"Just the same, I'd be willing to go and hunt for it," persisted
Tom.
"And so would I," chimed in his brother. "I say," he continued, "why can't we go on a hunting trip? We needn't say anything about trying to find the mine. Then, if we didn't, no one could laugh at us and say we got scared."
The refusal of the boys from Ohio to believe in the haunted mine had at first nettled Bill and Horace, but they had always been keen to hear or see phantoms, and at Larry's proposal of the hunting trip they became enthusiastic.
"It will be great sport, if father will let us," assented Horace.
"Come on, we'll ask him."
And abandoning their intention of roping ponies, they turned back to the house in search of Mr. Wilder.
Finding him on the piazza, they lost no time in laying their plan for a hunting trip before him.
As he beheld the eager faces and noted the lithe, supple bodies of the boys, in whose eyes shone the light of fearlessness, the ranchman replied:
"I have no objection, if you don't go beyond the foothills. Bill, you remember the trails I showed you last spring, don't you?"
"Yes, sir."
"All right, keep to them. You boys certainly ought to be able to take care of yourselves. Go and tell Hop Joy to put up some grub for you. You had better camp on the plains to-night, so you won't be able to shoot your food."