“It sure is,” was the hearty response of the deputy sheriff. “Noddy Nixon and his gang have been cleaned out, bag and baggage, by the Supreme Court. Their case came up day before yesterday, and their lawyer made a big talk. They went on the stand—Noddy and some of his cronies did—but shucks! what they said didn’t amount to a hill of beans. Then the lawyer you folks had hired made a little talk, and it was all over but the shoutin’. The court said Noddy had no claim and decided in your favor, and instructed me to remain in possession until you came, and then to turn the mine over to you.
“Which,” went on Malone, “I do, to wit, in manner following, that is to say, accordin’ to the statutes in such cases made an’ provided, all in due formality with the laws of the United States in general and Arizona in particular, an’ blamed glad I am to get rid of this job, only you needn’t tell the judge I said so,” and, with an air of relief, the official turned over to Jim Nestor papers confirming the right of the boys and their friends to the gold mine.
“Hurrah! That’s the stuff!” cried Bob, throwing his hat up in the air, and trying to catch it, but failing, and stumbling down in a heap over a pile of slag.
“Did Noddy make any fuss?” asked Jerry.
“He tried to,” was the grim answer of the deputy. “He come out here, and tried to sass me, but I ordered him off.”
“Did he go?” Ned wanted to know.
“Well, I guess he did,” was the quick reply. “He and those fellows with him. Noddy allowed as how he was going to get even with you chaps, though, sometime or other.”
“Let him try,” remarked Jerry.
Noddy did try, and with what results, and what befell the motor boys in another trip they made in their airship, will be told of in the next volume of this series, to be called “The Motor Boys Over the Ocean; Or, A Marvelous Rescue in Mid-Air.”
After a short rest at the mine, and when the last of the legal formalities regarding the mine had been complied with, the Comet was again put in motion, sent up into the air, and the trip to Rockyford made.