“They did, with ground to spare.”
Blunt crooked a knee around his saddle horn and took up a comfortable position on his horse.
“How did you get on the track of those fellows, Blunt?” Frank went on.
“By a happenchance. When I rode away from the hotel, yesterday afternoon, I traveled the cañon trail toward Gold Hill. Met Schuster, one of our boys. He had been to the Hill for a couple of days, and was on his way back to the ranch. It was Schuster put me wise, Chip. He had heard a few things about Lenning and Shoup in town. You want to look out for yourself.”
“I do?” asked Frank. “Why?”
“Schuster heard that Lenning and Shoup are after your scalp. They want to balance accounts with you. I reckon you know what that means to a couple of fellows like they are.”
“Lenning and Shoup have all they can do to look out for themselves,” Chip laughingly said, “and I don’t think they’ll have any time to bother with me. Schuster probably didn’t get the thing straight, anyhow. When you overhear talk like that, Barzy, it is pretty apt to be gammon.”
“This is how straight Schuster got it,” returned Blunt. “Listen: Along at the same time Schuster heard that, he also heard that Lenning and Shoup know you and your chums were to be invited to spend a few days with the Gold Hillers in the gulch. Lenning opined that the gulch would be a good place to make his play. Did he and Shoup come out to your camp?” Blunt asked, turning to Bleeker.
“That’s what they did,” said Bleeker.
“Then Schuster wasn’t very wide of his trail on that part of it, was he? It was the information I got from him that brought me to Mohave Cañon early this morning. I didn’t stop at Dolliver’s, but drilled past his shack like a streak. Been knocking around the hills all day, and it was less than an hour ago when I got a glimpse of the skunks I’m after. Of course, I knew the Gold Hillers wouldn’t let them stay in the camp; and I was just as sure they’d hang around here, because they’re looking for a chance at you, Merriwell, and they won’t pull their freight till they get it.”