“You’ve made a slight mistake, that’s all,” laughed Clancy.
“Where’d you git that bag of loot?”
Both Clancy and Ballard took a hand in explaining that part of it. The explanation was accepted at once, and the jubilant miners had a good laugh over the mistake they had made.
“You’ve done a mighty big thing, you two,” declared Sim. “Come on to the labr’tory with the boodle. Hank and I will scoot on ahead an’ sort of ease off the tension that’s prevailin’ in the vicinity of the cyanide works. Joe, you and Lafe come along with Ballard and Clancy. Better tote the bag for ’em, I reckon; they’ve purty nigh done enough work for one night.”
Sim and Hank rushed away with their lanterns. Joe and Lafe relieved the two boys of the bag, and the four made such good time toward the laboratory building that they bid fair to reach it neck and neck with Sim and Hank.
As a matter of fact, Clancy and Ballard were only a little way behind the two who had gone on ahead; and when they stepped into the building, the first person they saw was Merriwell. Frank was thunder-struck.
“Howdy, Chip,” grinned Clancy.
“Thought we’d find you here, old man,” added Ballard.
“Great Scott!” murmured Frank. “What are you doing here?”
“A whole lot more than we expected to do when we started out,” said Clancy. “You see, Chip, we just about knew you had come to the mine for a talk with Lenning. I had figured that out——”