"Yes," said Mr. Norcross, the banker. "It's quite a favorite amusement out here."
Only the New Yorker said nothing, but gave Ted a peculiar glance. Ted looked around at the group with a foolish smile.
"It was a good joke, gentlemen," said he, "and I have never been sore because I have been handed one."
Another burst of satisfied laughter greeted this from the big three—Corrigan, Norcross, and the colonel. But Stella and the boys looked glum that Ted was being made the butt of a joke.
Then Ted put his sack on the floor and opened it and lifted something out and placed it on the table. It was the iron box he had dug from the earth at Bubbly Spring, with the fresh earth still sticking to it.
Corrigan's face turned white. Norcross had to lean against the corner of the table to keep from falling.
Ted easily opened the lock of the box, and threw it open.
"You left me to hold the bag, did you?" he asked of the astounded conspirators. "Well, what do you think of these for snipe?"
The room was as quiet as a church.
"Gentlemen, you are all under arrest. Boys, get into your saddles. We are going to ride to the rendezvous of the gang of robbers which to-night robbed the Overland Express and stole the money I have here," and he lifted out package after package of stolen currency.