ey were going to leave at daybreak.

"Let us ask the stable man about this," suggested Dave, in a whisper, to
his chums, and as soon as breakfast was over, they went out and hunted
up that individual.

"Nobody teched your outfit, I dun see to that," said the colored man. "I
slept right by your hosses an' things."

"Did you talk to those men who came in late last night?" asked Dave.

"They did most of the talkin', boss. They wanted to know all about your
party--whar you was a-gwine, an' all that. But I didn't give 'em no
satisfaction, I didn't. Boss Dillon tole me las' night to keep my
trap-doah closed, an' when Boss Dillon sez a thing I dun know he means
it,--so I didn't tell 'em nuffin'."

"Good for Mr. Dillon!" cried Roger. "They didn't say what brought them
here?"

"No, sah. When they see I didn't have nuffin' to tell they jest closed
up, too," and the negro grinned, broadly. He had been liberally tipped
by Tom Dillon and, besides, he considered it an honor to serve such a
well-known personage and one who had "made his pile," as it is often
expressed in that part of our country.

The lads and the old miner were soon ready for the trail, and, bidding
Dick Logan farewell, they set off through the main street of Black Cat
Camp in the direction of the Rodman trail, called by a few old-timers
Smoky Hill trail. As they rode along they kept a sharp lookout for Sol
Blugg and his cohorts, but that gang did not show itself.

"But they must be watching us, I am almost certain of that," said Dave.
And he was right. They were watching from behind one of the buildings of
Black Cat Camp, and as soon as it seemed safe to do so, Sol Blugg
ordered those with him to take up the trail.

"Abe Blower came this way, in a hurry, too," said Blugg, to his cronies.
"Now Tom Dillon is going the same way, and also in a hurry. That means
that something is in the wind. Maybe it's another big discovery of gold,
like when they opened up Big Bear Camp, and Hitchley's, an' if it is, we
want to be in on the ground floor."

"Right you air, Sol," said Larry Jaley. "And if we can cut Abe out o'
anything, so much the better, fer the trick he played us in that land
deal."

"The two crowds must be in with each other, otherwise wot was them young
fellers as is now with Dillon doin' at Abe's house?"

"We'll find out their game, sooner or later," muttered Sol Blugg. "We'll
keep on their trail--but we mustn't let 'em see us, or they'll take to
som