"An' shure," exclaimed Van Dorn, with the broadest accent imaginable, "an' will yez be afther tellin' me, be-dad! why I should not shpake me own mither tongue?"

Both Houston and Jack laughed at Van Dorn's ready answer.

"You will do," Jack said quietly, but in a tone so rich and musical as to chain the attention of his guests while he proceeded to plan the details of their visit to the mine.

In an hour or two, the modus operandi had been fully decided upon, and nothing remained but to fix the night for their expedition, and this it was thought best to leave to be determined by circ.u.mstances the following week. The instruments needed for taking measurements were to be taken down beforehand by Houston, and concealed in a safe place near the mine, and on the night of the examination, he was to go from the house directly to the mine, where he would be joined by Jack and Van Dorn, the latter dressed in a suit of Mike's mining clothes, and personating him as closely as possible.

All arrangements being now as nearly complete as possible, Houston and Van Dorn bade their host a cordial good night, and walked cheerfully homeward, in the cool, night air, under the star-lit sky, all unconscious of a pair of eyes, which from behind a large rock, had eagerly watched for their appearance, and followed their every movement.

CHAPTER x.x.xIII.

As Houston and Van Dorn disappeared around a turn in the road, the figure of Haight emerged into the starlight from behind a large rock where he had been concealed most of the time during their stay at the cabin. Incidently he had seen them on their way to visit Jack, and the lateness of the hour combined with the direction in which they were going, aroused his curiosity to such a degree that he followed them at a distance, and having seen them enter the cabin, his suspicious nature was at once on the alert.

"I guess I'll find out what in the devil this means," he said to himself, as he paused behind a rock at a little distance, determined to ascertain what he could regarding their movements.

It was a long and wearisome watch; once or twice he ventured near the cabin, to see whether by closer observation he could obtain any clue to what might be going on within, but the closely shaded window gave no sign, and beyond an occasional low murmuring of voices, nothing disturbed the silence, except once a low, ominous growl from Rex, as he caught sight of Haight's skulking figure from his station just outside the door.

When at last the door opened, and Houston and Van Dorn stepped forth into the calm night, the lynx-eyed watcher failed to detect anything beyond a friendly leave-taking, after which the two walked homeward, chatting in the most commonplace manner imaginable.

"By George!" he soliloquized, as he followed at a safe distance, "I wonder if I haven't had my labor for my pains! But that did look mighty queer anyhow, their going 'round to see the old chap, and I'll wager there's something in it, too. I shouldn't wonder if that Van Dorn is out here in the interest of that old party who was looking at mines a while ago, and with Houston's help is going to get a few pointers. Jack knows pretty well what is going on around here, and may be a little money would make him talk. I'm going to keep watch of some of these smart people, and I know of one or two that will help me about it. If I can get hold of anything, I'll report it to Rivers; Houston has pulled the wool over Blaisdell's eyes, but Rivers won't have anybody monkeying round these mines, and if I can once put him on the track, there'll be a few less of these swells about, and it will be money in my pocket."

Late as it was when Houston and Van Dorn returned to the house, Miss Gladden and Lyle had not retired. Houston had told Miss Gladden the secret of his business there in the mining camp, and, true to Lyle's prediction, he had found her, while quick to realize the dangers of his position, yet able to a.s.sist him by her readiness to enter into his feelings, her interest in his plans and her timely suggestions.

Once she had met Jack since learning Houston's secret, and in a few, well-chosen words, had conveyed to him her knowledge of the fact that he was giving her lover aid and protection in his work, and her grat.i.tude therefor.

She and Lyle were aware of the import of the visit to the cabin that night, and they sat in the dusky shadows, looking out into the night, alternately talking in low tones, and listening for the return of Houston and his friend.

Miss Gladden was the first to catch the sound of her lover's voice, as he and Van Dorn approached the house, and a moment later, they heard the ringing laugh of the latter.

"They are evidently in good spirits," remarked Lyle, "their visit must have been a satisfactory one."

"Mr. Van Dorn seems so jubilant they must have made some new discoveries," said Miss Gladden, "he never seems so happy as when he is ferreting out some fraud, or unearthing some dishonest scheme."

"There is material enough here to make his happiness complete for some time," said Lyle rather bitterly, "I only wish every one of the guilty parties could be brought to justice, but I doubt whether they ever will be."

"Why?" exclaimed Miss Gladden in surprise, "do you think Mr. Houston will fail after all?"

"No, not that necessarily," Lyle answered, "but even if he succeeds in getting his evidence together, and his friends come out from the east, I do not believe they will ever succeed in securing the ones who are most guilty, who have planned and plotted the whole thing. Over and over again, people whom they have wronged and defrauded have brought suit against them, but to no purpose; they are continually involved in litigation, but they always manage to evade the law in one way or another, I do not claim to understand how."

"I would not think they could escape with all the evidence acc.u.mulating against them now," said Miss Gladden thoughtfully.

"You wouldn't think so," replied Lyle, "but you don't know them. Who is that?" she asked suddenly, catching sight in the dim light of a figure approaching the house.

"It looks like Haight," said Miss Gladden, "but why is he creeping along so cautiously?"

"I believe he has been following Mr. Houston," said Lyle, quickly, "wait a minute, keep perfectly quiet, so he will think every one is asleep up stairs," and in an instant, she was going swiftly and noiselessly down the stairs. The door at the foot of the stairs was partially open, and Lyle could hear Haight, as, after opening the outside door very carefully, he stepped lightly toward the room occupied by Houston and Van Dorn; here he paused and listened, but evidently hearing nothing, he cautiously made his way across to the room of Mr. and Mrs. Maverick, the door of which was ajar.

"Jim!" he whispered, "Jim, wake up!"

"Who's that? What d'ye want?" came the response in a surly tone.

"Sh! don't make any noise," he whispered, "it's Haight; get up and come out on the porch, but be quiet about it; I want to have a talk with you."

A muttered a.s.sent was given, and Haight tip-toed softly out to the porch, and sat down.

Lyle crept up-stairs again to Miss Gladden.

"Don't be frightened," she said, "but I believe Haight must have seen or heard something;" and she hastily told what she had overheard.

"Now," said she in conclusion, "the window on the porch is open, and as soon as they are both outside, I will go there and listen. Even if I cannot hear all that is said I will probably catch enough to learn what is going on. You wait for me and keep perfectly quiet."

A few moments later, Maverick shuffled out on the porch and sat down beside Haight with a growl.

"d.a.m.ned pretty time, I sh'd think, to talk! What in h.e.l.l do you want?"

"Well, you were long enough getting out here," said Haight, in his smoothest tones, all unaware of a figure that had glided to the open window behind him, and now knelt within six feet of him. "Now quit your growling, for you and I are good friends, Jim, and I want your advice. Jim," he continued in a lower tone, "what would you think two fellows like Houston and Van Dorn would want with that old chap, Jack?"

"Huh?" said Maverick, rather stupidly, "what are ye drivin' at?"

"Wake up! you're half asleep, Jim! Your two dandy boarders here only just came home about twenty minutes ago; they've been for the last three or four hours down there in Jack's cabin, with the windows all shut tight and curtains down, and still as death. What do you suppose that means?"

"d.a.m.ned if I know," was the laconic response.

"Now, Jim, don't be so uncommunicative; there may be something in this for you and me if we just put our heads together, 'two heads are better than one,' you know, so set your thinking machine to work and grind out some ideas."

"Well," said Maverick, slowly, "I dun'no what that Houston, d.a.m.n him, would be runnin' 'round after Jack for, unless he wanted to get some p'inters on the mines some way."

"That's it, go ahead!" said Haight.

"Houston," continued Maverick, with an oath and applying a vile epithet, "is too all-fired smart to notice anybody, and Jack's another, so they'd be likely to hitch."

"That's right," said Haight, "now what object would he be likely to have in getting information from Jack?"

"I dun'no," said the other, "unless mebbe he's paid by somebody on the outside."

"Well," said Haight, "I guess we've got about the same idea of it; it's my opinion he is paid by somebody, and that somebody is Van Dorn, or whoever's backing him. I don't put much stock in this machinery business of his; he don't act like a fellow that needs to go peddling machines about the country, and I notice he don't seem in any great rush about putting it up, now he's got here; he ain't one of the kind that has to rustle for a living, like you and me. I think he's just out here getting pointers on the mines for that old fellow that was here a while ago, and he's probably paying Houston a good, round sum for helping him along, and now they've got Jack roped in on the deal."

"Well," said Maverick savagely, "if that's their game, I guess 'twill be dead easy stoppin' it any time we're a mind to; these 'ere mines is awfully unsafe places for a tenderfoot to be prowlin' 'round in," and he laughed a cruel laugh, very familiar to the listener at the window.

"That's so," a.s.sented Haight, "I think we'd better keep close watch of these fellows, and if they get too fresh, just have 'em laid out with a sandbag or two."

"Better'n that," said Maverick, "to take 'em some time in the mines; folks like them are likely to get dizzy and fall some times, or get in the way of the ore buckets and be knocked silly."

"Well, I'll tell you what I want you to do; I'll keep watch, and if I know of their going down to the cabin again, I want you to put some men on to watch out for them; we'll investigate and find out what is going on. Put on what men you please, and have them report to me, and we'll find out what this means, and make our plans accordingly."

"That there's a d.a.m.ned ticklish place to get any of the men to go late at night," said Maverick reflectively.