But if they were startled, Bugs was frightened and turned on his heel to run. In an instant Joe had him by the collar in a grip of iron, while Jim stood on the alert to stop him should he break away.

"Let me go!" cried Hartley in stifled tones, for Joe's grip was almost choking him.

"Not until you tell me why you tried to murder me to-night," said Joe, grimly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," snarled Bugs, trying to wrench himself loose from Joe's hold on his collar.

"You know well enough," replied his captor. "Own up."

"You might as well, Bugs," put in Jim. "We've got the goods on you."

"You fellows are crazy," replied Bugs. "I've never laid eyes on you since I saw you in Chicago. And you can't prove that I did either."

"You're the only enemy I have in the world," declared Joe. "And the man who threw that rock at me to-night was a practiced thrower. Besides, you're all in a sweat--that's from running away when we chased you."

"Swell proof that is," sneered Hartley. "Tell that to a judge and see what good it will do you."

The point was well taken, and Joe and Jim knew in their hearts that they had no legal proof, although they were morally certain Bugs was guilty.

Besides, they had no time to have him arrested, for their train was scheduled to start in ten minutes.

"Now listen, Bugs," said Joe, at the same time shaking him so that his teeth rattled. "I know perfectly well that you're lying, and I'm giving you warning for the last time. You've had it in for me from the time you doped my coffee and nearly put me out of the game altogether. Ever since that you've bothered me, and to-night you've tried to kill me. I tell you straight, I've had enough of it. If I didn't think that your brain was twisted, I'd thrash you now within an inch of your life. But I'm telling you now, and you let it sink in, that the next time you try to do me, I'm going to put you where the dogs won't bite you."

He dug his knuckles into Bugs' neck and gave him a fling that sent him several yards away. The fellow kept his feet with an effort, and then with a muttered threat slunk away into the darkness.

They watched him for a minute, and then picked up their handbags and started toward the train.

"Hope that's the last we see of him," remarked Joe.

"So do I," Jim replied. "But we felt that way before and he's turned up just the same. I won't feel easy till I know that he's behind the bars."

"He's usually in front of the bars," joked Joe. "But I'm glad anyway that we had a chance to throw a scare into him. He knows now that we'll be on our guard and perhaps even he will have sense enough to let us alone."

Jim consulted his watch.

"Great Scott!" he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed.

"What's the matter, Jim?"

"We haven't any time to spare if we want to catch that train."

"All right, let's run for it."

As best they could, they began sprinting in the direction of the railroad station, but their handbags were somewhat heavy, and this impeded their progress. Then, turning a corner, they suddenly found themselves confronted by a long sewer trench, lit up here and there by red lanterns.

"We've got to get over that trench somehow!" cried Joe.

"Can you jump it?" questioned Jim anxiously.

"I'm going to try," returned the crack pitcher.

He threw his handbag to the other side of the sewer trench, and then, backing up a few steps, ran forward and took the leap in good shape. His chum followed him, but Jim might have slipped back into the sewer trench had not Joe been watching, and grabbed him by one hand.

"Gosh, that was a close shave!" panted Jim, when he felt himself safe.

"Don't waste time thinking about it. We have still a couple of blocks to go," Joe returned, and set off once more on the run, with Jim at his heels.

Soon they rounded another corner, and came in sight of the railroad station. There stood their train, and the conductor was signaling to start.

"Wait! Wait!" yelled Joe. But in the general confusion around the railroad station n.o.body seemed to notice him.

"We've got to make that train--we've just got to!" cried Joe, and dashed forward faster than ever, with Jim beside him.

They scrambled up the steps just as a warning whistle sounded; and a few moments later the train drew out on its climb over the Rockies.

CHAPTER XIII

DANGER SIGNALS

The travelers were now in the most picturesque part of their journey, and the magnificent views that spread before them as they topped the ridges of the continent and dropped down on the other side into the land of flowers and eternal summer were a source of unending interest and pleasure.

"I'll tell you what, Joe," remarked Jim: "I never had an idea that this section of our country was so truly grand."

"It certainly is magnificent scenery," was Joe's answer. "Just look at those mountain tops, will you? Some height there, believe me!"

"Yes. And just see the depth of some of those canyons, will you? Say! if a fellow ever fell over into one of those, he'd never know what happened to him."

"I've been watching this particular bit of scenery for some time,"

remarked Joe. "It somehow had a familiar look to it, and now I know why."

"And why is it, Joe?"

"I'll tell you. Some time ago I saw a moving picture with the scene laid in the Rocky Mountains, and, unless I'm greatly mistaken, some of the scenes were taken right in this locality."

"Was that a photo-play called 'The Girl From Mountain Pa.s.s?'" questioned another player who was present.

"It was."

"Then you're right, Matson; because I was speaking about that film to the conductor of this train, and he said that some of the pictures were taken right around here. His train was used in one of the scenes."

This matter was talked over for several minutes, but then the conversation changed; and, presently, the chums went off to talk about other matters.

Joe and Jim were lounging in the rear of the observation car, talking over the stirring events of the night before, when McRae happened along and dropped into a seat beside them.

"Some game that was yesterday, boys," he remarked genially. "Those Denver fellows were curly bears, but we trimmed them just the same."