marks where the line -of sunlight lies on the wall at six o’clock! That’s -easy, isn’t it? Does the figure seven stand so as to -show where the line of sunlight will lie on the wall -at seven o’clock? Do you get that, muddlehead?”</p> - -<p>“Well, what of it? I don’t see no sustenance in -that?”</p> - -<p>“Look at the other paper?” suggested Case. -“Look at the big ‘X.’ That means ten o’clock, -what? Suppose it means ten o’clock? Does that -give you no idea? I guess you’re dense this -morning, kid!”</p> - -<p>“My head is so empty that it rattles, just as my -stomach does!” Alex replied. “I don’t know a -thing!”</p> - -<p>“Well,” Case went on, “I’d like to be here at -exactly ten o’clock and see where the line of sunlight -lies on the wall then!”</p> - -<p>“Oh,” cried Alex, “you think the papers point -to time! When the line of sunlight reaches ten on -the wall, as shown by the paper, a door will open -and a troop of trained bankers will issue forth -bearing chests of gold in their hands. Something like -that, old chum? Do I get you at last?”</p> - -<p>“No use trying to explain anything to you!” -Case replied, turning away in a rage. “You’d -better run back to the boat before you get lost.”</p> - -<p>“Now, don’t get a grouch!” laughed Alex. -“You know what I mean. When ten o’clock comes -the line of sunlight will lie over the place where -Don’s uncle hid something. Is that your idea?”</p> - -<p>“Exactly!” was the reply. “Why didn’t you say -that before, instead of giving out fool talk about -trained bankers?”</p> - -<p>“Then we’ve found the treasure!” Alex cried, -eagerly.</p> - -<p>“That depends,” answered Case. “We’ll come -back here at ten this forenoon and see where the -line is. There may be a cross on the wall there, or -there may be a rock formation which resembles an -‘X.’ We’ll have to investigate. But wouldn’t it be -fine if we could dig up this secret while Clay and -Don were puzzling over it?”</p> - -<p>“Indeed it would! But suppose we go down to -the shack and see what kind of people live there. -There may be something to eat in it!”</p> - -<p>“If I had your appetite,” Case grumbled, “I’d -go somewhere and run a restaurant! You’re either -hungry or sleepy all the time!”</p> - -<p>The lads laughed at the idea of Alex owning a -restaurant, and scrambled down the slope to the -level dump where the shack stood.</p> - -<p>Smoke was still coming from the chimney. The -windows had been covered with boards, securely -nailed on, and the boys found the doors locked when -they, after knocking, tried to enter. Circling around -the shack, which was of good dimensions, they -finally discovered a small door which was -unfastened, and through this they entered.</p> - -<p>They passed, with their electric lights on, through -what must at one time have been a storeroom, came -out in an old kitchen, passed on to a sitting room, -which faced the front of the shack, and stopped to -listen.</p> - -<p>The smothered breathing of a dog came from an -adjoining room, and they hastened to open the door. -Captain Joe was tied up with a chain to a hook in -the wall, the chain so short that he could not move -more than a few inches. His head was covered with -a heavy burlap bag, which was tied tightly around -his neck.</p> - -<p>When released and caressed, the dog appeared to -be dazed, and the boys saw at once that he had -been doped with some stupefying drug. This -undoubtedly accounted for his being in captivity. In -his usual health the dog would have made the tying -of him up a difficult and dangerous proceeding. -After a time Captain Joe lay down and rubbed the -sides of his head with his paws, as if he had a very -bad headache!</p> - -<p>In the room where the dog was there was a bed, -rumpled and dirty, and a couple of chairs. Under -the bed was a pair of heavy boots, and Alex -whispered to his chum as he looked at them.</p> - -<p>“Big boots,” he said, “and the taps have been -worn so that the nails protrude. Our ghost wore -them, all right.”</p> - -<p>Case went to a closet and began rummaging about. -Presently he came out with a couple of milk-white -sheets and a couple of black bags with eye and nose -holes in them.</p> - -<p>“We have either struck the home of a train robber -or a ghost!” the boy said. “I’d like to know -which!”</p> - -<p>“You are likely to be informed soon,” Alex -replied, “for there is some one coming in at the front -door right now!”</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chXVIII'>CHAPTER XVIII.—CASE AND ALEX UNDER ARREST.</h2> - -<p class='first'>Clay and Don remained awake after the shooting. -They kept the lights burning and waited anxiously -for the return of Case and Alex, but they -did not come.</p> - -<p>While they waited Don told Clay the story of the -headless horse and rider, expressing the opinion that -the boys had gone out on a ghost hunt!</p> - -<p>Clay was all interest in a moment, and indignant, -too, because he had not been called in time to view -the ghostly procession.</p> - -<p>“That’s just what the boys have done!” he -agreed. “They’ve gone off in search of that ghost! -I’d like to be with them!”</p> - -<p>“All the ghosts they find won’t fat them up any,” -laughed Don.</p> - -<p>“But they may solve the mystery!” Clay insisted. -“That will be worth while, won’t it?”</p> - -<p>“Of course! Now, I have an idea where they -will bring up,” the lad went on, “and I suggest that -we head them off as soon as it is daylight. The boat -will be safe in the daytime, I think.”</p> - -<p>“Where will they go?” asked Clay. “I’d like to -surprise them.”</p> - -<p>“If they follow along that shelf, after once getting -to the top of it,” Don went on, “they will come -out in time near the old mine, at the shack where -Uncle David lived so long. They will go into the -house and look for the ghost. Let us get there -first!”</p> - -<p>“All right! We’ll go just as soon as it gets light.”</p> - -<p>But with the first glimpse of the summer sun -came two husky men in a shell of a boat. They -rowed up to the shore and stepped out close to the -place where the <i>Rambler</i> was anchored. They were -rough-looking fellows, with half-breed faces and -cruel black eyes. The boys felt for their guns as -they approached, although their movements were -intended to be friendly.</p> - -<p>“Hello!” one of the men shouted. “Hello, -strangers!”</p> - -<p>“Come aboard,” Clay said, thinking that he could -do no less than invite the unwelcome guests to join -in a cup of coffee, as the beverage was then bubbling -on the electric coils at the back of the cabin.</p> - -<p>The strangers re-entered their boat, pushed over -to the <i>Rambler</i>, and mounted to the deck, their -snaky eyes taking in every detail of the craft as they -did so. Clay served them coffee and such food as -had been prepared for breakfast, and waited for -them to make their business known. At length one -of them broached the subject.</p> - -<p>“You’re Don Durand?” he asked, facing the boy.</p> - -<p>“Yes; but how did you know that?” answered Don.</p> - -<p>“I was about here when you lived with Dave.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t remember you,” the boy said, suspiciously.</p> - -<p>“I’m Flint,” reminded the other. “I worked in -the mine for Dave.”</p> - -<p>“I was a little chap, and didn’t know the miners,” -Don hastened to say, for he was nervous under the -evil eyes of the fellow who called himself Flint and -claimed acquaintance.</p> - -<p>“Uncle died after you left,” Flint continued, and -Don nodded.</p> - -<p>“You’ve come back to look up his property?”</p> - -<p>Don hesitated, but decided to tell the exact truth.</p> - -<p>“I came back to see the country, and if there is -anything here that belongs to me I’ll take it away -with me.”</p> - -<p>“There’s nothing here,” Flint said, with a scowl. -“A man named Frost came and took everything -there was in the house.”</p> - -<p>“And the papers?” asked Don. “Where are they?”</p> - -<p>“He took them also. He hunted for a buried -treasure until he got the whole county to laughing -at him! I reckon Dave didn’t have any treasure to -hide when he died! He was as poor as the rest of -us.”</p> - -<p>“I’m going to look through the old house,” Don -said. “There may be something there this man -Frost overlooked. By the way, I think I know this -man Frost. But what right had he to come here and -remove the property?”</p> - -<p>“He had some kind of a writing, he said. I never -saw it.”</p> - -<p>“Do you know where he came from?” asked Don, -then. “From Chicago?”</p> - -<p>“He said he lived in Chicago,” was the evasive -reply.</p> - -<p>“Well,” Don concluded, “I’m going to tear the -old house down, if it is necessary to do so to find the -papers I want.”</p> - -<p>“The old house belongs to me and Ike, here,” -with a nod at his companion, “and we wouldn’t like -to have it torn down.”</p> - -<p>“Who gave it to you?” demanded the boy, -angrily.</p> - -<p>“I got it from this man Frost. He sold it to me. -I let Ike in on a half interest, so, as I was sayin’, -I wouldn’t like to have it torn down—not right -away! In fact, I’ll shoot any person that even tries -to get into it. Nothing personal, lad! I just speak -generally.”</p> - -<p>“Will you give me permission to look through -it?” asked Don.</p> - -<p>“I can’t see as it would do you any good to look -through it. There is nothing there but dust and a -few living things, such as dishes and the like. You -wouldn’t care to see them, I take it.”</p> - -<p>Don was about to make a hasty reply, but Clay -seized him by the arm and drew him to one side. -The boy was shaking with anger.</p> - -<p>“Keep cool!” Clay warned. “We’ll get into -that house, all right, but we’ll do it without -permission from him.”</p> - -<p>Flint and Ike went away while the two boys talked -together. When they had disappeared down the -river, the lads finished their breakfast and prepared -for a visit to the old mine. It was nearly seven -o’clock when they came within sight, from the south, -of the building. They had been climbing for three -hours or more.</p> - -<p>At first they saw no one on the old dump, but -before long they saw a heavy, flabby man in a -broadcloth coat and silk hat working away at the front -door of the house. Don’s voice shook as he said:</p> - -<p>“That’s Josiah Trumbull! I guess he’s got me -at last!”</p> - -<p>“Looks more like you had him!” Clay retorted. -“He seems to have a key to that door. I reckon -he’s been here before.”</p> - -<p>“A good many times!” Don replied. “Too many times!”</p> - -<p>“I wonder if King is anywhere about?” asked -Clay. “I don’t think Trumbull came here alone. -I hope he’ll get kicked out of the house, if he gets -in!”</p> - -<p>Trumbull unlocked the door and swung it open. -The house was in the shadow, for it was on the east -side of the canyon, but there was a strong light -across the great cut, where the morning sun was -shining on the rocks. Trumbull stopped in the -doorway, lighted a cigar, drew a long breath and turned -to enter.</p> - -<p>Then two quick shots came from the interior, and -Trumbull crinkled up on the slice of stone which -stood for a platform in front of the door. Thinking -only of the tragedy which had taken place before -their eyes, and not of themselves on their own -safety, Clay and Don ran forward and bent over -the fallen man. They saw in a moment that he was -quite dead.</p> - -<p>Then Case and Alex came rushing through the -doorway, the latter carrying a smoking revolver in -his right hand, his face white and pinched.</p> - -<p>“Great God, lads!” Clay shouted. “Why did -you do it? Why didn’t you wait? Why did you do -it?”</p> - -<p>Alex threw down the weapon and was about to -make some reply when he was grabbed from behind. -In an instant steel handcuffs were on his wrists as -well as those of Case. There was no struggle. The -boys were too dazed to resist and Clay and Don -were too dumfounded to say a word.</p> - -<p>Then, in another moment, King, Flint, and Ike -appeared beside the body, bending over it, and Clay -and the others dumbly realized that it was King -who had manacled their chums.</p> - -<p>“You’re caught with the goods!”</p> - -<p>The man who had been called Ike was the speaker, -and there was a note of triumph in his tone.</p> - -<p>“You boys went too far this time. I’m sheriff -here, and I saw the shootin’.”</p> - -<p>“What does it mean?” asked Case. “Neither -one of us did the shooting. Alex’s gun lay on a -chair, and we missed it, and the next—”</p> - -<p>“That will do for you!” broke in Ike. “Tell it -to the judge.”</p> - -<p>“Let him talk if he wants to,” King said, lifting -his eyes bravely to the accusing ones of the boys. -“He has a perfect right to make any statement he -desires to make.”</p> - -<p>“You’re a new one on me!” the man who had -been called Ike said, with a scowl at King. “Who -are you, and how did you get into the house? I -saw you running, too, when the shots were fired.”</p> - -<p>“I came here with Trumbull,” was the reply. -“He went to the front door to get in, while I walked -around to the rear to see what was going on there. -I had noticed a window up when we approached.”</p> - -<p>“How do we know that you didn’t do the shooting?” -demanded Clay.</p> - -<p>“The truth will come out in the end,” King said. -“I was in there when the shots were fired, and so -were these men. Who are they?” he asked, -addressing his conversation to Clay.</p> - -<p>“I’m the sheriff,” declared Ike, “and this man -and me own the house. We seen the boys do the -shootin’. Yes, we’ve got a clear case.”</p> - -<p>He picked up the revolver Alex had thrown -down.</p> - -<p>“Is this yours, kid?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” was the dazed reply.</p> - -<p>Ike whirled the cylinder, showing two empty -cartridges. Then he put the weapon into his pocket -with a grin.</p> - -<p>“I guess that settles it,” he said. “We’ll take -’em to jail!”</p> - -<p>“I never shot him!” Alex cried out. “I laid -my gun down on a chair while I wrestled around -with the dog, getting the bag off his head, and some -one picked it up and fired! Next time I saw it, it -was lying on the floor in front of the door to the -side room, and I picked it up.”</p> - -<p>“I saw you with it in your hand, a moment after -Trumbull fell,” King said. “These men appeared -in a moment, and must have seen you there, too.”</p> - -<p>“Indeed we did,” Flint cut in.</p> - -<p>“But you don’t believe he killed this man?” Clay -appealed to King.</p> - -<p>“It looks bad!” was the answer. “It looks bad, -boys!”</p> - -<p>“You’re prejudiced,” Clay said. “You’ve been -sneaking around after us ever since we came on the -river! You stole on board our boat, too, and tried -to rob us. I believe you did the shooting yourself.”</p> - -<p>Clay was angry and excited. His eyes flashed and -his cheeks flamed as he accused King. The deputy -made no direct reply, but stood looking at the -revolver and at the prisoners.</p> - -<p>“Well, we may as well take the boys to jail,” Ike -suggested. “We’ve got a long climb to the top, and -some distance to go after that.”</p> - -<p>“If the people about here get wind of this -cold-blooded murder,” Flint cut in, maliciously, -“there may be a necktie party, so you’d better get -them in a safe place as soon as possible.</p> - -<p>He stared at Clay and Don as he spoke, and finally -turned to the sheriff, who was moving closer to the -boys, a triumphant look in his eyes.</p> - -<p>“I think it might be well to take these two with -the others,” he remarked, including Clay and Don -with a swing of his long arm. “If I make it out -right, this is a conspiracy-to-murder case, and these -other lads are just as guilty as the others. Bring -’em along, Ike.”</p> - -<p>Clay and Don sprang back as the sheriff -approached to do the other’s bidding, but King -interposed, preventing the advance of the other.</p> - -<p>“Wait a minute!” he said, coolly. “Don’t -move, boys,” as the two continued to retreat, -evidently resolved to gain the boat. “This is my case, -and these are my prisoners. I made the arrest, you -must remember,” he continued, turning to Ike. -“You can’t take them away from me!”</p> - -<p>“Your prisoners!” shouted the sheriff. “We’ll -see about that! Who are you? I’m the sheriff here! -Keep away, or I’ll do something you won’t like! -Keep away,” as King stepped forward.</p> - -<p>King, perfectly calm, indeed, with a cynical smile -on his face, took a long, folded document from a -pocket and held it out to Ike. There was a moment’s -pause, and then the other took the paper and glanced -at it.</p> - -<p>“You see,” King went on, with provoking -composure, “that I am a deputy sheriff in this county, -the same as you are. This commission gives me the -same powers that you have, if you really are a -deputy! Now, these are my prisoners, and when I -require your help I’ll ask for it.”</p> - -<p>The boys were still prisoners, but, somehow, Clay -felt greatly relieved at the change in the situation. -He regarded King as his enemy, but of two evils he -considered him the least. Flint and Ike slunk back -and stood glowering at the little group.</p> - -<p>“I arrest the four for trespass!” Ike finally -roared. “I’ll take them to jail for that, and you -can’t stop me!”</p> - -<p>“They are all my prisoners,” King insisted, “and -I’m going to take them back to the boat. If you are -an officer, you may summon the coroner and have -him empanel a jury. And one of you would better -remain with the body, without disturbing it in any -way, until the coroner comes.”</p> - -<p>“Are you really going to take us back to -the <i>Rambler</i>?” asked Clay, his attitude toward King -changing instantly. “You’re a squarer man than I -thought!” he went on, “and I’ll withdraw all I said -against you a minute ago! You won’t lose anything -by giving Case and Alex a chance to show that they -didn’t do the shooting!”</p> - -<p>“No officer ever loses anything by being fair,” -King said. “Now,” he went on, “I’m trusting to -the honor of you boys, and I want you to do the -right thing by me. I’m going to take off the irons -and let the prisoners move about as they please, -and—”</p> - -<p>“If you do,” roared Ike, “I’ll have a man down -here to watch ’em! I’ll have the boys out for a -lynching! I’ll show you that no eastern sleuth can -come here and run this county.”</p> - -<p>“Will you remain here while this other man goes -for the coroner?” asked King, paying no attention -to the threats of the angry man.</p> - -<p>“It is my duty,” answered the other, sullenly.</p> - -<p>King unlocked the handcuffs and told the boys to -wait while he entered the house. He was gone some -minutes, and when he returned his face showed -more excitement than the boys had ever before seen -there.</p> - -<p>“Come on, boys,” he exclaimed, without noticing -the others, “we’ll get back to the <i>Rambler</i>. It -has been some time since I have been aboard the -good old craft.”</p> - -<p>“I hope they’ll get away from you!” howled Ike.</p> - -<p>“I’ll see that they don’t get out of the country if -they do!” Flint cried out. “I’ll see that they get -what’s coming to them!”</p> - -<p>Without paying the slightest attention to the oaths -and sneers of the two, King and the boys moved off -down the incline, and, after hours of hard walking, -came out on the bank where the <i>Rambler</i> lay.</p> - -<p>“Now,” King said, as they all stood looking at -each other with questioning eyes, “we’ve got as -strange a murder case to handle as ever Holmes -undertook to straighten out!</p> - -<p>“It looks black for you two lads, but I’m going -to see that you get a fair show!”</p> - -<p>There was a smile on his face as he spoke!</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chXIX'>CHAPTER XIX.—TWO GUESTS FROM CHICAGO.</h2> - -<p class='first'>“Why does it look worse for us than for the two -men who were in the house with us?” asked Clay. -“They had as fair a chance to do the shooting as -we did, and they are none too good to shoot a man -in the back!”</p> - -<p>“But Alex’s gun is the one that did the work,” -King explained, still smiling, “and he came out of -the house, an instant after the man fell, with it, -still smoking, in his hand! You’ll have to account -for the gun getting away from him, and then back into -his hand the next instant!”</p> - -<p>“I can do that, all right,” Case hastened to say, -motioning to Alex to keep still. “When we went -into the house we found Captain Joe tied up in a -sleeping room off the sitting room, at the front of -the house. There was a heavy bag tied over the -dog’s head, to keep him still, I suppose, and Alex -laid his gun on a chair by the door of the sleeping -room while he took the bag off.”</p> - -<p>“Was the chair in the sitting room or the -bedroom?” asked King, critically.</p> - -<p>“It was in the sitting room, and Alex put it there -because he rushed for the dog the instant we saw -him in that plight, laying his gun, which he carried -in his hand, on the first convenient thing he came to. -It was dark in the house, with the windows all -nailed up, and I was carrying an electric flashlight.”</p> - -<p>“Where was the gun the next time you saw it, -Alex?” asked King, gravely.</p> - -<p>“It was on the floor, just outside the sleeping -room door. I didn’t see it after I laid it on the chair -until the shots had been fired. When I picked it up -it was smoking. Some one grabbed it and fired, -then threw it on the floor. It was done to get us -into trouble!”</p> - -<p>There was a short, gloomy silence, and then Clay -asked:</p> - -<p>“Mr. King, where were the men when you -entered the house?”</p> - -<p>“I did not see them when I first entered,” -answered the deputy, with a quiet smile. “They -were somewhere ahead of me.”</p> - -<p>“When did you first see them?” questioned Don, -in a moment.</p> - -<p>“I was in the room back of the sitting room when -the shots were fired and I naturally rushed forward, -thinking that Trumbull had been foolish enough to -do some shooting. When I passed through the rear -door to the sitting room, the two men were in a -back corner of the apartment, and Alex stood in -front of the sleeping room with the smoking gun in -his hand.”</p> - -<p>“Did you hear any noise after the firing of the -shots?”</p> - -<p>“Several. Tell me the sort of noise you refer to.”</p> - -<p>“A noise like the sliding of a metal substance -across a bare floor.”</p> - -<p>“You have the detective instinct, son,” King -replied, with a grin. “Yes, I did hear a noise which -might have been made by a gun sliding across a -bare floor! But we’ll talk of that later. What I -want to know now is what these men said to you -boys this morning.”</p> - -<p>“So you know of that, too?” asked Clay, in -amazement.</p> - -<p>Very briefly the boy then told of the morning -interview, adding:</p> - -<p>“They said they’d shoot any one who tried to -enter the house.”</p> - -<p>“But why are they guarding the house?” asked -Case. “Why did they shoot Trumbull when he -entered? They must have a notion that there is -something of great value hidden there.”</p> - -<p>“That’s the idea!” King agreed. “They think -there’s a third paper somewhere in the shack! What -do you think about it, boys?”</p> - -<p>“Say!” Alex broke in. “We found the sunburst -and the big ‘X’ this morning! If you’ll go at -ten some day where we were at six, you’ll see -something! We just happened to notice the wall, when -we came to the top of a shelf, and there the things -were!”</p> - -<p>“And so you think you can find the treasure—if -there is one hidden here—without the aid of the -third paper?” asked the deputy.</p> - -<p>“I can tell you better after I see where the -sun-line touches the formation we called a sunburst at -ten o’clock,” Alex answered.</p> - -<p>“I’ll go with you to-morrow at ten o’clock,” King -declared.</p> - -<p>“I should think you’d be taking us to jail!” Alex -grinned.</p> - -<p>“You ought to be taken to jail for breaking into -that house,” King laughed, “but if you’ll go get -fish enough for us five and a couple of more -fish-hungry people, I’ll let you remain at liberty -a little longer!”</p> - -<p>“If you think I’m going to catch fish for those -big stiffs, you have another think coming!” Alex -answered. “I’ll catch fish for you, but not for the -others!”</p> - -<p>“Other people came in here with me,” King went -on. “They’ll be here directly, I think. There! -That’s their knock, now!”</p> - -<p>The “knock” was the sharp report of a pistol. -King started away in the rowboat, leaving the boys -gathered on the deck of the <i>Rambler</i>, all anxious to -be moving, yet not caring to swim ashore.</p> - -<p>Directly the officer came back around a bend in -the wall of rock. In the boat was a man Don -recognized on the instant.</p> - -<p>“That’s Myron G. Frost, the manager of the -bank where I worked!” he explained. “I guess he’s -come out after me and the handbag!”</p> - -<p>“Where do you think he came from?” asked -Case. “How long has he been prowling around -here? You don’t think he’s the ghost, do you?”</p> - -<p>All these questions were asked at random, and to -no one in particular, as King rowed the banker to -the <i>Rambler</i>. Don moved back as Frost stepped on -the deck, but the banker seized the boy by the hand -and gave him a friendly little shake.</p> - -<p>“You little runaway!” he cried. “I’ll keep -track of you after this.”</p> - -<p>“Where’s the use?” asked Don, dolefully. “I’m -going to be put in jail for murder!”</p> - -<p>“Poor Trumbull!” said Frost. “He was a crook, -but he was trying to do the right thing when -he was shot down! That was a brutal crime!”</p> - -<p>“But you can’t lay it to me!” Alex declared. “I -didn’t do it!”</p> - -<p>The banker looked at King questioningly.</p> - -<p>“Don’t they know?” he asked, and King smiled -and shook his head.</p> - -<p>“Flint did the shooting,” the banker said, then. -“King and I came near seeing it done! We came to -the door of the sitting room at the moment Flint -was sliding the gun over the bare floor to the place -where Alex found it. We, Trumbull, King, myself, -and—well, one more!—came up here together last -night and camped out not far from the old mine, -with others! We saw you boys entering the shack, -and King and myself followed on after you, while -Trumbull went to the front door to head you off if -you tried to run away from us.</p> - -<p>“You see,” continued the banker, with a smile, -“we did not know exactly what view you would -take of our following you up here! I came near -going to the front door, instead of Trumbull, but -he had the key and thought it advisable to go that -way in, himself. If I had, I presume I should have -been shot, just as he was. My idea is that you boys -would have been murdered, too, for the men who -did the shooting are suspicious of any one who even -looks at the old shack.”</p> - -<p>“Why didn’t you tell us of this before?” asked -Alex, turning to King. “You scared me out of a -year’s growth. I don’t think I’ll ever get over -it!”</p> - -<p>“I arrested you for two reasons,” King replied. -“One was to keep the murderers from doing it. -The other was to prevent the murders discovering -they were known to be the guilty ones. If I had -done otherwise, there might have been more shooting, -or there might have been a rush on their part to -get away. I’m sorry if I frightened you, boys, but -the scare didn’t last long!”</p> - -<p>“The men may get a hunch, even now, and make -off,” Case put in.</p> - -<p>“You heard that shot, a few moments ago?” -asked the deputy.</p> - -<p>“Yes; of course we did—and thought some one -was shooting for our benefit! What about it?”</p> - -<p>“That was the signal that the men are under -arrest.”</p> - -<p>“But who did it? Say!” Alex blurted out -“You make me weary! I’m all up in the air! Who -arrested them? Where was this audience when we -entered the house? How many of you came in -here?”</p> - -<p>“Trumbull, King, a couple of officers, and -myself—and another!—came together,” the banker -explained. King sent Flint off after the coroner in -order to get the two apart. I have no doubt that -each has confessed on the other before this. They -are bad men when well backed up, but cowards when -alone, I am told. Now, what about the third -paper?” he added, with a sly smile. “Have you -found it yet?”</p> - -<p>“It is up there under the ‘X’ near the sunburst!” -Alex insisted.</p> - -<p>“There is supposed to be a glorious nest of ore -under the sunburst,” the banker remarked, “but the -third paper is in my possession! If Don hadn’t got -out of Chicago so quickly, I should have told him -about it, and also saved him a lot of trouble!”</p> - -<p>“Trouble!” echoed Don. “Why, I’ve had the -time of my life! But I don’t see what got you -interested so suddenly, Mr. Frost,” he continued. -“It was good of you to come out to us, but it must -have been a great inconvenience to you. Why did -you do it? Did King ask you to come?”</p> - -<p>“There was a thin little lad came to the bank, one -day, lately, and told me about an old house at Yuma, -and what had happened there, and about King, and -all the rest, so I wired King, and we met on the road. -It was the lean little boy who brought me out -here!”</p> - -<p>“And it is the lean little boy who wants a fish -dinner!” cried Tom, dashing out of a hiding-place -in the rocks, above the <i>Rambler</i>, yet not so -very far away. “Who’s going to catch those fish?”</p> - -<p>“Tom, you rascal!” shouted Don. “Come down -here and give an account of yourself!”</p> - -<p>The lad was soon on board, and the subsequent -ceremonies of reception caused King and the banker -to shake their sides with laughter. The boy was -pulled about and mussed over, and hugged until it -seemed that there would be nothing left of him! -Captain Joe and Teddy looked on in wonder.</p> - -<p>“Now,” Clay remarked, when the physical -reception was all over, “I’m going to catch some fish. -You see that swirl down stream? Well, there’s a -big one in there waiting for me. See me get -him.”</p> - -<p>Clay and Don took the rowboat and dropped down -with the current. The river was fairly smooth -where the <i>Rambler</i> lay, but farther down there were -obstructions which threw the current over to the -west, making a treacherous passage for a small boat. -Those on the <i>Rambler</i> saw the boys drop down to -the fishing ground, and then gave their attention to -the work of the day, which they discussed gravely -for a long time.</p> - -<p>When Frost brought out his “third paper” it -was discovered that it did not describe the actual -means of getting into the mine which David -Durand had discovered years before, or even what was -in it! told of the bonds in the old house at Yuma, -and mentioned the mine, but said that those who -found it should receive the proceeds thereof!</p> - -<p>So the location of the wonderful mine was as -much of a mystery as ever, except that the boys -believed they had come pretty close to it in -discovering the formation which resembled a sunburst -on the canyon wall! It was decided that the bonds and -the $50,000 belonged to the Durand boys, the money -having been taken from their uncle. The mine was -to become the property of whoever found it!</p> - -<p>“I’m going up to the summit to take a look at -that wall again,” Alex declared. “I can’t get there -by ten o’clock, but I can look it over!”</p> - -<p>“And I’ll go with you!” Tom insisted. “I want -to see the place where our fortune is.”</p> - -<p>“Why not three?” asked the banker. “I want -to get a look at the cliff now, as we may have to -blow it down to find the ore!”</p> - -<p>So the three went away, and Case and King set -about getting ready for the return of Alex and Don -with the fish. Some moments before the lads had -slipped around an angle in the canyon, so they were -not in sight.</p> - -<p>“Suppose we drop down and see if they are -there?” suggested Case.</p> - -<p>So the <i>Rambler</i> was swung down around the -angle. There a surprise awaited the occupants. -The rowboat was there, far over on the west side, -crushed and broken, washed up on a rocky shelf, -but the boys were nowhere to be seen!</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chXX'>CHAPTER XX.—A JOURNEY IN THE DARK.</h2> - -<p class='first'>“I’ve a hunch,” Don said, as the boys rowed off -after fish, “that we would better land on the east -shore, at the point where others have beached the -boats, and try our luck fishing off the bank. That -current looks ugly to me!”</p> - -<p>Clay, who was rowing in order to give steerage -way, rested a moment and looked over his shoulder -at the water, sweeping toward the west shore with -resistless force. The Colorado river, in passing -through the Grand Canyon, makes many sharp -turns in drift because of great rocks which have -tumbled down from the cliffs, and so block the flow, -turning it aside in angry swirls. It was one of these -eccentricities the boys faced.</p> - -<p>“There’s where I want to fish!” Clay explained, -bending to the oars again. “Keep her over to the -west, and we’ll get a big one in that deep pit next -to the shore. If we ease along with the current, we -won’t tip over. Don’t let the current strike her on -the side!”</p> - -<p>But the current did strike the boat on the side, -struck her like a shot and whirled her round and -round. One oar was twisted out of Clay’s hand, and -Don lost the paddle he was steering with.</p> - -<p>“Hang to the boat!” shouted Clay, and Don -clung like death to an oarlock as the boat went over, -half filled, righted, and swung toward the west -shore. Striking a rock near the shore, she turned -turtle, but the boys held on, and were dashed out of -water where the current beat against a narrow beach -which lay between the shoreline and the cliff.</p> - -<p>Clay scrambled up, limping, and Don made his -way farther up holding his right arm with his left -hand. The former caught the boat as the wash -moved it toward the current and drew it up on the -shore, a dilapidated-looking craft, with the prow on -one side crushed in!</p> - -<p>“We are having great luck with rowboats!” Clay -said, viewing the craft whimsically. “We ought to -buy ’em by the dozen!”</p> - -<p>“The boat be hanged!” Don grunted, rubbing his -elbow, “what we need is a dozen lives! Say, but -that was a dump!”</p> - -<p>“Cheer up!” grinned Clay. “All we’ve got to -do now is to swim a mile or so across the stream and -get back to the <i>Rambler</i>! We’re stranded on a -desert coast, with nothing to eat and nothing to -catch fish with!”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps we can follow the shore up and attract -the attention of the boys,” Don suggested. “I can’t -swim across!”</p> - -<p>“I don’t believe the <i>Rambler</i> can get over to this -shore,” Clay said, looking over the mass of broken -waters. “There’s more than a million big rocks in -there. You know, we kept off this shore when we -came up.”</p> - -<p>“Well we can walk up and see what the chances -are,” Don grunted.</p> - -<p>But the lads did not walk up very far before they -came to a cliff which stood out flush with the water, -and against which the current thundered with a -sound like the booming of heavy artillery. To the -west the canyon wall rose sheer a thousand feet.</p> - -<p>“Right here is where we get ours,” Don exclaimed. -“A fly couldn’t climb up that wall! We’ll -have to wait here until the boys look us up.”</p> - -<p>“It won’t take them long to find the broken -boat!” Clay mourned.</p> - -<p>“And they’ll want to know about the fish for -dinner!” Don finished, with a grin.</p> - -<p>The cliff which blocked the narrow beach set out -from the main wall of the canyon like the leg of the -letter “L,” and the lads sat down in the angle to -dry their clothes in the hot sunshine. In a moment -Clay sprang to his feet and began running up and -down the beach.</p> - -<p>“That’s the first symptom!” Don grinned. -“You’ll be fit for the foolish house in an hour or -two. Go on and play you’re an aeroplane and lift -us both out of this!”</p> - -<p>“Where does this cold wind come from?” asked -Clay, paying no attention to the facetious remarks -of his chum. “There’s an open passage in the west -wall here! Can’t you feel the current of air?”</p> - -<p>“I certainly can,” Don answered. “Perhaps it -comes from above!”</p> - -<p>“No, sir! It is right down here in this angle—the -opening, I mean! And it is a strong current of air, -too, so it must come from some canyon to the west. -The rocks are piled in here in all kinds of shape, -anyway. When the Colorado bored down, it upset -things and left lots of layers standing on end. -Here! See that little opening? Well, there she -blows! Little bit of a hole for so much wind.”</p> - -<p>“Just like a campaign orator!” Don commented.</p> - -<p>Clay looked at his friend reproachfully and -crowded into the aperture, which was formed by -two layers of rock, stacked up on end, as he had -before expressed it, much farther apart at the bottom -than at the top. The passage was about four feet -in width, and not much more than that in height. -The bottom was covered with a fine sand, laying in -wrinkles, and showing the action of running water.</p> - -<p>“You see,” Clay observed, pointing down, “this -is a water channel at certain seasons of the year, so -it must lead to some open place.”</p> - -<p>“You’re never going in there!” shouted Don. -“How do you know what kind of wild animals you’ll -run against?”</p> - -<p>“Of course I’m going in,” Clay replied. “For -all we know, this hole leads to a parallel canyon -which we can ascend to the vicinity of the motor -boat. If we had our searchlights it would be a -picnic.”</p> - -<p>But their searchlights were on board the <i>Rambler</i>, -and so it was anything but a picnic the boys had -following the dark passage. The walls brushed their -elbows at times, and occasionally they ran their heads -full tilt against the roof of the cavern, but the floor, -being at times the bottom of a torrent, was -comparatively level, except that it mounted up at an -angle of about twenty-five degrees.</p> - -<p>The atmosphere was remarkably pure, for the -cool wind which had attracted Clay’s attention to -the opening, continued to sweep through the passage, -but it was dark—wretchedly, miserably, uncannily -dark, and the boys imagined many times that -they heard the warning growls of wild animals or -felt the touch of slimy reptiles. Twice they came -to places where their progress seemed blocked, but -these were only twists in the rock, and directly they -found their way on again.</p> - -<p>Presently, at his very feet, Clay heard the rush -of water, and halted. The boys stood together for -a time and listened. It was falling and not running -water they heard. Somewhere in the interior of -the mysterious passage, there was a waterfall.</p> - -<p>“If we only had a light!” wailed Don. “We’re -likely to break our necks or get drowned if we go -on without one.”</p> - -<p>“You just wait a second!” Clay announced, -gleefully. “I’ve got a few matches in a water-tight -case! Why didn’t I think of them before? I’ve -carried them with me ever since we left Chicago, -and never found use for them until now. Now, -suppose I’ve lost the case!”</p> - -<p>There was a moment of suspense, and then the -boy’s searching hand came upon the smooth metal -of the match case. There was a chance that the -matches would be worthless, because of the long -time they had been kept, but the boy opened the -case and struck one.</p> - -<p>A blue flame sprang up, sizzled, wound around -the pine stick, and went out. It was clear that no -match flame could live in that breeze unless better -protected. Clay opened his wet coat and struck -another. This one, protected by the coat and the -body of the boy, flamed up.</p> - -<p>Then, with the stick burning brightly, Clay pushed -it ahead, shielding it with his hands as much as -possible. At his feet he saw a current of water -disappearing into a hole in the bottom of the passage. -Beyond that point they would be obliged to -wade!</p> - -<p>“This accounts for the passage being dry below,” -Clay said. “And it indicates that there’s a -passage under this one. The old cliff is honey-combed -with water-bores, I guess!”</p> - -<p>The traveling was more difficult now, but the -boys kept on, sloshing through water up to their -ankles. At last they saw a speck of light some -distance ahead, and gradually the passage widened out. -The water, however, grew deeper under their feet -as they advanced toward the light.</p> - -<p>“This is a blooming river, that’s what it is!” Don -shouted. “If we had a line we might catch fish in -it!”</p> - -<p>“I’ll be swimming in a minute!” Clay called -back. “I’m up to my waist now! And the -current is strong enough to lift me off my feet.”</p> - -<p>The pitch of the passage was now greater than -before, and the water the lads were wading in came -down with a rush. When they got to the entrance -they were obliged to cling to the wall to avoid being -carried back into the subterranean passage.</p> - -<p>When the boys came to the full light of day, they -saw the sun shining on a pool of clear, glistening -water, which lay in a cup-like depression in a -narrow canyon sloping up to the north. Judging from -the time they had been in the passage, Clay concluded -that they were at least six hundred feet from the -river, and not far from two hundred feet above it.</p> - -<p>The canyon in which they found themselves was -little better than a deep wrinkle in the massive -formation of the west shore, but it seemed to point the -way to an exit up stream. After wading the pool, -which was supplied by springs in the walls, they -gained a dry bottom and proceeded northward, still -climbing.</p> - -<p>“If this crack in the earth keeps on this way for -a mile or two,” Clay suggested, “we will come out -on the wide shelf that divides the west wall not far -south of the old mine. From there we can signal to -the boys who went up there, and they can come in -the motor boat and get us. We never can swim -across. In the first place, it is too far; and in the -second, the current is too strong.”</p> - -<p>“You heard the story Case and Alex told about -the sunburst on the wall?” asked Don.</p> - -<p>“I thought that rather fishy!” Clay replied.</p> - -<p>“We’ll soon have a chance to find out whether it -is or not,” Don continued, “for we’ll come out on -the shelf near the place they described—if we come -out on the river bank at all.”</p> - -<p>“But we’d be too close to the sunburst and the -‘X’ to see them,” Clay remarked. “You have to -look at such large things from a distance in order to -discern them at all.”</p> - -<p>“If we can get there some day by ten o’clock,” -Don hastened to say, “we can mark where the line -of sunlight lies, and that will help some. But,” he -added, with a frown, “I guess we’re not going to get -out to the river wall by following this old scratch in -the earth! Here’s where it turns to the west! Now, -what about it?”</p> - -<p>“It may bring us to the top, anyway!” Clay said, -encouragingly.</p> - -<p>But it did not bring them to the top, for directly it -ran into a cavern not unlike that which the boys had -passed through! Disgusted and disheartened, the -lads took to the tunnel and pressed on in the -darkness. The only satisfaction they felt was that they -were still going up.</p> - -<p>“If this pitch keeps on,” Don declared, “we’ll -come out at the very top before long!”</p> - -<p>“We’re not far from some top now,” Clay replied, -“for it is getting lighter in here, and the light -comes from the roof!”</p> - -<p>But this was true for only a short distance. It -soon became dark in the passage again. After a -time, still ascending, the passage turned to the east, -narrowed, and then the boys heard the rush of the -river.</p> - -<p>“We’re getting there!” Don shouted. “Look -out there!” as he peered out of the hole. “There’s -the river, and there’s the old mine, and there’s the -shelf of rock above which they saw the sunburst!”</p> - -<p>“That’s all right,” grumbled Clay, “but if we -drop out of this hole we’ll fall into the river. The -door to this blooming cave doesn’t open out on the -shelf! And it isn’t a very big door at that!”</p> - -<p>“I’ll bet we’re in the mine!” cried Don.</p> - -<p>“No wonder it was never found, then, if people -had to reach it the way we did!” Clay exclaimed. -“Say!” he went on, in a moment, “let me get to -that opening again. I wonder if we can’t climb up -out of it! I’ve seen such places! The shelf seems -to be only a few feet away, and we may be able to -gain it if we can creep on a wall like flies!”</p> - -<p>“I can!” Don laughed. “Let me get out and -show you!”</p> - -<p>But Clay was half out of the narrow entrance, -clinging to points of rock with his fingers, digging -his toes into crevices which were too shallow for -much of a hold.</p> - -<p>“Can you make it?” Don called out, anxious and -afraid for his chum.</p> - -<p>“Sure I can! Wait until I get up on the shelf and -I’ll help you out of the passage! And, say, there’s -the mine dump away up to the north, and some one -on it! I believe it is Alex and Tom. Yes, and -there’s the banker! They are looking through field -glasses!”</p> - -<p>“Give me a hand!” cried Don. “I want to be -in this procession myself. Look there,” the boy -added, as he stepped up on the shelf of rock, “they -are motioning to us to stand aside! Do you know -what that means? It means that we are standing on -the line between them and the sunburst or the big -‘X.’ I reckon we’ve just come out of the mine!”</p> - -<p>“Hello!” came a call from across the great -chasm.</p> - -<p>Clay put his hands to his mouth and called back:</p> - -<p>“Hello yourself! We’ve found the mine!”</p> - -<p>“Where’s your fish?” shouted Tom. “Where’s -the f-i-s-h!”</p> - -<p>“Fill your pockets with gold and jump over!” -Alex shouted.</p> - -<p>“Send the boat after us!” Don called back.</p> - -<p>Alex made a trumpet of his hands and shouted -back:</p> - -<p>“I’ve just been up on the cliff looking for the -<i>Rambler</i>. She’s gone! There’s no sign of her -anywhere. Where’s the little boat?”</p> - -<p>“Busted!” Clay called back. “Wrecked! smashed!”</p> - -<p>“Then you’ll have to swim!” Alex decided. -“And you’ll have to be quick about it, for there’s a -lot of natives climbing up on that shelf who don’t -look very good to me.”</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chXXI'>CHAPTER XXI.—THE CLUE IN THE ROCKS.</h2> - -<p class='first'>Clay looked quickly about, but there was no one -in sight. Alex, from the old mine dump, pointed -downward, so the boy knew that the natives referred -to were near the river and working upward.</p> - -<p>“If they get up by that route they’ll be doing -something,” Don remarked. “Never heard of any -one doing it.”</p> - -<p>“Well, there are people coming up, just the same,” -Clay went on.</p> - -<p>“Then they’re coming up to look up the mine!” -Don declared. “There’s probably been a lot of talk -about the mine lately, and the people of the county -are all stirred up over it!”</p> - -<p>“They haven’t got anything on us,” Clay grinned. -“We saw it first!”</p> - -<p>“You’re right about that, but here’s the bunch -coming! Hear their voices? Suppose we duck out -of sight? Can we get back into the mine?”</p> - -<p>“I can,” replied Clay, and in a minute the shelf -where the boys had stood was empty.</p> - -<p>In five minutes’ time, however, half a dozen -roughly dressed men were talking in front of the -opening from which the lads looked out; that is, as -near in front of it as they could get without -standing on air!</p> - -<p>“I say there was some one up here!” a harsh -voice insisted. “The people over there were -shouting across to him.”</p> - -<p>“Where is he, then?” asked another voice.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know! I half believe some of those -confounded boys have found the mine opening and -hidden it in!”</p> - -<p>“I guess they can’t find it if we can’t,” came -another voice.</p> - -<p>“But Flint said it was somewhere off this shelf.”</p> - -<p>“If he knew where it was, why didn’t he find it?”</p> - -<p>And so the talk went on, while the men searched -every foot of the shelf and the wall back of the shelf. -It was clear that Flint, after being arrested for the -murder of Trumbull, had tried to buy his liberty by -proclaiming a discovery of the famous Durand mine!</p> - -<p>“We don’t have to discover it to-day,” was finally -said. “We can come back at any time and locate it.”</p> - -<p>“But what about those boys? Old Dave Durand -left a paper, so I’m told, saying that whoever found -this mine might have it. Now, if these boys find it, -what good does that do us?”</p> - -<p>“Well, keep right on looking if you want to!” -was the surly answer. “I’ve had enough of -climbing to-day. Besides, those people on the old mine -dump are watching us. We wouldn’t dare enter the -mine if we should find it—not with them looking -on!”</p> - -<p>“I wish we had our searchlights,” Clay remarked, -as soon as the others had disappeared. “We may -be in the mine and we may not be! I don’t believe -there is any gold or silver here, anyway! If there -was gold here, there would be outcroppings in other -places close by.”</p> - -<p>“That is the way it strikes me,” Don returned. -“If there is anything of value in here, I reckon -Uncle David put it here. If you knew what a queer -old fellow he was, you would think so, too.”</p> - -<p>“What would he have to hide here? He secreted -the bonds in the old house at Yuma, and it seems to -me that if he had possessed other things of great -worth he would have put them with the bonds.”</p> - -<p>“There is no knowing how much money the old -fellow had,” Don continued. “He made a million -or more in Chicago real estate, and at the time of his -death, I am told, there wasn’t a cent of his money in -any of the Chicago banks. He was afraid of banks. -I guess that Mr. Frost was the only banker he ever -trusted, and he trusted him with his nephews and -not with his money! Oh, yes,” the boy went on, -with a sigh, “the poor old man sent word to Frost -to look after Tom and I! So Frost says. I never -knew that Uncle cared enough about us to do even -that!”</p> - -<p>“What would he naturally leave in a place like -this?” asked Clay.</p> - -<p>“Bonds or money—money, probably.”</p> - -<p>“I’ve got a few matches left,” Clay insisted, “and -I’m going to use them to see what sort of a place this -is. If there is any money here we ought to be getting -it out.”</p> - -<p>“Yes; before the natives come back,”</p> - -<p>Clay lit a match and looked about. Where he -stood there was merely a long passage, high and -roomy at the back but narrowing down to the small -opening the boys had used in front. There were no -openings in the walls, no places where anything -might have been stored away.</p> - -<p>“Now, go on in farther before you light another,” -Don suggested. “He may have made a hiding-place -of the next angle.”</p> - -<p>The flame of the match revealed a shallow niche in -the north wall. In the niche lay a metal box the size -of a sardine box. It was covered with rust, and did -not open readily when Clay drew at the cover.</p> - -<p>It came open after a time, however, and both boys -bent over it.</p> - -<p>“This isn’t a treasure!” Don exclaimed. “This -is a clue! A sure enough clue in the rocks! And -only paper!”</p> - -<p>Clay put the box, closed, into a pocket and moved -toward the entrance. Don followed on behind, -gloomily enough. He had expected so much of the -discovery they had made, and a tin box had been the -only product of it!</p> - -<p>“Just our luck!” he complained, as the two -stumbled along.</p> - -<p>“Never you mind!” Clay said. “How do you -know what this box contains? It is only a paper, -but even a paper may tell where a million is hidden! -Wait until we get out into the sunshine, and we’ll see -what it says. Your Uncle David certainly was an -odd one! The idea of any one in his right mind -hiding a paper in a dreary place like that!”</p> - -<p>At last the boys reached the ledge again. Mr. -Frost, Alex and Tom were still on the level dump in -front of the old mine. They motioned to Clay and -Don as they came out, indicating that they were -going away to look for the <i>Rambler</i>. Clay held up -the box, drew the paper out, and held that up, -too. There was excitement across the great -chasm!</p> - -<p>Alex seemed to be pointing the way down, and -Banker Frost was motioning to Clay to be careful of -the box and the paper.</p> - -<p>“If those natives got down from here, we can!” -Don exclaimed. “We can go anywhere they can! -How we are going to get across the river is what -gets me! Can you swim it?”</p> - -<p>“I’m not going to take the risk,” was the reply. -“They will have to come after us in the <i>Rambler</i>.”</p> - -<p>“But the <i>Rambler</i> has disappeared,” Don -reminded the other.</p> - -<p>“I don’t believe anything serious has happened -to her!” Clay insisted. “Case and King ought to -be able to take good care of her.”</p> - -<p>Just as the boy finished speaking the clamor of -the motors of the <i>Rambler</i> was heard. King and -Case had picked up the broken rowboat and started -up toward the old anchorage.</p> - -<p>But the motor boat did not stop at the landing. -Instead, she ran up toward the old mine. It was -pretty risky, but the <i>Rambler</i> was staunch and true -to her helm, and finally passed the perilous places -and lay in reasonably quiet water opposite the mine. -Under ordinary circumstances King would not have -countenanced such an undertaking, but both were -anxious over the fate of the boys who had gone off -in the small boat, and they were anxious to confer -with Frost and the others on the subject.</p> - -<p>The three on the dump, after a long and difficult -downward climb, reached the water’s edge and -managed to get on board without getting wet, as the -river was deep and still at the end of the dump, and -the motor boat ran up close to the bank.</p> - -<p>They had scarcely begun telling the story of the -missing boys when Alex pointed to Clay and Don, -crawling down the opposite wall like flies.</p> - -<p>“How did they ever get there?” asked King, -amazement in his face.</p> - -<p>“We’ll never know until they tell us!” laughed -Alex. “Can’t you run the boat over and get them?”</p> - -<p>Here was another risk, but finally, by running far -up stream and coming down on the west side and -tossing out a long rope, Clay and Don, wet but -triumphant, were hauled on board. Clay with the -precious metal box containing the paper wrapped up in -his coat and held as much out of the river as -possible.</p> - -<p>When the box was opened and the paper spread -out, it was found to hold only a map of the old shack -by the mine. Under the location of the window in -the sitting room where Trumbull had been shot to -death, the paper showed a black mark—a great cross, -evidently made to imitate the rocky formation above -the cave where the paper had been discovered.</p> - -<p>“So it wasn’t a treasure you found in the mine,” -laughed Frost, looking at the map, “it was only a -clue!”</p> - -<p>Clay insisted that the boat be put back to the mine -landing, and again they all made the long climb to -the old house. There was no mark of any description -under the window designated by the map, but -Alex found a hatchet and went at the ceiling with -which the room was lined.</p> - -<p>In a moment he came to a metal surface off which -the hatchet slipped.</p> - -<p>“Work around it! Dig it out! It is a treasure -chest!”</p> - -<p>Don laughed as he spoke, for, to tell the truth, he -had no idea that anything more of great value would -be found. His idea was that the bonds already -found had constituted the greater part of his uncle’s -wealth.</p> - -<p>Directly a steel box which weighed at least fifty -pounds was brought out. The cover was on tight, -and there was no key. In fact, it did not seem -possible to get the box open without having it cut with -tools secured for that special purpose.</p> - -<p>Frost looked at the box closely and smiled as he -noted how neatly the lock was concealed—even the -keyhole, if one there was, being out of sight. The -box was carried aboard the <i>Rambler</i>, with great -difficulty, and then a start for the old landing was -made.</p> - -<p>The surprise of the day was when the mysterious -box was opened!</p> - </div> - - <div class='chapter'> - <h2 id='chXXII'>CHAPTER XXII.—THE END OF A LONG JOURNEY.</h2> - -<p class='first'>It was growing dusk when the motor boat reached -its old anchorage. The hungry lads set themselves -at work getting supper at once, and Alex and Case -volunteered to bring in fish! Clay and Don had -made such a mess of their fishing expedition that the -boys roared when a fish supper was mentioned.</p> - -<p>“If we didn’t get fish,” Clay replied to their -taunts, “we got something more valuable! I guess -that iron box is worth more than a fish!”</p> - -<p>“I don’t see as it is,” Tom grunted. “No one -can get it open!”</p> - -<p>“There ain’t no place to open it!” Alex complained. -“I believe it is just a solid block of metal. -It is heavy enough to be that!”</p> - -<p>Case and Alex went ashore and followed down -the bank, dropping lines into deep pools until they -were out of sight of the <i>Rambler</i>. In the meantime -Frost and King stood regarding the iron box. Indeed, -there seemed to be no way of opening it. -While they contemplated the puzzle a hail from -shore was heard, and directly a man sprang aboard, -the <i>Rambler</i> having been drawn close to the bank -because of the loss of the rowboat.</p> - -<p>“This is the sheriff,” King explained, as the boys -regarded the newcomer with suspicion. “I presume -he has news of Flint and Ike.”</p> - -<p>“They confessed about as soon as they were -placed under arrest,” the sheriff began, “and each -one lays all the blame on the other. It seems that -they knew from David Durand himself that articles -of value would be left for his nephews to find, and -ever since his death they have been looking for the -treasure. They believed it to be a mine.”</p> - -<p>“And they have been living in the old house?” -asked Don.</p> - -<p>“Yes, most of the time.”</p> - -<p>“Then they weren’t far from something that was -hidden,” the boy declared. “This box was secreted -in the wall.”</p> - -<p>“What is in it?” asked the officer.</p> - -<p>“We don’t know. We can’t open it!” was the -discouraged reply.</p> - -<p>“But there must be a key somewhere,” the sheriff -said.</p> - -<p>“There isn’t even a keyhole,” Don grinned. “It’s -shut tight!”</p> - -<p>“Well,” the officer went on, “Flint and Ike have -confessed, and they will be hanged. That is what I -came here to tell you. The body of the dead man -will be buried near the old mine, if that is -satisfactory to you all,” he continued. “He was a crook, -too, wasn’t he?” he added.</p> - -<p>“For years he was,” the banker replied, “but at -last he came to his senses and offered to help me in -restoring the dead man’s fortune to his nephews. -He employed King—the man you made a deputy at -my request—to assist in finding the boys, after Don -took the handbag and got away. He came out here -to help solve the mystery of the mine. He had the -third paper at one time, but returned it to me.”</p> - -<p>“David Durand found strange hiding-places for -his money!” the sheriff mused. “Think of the -bonds in the old house, and this box in the cave. I -have been thinking of the queer old chap ever since -Mr. King told me about him. It is a wonder the -bonds were ever found—and the old wallet! What -a place for property!”</p> - -<p>“There’s a letter somewhere which explains -everything!” Don insisted.</p> - -<p>“It wasn’t in the wallet, was it?” asked King. -Don shook his head, and Clay brought out the -wallet to prove it.</p> - -<p>“Here’s some banknotes,” he said. “They will -have to be sent in for redemption, they’re so rotten, -and this thin piece of steel. That’s all there is in -here. Look and see for yourselves.”</p> - -<p>While they were examining the wallet and the -half-rotten banknotes. Clay stood with the key in -his hand, looking at it thoughtfully. In a moment -he walked over to the iron box and began an inspection -of that. He felt over every part of the surface -several times before his fingers came to a little -perturbance.</p> - -<p>Then, in a moment he had the key pushed into a -slit of a hole which had been brought to view by the -removal of a small plug-like piece of metal which -had been set into the body of the box. He moved -the key this way and that for a moment, and then -there came a sharp click. The top of the box, -working on rusty springs, flew back, revealing a mass of -papers, with a sealed envelope lying on top.</p> - -<p>They all gathered around while Don, to whom the -letter was addressed, opened the message from his -dead uncle. The writing was very brief. It said:</p> - -<p>“If you find this the bonds belong to you and -Tom. There are more bonds in the strong room at -the old house in Yuma. I have given you all the -trouble I could think of, my boy, before delivering -my property into your hands. I don’t think it good -for boys to get money easily. If this box is never -found until the bonds have rotted, then so much of -the government debt will have been paid. If you -should ever get locked in the Yuma treasure room, -the key to the iron door is in the wall-safe with the -bonds. From your cranky uncle.”</p> - -<p>“That is all!” Don said, slowly. “And we -might have gotten out of that cellar if we had only -looked closer into the wall-safe!”</p> - -<p>“A strange old man!” mused the banker. “He -never provided for Don and Tom, personally, yet he -interested me in them. He trusted Trumbull instead -of me—unless Trumbull stole the two papers which -were in the handbag with the money!”</p> - -<p>“He did steal them!” King declared. “Don -knew he had stolen them, for his uncle had, in a -measure, told him about them. When Trumbull -mentioned papers revealing the location of a mine -in the Grand Canyon, Don knew of course. I -presume, however, that David thought Don would have -the two papers, so he gave me the third one, which -Trumbull stole and afterwards returned!”</p> - -<p>“It has been a great muddle!” Clay laughed, -“and we came along with the <i>Rambler</i> just in time -to get mixed up in it.”</p> - -<p>“Look in the packages,” the banker advised, -“and see how much of a fortune you have. The -letter speaks of bonds.”</p> - -<p>There were in the iron chest government bonds to -five times the value of those found in the treasure -room at Yuma, so Don and Tom were very wealthy -boys.</p> - -<p>“We are always finding wealth for others!” -laughed Clay, “but none for ourselves! However, -we are planning to take a trip down the Mississippi -next, and we may have better luck there! But here -come the boys with plenty of fish, and we’ll have -supper right away!”</p> - -<p>And such a supper as they had! All the precious -dainties the lads had been hoarding for some such -event were brought out, and there was feasting until -a late hour. Captain Joe and Teddy had their full -share of the good things, and the dog was forgiven -for permitting himself to be doped by Flint! If he -could have talked he would have explained that the -drug was eaten in a very fine piece of meat, and -would have added that he would never more take -food from a strange hand!</p> - -<p>“By the way,” the sheriff said, as he arose to go, -“with the arrest of Flint and Ike the ghost of the -Grand Canyon is laid! They have been playing -ghost a long time to keep people away from the -supposed mine.”</p> - -<p>Then Alex explained how he had found the white -wrappings they had worn, and also the black head -coverings, in the closet at the old shack.</p> - -<p>“And now, can we get up any farther?” asked -Clay, as the lads were preparing for sleep. “Is this -the end of navigation for us?”</p> - -<p>“You can’t have any fun in going on,” Don -declared. “It would be a great task to get the motor -boat up farther.”</p> - -<p>“Then we’ll turn back,” Clay decided, “and see -if we can find as much excitement in the down trip -as we did in the up trip!”</p> - -<p>“I don’t see how you can!” Don laughed. “You -won’t have the two trouble makers with you, for -Tom and I have decided to go back to Chicago with -Mr. Frost, and meet you there later.”</p> - -<p>“If you boys don’t mind,” King said, “I’d like -to go down the Colorado with you. I’m in need of -just such a loafing spell.”</p> - -<p>The permission was given, and the next morning, -after Frost, Don, and Tom had climbed to the -plateau and started away to the nearest railroad station, -the <i>Rambler</i> was gotten under way, and the down -trip begun.</p> - -<p>It was a glorious river trip. The desert shone -and glistened in the sun, the mountains laughed from -under their white caps, the river sang its -everlasting song of peace and quiet!</p> - -<p>The boys took a month to reach Yuma. There the -<i>Rambler</i> was placed on board a platform car and -started on its journey eastward. It was the plan to -ship the motor boat to as near the head waters of the -Mississippi as possible and sail down that mighty -stream in the early fall.</p> - -<p>An account of this exciting trip will be found in -the next volume of this series, entitled:</p> - -<p>“The Motor Boat Boys on the Mississippi; or, -the Trail to the Gulf!”</p> - - <div class='lgc'> - <div class='line' style='margin: 10px auto 20px auto;'>THE END</div> - </div> - </div> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The River Motor Boat Boys on the -Colorado, by Harry Gordon - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RIVER MOTOR BOAT BOYS ON COLORADO *** - -***** This file should be named 50132-h.htm or 50132-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/1/3/50132/ - -Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.bookcove.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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