THE SECRET MINE
Whether the young postmistress, or the two strange men, was the more
surprised could not be told. Both Jennie and her annoyers started at the
sudden appearance of the young pony rider. Then looks of anger and
annoyance came over the faces of the two men, while Jennie appeared
relieved.
"What's the trouble?" asked Jack, and with a seemingly careless motion he
threw open his coat. In his belt was a revolver, which he carried more
because the regulations compelled him to than because he really thought he
would ever need it.
"Trouble? There's no trouble," said one of the men in surly tones. "Who are
you, anyhow, to come butting in?"
"Oh, Jack!" exclaimed Jennie. "They want--"
"I'm the pony express rider on this route," interrupted Jack, with a nod at
Jennie, as if to beg her pardon for not letting her finish. "I just came in
with the mail. It's outside, but I thought I heard some trouble in here, so
I just jumped in--just in time, perhaps, too," he added, significantly.
"If you're looking for trouble," began one of the men, "I guess we can
accommodate you."
"That's enough," his companion said. "Come on out. Don't you know when to
quit?"
"Oh, Jack, they were so annoying!" cried Jennie. "They came in here when I
was all alone, and insisted on knowing the times when all the mails and
express shipments went out and came in. I said I wasn't supposed to tell
strangers that unless there was a particular reason why they should know.
Ought I to have told them? They said if I didn't they would make trouble
for me."
"They'd better try it!" Jack exclaimed, with flashing eyes. "Now, look
here, you fellows!" he went on. "I don't know who you are, nor what your
game is, but you'd better get out of here. This is government property, and
I'm a government employee for the time being, and I've got authority to
order you out of here. Now, you--get!"
For a moment one of the men hesitated, though the other seemed anxious to
leave. Jack threw open the door, and pointed in the direction of the trail
outside.
"Get out!" he exclaimed again, "and if you think I'm not big enough to
handle you I can get help. Tim!" he called, as he saw the doughty
red-haired youth who helped Jennie, "just come in here, will you?"
"Why sure I will, Jack," was the answer, Tim having just loomed into sight.
"I didn't know you were here. Is there mail to carry out?"
"Well, there are a couple of _males_ who need putting out, if not carrying
out," said Jack, smiling grimly at his play upon the words.
"Come on!" muttered the more conciliatory of the two intruders, and with
black looks at Jack and Jennie, the two men left the post office.
"Were those the men?" asked Tim, coming in as the two went off down the
rail.
"Yes," said Jack. "But they saved us the trouble of carrying them out. Now,
Jennie, what was it all about?"
For a moment the girl seemed on the verge of tears, and Jack found himself
earnestly hoping that she would not have hysterics. But she bravely
conquered her inclination.
"Oh, Jack! I'm so glad you came!" she exclaimed, as she held out both her
hands, which the young pony rider clasped warmly.
"I guess this is no place for me!" muttered Tim, with a sly wink.
"Oh, yes, Tim, stay!" Jennie begged. "I'll tell you about it, too. You'll
want to know in case these men ever come back."
"If they do!" exclaimed Jack, doubling up his fists, "I'll--"
"Oh, please don't fight with them!" pleaded Jennie. "Just let the sheriff
deal with them, Jack."
"Well, if I can't manage them myself, I'll call for help," promised the
youth. "But now tell me about it. Who were they?"
"I don't know, Jack. They are strangers around here. I was working all
alone in the office, getting my reports into shape, and was just going to
check up my stamps, when they came in. I had left the private door open, as
I didn't expect any one. Mother is away for the day, but I didn't in the
least mind being left, as I had a lot of work to do.
"Well, these men began asking all sorts of questions. I don't mind giving
information to strangers if it's the kind I can safely let out of the
office, but they wanted to know too much. Why, they even asked about you!"
"They did? Why, they didn't seem to know me just now!"
"Perhaps they didn't by sight, but they knew your name, and they asked me
how often you made the trips, where you stopped, how long it took, and they
even wanted to know what kind of a horse you rode.
"I simply refused to tell them, and then they began to threaten and
bluster. I was beginning to get frightened, but I made up my mind I
wouldn't give in to them. And then--well, you came along, and I guess I
never was so glad to see you, Jack! But, of course, they really did me no
harm. How did it happen that you got here ahead of time?"
"Oh, I just hurried, that was all," Jack answered. He did not want to tell
Jennie what he had overheard on the road. It might make her nervous, as she
might think there was some plot afoot to rob the post office.
"And there is something in the wind, or I'm mistaken," mused Jack, "though
what it is I can't guess. I'm going to be on the watch harder than ever.
The plot is beginning to thicken, as they say in stories," and he made a
mental picture of the two men.
The stage coach came in a little later, and Jack received a number of
parcels for transmission to Rainbow Ridge. As he was ahead of time, and as
there was some mail of importance, Jack resolved to make an immediate trip
back, though he would not arrive at the other end of the trail until after
dark.
"Oh, Jack! Do you think it will be safe?" Jennie asked.
"What safe?" he asked, with a smile. "The mail?"
"No--you!"
"Why shouldn't I be safe? I've ridden the trail before after dark."
"I know. But those--those men--"
"Nonsense! I'm not afraid."
Nevertheless, Jack was a little nervous as he galloped along the mountain
path after night had fallen. He started at every little noise, for while
there had been no robberies of the mail for some time, still such things
were known to happen occasionally.
But the two strangers who had annoyed Jennie were not seen around town
after the episode, and Jack did not think they were desperate enough to try
to hold him up. Besides, while there were some letters and parcels of
importance, there was not enough of value in the pouches this trip to make
it an inducement for robbery.
"They wouldn't take the risk for what I've got with me," reasoned Jack. And
he was right. At least there was no attack on him, and he reached Rainbow
Ridge safely and delivered his stuff.
Mr. Bailey was not quite so well next day, and Jack was worried about him.
But Dr. Brown said the ailment, which was a form of intermittent fever,
might often take a turn like that. Jack said nothing to his father about
the two men who had annoyed his cousin, but he did report the occurrence to
Mr. Perkfeld, who promised to have an investigation made.
But nothing was heard of the men, nor could any trace of them be found,
after a somewhat limited search was made.
"I guess they were just fresh tenderfeet," said the manager of the pony
express company.
Jack, however, did not altogether share this view.
It was about a week after this that, as Jack reached the Mansion Hotel one
morning to receive the mail, he was approached by Mr. Argent, who had a
number of red-sealed letters in his hand.
"This time I'm really going to let you take them, Jack," he said. "My
friend Wayde thinks it's all right to forward them to their destination
now."
"Are they as important as ever?" asked Jack, with a smile.
"Yes, and more so, Jack. I'll just give you a hint," the miner said, in a
low voice. "Wayde and I have discovered a secret mine, and if things go
right it may mean a big thing for us."
"A secret mine?" questioned the young pony express rider.
"Yes. It was one located by a prospector some years ago, but he died after
he came into town with some mighty rich nuggets. He gave the location of
the mine to a friend, but the latter lost the papers and never could find
the claim. Lately a relative discovered the documents in an old coat
pocket, and sent them to me, suggesting that we work the claim on shares.
"I went into it with Wayde, and we've found the mine. It's rich, too, and
it isn't far from here. But there are certain legal forms to comply with
before we can actually begin work, and these letters refer to those
matters. The reason Wayde didn't want to send them the other time was
because he feared a counter legal move on the part of some men who are
trying to locate the mine and get it away from those entitled to it But now
matters are about straightened out, and I'm going to send off these letters
by you. I'll expect answers back soon, and when they come--"
Mr. Argent paused suddenly, for a sound came from around the corner of the
porch where he and Jack had been standing during their talk. The miner
suddenly turned the corner of the hotel, with Jack following. They saw a
man walking rapidly away along the other part of the porch.