By the time this work was accomplished Sam was regaining consciousness. He gave a moan of pain, and then sat up in bewilderment.
"Who—what's happened?" he stammered. Then he looked around. "Oh! I remember now!"
He was very unsteady when he got on his feet, and it was Tom who made the first move toward him.
"Too bad, Sam. They are a set of brutes."
"Don't call me a brute Rover," growled Jasper Grinder. "Neither you nor your brother have all you deserve."
Sam was bound with a rope, and then both prisoners were told to walk over to the fire. This they did, and were left in charge of Husty and Jasper Grinder, while Baxter went off a distance, in company with big Bill Harney.
"Well, what do you want to do with 'em?" demanded Harney, when he and the bully were out of hearing of the others, "'Pears to me you've taken the law in yer own hands."
"I'm glad I've caught them," returned Dan Baxter. "They may help us to find what I am after."
"Think they've got a better map nor yours?"
"They may have."