But the first thing he found was somebody very much alive. As Ralph scrambled over the lip of the last shelf of rock a figure suddenly popped into view. The head and shoulders of a man appeared just above the young fellow. And to the latter’s surprise, those head and shoulders were shrouded in a flour sack on which the red and green lettering was faintly visible.
“Here he is!” yelled Ralph, and sprang up and grabbed the fellow. The latter had a club which he tried to use, but he had been so amazed by the appearance of the young engineer and his party that he was quickly overpowered.
In fact, Ralph was astride the fellow’s body and was tearing off the mask when Mr. Adair and Mr. Hopkins reached the ledge of rock. Ralph exposed the flaxen head and foolish face of Whitey Malone!
“We’ve got him, anyway, on the count of highway robbery,” said Mr. Adair, with satisfaction.
“What does he know about my daughter?” demanded the supervisor.
“He’d better tell at once,” said the chief detective, “or we may throw him over the cliff.”
This threat he made with a wink to Mr. Hopkins and Ralph; but Whitey did not see that wink! He was scared to the marrow of his bones, especially when he was dragged to the edge of the rock.
“I’ll show you! I’ll tell!” he cried. “But Andy will kill me.”
“You tell the truth,” Mr. Adair promised, “and you will be out of jail a good many years before Andy McCarrey gets through paying the penalty for his crimes.”
It was a point that even Whitey Malone could appreciate. Much as he feared McCarrey and Griffin Falk, the weak-minded fellow knew that he could save himself much trouble by telling all he knew to the representatives of the law.