you say
he did during the riot the officers of the company should be lenient."

"But that kind of talk sounds as if you believed he'd stole the money,"
Bill exclaimed in surprise.

"The case looks very bad for him, and if it should be called up before
we found some evidence in his favor he would most certainly be
convicted."

Sam's friends gazed at each other in astonishment. That the lawyer
employed to defend him should thus intimate he was guilty almost shook
their faith in the boy's innocence.

"You must go all the same," Bill said, after a long pause, "an' me an'
Fred will toddle back home."

The adieus consisted only of the words "good-bye," and then the miner
and the boy turned their faces toward Farley's once more.

"It seems as if finding the coal was bad luck for us," Fred said when
they were on the mountain. "If it hadn't been for that, poor Sam never
would have thought of walking home."

"I don't go very much on what folks call luck, lad. The thing was bound
to come whether you saw the vein or not, so we must buck agin it."

"The lawyer thinks Sam stole the money."

"An' more'n he'll believe the same if somethin' don't turn up."

"I can't fancy what could happen to help him unless the thief himself
came forward to tell the whole story."

"It does look kinder black, but we mustn't lose heart."

"Of course this settles our chances of buying the land."

"Nothin' of the kind. My day is broke up now, an' I'll spend the rest of
it lookin around a bit."

"Sam will need all the money we've got to spend."

"I've a little laid by for a rainy day, an' with what Joe can raise we
oughter pull through on both jobs."

On arriving at the spur another search was made with the same result as
before, and then the two hurried on, sending a telegram to Joe
immediately after reaching the town.

CHAPTER XXI

AMATEUR DETECTIVES

Fred was forced to attend to his duties at the store immediately after
the return from Black town, and while so engaged could not fail to hear
the many comments upon the case.

The news of the alleged robbery had spread with wonderful rapidity, and
the majority of the miners believed Sam to be guilty.

Twice during the afternoon the cashier questioned Fred closely as to
what the prisoner meant when he spoke of their desire to buy land, but
despite the coaxing and even threats he refused to divulge the secret.

"If it can't be helped I'll tell Mr. Wright, but nobody else,"