“And you found them?”
Frank shook his head.
“All dead,” he said, sadly. “On the way out in my boat I was attacked at the mouth of the Madeira, as I hinted before. Only for the fact that I hid my gold, and—and other things—in a tree, I would have been plucked clean by the Indians this scamp of a Lewiso sent upon me.
“When I left Ruination creek I left $800 in a tree, as you know, to come back to, for there was no telling what luck I would have outside. I left too much there, as it turned out, for I was hungry and cold in Chicago, even when I possessed——”
The boy hesitated and Clay gave Case a nudge on the shoulder.
“Possessed what?” asked Jule.
“Something which would have brought money and plenty,” was the guarded reply. “I heard of you boys, and used to hang about the Rambler nights, wondering if you would let me go with you. You see, this is an ideal party to go in quest of that gold,” he went on, “for no one would give us credit for being anything but a bunch of lads out for a vacation.”
“And you saw this Lewiso in Chicago, of course?”
“Oh, yes, and he caused me to be robbed, and arrested, and put out of hotels as a thief! I shall have a long account to settle with him when the time comes!”
“Then why didn’t you go to some man of wealth and state your ease to him? You could have secured money enough for the trip back after the gold,” suggested Clay.