CHAPTER XX
THE EXPOSURE
When Tom Dillon heard about the light that had been seen and thedetermination to walk to it, he wanted to know how far off it was.
"If it's that close we had better all go," he announced, after beingtold. "If it's Abe Blower's camp it must be in a good spot, for Abeknows this locality as good as I do and maybe better. A mile isn't sofar. We can walk an' lead the hosses, if we have to."
Less than quarter of an hour later found them on the way. The old minerwas in front, with Roger beside him, and Dave and Phil bringing up therear. All were on foot, for they had to pick their way in the darkness,which seemed more intense than it had been on previous nights.
"The sky is overcast," observed Dave, as they trudged along theuncertain, rocky trail. "Looks to me like rain."
"We'll catch it sooner or later," announced Tom Dillon. "And maybe we'llhave a big blow in the bargain."
"Then it blows up here?" queried Roger.
"Does it? I should say yes, lad! I've been in such a wind up here onecould hardly keep his feet. And the rain comes so thick an' fast it nighdrowns you!"
As they advanced, they kept their eyes on the alert for the distantcampfire. Twice they found and lost it, but, as they came around anotherspur of rocks they beheld it quite plainly and saw several figuresmoving around it.
"Wait!" called Dave, to the others. "If that is Abe Blower's camp, andMerwell and Haskers are with him, I've got an idea."
"What is that?" asked Roger.
"Why not let Mr. Dillon go ahead alone, and find out what Merwell andHaskers have to say? We can sneak up in the darkness and show ourselveslater."
This was considered a good plan, and, after a short discussion, it wasadopted. The old miner mounted his horse and rode onward, the three boyscoming after him on foot and keeping in the shadow of the rocks to oneside of the uneven trail.
The clatter of the horse's hoofs on the rocks soon attracted theattention of those around the distant campfire. The three persons cameforward, to see who was coming.
"Why, if it ain't Tom Dillon, of all men!" cried one of the three, andhis face, that had shown anxiety, broke into a smile. "How are you, Tom,and what brings you up here?"
"I came to find you, Abe," was the old miner's reply. "They told me downin Butte you were off to have another search for the lost LandslideMine."
"Saw Kate Carmody, I reckon," went on Abe Blower. "Yes, I'm goin' onanother hunt fer the mine--account o' these two gents," and Abe Blowerpointed to his companions.
"Who is this man?" asked one of the others, who had come from thecampfire.
"This is Tom Dillon, one o' the best old-time miners and prospectors inMontany," answered Abe Blower, with a broad smile. "He used to know yeruncle well," he added.
"Is that so? Then--er--perhaps he can help us to locate the lost mine."
"Mebbe--if he wants to spare the time. Ye see, Tom ain't so poor as Ibe," explained Abe Blower. "He made his pile an' saved it, he did," headded, admiringly.
"Who are your companions, Abe?" asked Tom Dillon, rather abruptly.
"Oh, sure, excuse me fer not introducin' you," cried the other miner."This here is Mr. Morr, son o' Senator Morr an' nevvy of MauriceHarrison, an' this is his friend, Prefesser Haskers, o' the colledgeMorr ust to go to. Gents, this is Mr. Thomas Dillon, a miner an'prospector, an' one o' the richest an' best men in Butte."
"Ah, glad to know you, sir!" exclaimed Job Haskers, and held out histhin hand. But, somehow, Tom Dillon did not seem to see it and he merelybowed.
"And you are Senator Morr's son, eh?" said the old miner, turning toLink Merwell.
"I am," was the bold answer, but when the old miner looked him squarelyin the eyes, Merwell had to turn his gaze away.
"I understood that Maurice Harrison, when he died, willed the LandslideMine to your family," went on Tom Dillon.
"He did, and I and my friend are here to look for it," answered LinkMerwell.
"Think you'll find it?"
"Blower here says he will do what he can to discover it," broke in JobHaskers. "He has a great reputation as a prospector."
"I will surely do my best for Maurice Harrison's nevvy," said AbeBlower. "Maurice Harrison was mighty good to me, an' I ain't the one toforgit that."
"Have you a brother?" asked Tom Dillon, turning again to Merwell.
"A brother? Why--er--no," answered the imposter, and then turnedsuddenly pale. "Why--er--do you ask that question?" he faltered.
"I met another young fellow in Butte named Morr."
"I--I don't know him."
"He was with two other young fellows named Porter and Lawrence."
At this unexpected announcement Link Merwell's face grew paler thanever. Job Haskers, too, showed that he was much disturbed.
"Did this--this Morr say where he was from, or where he was going?"asked the former teacher of Oak Hall.
"Oh, the whole crowd was from the East. I reckon they are coming uphere," answered Tom Dillon, dryly. "They want to find you, Abe," headded, with a wink at the other miner.
"Me? What fer?"
"They want you to locate this same Landslide Mine for them."
"The same mine? Say, Tom, what are you drivin' at?" demanded Abe Blower,in astonishment.
"What I'm drivin' at is just this, Abe," answered Tom Dillon, and hisvoice grew suddenly stern. "This ain't Roger Morr at all. The realfellow you ain't met yet. This chap is a fraud!"
"Say--look here----" began Link Merwell.
"Is the--er--the other Morr--er--coming here?" faltered Job Haskers.
"I am not coming--I am here!" cried a voice, and Roger stepped from theshadow of a near-by rock.
The senator's son faced Link Merwell and Job Haskers, and both stared athim as if they were looking at a ghost, and backed away.
"Roger Morr!" faltered Merwell.
"Yes, Link. You didn't expect I'd follow you so soon, did you?" criedRoger. "Now, I've got a nice account to settle with you. I want to knowwhat you did with my suit-case, and I want to know what you mean byimpersonating me."
"I--I----" began Merwell, and then stopped, not knowing how to proceed.
"This is--er--very unfortunate," murmured Job Haskers. He would haveretired had there been any place to retire to, which there was not.
"Say, are you Roger Morr?" gasped Abe Blower, gazing fixedly at thesenator's son.
"I am. And you are Abe Blower?"
"I sure am. But see here----"
"We'll explain everything in a few minutes, Mr. Blower. These fellowsare swindlers! They robbed me of my suit-case and then got ahead of me,and that fellow impersonated me," and Roger pointed to Merwell. "Wehired Mr. Dillon to bring us to you--or at least he offered to come. Heknows that I am the real Roger Morr, and Maurice Harrison was mymother's brother."
"Well, I never! But wot did they think to gain----"
"They wanted to locate the lost mine before I got here, that was theirgame. What they intended to do later I don't know, but probably JobHaskers was going to cook up some deal whereby our family could be keptout of the property. He is a rascal----"
"See here, Morr, I won't--er--have you--ahem!--talk about me inthis----" commenced the former teacher.
"But I will talk about you!" interrupted Roger. "You are a rascal,almost as bad as Merwell here, and you know it."
"Yes, and we know it, don't we, Phil?" cried another voice, and Dave andPhil stepped into view.
"Porter--and Lawrence!" faltered the former teacher of Oak Hall, and helooked almost ready to drop. "I--I----" He did not know how to finish.
"Say, I want to git the straight o' this!" burst out Abe Blower.
"This young man is givin' it to you straight, Abe," replied Tom Dillon,pointing to Roger. "And these are his friends--all true blue to thecore. These other fellers are first-class swindlers. They took you ingood an' proper."
"If they did, they shall suffer fer it!" roared the other miner. "Do youknow, I kinder suspected somethin' was wrong.
They didn't act as open ashonest folks should. An' they was in an all-fired hurry to git away fromButte and from Black Cat Camp."
"Because they knew we were following them," explained Dave. "Link, Iguess you had better admit that the game is up," he went on, turning tohis former schoolmate.
"Is it up?" sneered Link Merwell. "Well, I don't know, Dave Porter. Wehave as much right to hunt for that lost mine as you have."
"Oh, so that's the game, eh?" burst out Roger.
"You had no right to impersonate Roger," asserted our hero. "He can haveyou arrested for that."
"Huh, that was--er--only done for--er--fun," faltered Link Merwell. "Andas for your old suit-case, it's on check at the Glenrose Hotel in Butte,and there's the check for it," and he drew the brass disc from hispocket and passed it over to the senator's son.
"Why did you take my suit-case?"
"Oh, for fun."
"He took it thinking he was going to get your map!" cried Dave. "Link,what makes you act as you do?" went on our hero, earnestly. "When Ihelped you on Cave Island you promised that you were going to reform."
"What's the use of reforming?" burst out the other. "Everybody in thisworld is down on me! I don't dare to show my face wherever I am known!There is a warrant out for my arrest!" And Link Merwell's face showedhis bitterness.
While the boys were talking Abe Blower and Tom Dillon had beenconversing together. Job Haskers was left in the cold, and he lookedmuch disturbed. Evidently he was thinking how foolish he had been tocome to Montana with Merwell.
"So this is the trick yer played on me, consarn ye!" cried Abe Blower,coming from the other miner to Haskers. "I've a good mind to take it outof yer hide!" And he shook his fist in the former teacher's face.
"Don't you touch me--don't you dare!" howled Job Haskers, in new alarm,and he backed away so hastily that he tripped over some of the campoutfit and went flat on his back.
The accident was such a comical one that Dave and his chums laughedoutright, and Tom Dillon and Abe Blower grinned broadly. Link Merwellreached down and assisted the former teacher to his feet. Job Haskers'sface was sourness itself.
"Stop that! Don't you dare to laugh at me!" he roared. "Don't you dare!"
"We'll laugh as much as we please," answered Dave, boldly.
"I--I guess we had better get out of here," whispered Link Merwell,nervously. "They--they might take it into their heads to harm us."
"Do you think so?" asked Job Haskers. "All right, I--I am ready to go.But how are we to find our way back to the town?" he asked, helplessly.
"We'll have to follow the back trail," answered Link Merwell. Being usedto ranch life, this being in the open did not daunt him as it did theformer teacher. "Come on, let us get our horses and be off!" the youthadded. "It is getting too hot for us here!"