BROUGHT TO BAY--CONCLUSION
Left at the bottom of the cliffs, the others of the party drew a trifle
closer to the mouth of the cave. They could see nobody, and wondered if
it was possible that Sag Ruff and his associates in crime had managed
in some way to get away.
"Perhaps they are miles away by this time," said Mark. "We really ought
to go into the cave and make sure."
"And git shot for our pains," said Maybe Dixon. "None o' that in mine."
Nevertheless, as the moments went by, all grew more anxious, and at
last, when it grew dark, they walked up within a hundred feet of the
opening.
"Halt!" came in the voice of Sag Ruff, and he peered forth from behind
a rock, pistol in hand.
"Come out of that!" cried Mark.
"We are not coming out," answered the gambler.
"You had better," said Maybe Dixon. "You ain't got no show to git
away."
"Don't be so sure of that," came from Morgan Fitzsimmons, who was
behind another rock, and also armed.
"We'll starve you out, if we can't do better," said one of the posse.
"You must give up to the law," said Peckham.
"He's an under-sheriff," said Maybe Dixon, but did not add from what
State.
"An under-sheriff!" muttered Morgan Fitzsimmons, in dismay. "They are
certainly after us hot-footed," he added, to Sag Ruff.
"Look here, if you are willing, maybe we will compromise," said Sag
Ruff, after a long pause.
"We are not compromising with criminals," said Mark.
"You want your gold, don't you?"
"Yes, and we are bound to have it," put in Maybe Dixon.
"Unless you will compromise, you'll never see a speck of your dust,"
growled Sag Ruff.
"Nor a nugget neither," came from Morgan Fitzsimmons. "We have got the
upper hand, and you know it."
"We are going to capture you and get the gold, too," said Mark.
"Perhaps you think we have the gold with us," said Morgan Fitzsimmons.
"You have," cried Maybe Dixon.
"Nothing of the kind. We hid it away, miles from here."
"Do you think he tells the truth?" asked Mark.
"I do not," answered Maybe Dixon. "I saw the bag several times as the
rascals rode along. If they got rid of it at all it was just before
they made for this cave."
"You'll give up that gold right enough," shouted one of the miners in
the posse. "We'll make you tell where it is, even if it takes a rope to
do it."
"That's the talk!" cried another. "Hanging is too good for such skunks!"
At the mention of hanging Morgan Fitzsimmons turned deathly pale.
"Will they dare to--to hang us?" he faltered.
"Like as not," said Sag Ruff. "To tell the truth, we are in a tight
box."
"Perhaps they will let us go, if we give up all the gold."
"I don't think so. We have led them a long chase and they are mad."
"What shall we do?"
"Hold them at bay for the present, until those two greasers report. If
we can get out the back way it will give us something of a chance to
escape."
"But they can come in this way."
"Not if we let down those rocks," and Sag Ruff pointed to some rocks
overhead that seemed to be loose and ready to fall.
"Can we do that?"
"I think so."
The two Mexicans had gone to the rear of the cave to investigate. The
place was long and narrow, making several sharp turns. It was of solid
rock, with an uneven flooring. In one spot some water trickled down the
side and formed a pool below.
The horses were standing some distance back from the front entrance.
They were all but exhausted and needed a long rest before they would be
fit to proceed on another journey. Sag Ruff knew this, and it vexed him
exceedingly.
"If you don't come out of that, we'll shoot at you," said Maybe Dixon,
at last. "We are bound to get you, so you might as well give up now as
later."
"Will you compromise?"
"No."
"Then we won't give up, and if you shoot, so will we," answered Sag
Ruff.
He was growing reckless and was fit for any deed of daring. A shot
rang out and the bullet whistled over his head. He fired two shots in
return, one at Maybe Dixon and one at Mark. Then came more shots from
outside, but none of them took effect.
"Fire at them!" cried Sag Ruff to Morgan Fitzsimmons. "It's the only
way we can keep them back."
The man from Philadelphia did as ordered, but his aim was poor and
nobody was struck. The first bullets had grazed the coats of Maybe
Dixon and Mark, but that was all.
Thinking it unsafe to remain near the mouth of the cave, our friends
withdrew to the shelter of the rocks. Hardly had they done so when some
shots rang out, coming from above the cave.
"They must have gone to the rear!" cried Mark. "What shall we do?"
"It may be a ruse," said Maybe Dixon. "That wasn't the signal for us!"
"Look! look!" called out Peckham.
He pointed to the mouth of the cave. A mass of rocks had fallen, all
but closing up the opening.
"Wonder if that was done on purpose," said Mark. "It is funny they
should fall just at this time!"
A moment later came three shots in rapid succession from the top of the
cliffs.
"There's the signal!" cried the under-sheriff from Missouri.
"Come on!" returned Maybe Dixon. "Three of us can go up and the rest
stay here," and off he sped, followed by Mark and Peckham.
How he got to the top of the cliffs Mark hardly knew. But once there
he found a lively fight going on. The first Mexican had been captured
by Andrew West, Si, and Bob, but the other fellow had fired on them,
and now Sag Ruff and Morgan Fitzsimmons were in the mix-up, each on
horseback.
"We must ride for it!" cried Sag Ruff, as the party from below came
into view. "They are too many for us!"
"Ride it is," answered Morgan Fitzsimmons.
Both men struck their steeds fiercely, to force them into a gallop, and
over the rocks they clattered. Maybe Dixon saw this, took aim at them,
and fired four times. Mark also fired, and with a wild leap Sag Ruff's
animal went down, throwing his rider over his head. The horse Morgan
Fitzsimmons rode was also hit and ran wild, close to the edge of the
rocks.
"Stop! Stop!" yelled the man from Philadelphia. "Stop! Whoa!" But the
horse was too frightened to stop, and the next moment slipped and fell
over the cliff, carrying the swindler with him.
Sag Ruff was partly stunned by his fall, but he managed to get up on
his knees, flourishing his pistol wildly.
"Don't touch me! Don't touch me!" he screamed, and then Mark swooped
down upon him from behind, threw him over, and disarmed him. In a few
seconds he was surrounded and made a prisoner. Then the posse turned on
the second Mexican and he also was disarmed and his hands were bound
tightly behind him.
In the meantime those at the foot of the cliff had seen the tumble
taken by Morgan Fitzsimmons and his horse. They ran to the spot, to
find the horse dead from a broken neck. Beside the animal lay the man
from Philadelphia, bruised and unconscious.
"I don't think he will live," said one miner, after an examination. "If
he does, he will be a cripple for life."
When the fight was over, all hands gathered at the foot of the cliff,
close to what had been the mouth of the cave. The two Mexicans were
bound hand to hand and ankle to ankle, so that to escape would be next
to impossible. Sag Ruff was tied to a sharp rock and Morgan Fitzsimmons
was placed on a horse blanket. The man from Philadelphia was still
unconscious, but in a little while he gave a groan and opened his eyes.
"Don't hurt me!" he murmured. "Please don't!" and then he relapsed
into unconsciousness again.
"Poor fellow, I guess he has got all that is coming to him," said Si.
"Hang me if I ain't kinder sorry for him, after all!"
"He has nobody to blame but himself," said Bob. "He chose to be a
rascal and this is the result."
"I hope he lives," said Mark. "I want him to clear up that mystery of
the office robbery."
Maybe Dixon and the boys were tremendously anxious concerning the
missing nuggets and gold dust. They passed into the cave, through a
narrow spot that was still open, and candles were lit, for it was now
dark.
At first they found nothing, but presently discovered a trace of gold
dust on the rocky flooring. The thin stream of gold led to one side of
the cave, where was located a high and dry pocket.
"Hurrah! here is the bag!" shouted Mark, hauling it forth.
"Are the nuggets there?" asked Si, anxiously.
"Yes."
"An' the dust?" queried Maybe Dixon.
"Yes. One small bag is burst open. That left the trail on the floor."
"And a good thing for us," said Si. "We can afford to lose a little
dust, so long as we've found all the rest."
Going to a corner by themselves, they examined the contents of the
bag with care. So far as they could remember, all of the nuggets were
there, just as they had buried them. The gold dust was a little short,
but not over two or three ounces.
"As Si says, that little don't count," said Maybe Dixon. "I am more
than thankful we have all the rest."
"So say I," said Bob, and the other boys said the same.
It was a happy party that went to rest that night, close to the foot
of the cliffs. Morgan Fitzsimmons was made as comfortable as possible,
although some of the posse were in favor of hanging all four of the
prisoners. Mark was utterly worn out and went to sleep quickly, despite
the excitement through which he had passed.
The next morning Mark had an interview with Morgan Fitzsimmons. Like
Soapy Gannon, the man from Philadelphia was utterly discouraged, and
willing to do anything to make matters easy for himself.
"I need a doctor," said he. "I am all broke up."
"I'll get you a doctor, if you'll confess about that affair at my
step-father's office in Philadelphia," answered Mark.
"All right, I'll do it. One more crime on my head won't count, I
reckon. I took the money, just as you suspected. You can write out a
confession, and I'll sign it in the presence of witnesses. Please get
a doctor as soon as you can, and--and don't let them ha--hang me!" he
whispered, pleadingly.
"They are not going to hang you," answered Mark.
"Some of them spoke of doing it."
"We are going to turn you, Ruff, and the two Mexicans over to the
law." And a week later this was done. Soapy Gannon was also placed
under arrest, but was used as a witness against the others. Morgan
Fitzsimmons went to a hospital for two months and was afterwards
tried and sentenced to several years in prison, and a long term of
imprisonment fell also to the share of Sag Ruff. The two Mexicans were
sent to Mexico, where they had to answer to several grave charges, and
were also placed in durance vile.
As soon as he had Morgan Fitzsimmons' confession in his possession,
Mark had a duplicate made of it by a notary public and forwarded the
same to his step-father. In return Jadell Powers sent a long letter, in
which he begged Mark to forgive him for suspecting the lad. He added
that he was glad Mark was doing so well and that he could remain in
California as long as he pleased.
"Maybe he was afraid you'd make it warm for him," suggested Maybe Dixon.
"Some day I am going back to Philadelphia and make him make a full
settlement," answered Mark. "But I guess that time is a good way off
yet."
The four partners had learned the lesson that it was not safe, in such
a rough country, to keep much gold on hand, and Maybe Dixon and Si made
a journey to Sacramento, where they placed the nuggets and most of the
dust in the hands of a responsible banker, who gave them proper credit.
Si sent ten thousand dollars to his folks, much to their unbounded
amazement and gratification.
As soon as matters had quieted down a little the boys and Maybe Dixon
set to work to clear away the rocks and dirt deposited over the little
cavern by the landslide. This was hard labor, but when winter came the
work was done, and during the cold weather they spent their time in
enlarging the opening. They found quite a number of nuggets, and a "pay
streak" that made their hearts leap with joy. The claim was properly
staked out and recorded, and Andrew West took a claim on one side
of them, and Josiah Socket located on the other. Later on all of the
claims were merged into one concern, the Golden Pick Mining Company, a
corporation which became one of the best known in California.
When Mark finally returned to Philadelphia his step-father treated him
with every consideration. Mark was then of age and rich, and to Jadell
Powers nothing had so much value as money.
"You deserve your success, my lad," said he. "I wish you well." And
then and there all their quarrels were dropped and a just settlement
made all around. Then Mark went back to California, to settle down. He
married one of the Socket girls, a beautiful miss of seventeen, and
led a happy and prosperous life. Si married Tillie West, and they made
a most loving and affectionate couple. Bob remained a bachelor, and
having acquired a good-sized fortune went to traveling, covering nearly
every quarter of the globe.
THE END