; "not at the Wagon-Tire House. Aunt
Huldy has a good effect on him--or rather, bad effect, for that purpose.
He's jest behavin' himself so straight, that Aunt Huldy won't hear a
word about him bein' the meanest that ever was."

Troy was thinking intently.

"Say, Kid, I've got an idea. Do you reckon Aunt Huldy thinks too well of
Frosty to help us out a little? If she doesn't, I believe the thing's as
good as done. I saw that there 'Columbia Enlightening the World' at
Emerald last year, and I know exactly how I could fix it so as to let
you--well, you wait a minute, and I'll give you all the details. It's
the only thing on the program that separates your girl from the
Signorina for five minutes."

It must have been that Aunt Huldah saw more harm in Frosty La Rue than
she was willing to mention; for an hour later Gilbert had made his
arrangements.

"Now, Kid," he counseled, "I want you to make yourself scarce around
here from now on. Don't let Frosty know you're in the diggin's at all.
We boys are going to give it out that you've gone to Fort Worth, so that
he and Mrs. La Rue won't watch Miss Minnie quite so close."

The Kid obediently withdrew from public life, spending most of his days
in the back room of the big store, where a few sympathizing friends were
always ready to bear him company; and the word went out that he had, in
despair, given up camping on Miss Minnie's trail and gone off to Fort
Worth.

This intelligence reaching old man La Rue--Gilbert wondered a little if
it were possible any of it came to him through Aunt Huldah--had the
desired effect of relaxing the watch upon the girl.

The first move in Gilbert's game was to waylay Frosty's Mexican, and
bribe him to feign sickness. To this Jose promptly consented; and he
counterfeited with such vigor, and so to the life, that the proprietor
of the show was beside himself; for it was too late to teach a new man
the management of the fireworks.

And now came Gilbert's second move. He approached the old man with the
inquiry, "Why, what's the racket, Frosty? Something the matter with some
of your outfit?"

La Rue sweepingly condemned the whole republic of Mexico in general, and
Jose Romero in particular, winding up with the statement that the
no-account greaser had gone and got sick, here at the last
minute--Frosty would seem to imply, out of sheer perversity--and when it
was too late to teach another his duties.

Upon this, Gilbert unfolded his scheme