Who was the man? His face was a strange one to Bob. Could he be the third fellow who may have been deserted by Reddy and his companion? And if so, had he followed them all the way here, bent upon some revenge, to get even for their treachery?
He was gone again now; but Bob did not imagine he had left the neighborhood of the shack. If, as he believed, the fellow proved to be the third robber, he would want his share of the spoils; and in order to get it would hang around until the chance arose.
It was too bad, in one way, because his presence was apt to interfere with any plan they might arrange. But then Frank was smart enough, perhaps, to profit by what seemed like a disaster.
Again Bob turned his attention to the two men inside. They seemed to have no suspicion that they were being watched. Perhaps they believed their comrade must ere this have fallen into the hands of the miners; or met his fate in some deep hole in the mountains, to which they had consigned him, when he was taken off his guard.
They were arguing again. Each seemed trying to convince the other of something, and the pounding of the slab table kept up. Bob wondered whether they might not come to the point of an open rupture. That would profit those who sought to effect their capture.
The time crept on. Bob was beginning to grow tired of crouching there, peeping through that narrow slit between the logs. He wished something would happen to bring about a change.
The two men had apparently arrived at some conclusion, for they pushed back from the table.
“All right, then, it’s a go, Reddy!” Bob heard the tall man exclaim. “If we’re going to separate we’ll divvy things up, share and share alike!”
“I tell ye, Blaisdell, it’s goin’ to be too hot around here to suit me after this job,” the other was saying; “and I’m set on hikin’ out of the section. Further North they don’t know Reddy Cramer, an’ I kin get a chance to work in. ’Sides, I’m hopin’ some to set eyes on a certain gent that I owes a heap to; and if I do, he’ll never crow again over what he did to me.”
Bob was unable to make anything out of this. If Frank succeeded better he found no means of communicating the fact to his chum. Indeed, Bob did not dream that he could have a particle of interest in this unknown party against whom Reddy seemed to be holding a grudge.