"Even then the man never had a print made. Perhaps he intended to later.

Meanwhile, he buried his swag from the robbery, together with this same plate, up here in these very Sunset Mountains, where, as a boy, long before, he used to live, on the road that leads to Chester, not far from here."

Again Mr. Dodd paused to eat a little more. He knew how to keep the interest at fever heat. The boys could hardly breathe, they were so excited at this point.

"Please go on, sir," said Will finally.

"Lasher claimed that if he were only given an opportunity, he could lead one of the prison wardens to the place where, after a little search, he felt positive he would be able to produce not only the lost plunder, but the missing plate, which must prove his entire innocence, if it were still in a good state of preservation.

"The head of the inst.i.tution has so many fairy stories told him by prisoners who want only a chance to slip away, that he would not listen to such a thing. After repeated failures to get his case heard, it seems that Lasher conspired with one of his fellows. The result was the break from confinement, the pursuit, and his final escape by means of the pepper he must have carried with him for just such a purpose."

"I never heard anything so strange, Mr. Dodd. It certainly sounds like a fairy story, and I can't wonder at the head warden for doubting it. But Will, here, who is something of an authority, says that photographic part is easy enough," declared Frank, thinking that he was expected to say something.

"Well, as I said, we lost all track of the man. n.o.body knows where he was hidden all these long weeks. I came up into the hills to investigate, and found it just as he declared. There were the ruins of an old homestead near the road across the lake yonder, and they told me that an old man by the name of Fletcher had once lived there. That was the real name of the dead convict thief.

"I haunted the place for a week, but saw no signs of my man. Then I concluded that he must have been there, hunted for the plunder, found it, and perhaps carried it away, determined that since he had paid the penalty for the robbery he might as well enjoy the fruits."

"Do you think so now?" asked Frank during another pause.

"No, I don't. The appearance of this so-called ghost set me to thinking.

Then in a roundabout way I learned, only recently, that one night a man was seen sneaking away from the little humble house where Mrs. Lasher and her children live. So you see, I began to piece things together, and finally I came to a conclusion.

"I believed that Thaddeus Lasher had finally come to hunt for the plunder hidden by Fletcher, and that he was having much more trouble finding the same than he had expected. In order not to be bothered in his labor he had hit on this ghost dodge to scare the country jays off.

I remembered that he had been an actor in his better days, before he began to drink and get in bad company.

"Accordingly, I finally concluded that it would pay me to make another trip up to the vicinity of Sunset Lake, this time fetching along several deputies, for I did not know how desperate a man Lasher might prove. I heard from Adolphus that your party was up here, and wondered if by any chance you might have run across the man I am hunting for; but I reckon you haven't up to now."

Mr. Dodd smiled as he once more glanced at the warning that had been fastened to the oak tree, as if that circ.u.mstance aided him more or less in coming to the conclusion he had.

CHAPTER XXII

PADDLING ACROSS LAKE SURPRISE

"What do you think, Mr. Dodd? Was that story told by Fletcher the truth, or just the imagination of a dying man?" asked Frank.

The sheriff scratched his head. His air was that of a man who, being cautious by nature, is slow to commit himself.

"To tell you the honest truth, boys, I just don't know what to think.

The thing has got me locoed, as they say out West. It looks as if Lasher can't find what he is hunting for. The only thing for me to do is to lay low until he shows his hand, and then try to gather him in. I know my duty, and nothing can sheer me off, no matter how sorry I might feel for the poor chap."

The dinner was finished, and all p.r.o.nounced it fine.

"Never ate better ba.s.s in my life, and that c.o.o.n sure knows how to cook 'em, too," declared the sheriff heartily. And Adolphus grinned with delight to be thus publicly complimented by an officer of the State.

After a while the two men wandered off, though promising to return by night, as another meal like that was a great temptation, and the invitation pressing.

The boys went in a bunch to a.s.sist Will and Bluff to clean out the snake den, as a means for pa.s.sing time and doing a good deed. More brush was dragged over and thrown down into the hole, regardless of the angry hissing of the numerous ugly crawlers to be seen sunning themselves there.

"All ready for the grand finale!" shouted Bluff, after Will had secured a picture of the whole scene.

Upon which burning bunches of dead gra.s.s were thrown in. The brush took fire fairly well, being pretty dry, and presently a leaping furnace of flames announced the end of the snakes' paradise. Possibly not one of them could escape the terrific scorching, unless their holes ran deeper into the rocks than the boys imagined.

"That job is done, and well done. Now what?" asked Bluff.

Frank announced that he had several small tasks which he wanted to attend to. Jerry threw his gun over his shoulder and sauntered forth for a ramble, but did not mean to shoot any game he might happen to run across, being a believer in the laws that protect deer, grouse, rabbits, and such, for the better part of the year.

On his part, Bluff had some work to do in connection with the bearskin which he was trying to cure, after certain directions given by old Jesse Wilc.o.x, the veteran trapper, whom the boys had visited the preceding fall.

Will, of course, could always find something to do in connection with his photographic work, for he carried a little tank along with him into the woods, and in this he developed his films, day or night.

Jed seemed quite satisfied to keep busy around the fire. He a.s.sisted Adolphus, and, indeed, was ready to antic.i.p.ate the needs of any of these fine fellows whose kindness to a poor waif would never be forgotten.

It was about an hour before sunset that Frank called out to him:

"Jed! Come here, please!"

The lad saw a smile of satisfaction on Frank's face, and somehow he seemed to be thrilled with a sudden hope.

"You never knew that the back of this locket could be detached--that is, removed--did you?" asked Frank.

"No. Can it?" asked the other, his eyes full of eager antic.i.p.ation.

"Yes. I suspected that it might, and on examining it closely saw how it could be done. With my knife-blade I removed the back, and found this."

He held up a paper. It was very thin, and seemed to be covered with printing, together with some writing.

"Oh! What is it?" gasped the little chap, staring at the doc.u.ment, which really seemed too large to have occupied so small a s.p.a.ce in the locket.

"As far as I can make out, it represents stock to the extent of five hundred shares in the Consolidated Hecla Gold Mine. Bushels of just such stuff is printed every year, for the purpose of defrauding innocent people. Perhaps this was sold to your father for the same purpose, Jed,"

said Frank.

"Then you believe it ain't worth anything?" remarked the boy, with keen disappointment.

"I didn't say that. At the time, perhaps, it wasn't worth the paper it was printed on; but conditions may have changed. Possibly they have made a valuable strike at the mines of the Consolidated Hecla. The eagerness of your uncle to get possession of this doc.u.ment would seem to prove that."

"But how would he know this paper was in my locket?" went on the boy.

"That's something I can't say. He evidently found it out somehow or other, or he wouldn't have been so determined to get possession of the locket. Its value in dollars and cents wouldn't amount to much, you see.

Now, as soon as I get back home I shall see Jerry's father, who is a banker, and he can tell us if there is any real value attached to this stock. If so, you are a lucky fellow, Jed."

"And I owe it all to you, Frank, you and the rest. How can I ever thank you for being so kind?" he cried, seizing the other's hand.

"Please don't try, Jed. Why, we haven't done anything worth mentioning; it was just fun to upset the calculations of your old uncle. In fact, we feel under obligations to you for the chance."

Just then Mr. Dodd appeared once more, with his deputy.