"Out in the scrub," was the rancher's reply. "So's Sam's burro, which he took when he went arter the ore t'other day. Sam was gittin' the ore ter show Heppner. He lost part o' it on the way here, but enough was left ter make Heppner open his eyes a whole lot. He allowed it was the richest claim he ever seen."
"Yes," remarked Blunt, "we know all about Sam's losing the ore. But for that golden trail, Merriwell, you and I would never have got together out there in the desert, and this scheme against the professor might have worked to a fare you well. I'd never have butted in, if you hadn't bested me with two straight falls."
"Have you been keeping the professor here against his will?" demanded Frank of McGurvin.
"Nary, I wasn't. Turkeyfoot had him skeered. He tells the perfessor there's a gov'ment agent arter him, named Heppner, an' that the claim he thought he located he really jumped. That was Turkeyfoot's part a' it—purtendin' ter be the perfesser's friend an' goadin' him on ter fall in with Heppner's plan. Oh, Turkeyfoot's a missable skunk, all right."
"The professor stayed here because Turkeyfoot told him to?" asked Frank, far gone with wonder on Borrodaile's account.
"That's the how of it, an' I'm givin' it to ye straight." Clancy had come up during part of the talk with McGurvin, and presently Ben Jordan arrived with Turkeyfoot, and Harrison and Lloyd with Sam. The professor, dazed and bewildered, came pottering along presently, and stood off at a distance while he tried to adjust his wits to the sudden whirl of events.
"Where's Heppner, Clan?" Merry asked.
"Concluded he hadn't better stay, Chip," Clancy explained. "Just as the cowboys got here, Heppner jumped to the back of his horse and began hitting the high places. He took your mark along with him, though," the redheaded chap finished, with a laugh.
Merry walked over to Borrodaile and laid a soothing hand on his shoulder.
"Wake up, professor," said he. "It's all over, and you've still got your claim."