The saddle boys on the plains

“Hush!”

Frank’s hand gripped Bob’s arm even as this warning hiss sounded in his ear. And Bob knew that his chum must have caught sight of that face at the same time he did. Undoubtedly Frank had felt a sudden fear lest the other call out, or in some other way betray their presence. And he wished to give warning, so that Bob might control his feelings.

Who was the man? His face was a strange one to Bob. Could he be the third fellow who may have been deserted by Reddy and his companion? And if so, had he followed them all the way here, bent upon some revenge, to get even for their treachery?

He was gone again now; but Bob did not imagine he had left the neighborhood of the shack. If, as he believed, the fellow proved to be the third robber, he would want his share of the spoils; and in order to get it would hang around until the chance arose.

It was too bad, in one way, because his presence was apt to interfere with any plan they might arrange. But then Frank was smart enough, perhaps, to profit by what seemed like a disaster.

Again Bob turned his attention to the two men inside. They seemed to have no suspicion that they were being watched. Perhaps they believed their comrade must ere this have fallen into the hands of the miners; or met his fate in some deep hole in the mountains, to which they had consigned him, when he was taken off his guard.

They were arguing again. Each seemed trying to convince the other of something, and the pounding of the slab table kept up. Bob wondered whether they might not come to the point of an open rupture. That would profit those who sought to effect their capture.

The time crept on. Bob was beginning to grow tired of crouching there, peeping through that narrow slit between the logs. He wished something would happen to bring about a change.

The two men had apparently arrived at some conclusion, for they pushed back from the table.

“All right, then, it’s a go, Reddy!” Bob heard the tall man exclaim. “If we’re going to separate we’ll divvy things up, share and share alike!”

“I tell ye, Blaisdell, it’s goin’ to be too hot around here to suit me after this job,” the other was saying; “and I’m set on hikin’ out of the section. Further North they don’t know Reddy Cramer, an’ I kin get a chance to work in. ’Sides, I’m hopin’ some to set eyes on a certain gent that I owes a heap to; and if I do, he’ll never crow again over what he did to me.”

Bob was unable to make anything out of this. If Frank succeeded better he found no means of communicating the fact to his chum. Indeed, Bob did not dream that he could have a particle of interest in this unknown party against whom Reddy seemed to be holding a grudge.

The man called Blaisdell stepped over to the middle of the room. Stooping, he seemed to dig his fingers under a certain rough plank of the floor. As a usual thing such border cabins have only the hard earth to serve as a floor; but the man who built this shack had gone to the trouble of cutting timber, splitting it, and even making rough planks with which to cover the earth.

When Blaisdell had pulled one of these up he bent over. Bob felt himself shivering with eagerness and anticipation. Of course there could be but one explanation of the actions of the two robbers. Having agreed to part company they were now about to divide the spoils.

Since he had figured it all out in this way, Bob was therefore not much surprised to see Blaisdell toss out what looked to be a small bag. After that he bent down again and secured a second. Mr. Riley had said there were three; but the man made no further movement looking to unearthing another sack.

Well, if they managed to recover two-thirds of the treasure, that was worth while, Bob thought, as he fixed his eyes on the bundles. It struck him that Blaisdell must be a much stronger man than his thin appearance would seem to indicate. Mr. Riley had said that each of the three sacks must have weighed in the neighborhood of sixty pounds; and here was a man who thought little of tossing such a package aside, as though it were next to nothing.

Bob expected to see each of the men pick up one of the bags, and start for the door. He even found himself wondering what Frank’s next move might be. Would he try to stop them from departing? Undoubtedly they must have horses somewhere close by, for they had come there mounted.

They sat down again, as if to talk matters over once more, with the two sacks of treasure close to their feet.

If only now Reddy and Blaisdell would go out of the shack for a short time, to saddle their horses, it might be that a fine chance would come up for the recovery of the treasure! Bob believed he could slip inside the cabin himself, and carry off one of the sacks.

Suddenly Bob saw something moving near the open door. At first he could not make out what it was that kept advancing so strangely.

Presently he managed to figure out what seemed to be a human head—no, there were two of them, belonging to men who had covered their bodies with an old blanket, and were thus creeping, inch by inch, toward the inmates of the shack.

Reddy and Blaisdell did not see what was coming, because they happened to have their backs toward the door. And Bob found himself strangely thrilled by the prospect of an encounter in which he and his companions would have no part.

Perhaps the newcomers might turn out to be some of Reddy’s former companions, who, knowing of his recent raid on the strong room of the Cherry Blossom mine, had determined to pay his shack in the foothills a secret visit, in hope of snatching his rich spoils away.

Of course Frank and Mr. Riley were watching just as eagerly as was Bob; and perhaps they, too, began to entertain hopes of being able to profit from what was about to happen in the cabin.

The gray blanket kept moving along the floor toward the spot where Reddy and his companion sat and talked earnestly, with the two sacks at their feet.

Suddenly Bob gave a little gasp.

“It’s coming!” he exclaimed, as he saw Blaisdell turn his head and look.

Immediately things began to happen. First of all the gray blanket was seen to rear up, as the pair of hiding men scrambled to their feet. At the same time Reddy and Blaisdell jumped up, with hoarse shouts.

Bob heard a shot, several of them in fact. He knew that the four men were struggling desperately at close quarters, and that undoubtedly the advantage lay with the newcomers, who had surprised the others.

For a short time he crouched there, staring through the crack, fascinated by the scene, yet appalled at the same time.

One of the struggling men had gone down heavily. Bob believed that it must be Blaisdell, for he could still see Reddy struggling with one of the intruders.

They reeled about the room, each striving to get the advantage.

Bob at this moment became aware of the fact that some one was pulling at his arm. Of course it was Frank, who wanted to make a change in their position, and was desirous of having his chum accompany him.

Bob arose, and keeping hold of the other, started off. Frank was heading to pass around the corner of the shack; and it was not difficult to understand that the open door was the object of his attention.

Mr. Riley, too, was with them, only too anxious to have a hand in what was taking place inside the cabin. While he had kept on grinding his strong teeth together, no doubt at the same time he was holding his passions in check with the greatest difficulty. And here was where he expected to get even for the little joke Reddy and his comrades had played upon him as the superintendent of the Cherry Blossom mine.

Of course it took but a very little time to round the corner of the hut; and as they did so Bob saw the figure of a man rush out of the cabin, carrying some bulky object over his shoulder.

“He’s gone, Frank, and carried one of the bags off with him!” cried the Kentucky boy, astonished and overwhelmed by what he had seen.

They were now at the door, and could look in. Blaisdell lay motionless in a corner; while the man who had been wrestling with Reddy appeared to have managed to get the better of him. He was kneeling over the other, and seemed to be either threatening him with some weapon, or else trying to tie his wrists.

“Look out for him, Mr. Riley!” cried Frank. “You, Bob, come along with me!”

A little while before Bob had been complaining about feeling weary. All that had passed away now; and really he forgot that there was such a thing as fatigue. The excitement of the moment had him in its grip, and he believed he could run as well as ever in his life.

Frank had darted off even while speaking, and there was no need to tell Bob what object he had in view. That second sack of treasure must be recovered. To let this bold thief steal it from Reddy was not to be thought of.

Bob could hear the fellow plunging down the side of the hill. Doubtless he was satisfied with having secured his share of the plunder, and willing to let his companion shift for himself.

They could hear him plainly; for in his haste the man crashed through any and all obstructions that came in his way. Several times from the sounds it would appear as though he must have fallen. On each occasion, however, he evidently recovered himself, and continued the flight.

“What’s he going to do, Frank?” he managed to ask, as he kept alongside the other.

“Horses below somewhere!” came the short reply, showing that Frank himself had been figuring on the meaning of the man’s actions.

“We’re gaining some, aren’t we?” Bob went on, eagerly; for he was now deeply interested in the result of the chase.

“Yes, that bag holds him back some,” answered the other.

Bob could well understand that. If it weighed about sixty pounds it was no little handicap for the fellow who was heading down the slope of the hill. And little wonder that he pitched headlong several times.

It looked as though the treasure taken from the Cherry Blossom strong room was fated to be recovered piecemeal. Here was one sack; another still lay on the floor of the shack above, while the hiding place of the third still remained a mystery to be solved later on.

All at once the plunging ceased, and there was silence. So profound was this that Bob could hear the fret and murmur of the falling water not far away.

“That last tumble must have settled him, Frank!” he gasped; for the sudden silence had indeed been preceded by a crash of unusual violence.

“Perhaps that’s so,” Frank admitted; “or else he’s trying a change of tactics!”

“In what way?” asked Bob.

“Knowing that we could follow him as long as he kept up all that row, he may be crawling away now. Come on, Bob; we’ve just got to get him—and that bag!”

The halt had been but momentary. They were once more in full pursuit, heading for the spot where that last crash among the bushes had been heard.

Bob believed that never before in all his life had he taken part in such an exciting time as came with the pursuit of the men who had carried off the treasure.

And for all he knew the end was not yet, since none of the gold had been recovered, despite their strenuous efforts.