falsifiers.

"Where are the men you refer to?" the big fellow asked, at length.

"They are down here looking for the Tolford mine," was the reply. "They
stole a description of it that night. Ever hear of the Tolford mine?"
he added abruptly.

The renegade gave a quick start at the question.

"How do you know they are down here?" he asked.

"Nestor says they followed on down after us. Were you there when they
got into the office and got the description?" he continued.

"I've heard of this mysterious mine," was the guarded reply, "and I
understand that this boy Nestor has a copy of the description."

"Is that why you wanted Nestor?" asked Fremont. "Are you after the
mine, too?"

The big fellow walked on in silence. It was plain to Fremont that his
abrupt questions were irritating him, so he decided to go on with them.

"Are you one of the Tolford heirs?" he asked.

No reply, save a threatening scowl.

"Are you the heir who has been making Mr. Cameron so much trouble?"
persisted the prisoner, glad to note that Big Bob was fretting under
his cross-examination.

"Do you expect to find the mine down there in the sand?" continued
Fremont. "That doesn't appear to me to be a good place to look for
gold."

"It is a good place to look for a reward for a fugitive from justice,"
snapped the big fellow. "Now cut out the gab!"

"You think you can get me across the border without meeting with
opposition from my friends?" asked Fremont, not obeying the latest
command.

"Your friends!" ejaculated Big Bob. "Who are your friends? A mess of
school-boys who get lost in the hills! A gang of high-brows who can't
take care of themselves off Broadway! Your friends!"

The idea of meeting with any effective opposition from Fremont's boy
friends was so amusing to the big fellow that he burst into a hearty
laugh.

"Your friends!" he repeated. "Ho! Ho! Baby dudes!"

"About this reward," Fremont went on, resolved to keep Big Bob talking
if he could, "about this blood money! You will have to cut it up into
several piles, won't you?" glancing around the file of outlaws. "Or do
you intend to cut the throats of these fellows instead of cutting up
the reward? That would be something in your line, and quite
profitable."

"I'll cut your throat," threatened Big Bob, "if you don't close your
yawp. Speak when you are spoken to!"

"All right," replied Fremont. "I'm spoken to now. Did you steal the
Tolford will out of t