es Darlington, I'll go to law. You can't cheat me of
my rights." Tom was pale with anger and Jim was disgusted.

"Ah, go on with you," he said, "you are nothing but an Eastern money
shark, anyway."

CHAPTER XXIX

THE SEARCH

The mountain of the Lost Mine, as it may be called for the purposes
of identification, did not seem more than half a day's journey from
the divide where the boys first saw it, but it took them two days of
hard marching before they reached its vicinity, so deceitful are the
distances in the high altitudes.

Now, behold them, camped in a shallow little valley, between two spurs
of the Lost Mine mountain, their tent pitched on a small shelf back
from a little stream that went singing along to a larger one, between
its willow bushes, and over glistening boulders of polished granite.
There was a growth of grass on either side of the creek, where the
horses could graze. Altogether it was a restful place to camp in,
after the grandeur of the great mountains that had surrounded them,
and the savage gorges they had ridden through. There was a sense of
rest and satisfaction that the Frontier Boys felt in having arrived at
the goal of their long journey by land and sea. True, they did not
know exactly the position of the Lost Mine, but they hoped to find it
with the help of the diagram which they were fortunate enough to
possess.

"Let's have a look at that faded heirloom of yours," said Jim to
Jeems, as they sat on some rocks around the campfire, on the evening
of their arrival.

"All right, Skipper," said Jeems cheerfully. Then he took his faded
coat and carefully unpinned the inside pocket, and put in his hand and
pulled out nothing.

"It's gone," he exclaimed, his face paling. "I've been robbed."

"I bet it was those Greasers," declared Jo, hastily, but with
conviction. Jim looked at brothers Jo and Tom narrowly, then he put a
heavy and accusing hand on their joint shoulders, or their shoulder
joints, if you prefer it that way.

"You are the Greasers," he said severely. "Now cough up." Jo reached
down guiltily into his pistol pocket and fished up the required
document.

"I don't know exactly what to do with these fellows," said Jim
magisterially, giving them each a shake under his big clutch.

"Leave us alone! That's what you can do," said Tom grumpily, but Jim
went on without noticing Tom's remark.

"This is their third offense, and I reckon we will have to hang 'em
this time if