“WHEN GREEK MEETS GREEK!”
“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.