HOW IT TURNED OUT—CONCLUSION
“Let me look at what he wrote, since you’ve chosen to break the
seal,” said Frank, holding out his hand, into which his chum placed
the page torn from the memorandum book of Jared Scott.
The man had indeed carefully noted just where he dropped each sack,
when compelled to lose them. One would be found at the foot of three
cedars, that stood out by themselves in a certain place he described;
a second in a little gully that crossed an open stretch of ground,
where two trails came together; while the third, and last, had been
tossed out on the summit of the range where the basket had collided
with the rocks.
Frank saw that the directions were so clear that they would not have
a great deal of trouble in locating the three bags. If they had burst
by coming in contact with the ground their heavy contents would still
lie in a heap, and could be easily gathered up.
“Why do you think he set the time at seven days, Frank?” asked Bob.
“Hum! well, now that’s a question,” remarked his chum. “If I knew Mr.
Jared Scott better, I might be able to hit the truth, first shot. It
may be he wanted more time to get away himself. Then again, perhaps
he expected to know how he was going to come out with the doctor; and
hoped for one last chance to get back here himself, to gather up his
scattered sacks.”
“That last guess sounds more like Jared,” remarked Reddy, bitterly.
“He wouldn’t give up anything, if he saw any chance to keep a grip on
it. But if it turned out that he had to ‘cash in,’ why then he might
be willin’ for ye to get the stuff back again.”
“We’re all pretty well played out just now,” said Frank, after a
pause.
“That’s right,” put in Bob.
“And nothing ought to be done till morning, when we can return to the
mine with our prisoners. When we’ve got them off our hands, we’ll
turn our attention to the job of finding the treasure. How does that
suit you, Bob and Mr. Riley?” went on Frank.
Both of them declared that they were fully satisfied.
“Only we’ve got to make sure that none of these slippery customers
gives us the go-by during the balance of the night,” added the
ex-mine superintendent, scowling in the direction of Reddy,
Blaisdell and the two men whose names they did not as yet know.
“We’ll hunt up some rope, and make them safe,” Frank declared; and
after an examination of the contents of the two bags, what they
sought came to light in the shape of a heavy and strong line.
So the four men were compelled to submit to having their legs, as
well as their arms, bound. And after Mr. Riley got through with them
there was small chance for any one of them to escape.
After that the tired boys found the best place possible in which to
lie down. Bob must have been asleep within three minutes after his
head touched the bag he was using for a pillow; and he knew nothing
more until some one shook him, calling out that it was morning.
“Why, I just slept like a log,” declared Bob. “Never knew a thing all
night. My! but I must have been pretty near all in, that time. How’s
everything, Frank?”
“Couldn’t be finer; and a good morning to start back to the mine,”
remarked his chum, who had a fire started on the hearth, and some of
the contents of the two bags cooking for breakfast.
“Say, we’re lucky again, in finding all that grub, just when we were
near the starvation stage,” remarked Bob, as he sniffed the odor of
coffee.
The four men were just where Bob had last seen them at the time he
lay down. All declared themselves stiff and sore, particularly those
who had been hurt in the excitement that had marked the previous
night.
“I’m cooking plenty of breakfast for the crowd,” Frank had announced
aloud, as he saw the way in which the men would follow him around
with their hungry eyes; “and one by one you fellows will be untied
and fed; but after that your arms must be fastened again. We don’t
trust one of you any further than we can see you.”
In good season they left the lone shack on the hillside, and headed
down toward the spot where the two saddle boys, as well as Mr. Riley,
expected to find their horses browsing.
Reddy had told where the pair they had ridden could be found. The men
were fastened to the backs of these animals, which were to be led,
as the little caravan took up the journey for distant Cherry Blossom
mine.
“How long did it take us to get here?” asked Bob, after they had
fairly started, Domino, Buckskin and the bay having been found
readily enough below.
“More than three hours in all; but we’re going to be twice that
getting back,” replied Mr. Riley.
“Why is that so?” asked Bob.
“Because, you see we don’t expect to try and make speed, as we did
coming.”
“Well, we couldn’t, with these fellows tied up the way they are. A
walk, or at best, a slow trot, is the limit with them,” and Frank
pointed to the prisoners who sat grimly, two upon each spare horse.
“And then again, not wantin’ to try and pass on that narrow ledge,
I’ve got to lead around another way, that’s longer, but safer.
Perhaps we might make the mine a short time after noon, if all goes
well,” concluded Mr. Riley.
On the way they happened to pass close to one of the points referred
to in the brief note of instructions left in their charge by Jared
Scott. Frank, desirous of proving the truth of the directions which
had been placed in his hand by the balloonist, took occasion to make
a thorough search.
And sure enough, he came upon the sack at the foot of the three
cedars. It had burst under the heavy impact with the ground; but it
was a comparatively easy matter to gather up the precious contents,
so that there was practically no loss whatever.
“This looks as if we were going to get it all back!” remarked Mr.
Riley, stopping to notice the look of yearning that appeared on the
faces of the prisoners, as they feasted their eyes on the treasure
sack.
It did take them fully six hours to reach the mine, and all of them
were glad when the journey came at last to an end, particularly the
bound men.
Everything was found to be moving finely at the Cherry Blossom. Sandy
McCoy knew just how to manage things; for the fact of his having been
an engineer aboard ship was in his favor when handling machinery.
Of course things had to be closed down for a short season after
their arrival. The men were wild with excitement, for in some way
the story of the robbery had leaked out. And when it was known that
not only had two of the thieves been captured, but there was a very
good chance for recovering all of the gold, hearty cheers announced
that the late unpleasantness was already forgotten, and that from
henceforth they were all in full sympathy with the company working
the Cherry Blossom mine.
Of course the boys believed that the series of strange things
that had come to pass since they left Circle Ranch, to make the
long journey to the mine, were never to be equalled in all their
experience. But when deciding thus they could not foresee certain
events that were destined soon to come about. These will be related
in the next volume of this series, to be called: “The Saddle Boys at
Circle Ranch; or, In at the Grand Round-Up.”
Before returning to his ranch home, Frank spent three days in company
with his chum, Mr. Riley, and Sim Garrison, searching for the other
two missing treasure sacks. It proved that Jared Scott had very
carefully noted where they had dropped. And, following out the plain
directions which he had jotted down, they eventually found them both.
Thus the strike was settled; the treasure, stolen from the strong
room, recovered; and all those who participated in the robbery
caught, with the exception of Jared Scott.
Some time afterwards Frank tried to find him, but learned he had,
with some friends, hurried away from the town on the river a few
days after arriving there, regardless of his broken limb. Whether
he really went up into the mountains in the hope of locating the
treasure himself, regretting his act of giving its hiding place away,
or simply vanished because he feared arrest, was never known.
Reddy and Blaisdell were tried for the crime, and received their
sentence. Taking off time for possible good behavior they would have
to serve some ten years.
The other two men managed to escape. They had not been in the league
to begin with, nor had either of them touched the real treasure sacks
at any time; though their intentions could not be doubted.
When the time came for the saddle boys to make the return journey Mr.
Riley accompanied them. And he promised that if their story of what
had happened during their absence from the ranch failed in covering
the ground, he would have a few things to add to it, such as the
Colonel would be glad to hear.
Bob had made sure to secure the skin of the panther which had fallen
to his gun on that occasion when the big cat attacked him for
shooting the deer he had apparently selected for his own dinner.
“I don’t care particularly about running across another of the same
sort in a hurry,” he remarked, after he found that the skin was in
good condition, the dry air having acted as a preservative; “and it
seems to strike me this will make a pretty good mat.”
Nothing came to pass on the home trip that was out of the ordinary.
“Which shows how things will sometimes crowd a fellow,” remarked
Frank, as his chum was running off the list of adventures that had
come to them, and using about all his fingers to keep tally.
Colonel Haywood was very much pleased with the way in which the two
lads had conducted matters. He often declared that had he been able
to make the trip himself he could not have done better, and possibly
might have fallen short of the success that had followed their
efforts.
Mr. Riley was installed in his new job, and soon declared he was glad
the change had come about. The life of the range suited him better
than that of the mine.
One day a gentleman came to Circle Ranch and asked to see Frank. It
turned out that he was a Professor Wadleigh, the real owner of the
balloon that Jared Scott had stolen when he conceived the idea of
hoodwinking his two fellow schemers, who were planning to rob the
Cherry Blossom mine.
The professor had learned in some way that Frank knew about his
lost balloon, and hence had come to see if there was any chance for
recovering it, as the silk of which it was made was valuable.
Of course Frank gave him minute directions as to where the balloon
had lain at last accounts; and the professor went off with the
intention of hiring several guides, and making the attempt at
recovering his property.
Whether he succeeded or not Frank never knew. But often he and Bob
would recall the exciting happenings that marked their journey
to the mine; and among these one that must always stand out with
particular vividness was the occasion when they saw Jared Scott
hanging from the wrecked balloon; and Frank snubbed the flight of the
runaway gas-bag by whipping the anchor rope around a tree trunk.
THE END
Transcriber’s Notes
pg 5 Changed: Ont here, you see, Bob
to: Out here, you see, Bob
pg 38 Changed: put it in that enevlope
to: put it in that envelope
pg 40 Changed: mountains which the wounded aeroneut declared
to: mountains which the wounded aeronaut declared
pg 45 Changed: received a violent blow on the shouder
to: received a violent blow on the shoulder
pg 72 Changed: Now, at such at time as this
to: Now, at such a time as this
pg 77 Changed: “Your’re right, I did,” replied the other
to: “You’re right, I did,” replied the other
pg 88 Changed: going to soft-soap Colonole Haywood
to: going to soft-soap Colonel Haywood
pg 93 Changed: proceeds of hte run at the stamp mills
to: proceeds of the run at the stamp mills
pg 115 Changed: once the two stout boys b nt to the task
to: once the two stout boys bent to the task
pg 147 Changed: they reached the wall of of the shack
to: they reached the wall of the shack
pg 159 Changed: check with the greatest diffculty
to: check with the greatest difficulty
pg 161 Changed: last tumble must have settled him, Frank!” he grasped
to: last tumble must have settled him, Frank!” he gasped
pg 174 Changed: That last exclaimation seemed to size
to: That last exclamation seemed to size
pg 188 Changed: Frank, do pou think a man like Jared Scott
to: Frank, do you think a man like Jared Scott
pg 188 Changed: and produced the enevelope
to: and produced the envelope
pg 188 Changed: seek the service sof a doctor
to: seek the services of a doctor
pg 189 Changed: Jarsed Scott, the accomplice of the gold thieves
to: Jared Scott, the accomplice of the gold thieves