“Nobody can tell,” came the reply; “but it wouldn’t surprise me if we did. What I’m wondering at is why these fellows hung around all this time, when they must have known there would be a hunt as soon as the robbery was discovered.”
“That is queer, come to think of it,” Bob agreed. “And you don’t happen to think of any explanation, eh?”
“That’s what I don’t,” Frank admitted, shaking his head. “Of course I could give a dozen guesses; but all of ’em would be far from the mark. Still, there must be a reason, and a mighty good one, too. A whole lot might hinge on a little thing.”
“Do you suppose they just happened to cross their old trail?” Bob asked.
“No doubt of it,” came the ready reply; “and see how accident helps a fellow, sometimes. Only for that we’d have been forced to follow them over all the ground they’ve covered since the robbery took place two nights ago. That helped us along fine.”
“And that’s how hard luck sometimes upsets all the calculations of the sharpest of rascals,” remarked Bob.
“Seems like it,” observed Frank, and immediately afterwards he cried out: “Look up yonder; what’s that moving there? I’m nearly sure I saw a horse pass that little gap, Mr. Riley.”
“That’s what you did, Frank!” exclaimed Sim, the trailer; “and there goes a second one. Off we go, fellers, and it’s a stern chase now!”
“Are you sure they’re the men we’re looking for?” gasped Bob, as Domino sprang after the horses ridden by the ex-superintendent and Sim.
“Everything seems to point that way,” replied Frank. “They’re running as if scared at sight of us; and that’s almost a sure evidence of guilt. Then, as near as I can tell, the two men seem to be anything but miners. I reckon we’ve put up our game, all right. And already we’re pulling up on ’em some.”