University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XXX.
AN ESCAPE--CONCLUSION.

AT midnight Nestor awoke Broswick, who was to take the next watch.

"All quiet?" asked the hunter.

"As a churchyard," replied the miner.

"How about Berry and Pender?"

"They haven't moved."

"All right; turn in."

Nestor was soon snoring, and Broswick began his vigil. The moon began to move over toward the west, and the only sounds heard were the hoots of owls or the barking of foxes.

Suddenly the hunter paused in his walk about the camp. His trained ear told him somebody or something was approaching. He could hear the breaking of twigs and the rattle of stones as they were stepped on.

"That's a human being," decided the hunter. "No animal would be as clumsy as that in making an approach."

He waited, with his rifle ready.

"If it's some one coming to rescue Stoneham

they'll get a warm reception," he whispered to himself.

The noise came nearer. Then the bushes off to the left parted cautiously, and Broswick heard a soft whisper:

"Hey, Bill! Hey, Jack! Where are you?"

"It's that Noddy Nixon chap," Broswick muttered. "He must have come back in his automobile after the deputy sheriff released him at sundown. Now I wonder what I'd better do?"

"Hey, Bill!" Noddy called, in a little louder whisper, "can you sneak away? I have the machine ready."

This time a movement near where Bill Berry and Pender were lying told that they had heard the summons. Broswick silently drew back into the shadows and waited to see what would happen. He did not think it necessary to arouse the others yet.

Berry rose to his feet and peered about him. Jack followed. They were trying to locate Noddy's whereabouts.

"Here I am!" whispered Noddy. "Right by the oak tree."

As quietly as they could, Pender and Berry began sneaking off to one side, avoiding the light cast by the camp-fire.

"Shall I let 'em go or stop 'em?" debated Broswick with himself. "Guess I'll let 'em go. We

don't want 'em, for they're more trouble than they're worth. But I'll give 'em a good scare."

He raised his gun and fired two shots in the air, over the heads of the escaping man and boy. Their frightened yells told how startled they were.

In an instant the camp was in confusion. Every one awoke, Nestor standing ready with a revolver in either hand.

"What's the matter?" he cried.

"Only Noddy coming back for his two friends," replied Broswick.

"Have they escaped?"

The hunter raised his hand to indicate silence. A crashing of the underbrush told in which way the fugitives were heading.

"There they go," said Broswick.

The sheriff had quickly assured himself that Stoneham was still securely bound.

"Shall we take after Noddy and Pender?" asked Broswick.

"What's the use?" asked Nestor. "If we had them arrested it would only make trouble for us. Let 'em go. I got some of my gold back from Pender."

"Yes, let 'em go," assented Jerry.

"Hark!" exclaimed Ned.

All listened. The faint chugging of an automobile was heard, gradually dying away in the distance.

"I guess that's the end of 'em," remarked Nestor.

Once more quiet settled down on the camp, and there were no other disturbances that night. The shining of the sun through the trees awoke the campers, and soon coffee was made and a simple breakfast ready.

"Now if one of you will run down to town in the automobile, with me and my friend Stoneham here," said the sheriff, "I'll be obliged to you."

Jerry agreed to make the trip, and Nestor said he would go along, as he wanted to do some business at the Government Assay Office. The mine was left in charge of Broswick, Professor Snodgrass, Ned and Bob.

"Don't let anybody jump the claim," cautioned the miner with a laugh, as he rode off, Jerry steering the automobile down the valley.

"There'll be trouble if they try it," said the hunter, looking at his gun.

No accidents occurred during the automobile trip. Town was safely reached, and the sheriff lodged his prisoner in jail. Nestor transacted his business with the Government agent, and then Jerry headed the machine back for the camp. There they found everything in good shape.

"Now that our troubles are about over, an' we're in possession of our mine, it won't be a bad

idea to dig out a few nuggets for luck," said Nestor.

"Can we have one?" asked Bob.

"Why, sure, Chunky," replied the miner. "The claim's part yours, jest as it is mine. We're goin' to share an' share alike in this deal. I'd never have got to this mine if it hadn't been for you boys. Have a nugget? Well, I guess yes."

They went to the top of the hill, and Nestor and Jerry descended the shaft. This second trip more than confirmed the first view of the richness of the mine. The rocky sides of the shaft were fairly studded with small nuggets. Nestor dug out some with his knife, and Jerry did likewise.

"There's about one hundred dollars," remarked the miner after half an hour's work, showing a handful of dull, golden pebbles. Jerry had about the same amount.

"Now we've got to git ready to work this claim," said Nestor. "I'll attend to all that, seein' as how I'm familiar with the business. But, first, we'll go up an' show the others what we have."

As they neared the top of the shaft they heard quite a commotion on the surface. The voices of men in dispute could be heard.

"I wonder what's the trouble now?" Nestor said.

Coming out of the shaft he found the summit of the hill surrounded by fifty or more roughly

dressed men, all bearing mining tools on their backs. They stood in a circle while Broswick, with cocked rifle, was holding them at bay.

"What's the matter?" asked Nestor.

"They allowed they was goin' to jump this claim," said the hunter.

"Excuse me, pardner," spoke one of the crowd, who seemed to be a sort of leader, addressing his remarks to Nestor. "I take it you're in charge here?"

"That's what," replied the miner.

"Waal, we ain't goin' to jump nobody's claim. We're a bunch of miners, an' we've come all the way from Spread Eagle Valley to this region, hearin' as how there was good claims here. Are we right?"

"You be," replied Nestor, "an' you're welcome. There's the stakes of our claim," and he indicated them.

"All filed reg'lar an' 'cordin' to law, I s'pose?" went on the spokesman.

"Right," answered Nestor. "You can locate anywhere you like outside of my claim."

"That's all we wanted to know," went on the other. "Come on, boys!" he called to his companions. "It's all right!"

The whole valley was soon a scene of great activity, with miners staking claims on every side. They were eager with the desire for gold.

Within a week the whole region fairly swarmed with the gold seekers, for the section was rich with the precious metal. But no claim was as valuable as that of the lost mine which Nestor and the boys had found.

Arrangements were made for working the claim, machinery was ordered, and soon pay-dirt was being taken out in large quantities. A more comfortable log cabin was erected in place of the rude shack that served as a temporary shelter, and the boys began to enjoy life in the new diggings.

One of the first things they had done when they were sure of the possession of the mine was to write back home and tell their parents of the good luck.

Jerry suggested that in the missives each one should ask permission to remain at the gold mine for some time longer, and perhaps make a further trip before returning to Cresville.

"I wonder if we'll get any letters by this mail?" asked Ned one evening, when, after the day's work was done, they all sat about the camp-fire.

"We'll soon know," said Jerry. "Here comes Nestor back from town, and it looks as if he had something in his hand."

The miner approached, riding Broswick's horse.

"Here's the postman!" he cried, waving some papers in the air. "Letters for each of ye!"

Three anxious boys opened three envelopes and

soon were busy reading the missives. Then came three simultaneous whoops of delight.

"I can stay!" yelled Bob.

"Me, too!" exclaimed Jerry.

"And me!" came from Ned.

"I don't blame your folks for lettin' ye stay," put in Nestor, "You're makin' money here every day out of this mine."

The parents of the boys had wisely concluded that it would be a good experience for their sons to develop the mine further, since they seemed to be in good hands under Nestor's guidance, and able to take care of themselves.

"We'll have no end of good times," said Bob, trying to turn a handspring on the grass, but tumbling down in the effort.

"I'd feel better if I was sure we had seen the last of Noddy and Pender, as well as Bill Berry and that Dalsett chap," spoke Jerry.

"Oh, they'll never bother us again," came from Ned. "They're running like scared rabbits. We'll never see them again."

But Ned was wrong. They did meet Noddy and his three companions once more, and under strange circumstances, as will be related in the next volume of this series, to be entitled "The Motor Boys in Mexico; or, The Secret of the Buried City."

"Let's go to bed," suggested Jerry, as the camp-fire

died out. And they went to their bunks in the log cabin as the moon rose over the trees and cast a silver gleam over the machinery at the shaft of the gold mine.

The Motor Boys' trip overland had panned out very well, indeed.

THE END.