"Yes, and he may have spotted the blue signal light and gone to investigate just as we did."
"Right," Frank went on. "So maybe Dodge suspected all along that Burke was the man who met Slim.
But he didn"t want to jump to conclusions. Then, when he discovered Burke at the cabin tonight, he accused him outright-and Burke got panicky and jumped him."
Ben Tinker grunted suspiciously. "If Dodge suspected Burke, whyn"t he tell you lads or your pa?"
"Matter of fact, Dodge did come around yesterday," Hank reminded them. "But the doc was tendin" to Fenton, and the boys weren"t here, so he never got to talk to "em." "Maybe that"s why Dodge came to the cabin tonight-to tell us his suspicions," Mr. Hardy conjectured. "Has Burke ever been in trouble with the law?" he asked.
Hank and Ben replied that so far as they knew, he had not.
Frank began pacing the floor. "As things stand, we can make out a pretty convincing case for or against either Burke or Dodge," he stated. "Dodge has disappeared but Burke is still around. What we need is some way to test Burke"s innocence-or guilt."
Mr. Hardy nodded. "Good thought."
"We know that the gang wants Joe and me out of the way," Frank went on. "And we also know they"re after Mike Onslow"s lost gold. So let"s set a trap for Burke."
"How?" asked Joe.
Frank grinned and said coolly, "By using the best possible bait-the gold and ourselves!"
CHAPTER XIV.
The Broken Knife FRANK explained his plan while the others listened approvingly.
"Right smart idea, boy!" Ben Tinker cackled appreciatively. "If Burke"s in league with the gang, I"ll lay ten to one he snaps at the bait!"
Mr. Hardy agreed. "But you boys should have a lawman on hand when the trap is sprung."
"I"ll go along," Hank Shale volunteered. "And I"ll get Sheriff Kenner over at Bear Creek."
After details of the planned capture had been settled, Mr. Hardy said, "You boys had better bunk here for the night, if Ben will permit. It might be risky staying at Hank"s place, in case the gang makes another attempt on our lives."
Ben willingly approved, and the boys said they would stretch out on blankets by the stove.
"We"ll have to make one more trip back to Hank"s, though, to tend the horses," Joe added.
The brothers set out, riding double on Frank"s horse. By this hour the long, single street of Lucky Lode was dark and silent. When the Hardys reached Hank"s cabin, they dismounted and went to the lean-to.
It was empty! Both Joe"s horse and Daisy, the pack mare, were gone!
"Who could have taken them?" Joe gasped.
Frank was equally mystified. "Maybe footprints will give us a clue," he said hopefully.
The boys shone their flashlights around the trampled snow. Horseshoe prints led off up the hillside. A man"s tracks were heading toward the cabin from the patch of timber into which Dodge had disappeared earlier.
"He must have come back after we left!" Joe exclaimed.
"Sure looks that way," Frank agreed. "We can check more carefully by daylight."
The boys returned to Ben"s and stabled Frank"s horse in one of the old ghost-town buildings. When they went inside the cabin, the three men were asleep. Ben was snoring loudly.
"Even that won"t keep me awake tonight!" Joe grinned, and yawned deeply.
In spite of their exhausting adventures, Frank and Joe awoke at daybreak, thoroughly refreshed. After pulling on their clothes, they hurried back to Hank Shale"s cabin.
Although the snow had wind-drifted, it was still possible to make out Dodge"s tracks. They led away from the cabin to the woods, then returned to the lean-to.
"He was punchy, all right," Frank remarked. "His steps zigzagged."
The prints led to a clump of brush, where the crushed, broken twigs indicated the fugitive had fallen full length.
"Dodge collapsed when he got this far!" Joe said in surprise.
"Yes, Joe. And this may prove his innocence."
"How so?"
"Suppose it was Burke who beaned him with the flashlight, instead of the other way around. Dodge might have fought back, knocked Burke down, then scrammed out the window before Burke could come at him again. Dodge may have been dazed from the blow-"
"I get it!" Joe interrupted excitedly. "So he staggered out here in the woods, maybe not even knowing where he was going, and pa.s.sed out."
Frank said he was puzzled. "Why should Dodge go riding off up the hillside, instead of back into town?
And why take Daisy?"
Joe shook his head. "Maybe we have him figured all wrong. Could be he is part of the gang, and wanted to get up to their hideout."
Frank and Joe checked again on the helicopter and found it still in the clearing. On their way back through Lucky Lode, the Hardys stopped off at the hotel. The worried manager informed them that he had had no word from the vanished armored-car-company owner.
"I"ve notified Sheriff Kenner and I just now finished calling Mr. Dodge"s office in Helena," the manager added.
Back at Ben"s cabin, the boys found a hearty breakfast awaiting them. As they ate, Frank and Joe reported the theft of the two horses and discussed their theories with the men.
"An amazing turn of events," Mr. Hardy said.
As soon as the meal was over, Hank and the boys went off to hire fresh mounts from the livery stable.
They promised to pay the owner for the lost horse if it was not recovered. Hank started off for Bear Creek to meet the sheriff. Meanwhile, Frank and Joe rode to the general store.
"Mornin", boys," Burke greeted them. Aside from his bruised cheek, he seemed to have suffered no ill effects from the fight.
Frank read off a short list of supplies. One item was a carton of canned beans. When Burke brought it, Frank said, "We"d better divide the cans between our saddlebags, Joe. Could you lend me a knife to open the carton, Mr. Burke?"
"Sure," Burke took out a huge pocketknife and tossed it on the counter.
As the storekeeper went off to get the rest of the items, Frank opened the knife. About half the main blade was broken off!
The Hardys exchanged quick glances of triumph. The first part of Frank"s plan had paid off. Unless the broken knife was an amazing coincidence, Burke must be the man the gang called "Slip Gun"! Now to see if he would take the bait they were about to offer!
As Frank had hoped, Burke was curious as to why the boys needed the supplies. "You fellas fixin" to take a trip somewhere?" he asked casually as he totaled the bill.
"Not too far," Frank replied. "We"ll be camping in a canyon up the mountain a ways."
"And we"ll be coming back rich!" Joe added boastfully.
Frank shot an angry look at his brother, as if Joe had spoken out of turn.
"Rich?" Burke looked at the boys questioningly.
"It was supposed to be a secret," Frank grumbled, "but-well, I guess we can trust you after what happened last night."
"Sure! I won"t tell n.o.body," Burke purred.
"Well, one reason we came out West was to look for some lost gold that an old miner named Mike Onslow told us about," Frank began.
"He drew us a map," put in Joe, "but it was stolen from us."
"Then yesterday we were out in a box canyon where there"s a certain rock formation that looks like a bear," Frank went on. "We"d heard Big Al"s gang planned to meet there. We didn"t see the gang, but we did spot a clue to the whereabouts of the gold. And we have the location marked right here on a map we drew ourselves."
Frank pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and tapped it significantly.
Burke stared in amazement. "No foolin"! You really know where to lay hands on the gold?"
The boys nodded gloatingly.
"But please don"t say a word to anyone," Joe cautioned. "We don"t want to start a gold rush out to that canyon before we"ve had a chance to uncover the treasure."
"Don"t worry, boys! Mum"s the word as far as I"m concerned." Burke gave an oily smile.
After stowing the supplies in their saddlebags, Frank and Joe rode out of town. Beyond the ridge they reined up at a sheltered spot agreed upon beforehand with Hank. Here the boys waited until they were joined by Hank and Sheriff Kenner. Then all four set out together, retracing the route the Hardys had followed when returning to town from the canyon the evening before.
A brief search soon disclosed the opening in the hillside through which the gang had emerged from the canyon. The entrance widened into a high-arched rocky pa.s.sage, big enough for riding two abreast. The pa.s.sage ended directly below the bear-shaped rock.
Once inside, Frank, Joe, and their two companions paused to consider their next move.
Sheriff Kenner, a rugged-looking man with an iron-gray mustache, asked the boys, "What time do you figure the gang will show-a.s.suming Burke took the bait?"
"He jumped at it!" Joe declared confidently.
"My hunch is," Frank said, "they"ll wait until after dark and try to take us by surprise."
The group kept out of sight below the rocky overhang and Hank cooked lunch over a small fire.
Meanwhile, the two boys searched for the broken knife blade. Joe soon found it.
"This sure looks as if it fits Burke"s knife," he said, handing over the blade to the sheriff.
By the time darkness fell, the group had arranged a convincing-looking camp with two stone-and-brush dummies covered with blankets to resemble sleepers. Then the four retired with their horses behind a cl.u.s.ter of huge boulders.
Time pa.s.sed slowly. The campfire was renewed. Suddenly, above the soughing of the wind, the listeners"
ears caught the faint clop of horses" hoofs. The riders were coming through the rocky pa.s.sage. Frank, Joe, and their two companions swung quietly into their saddles. Sheriff Kenner whispered final orders.
Moments later, three hors.e.m.e.n entered the canyon. There was sufficient moonlight for the boys to make out Slim and Jake. The third man, they guessed, was Big Al. Evidently Burke was not taking part in the raid.
The three thugs paused inside the canyon. The dying campfire and the two blanketed dummies lay in plain view. Big Al hissed out an order. Slim and Jake charged forward, their horses breaking into a gallop. The gang leader followed at a more leisurely pace.
"All right, let"s take "em!" Sheriff Kenner snapped in a low voice. He and Hank spurred their horses from behind the boulders, while Frank and Joe waited, according to plan.
"Don"t go for your guns! Just reach!" Sheriff Kenner yelled. At the same time, he fired a shot to show that he meant business.
Slim and Jake reined up sharply. Their hands shot skyward in panic as the bullet whistled over their heads. Frank and Joe spurred their horses into action and sped from behind the boulders. At that same instant Big Al wheeled his horse in a wild dash for the pa.s.sageway. The boys and Hank followed, but suddenly Hank"s horse stumbled and its rider went flying off. The Hardys stopped, and turned back to help him.
"I"ll-be all right-boys. Nothin"-broken! Just -got the-wind knocked out o" me," he called out.
Rea.s.sured, Joe swung his mount in the direction of the escaping outlaw. "Big Al"s getting away! Let"s go after him!" he called to his brother.
Frank needed no urging. Together, they galloped after the ringleader. With Slim and Jake to deal with, the sheriff was powerless to join the chase. He shouted a warning to the two boys, advising them to wait, but his cry was drowned by the thundering hoofbeats.
The boys were already plunging through the tunnel in hot pursuit of the outlaw. In the darkness ahead they could hear the pounding hoofs of Big Al"s mount and see an occasional glint of sparks as its steel shoes struck the rocks.
Presently a dim glow of moonlight showed the pa.s.sageway coming to an end. For a time Big Al"s figure was clearly silhouetted. Then it was lost to view as he emerged from the pa.s.sage and headed to the right along the foot of the hillside. In moments Frank and Joe were out of the pa.s.sageway and turning their own horses in the same direction.
"Big Al"s heading toward the same notch he and his men aimed for yesterday!" Frank called.
For more than an hour the chase continued-over rocks, through dangerous gullies, then along a river winding through a narrow canyon. Suddenly Frank and Joe lost sight of their quarry as the canyon curved sharply. When the boys rounded the bend, they reined up in astonishment.
Ahead, the canyon ended abruptly in a high frozen cataract. The outlaw had vanished!
CHAPTER XV.
Underground Chase FRANK and Joe looked at each other in sheer disbelief, mingled with uneasiness. Except for the panting of their horses, not a sound broke the wintry silence of the canyon.
"Could Big Al have rigged some kind of ambush?" Joe asked in a low, worried voice.