THE STRANGERS AGAIN
"Was he listening?" asked Jack of the miner.
"It rather looks so," was the answer. "I thought I heard some one moving
about there as I was talking to you, and I wanted to make sure."
"Well, you did all right," replied Jack, grimly. "Do you know who he is?"
"No, but--"
"Say! Wait a minute!" suddenly exclaimed Jack. He had but a glimpse of the
man's back, but there seemed to be something familiar about the manner in
which the man walked off. Like a flash it came to Jack.
"I think I know him--at least I've seen him before," he said hurriedly to
Mr. Argent. "I'm going to find out for sure."
In a flash Jack had sprung over the porch railing, and was rapidly running
alongside the porch on the soft grass. He did this in order to get ahead of
the retreating man. Had he remained on the porch Jack's footfalls on the
boards would have given the alarm.
As it was, he was able to get ahead of the eavesdropper, and obtain a view
of his face. And Jack was not mistaken in his surmise. It was one of the
two men who had annoyed Jennie in the post office. The fellow seemed
startled on confronting our hero.
"So you're here now, eh?" asked Jack.
"Well, is that any of your business?" was the challenge. "Isn't this a free
country?"
"Of course," Jack answered. "But even in a free country there are certain
laws about causing trouble, and listening to private talk."
"Who was listening?" demanded the fellow.
"You were!" Jack exclaimed.
At that moment Mr. Argent came sauntering along the piazza. The fellow
turned sharply. Neither appeared to recognize the other.
"This chap is the same one I thought he was," explained Jack, "It was he
and a partner of his who made the fuss in the Golden Crossing office, Mr.
Argent. If you could find Mr. Perkfeld we might make a charge against him."
The man seemed disconcerted at this.
"Charge? What charge?" he blustered.
"You'll find out soon enough," Jack replied.
He started off, thinking Mr. Argent would keep the man there until Mr.
Perkfeld could be summoned. But the fellow made a sudden dash, leaped to
the saddle of a horse that was near the end of the porch, and was off down
the road on a gallop.
As he rode off he was joined by another man, who also made a hurried exit
from the hotel and leaped to the back of his horse. But he was not so quick
but what Jack recognized him as the other man who had annoyed the young
postmistress of Golden Crossing.
"Well, they got away!" Jack said, regretfully, as he came back to Mr.
Argent.
"Perhaps it's just as well," answered the miner. "I don't know that you
could have really held them on the charge of being impudent and rough to
Miss Blake, and you tell me that is all they did."
"Yes, that's so. But what about one of them listening to what you were
telling me about the secret mine."
"Oh, bless you, that doesn't worry me!" said Mr. Argent, with a laugh.
"I'll defy anybody to find that mine without the proper directions, and I
don't intend to tell even you those, Jack--at least not yet. I really
didn't let out any information of any account, and what that chap
overheard, if he heard anything, won't do him any good. I'm not worrying,
but, of course, I don't like to have strangers sneak up and listen to what
I say. But no great harm has been done."
"I'm glad of it. And perhaps it's just as well we didn't have them
arrested. It would make it unpleasant for Jennie to be brought into court."
"That's right, Jack. Well, the fellows got away, so we won't worry about
them. Now take these letters, and I needn't tell you to be careful of
them."
"I sure will look out for them," Jack promised, earnestly.
"And just mention them to your cousin at the other end of the line," went
on the miner. "Have her use a little extra care."
"I'll tell her," promised Jack.
"Another matter," went on the miner, and this time he lowered his voice to
a whisper as if afraid of being overheard. "These letters aren't so
important as their answers will be."
"What do you mean?" asked Jack.
"I mean that we expect some legal documents by mail, after these letters
have reached those for whom they are intended," answered the miner. "The
replies will be very important, and I wouldn't want them to fall into the
hands of those who are trying to get the property away from us.
"So if you'll just mention to your cousin to bear in mind when any letters
like these come for me that they're important, and if you'll remember that
yourself, Jack, why, we'll be much obliged to you."
"I sure will be on the watch," promised Jack. "They'll be registered, of
course."
"Oh sure! But I don't imagine anything will happen to them. For no one can
know exactly when they will come. Only be on the watch for them."
"I certainly will! Now if you'll give me those I'll put them in a safe
place."
Mr. Argent handed over the missives, and Jack put them in his inside
pocket, and then used a safety pin to close the opening.
"Safety first!" he exclaimed with a laugh.
"That's right," assented the miner.
As Jack rode off on the back of his pony, which was becoming quite famous
because of his speed and the regularity with which he made the trips, the
young express rider thought of the two strangers who had suddenly
reappeared after having annoyed Jennie.
"I just wonder who they are, and what their game is," he reflected. "After
all, maybe it would have been a good thing if we had caught them. I guess
Jennie would be game enough to go to court and testify. But I don't know on
just what charge we could have held them."
"Anyhow, we haven't got 'em, so perhaps it's all for the best. But I sure
will be on the watch for them again. And I'll have to be on the lookout for
the replies to these letters. Well, it's all in the game," Jack reflected.
"Dad probably has gone through the same, and worse, maybe, and he never
backed down. I've got to keep up his reputation, if I'm doing his work. It
would be fine, too, if I could find some way of proving that he wasn't at
fault in that Harrington matter. But I suppose that's too much to expect."
Thus reflecting, Jack rode on.