son.

The party on the opposite ledge were now so close, and the air was so
clear, that all which was said could be heard distinctly.

"I thought sure we'd be able to locate some landmarks before this,"
growled Link Merwell. "Are you sure this is the right district, Blugg?"

"This is where the Landslide Mine was supposed to be located. You had
the description of those landmarks, I didn't," added the Westerner.

Just then Larry Jaley let out a quick cry.

"Look over yonder!" he called. "Sumbuddy behind the rocks!"

He pointed at Dave and the others, and a second later the three youths
knew that they had been discovered.

"Come out o' thet, whoever you are!" cried Sol Blugg.

"We might as well get up," said Dave, and arose to his feet. His chums
did likewise and then those on one ledge of rocks faced those on the
other.

CHAPTER XXVI

PROWLERS IN CAMP

"Huh! so it's you, is it!" cried Link Merwell, in surly tones.

"So you are after my mine!" cried Roger, sharply. "Well, I'll tell you
right now, if you locate it, it won't do you any good."

"Bah! We know what we are doing," retorted the youth who in the past had
caused Dave and his chums so much trouble. "You can't scare us."

"Link, you ought to be in jail!" burst out Phil.

"You'll never put me there," was the quick retort.

"We have as much right to look for a mine up here as you have," put in
Sol Blugg. "If you own a mine, where are your stakes or other
landmarks?"

"You know very well that they were carried away by that landslide,"
answered the senator's son.

"We don't know nuthin' of the kind," came from Larry Jaley. "Your uncle
claimed to have a mine up here, but I never seen no proof of it--nor
did anybuddy else see any proof. Any of us kin locate a claim, an' you
can't stop us."

"This is free land, so far as locatin' a claim is concerned," added Sol
Blugg.

"Well, if you locate that mine before we do, don't you dare to remove
any of my uncle's landmarks," returned Roger.

[Illustration: "IF YOU LOCATE THAT MINE BEFORE WE DO, DON'T YOU DARE TO
REMOVE ANY OF MY UNCLE'S LANDMARKS."]

"Ha! wot kind o' talk is thet!" burst out Larry Jaley.

"Oh, we know you," put in Dave. "We know just what sort of a bunch you
are."

"Porter, do you include me in that remark?" demanded Job Haskers,
drawing himself up as had been his fashion when an instructor at Oak
Hall.

"I certainly do," replied Dave.

"You are impertinent!"

"It won't