CHAPTER XIX
CON MORTON APPEARS
For a moment the sudden discovery so surprised the boys that they couldonly stare at the golden nuggets. Jed was the first to recover hiscomposure, yet he was still greatly excited.
"Look around, Will," he directed. "There must be more of them. Thesehaven't been dropped by some one, they must have cropped out from aregular bonanza. Feel how heavy they are! Oh, if Gabe was only here!"
"I've found one!" cried Will. "Yes, and here's another! Hurrah! Jed,we're rich!"
"Not yet, but we may be. Keep on looking. Wait, I'll tie the horses sothey won't stray away, and we'll start to dig. Lucky we left the packson the animals, or we wouldn't have anything now."
It was the work of but a moment to fasten the patient steeds, that wereonly too glad to stay there and crop the rich grass. Then the boysresumed their hunt.
The nuggets they had found were only partly imbedded in the earth. Therewas a quantity of gravel around them, and they appeared to have beenwashed into sight by the recent rain.
"I've got another!" cried Jed joyfully. "It's the biggest yet! Oh, Will!What good news we'll have to send home to dad! He'll not have to worryabout bad crops, and dry spells any more!"
"That's right!" admitted Will. "Here's another, Jed!"
The boys could hardly believe their good fortune. In a short time theyhad picked up eleven nuggets, of good size. The gold amounted to farmore than that which they had washed out by hard work in their firstdiggings.
"How much do you reckon it is?" asked Will.
"I don't know. I'm too excited. We have eleven. Let's make it an evendozen! Keep on looking. Oh, if Gabe was only here! There must be a richmine in this section, where these nuggets came from. We must make it adozen, Will, and then we'll go look for Gabe."
"All right. There--I thought that was one, but it was only a yellowstone. We'll find one more and then----"
Suddenly, the attention of the boys was attracted by a noise on therocky trail above them, for they were down in a sort of valley. Thenoise was that of the iron-shod hoofs of horses on the hard ground.
"Maybe that's Gabe," suggested Will. "Oh, if it only is, all ourtroubles will be over."
They could not yet see the horseman, for he was hidden behind a ledge ofrock. But, a moment later, a steed came into sight. To the amazement ofthe boys they saw, riding toward them, a group of men. And the foremostwas Con Morton, the gambler who had threatened Jed, and who had robbedGabe Harrison of nearly all his fortune. Behind him rode another personthey also recognized. It was Ned Haverhill, with whom Jed had had anencounter in the saloon, and there was a third man they did not know.
"Quick!" cried Jed. "Hide the nuggets! If he sees we have gold he'll robus! Don't tell him what we have found, nor what we are doing here. Leaveit to me. Bring the horses over here, and get your gun ready! Those aredesperate men!"
No sooner did Morton and his companions catch sight of the two boys,than they hastened their pace, and soon had descended the trail to wherethe lads were. Meanwhile, Jed had hidden the nuggets among the things onthe back of his horse.
"So, tenderfoot, we meet again," said Con Morton, in sneering tones, ashe rode close to Jed. "Oh, you needn't be afraid I'll hurt you," hewent on. "You're safe enough."
"I'm not afraid of you," said the lad boldly.
"You might better be. I'm a dangerous man when I'm aroused."
"I guess you're dangerous for any one who has money," replied Jed. "Butwe haven't any fortune for you to steal, as you did that of Mr.Harrison."
"Who says I stole his fortune?" demanded the gambler sharply.
"He does, and I believe him."
"Well, he wants to be careful what he says about me. Do you know thesetenderfeet, Ned?" and Morton turned to Haverhill.
"Sure. That one there," indicating Jed, "refused to drink with me. I'vea good notion to make him dance to the tune of my revolver," and he madea motion as if to draw his weapon.
"None of that, now," said Morton in a low tone. "It isn't safe. Leave meto deal with them. What are you two lads doing here?" he went on,turning back to Jed.
"I don't know that it's your affair."
"Well, I'll make it so. What have you got there? I saw you puttingsomething in the pack."
"It's none of your business!"
"Be careful! Don't get me riled! I want to know what you're doinghere."
"Well, we're prospecting; my brother and I."
"Where's your camp? You've just gotten here, for there are no signs of acamp."
"Back there!" replied Jed, with an indefinite wave of his hand. He wouldhave been only too glad to point to where the camp was.
"Hum! Did you see any signs of gold?"
Now Jed had never told a lie, and he did not want to begin now, thoughthe gambler asked a question he had no right to have answered.
Jed hesitated. He resolved he would not utter an untruth; yet to defythe man, and refuse to tell, would practically be to confess the truth.And he knew what that meant. The reckless men would overpower him andWill, and rob them of their nuggets, and the other gold, which washidden in the saddles. Worse than this, the bad men would become awareof the existence of a rich nugget mine, and they would claim it fortheir own.
Then, as he hesitated, a flash of inspiration came to the lad. He lookedaround, and saw that Will was ready with the guns. If his trick failed,and worst came to worst, the two farmer boys could defend themselves.
With a sudden start, Jed peered up the trail, as if he had caught sightof some one approaching. Then, placing his fingers to his lips, he gavevent to a shrill whistle.
"Come on, Gabe!" he yelled. "Right this way. Here we are! Right down thetrail! Come on!"
"Who you yelling to?" asked Con Morton quickly.
"To Gabe," replied Jed, truthfully enough, though he knew Gabe was toofar off to hear him.
"Gabe Harrison coming here!" murmured Haverhill. "We'd better light out,Morton. I don't want to meet him. Probably he's got his gang with him!Come on!"
He spurred his horse forward. Con Morton, with a look of baffled hate atthe two boys, did likewise, and their companion followed them. Jed'sruse had succeeded.
"I'll see you again!" shouted back the gambler in threatening tones, ashe disappeared down the trail.