chairs, a table, a bed, and an old hair trunk. The trunk Chet opened
without ceremony.

More letters were found there--documents which told only too plainly
what manner of man the captain was. Chet smiled to himself to think how
foolish the rascal had been not to have destroyed the epistles.

"But the greatest of villains occasionally over-reach themselves," he
said to Paul. "I fancy this is proof enough to show what an awfully bad
man Captain Grady is."

"You are right, Chet," said Dottery, after a careful examination. "He is
a hoss thief as great as was old Sol Davids, and he is trying to rob yer
uncle out of a mine claim as well."

"Not only that, but as Jeff Jones said, he is with the crowd who holds
my uncle a prisoner, sir. That, to me is the worst part of it."

"I don't know but what ye are right."

The captain was raising such a row that to quiet him Jack Blowfen threw
him bodily into a dark closet and turned the key on him.

"Now if ye don't quit yer noise, I'll gag ye in the bargain," said the
cowboy, and thereupon the captain became quiet at once.

It was now quite in line to hold a council of war, as Paul termed it.
But before this was done all hands went to work to move the Winthrop
household effects back to where they belonged.

This was accomplished in a short space of time, and was productive of an
accident which, while not excessively serious, was still of sufficient
importance to cause a decided change in their plans.

In moving in an old, heavy bedstead Caleb Dottery allowed the end he
held to slip from his grasp. A sharp corner came down on his ankle,
twisting it severely. He cried with pain and work was at once suspended.

The ankle was bandaged, but it was found the old ranch owner could not
walk, nor could he move about with any degree of comfort. He was placed
on a couch and there he remained.

The four talked matters over for a long while. In one of Captain Grady's
letters was mentioned a certain cave in the vicinity of what was then
known as the Albany Claim. The boys fancied that their uncle might be a
prisoner in that cave.

"Well, I dunno but what ye are right," mused Jack Blowfen. "It's
sartinly wuth going to see."

"Then you advise us to go?" asked Paul, eagerly.

"Yes, and I'll go with ye."

"But Mr. Dottery," began Chet.

"I'll stay whar I am an' watch the captain," groaned the old ranch
owner. "It's about all I'm good for jes' now."

"The old Albany Claim is a goo