“We thought he was true blue, but he fooled us, that’s how,” he remarked.
“But it’s hard to believe that one man could carry away the whole three bags of gold dust and nuggets,” remonstrated Frank. “Mr. Riley, here, says they’d weigh something like two hundred pounds. How about that, Reddy?”
“That’s all in the trick,” replied the other. “You see, it was this way. When we got off, each of us had a bag along. But we expected to have a warm time gettin’ away with the loot. And we had made up a plan to deceive Riley and his crowd.”
“Yes,” broke in Blaisdell, bitterly, “an’ don’t forget to say right there as how ’twas our smart pal that suggested that delightful scheme, which you an’ me tumbled right into, never dreamin’ that he had all the pipes laid to dock us, an’ leave us to hold the bag, which didn’t have the gold in, but the grub. Aw! this knocks me out, sure! Never kin look anybody in the face again after bein’ took in so easy; so dead easy!”
“We cached the three bags, all right,” Reddy went on, “meaning to come back for ’em after we’d put any pursuers on the wrong scent. Then we started off to leave a broad trail behind, beginnin’ from the strong room of the Cherry Blossom. Reckon as how ye must a seen that trail, son?”
“We did for a fact, and started out on it, just as you expected,” declared Frank; “when, by chance, we found a much newer trail crossing the old, and made by two men instead of three. You, never meant us to find that trail, because by following it we got you sighted.”
“No more we did,” admitted Reddy. “But, the fact is, around that time Blaisdell and me was so mad at being taken in like a pair of tenderfeet by that traitor, that we just didn’t care much what came along. We done our best to fix you with that broken cliff trail. Then, when ye still follered, we started the blaze on the level; and reckoned as how that had put you out of the running.”
“But it didn’t, as you understand now,” Frank went on, believing that he was getting nearer the explanation of the matter.
“Yes, some fellers have the nine lives of a cat; and looks like you boys might belong in that class,” sneered Blaisdell.
“Let’s go back a bit,” Frank observed. “Because we’re some interested in this business, and want to get that stuff away from your friend.”