and run around it. He looped the reins over his arm and placed his hands in his coat pockets. As he leaned against the tree-trunk nibbling nonchalantly

oming up the trail, two riders approached eagerly scanning the large trees, in evident search of

eh?" was the greeting the two amazed men

stammered one,

ly Pit, ain't it?" said the oth

who read the records at Oak Creek, yesterday, after we left there. That's why I got a possé to guard the place. I reckon, now, Hank, that your boss sen

but it seemed so quare to find Old Montresor's Mine hed ben found again, that Ah sez to my pal, here, 'How'd you-all like to

one of the Ten Commandments and want to covet their neighbor's property. And seeing how they have lost a good night's sleep through climbing the Top Notch Trail just to arrive early to have that squint, they will sort of feel justified in stealing an acre, or so, of gold-land. That would make them break another Commandment; so Ah fel

ou war," said the miner who accompanied

d then get thus far only to be mistaken for claim-jumpers by the Sheriff's men up

es a short distance away. Hank's face lowered, however, and he growled forth:

e from all trespassers till my possé can take charge,' you know me-Ah'll see that his

ssé up yander, neither, 'cause they hain't a-comin'

ve such a story would have been told at Oak Creek if the possé planned to wait for morning? Why, man, that is just what they wanted to do-to catch a lot of rascals red-h

out telling a direct falsehood that they sighed when the claim-jumpers backed their horses

eriff and Bill your yarn. They will not only let you take a squint at what you think is a mine, b

the rancher's pocket and brought to light a cocked revolver. The other man suddenly changed his mind when the bore of Brewster'

me from his pocket and he knew that he was a dead rascal too, if he made

th' Sheriff's up thar gu

traight to Kingdom Come! You know Bill likes to give every chump

tell others we meet. Howsomever, you-all won't find it so easy to git rid of curious folk

e's head and led the way down the trail,

fter Mike and the girls before the miners'

t the least doubt but that both of those cowardly rascals are hiding just out of sight where they can watch my every mov

open for an ambuscade. Nothing of moment happened, however, and Jeb was ju

while the two girls

hose rascals. In either case, it won't be cowardly in us to hide be

Barbara was hidden deeper in the forest, and then he and Jeb took their places behind a bowlder

rode up, calling loudly as he came. Sam Brewster sighed with reli

me back?" queried Mr. Brewster

got wind of this claim and planned to ride up at once. It looked a lot like claim-jumpin', so we-all got together mighty quick and rode after them to s

got a lead on you

t five are back yonder. Hank Johnson and his jail-bird pal are down on Four Mile Bl

so soon. But Mike went on to the cave with Polly and her friend. They'll guard their claim, a

me work cut out fer us thar," whispered Bill, seeing the two ci

ewster?" asked E

left Oak Creek last night

mms and your wife

imb the trappers' trail, so they can't possibly arrive for some time yet. We-all just got he

nd fed our hosses. Simms and his party will ride righ

rect the Simms' party, while we-all ride on with Sam to h

th Jeb if you leave us each with

the very idea, b

in a fight with rascals, and w

nny be in the road if we-all ha

give them any guns?" aske

ou were a claim-jumper and looked at me the way H

approvingly. "Ah say, Sam, let the gals ta

if we can't shoot!" added Barbara, who felt that the lesser of the t

two city girls, Mr. Brewster spurred his horse on to ride after his

nding up in their stirrups, intent on something ahead. He urged his horse up t

, and acting restive. Bill turned half-way around in t

nd were sniffing in different directions. He then sniff

"A forest fire!" His face went white and he m

own from the Slide,

shall we do?" crie

and then the rest of us'll ride up to see if anything kin be d

ould travel. Barbara rode first and Eleanor after her, shouting aloud in a fr

fear, and when questioned, could not speak. Eleanor then r

e at a run, to come and meet you men. She cried that it would be safer with a crowd than alone with only Jeb and me and the ri

Notch Trail as fast as you can, and meet Simms who is coming up with Mrs. Brewster. Send Simms and the men on to help us, but you

! Will we be hur

erself. She immediately crie

ll, suddenly realizing that the

there, in case any claim-jumpers tried to

from here?" add

plied Eleanor, seeing a possible wa

on down trail to signal the forest-rangers' lookout so's

m any fire, and you send Jeb down to signal Simms and the forest-rangers?"

s wait in the cave till you-all hear from us again. Send Mike down trail to Jeb to hurry Simms a

ould bring them to the cave. Barbara and the cow-boy followed, while

it don't travel near so quick that way, like-as-how it do when it goes

by a storm. Then the city girl found it really was no trail at all. They sat

denly appeared in the distance, climbing the steep slope before them. His broncho came on reckles

',-two sleep f'm much fire-water. Tree hosses hobble on down trail." As he spoke he acted his words so that it was plain that he

de down trail to meet Jeb and go on to stop Simms' party. Warn the lookout on the forest-ranger's po

"Indian no l

l, we three can find the way to the cave. We will stay there with the other girls, a

out fire. Him eat down-hill, udd

ls out at the ravine where the cave was. Once on the right trail, the youth wh

eep side. His keen Indian scout habits now stood him in good stead. He soon had the Sheriff's party tracked and was rid

He called a halt, and when the party stoppe

t way!" cried Mike, waving a hand at the side

ab big fight-two shoot one. Him dead. U

t, then find the drunken miners and arrest them for man