"Yes. You see, Blower wanted to run things to suit himself and we—er—we didn't see things quite that way. Then Dillon came up with his crowd, and they made matters worse than ever. We had some information that we didn't want the others to have, so we got out," went on Link Merwell, glibly. He was now recovering from his fright.
"Got information, have ye?" cried Larry Jaley. "About wot fer instance?"
"About what those fellows are after," answered Merwell. "Isn't that so?" he asked, of Haskers.
"It is," answered the former teacher.
"Is it another gold strike?" burst out Sol Blugg, eagerly.
"Not exactly a strike," answered Merwell. "All of us came out to relocate the lost Landslide Mine."
"What! That mine!" yelled Staver, and the tone of his voice showed his deep disgust. "Nuthin' to it—nuthin' at all. If you're arfter thet mine ye might as well go right back home. It's buried deep an' fer good."
"Let us hear what they have to tell," said Sol Blugg. "They may have news worth listenin' to, Ham."
"I ain't goin' to waste no time lookin' fer thet lost mine," growled the rascal who had been shot. "I'm goin' back to town an' let a doctor look at this hand o' mine."
"And I will go with you!" put in Job Haskers, eagerly. "I have had enough of the mountains! The others can locate that lost mine if they wish."