“It belongs to the fellow that gets his monuments up first, and files his location. If the colonel hasn’t done that, Lenning, the claim is as much yours as his.”
“It’s the colonel’s by right of discovery,” asserted Lenning, “and I’m not going to try and beat him out in locating it. All I wanted to set off the charge for was to satisfy my curiosity. I reckon I’ve explained why I left the mine, haven’t I? It doesn’t look much as though I had planned to hold up the stage, does it?”
“No,” said Frank.
“You have explained why you left the mine,” spoke up Blunt, “but you haven’t explained why you didn’t go back.”
“Look here.” Lenning held out his hands close together. The wrists were red and swollen. “And look here.” He caught hold of the side of the coat he was wearing. “Can’t you guess anything from all that?” he asked.
“We don’t want to do any guessing, Jode,” returned Frank kindly, “what we want are the facts.”
Once more Lenning straightened erect and looked searchingly up and down the defile. He discovered nothing, and quickly dropped down again by the side of Merriwell and Blunt.
“This is what happened,” said he. “I set off the blast. After that I went down into the bottom of the gulch to get Burke’s horse. Naturally, I had secured the animal at a good safe distance from the place where I was exploding the dynamite. Two fellows jumped at me from the chaparral—one of them was Shoup and the other was this chap, Geohegan. They threw me down, and for a few moments I was stunned. When I got my wits back Shoup was covering me with a revolver. He ordered me to remove my clothes. When I had done that, Geohegan drew a bead on me while Shoup removed his own clothes and got into mine. Then I was made to put on Shoup’s garments, and the two tied me hand and foot and left me. When they came, I reckon they had only one horse between them; but, when they left, each had a mount, for Shoup had taken Burke’s horse. You believe me?” Lenning broke off to ask. “I know it’s a fishy story, but it’s the truth. I don’t want you to think that I’m lying.”
Blunt remained silent, clearly incredulous. Frank, however, had confidence in Lenning and felt sure he was telling the truth.
“Go on with the rest of it, Jode,” said he. “It’s a strange yarn, but it rings true.”