ng of rocks had split in
twain, forming the ledge they were on and another ledge twenty or thirty
feet away. Between the two ledges was a hollow with jagged rocks far
below. The other ledge wound around another hill, leading to the
northwest.

"This certainly is a wild country," said Roger, as the boys seated
themselves on the inner side of the ledge. "Hunting for gold and silver
in a place like this is certainly not easy. Think of spending month
after month among rocks like these, looking for 'pay dirt' or 'pay
rock,' as they call it!"

"And yet it just suited your uncle," returned Dave, "and it suits Abe
Blower and Mr. Dillon."

The boys relapsed into silence, glad of the rest. Dave was thinking of
his father, and of the folks who had gone into Yellowstone Park, when
suddenly he felt his sleeve pulled by Roger.

"Look!" whispered the senator's son. "Don't make any noise, either of
you!"

He had pulled Phil's sleeve also, and now he motioned for his chums to
crouch down behind the rocks on which they had been sitting, stones that
lay loosely on the ledge, close to the towering cliff.

As the three lads slipped down behind the loose stones on which they had
been resting, all gazed in the direction Roger pointed out. On the other
ledge several persons had appeared.

"Link Merwell!" gasped Phil. "And see, that Sol Blugg is with him!"

"And here comes Job Haskers and the man called Larry Jaley!" said Dave,
in reply.

"Wonder where that other fellow, Staver, is?" murmured Roger.

"Maybe he was too badly hurt to come with them and had to go back,"
returned Dave.

"Say, I don't see much use of coming along this trail," called out Link
Merwell, to those with him.

"It certainly is beastly walking here," said Job Haskers. "I've nearly
sprained my ankle several times."

"Well, if we want to find that lost mine we got to hunt fer it," growled
Sol Blugg. "It ain't comin' to you, you know."

"I agree thet this trail ain't none too safe," came from Larry Jaley.
"If a feller slipped off he'd have some fall, so he would!" he added,
looking down into the hollow with its jagged rocks.

Roger nudged Dave in the side.

"They are after the Landslide Mine, just as I supposed!" he murmured.

"Well, they seem to be no nearer finding it than we are," was our hero's
reply.

"But they haven't any right to the mine!" burst out Phil. "It belongs to
Roger's mother!"

"Listen to what they have to say," warned the senator's