CHAPTER XIII.
AT DEAD MAN'S GULCH.
Bob brought the auto to a stop under a big sycamore tree. The engine wasstill smoking, and there was considerable heat. Jerry jumped out andexamined the car.
"Not much damage done," he said, after a long inspection. "I guess wecan fix it up."
"Can we go on?" asked Ned, anxiously.
"It will take a good hour to mend things," replied Jerry.
"That will give me a chance to gather some bugs," observed theprofessor. "Pardon me," he exclaimed to Nestor. "There is a beautifulspecimen of a katydid on your leg," and, with a deft gesture, the bugcollector captured the insect and transferred it to his box.
"I hope you didn't want it yourself," said the naturalist, lookingrather anxiously at the miner, who seemed surprised.
"Oh, land, no!" was the reply. "Help yourself whenever you see any ofthe crawlin' things on me. It's a favor, more than anything else. Ihate bugs an' things."
While the professor wandered about with his net, Jerry proceeded torepair the leak to the gasolene tank. Bob and Ned decided they werehungry, and got out some lunch, of which, a little later, all were gladto partake.
"There," announced Jerry, "I guess we can go on again."
"There's a good place to camp about twenty miles farther on," saidNestor.
"What place is it?" asked Ned.
"Dead Man's Gulch," was the grim reply.
"Doesn't sound very pleasant," observed Bob.
"It's a better locality than it sounds, Chunky," went on Nestor."There's a little town there, if you want to sleep in beds."
The boys decided to push for the Gulch, not that sleeping in beds wasan inducement, for they rather liked the idea of resting in the open.But the gathering clouds indicated rain, and that would make camping outrather damp.
Without further mishap the machine was sent along. Ned was at the wheeland he turned on plenty of gasolene so that the car fairly skimmed overthe roads. As they passed a stone post on the highway, Nestor called out:
"Good-by, Kansas!"
"What's that for?" asked Ned.
"Because that's the boundary mark between Kansas and Indian Territory,"replied the miner. "We are now on the old Indian ground, pretty soonwe'll be in Texas, and then we'll land in New Mexico."
"We're getting to be travelers for fair!" remarked Bob.
The gathering clouds became blacker and a strong wind sprang up. Therewas every prospect of a severe storm, and Ned sent the machine aheadstill faster. As it came to the top of a little hill, Nestor exclaimed:
"There's Dead Man's Gulch!"
Looking down into the valley, the boys saw a small settlement.
"Hold the machine back," cautioned the miner. "It may get away from youon the grade."
Ned shut off the power and coasted down. In half an hour they reachedthe level and started up the road, which led into the main street, and,in fact, the only thoroughfare in the town. Just as they reached thesolitary hotel in the settlement the rain came down in torrents.
The auto was run under a shed and the occupants entered the hostelry, tothe no small surprise of the inmates of the place, who had not heard thecar come up.
"Howdy, strangers?" called the clerk, a big man, with an immense blackmoustache.
"Howdy?" responded Nestor, who seemed much at his ease, though the boyswere rather startled to find themselves in what was evidently roughcompany.
"Where ye from?" asked the clerk.
"East," replied Nestor.
"Where ye goin'?"
"West."
"Ain't much on the talk, be ye, stranger?" sneered the clerk.
"I am when it suits me."
"Aw! he's one of them stuck-up automobilists!" put in a tall, thin,dark-complexioned man, who was sitting in one chair, with his feet inanother.
"An' who might you be?" asked Nestor, turning to him.
"Pud Stoneham, at your service," and the dark man bowed with elaborategrace, a sneering smile spreading over his face.
"Well, you'd better be mindin' your own business!" snapped Nestor,turning away.
"What's that!" exclaimed Stoneham, who was a gambler, hanging around thehotel on the lookout for victims. "I don't allow any man to insult me!"and he reached his hand to his hip-pocket, with a quick gesture.
Before he could draw his gun, which was his intention, Nestor had himcovered with a weapon.
"No shootin', gentlemen!" called the clerk. "Against the rules. Put upyour gun, stranger."
"Not unless he agrees to put up his," stipulated Nestor.
"I'll make him," said the clerk. And, with a scowl, Stoneham promised tobe peaceable. In a little while he sneaked out.
Nestor and the boys registered and were assigned to rooms for the night.The hotel was not a very stylish one, but they were glad even for therough accommodations when they heard the torrent of rain outside.
While they were washing up for supper, Ned suddenly called out:
"Hark!"
"What is it? The place on fire?" asked Jerry.
"I thought I heard an automobile horn," replied Ned.
"Maybe some boys are monkeying with our machine," came from Bob.
"No, it isn't that, Chunky," went on Ned, looking from a window.
"What then?"
"It's another automobile coming up the road. My, how the mud and watersplashes! And, say! Good land! Who do you suppose is in the car?"
"The President?" answered Jerry, sozzling his face in the water.
"It's Noddy Nixon, Jack Pender and Bill Berry!"
"No!"
"Yes, it is!"
The others crowded to the windows to look. Sure enough, there were thethree enemies of the Motor Boys. They ran their machine up under theshed where stood the red auto, and then Ned lost sight of them.
"Well, it's a free country," observed Nestor. "It looks as if they werefollowing you, but there's no law to prevent it. I guess they won't stayhere long, though, after that chap that robbed me knows I'm stopping atthis hotel. Wait until I get my hands on him."
"Perhaps it would be better not to let him know who you are," suggestedJerry. "They may be up to some trick, and we can work to betteradvantage against them by keeping quiet."
"Right you are," admitted the miner, after thinking the matter over. "Hewouldn't know me if he saw me, since I got shaved. We'll just lay lowan' watch."
The Motor Boys, with Nestor and Professor Snodgrass, were the firstones down to the dining-room to supper. In a little while Noddy, Jackand Bill entered. The three latter started in surprise at beholding theCresville boys, and for a moment seemed undecided what to do. Then, ata whispered word from Berry, they filed to the other side of the roomand took their seats at a table.
"I wonder if they really followed us," Jerry said.
"Must have," was Nestor's opinion. "But I reckon they didn't expect tofind you here."
"But what can their object be?"
"I don't think they exactly know themselves," replied the miner. "Iguess they hope to annoy you, or they may expect to get a line on whatour plans are. But we'll try to fool 'em."
Before the meal was over, Pud Stoneham came in and took a seat atNoddy's table. In a little while the gambler seemed to be on good termswith Bill Berry and his companions.
It was still raining hard when the three boys, with the professor andNestor, went up to bed. The naturalist and the boys had two rooms, whileNestor was by himself. Noddy and his chums disappeared after the meal,Pud Stoneham accompanying them.
It must have been about midnight when Nestor was awakened by hearingvoices in the room next to his. At first he paid no attention to them,for he was sleepy. But he sat up suddenly when he heard some one say:
"They're on the trail of a rich gold mine. I know, for I heard the oldman talking about it."
"Are you sure, Bill?" asked a second voice, which Nestor recognized asNoddy's.
"Sure as I am that my name is Berry," was the reply.
"Then, count m
e in on the game," said a third man, whom the miner hadno difficulty in knowing was Pud Stoneham. "I've got money. We'll go inthis together and win out. I owe that miner something for insulting me,an' I'll pay him back, too!"