After that the tired boys found the best place possible in which to lie down. Bob must have been asleep within three minutes after his head touched the bag he was using for a pillow; and he knew nothing more until some one shook him, calling out that it was morning.
“Why, I just slept like a log,” declared Bob. “Never knew a thing all night. My! but I must have been pretty near all in, that time. How’s everything, Frank?”
“Couldn’t be finer; and a good morning to start back to the mine,” remarked his chum, who had a fire started on the hearth, and some of the contents of the two bags cooking for breakfast.
“Say, we’re lucky again, in finding all that grub, just when we were near the starvation stage,” remarked Bob, as he sniffed the odor of coffee.
The four men were just where Bob had last seen them at the time he lay down. All declared themselves stiff and sore, particularly those who had been hurt in the excitement that had marked the previous night.
“I’m cooking plenty of breakfast for the crowd,” Frank had announced aloud, as he saw the way in which the men would follow him around with their hungry eyes; “and one by one you fellows will be untied and fed; but after that your arms must be fastened again. We don’t trust one of you any further than we can see you.”
In good season they left the lone shack on the hillside, and headed down toward the spot where the two saddle boys, as well as Mr. Riley, expected to find their horses browsing.
Reddy had told where the pair they had ridden could be found. The men were fastened to the backs of these animals, which were to be led, as the little caravan took up the journey for distant Cherry Blossom mine.
“How long did it take us to get here?” asked Bob, after they had fairly started, Domino, Buckskin and the bay having been found readily enough below.
“More than three hours in all; but we’re going to be twice that getting back,” replied Mr. Riley.