“Oh, we don’t mind roughing it,” responded Tom. “We’re used to that.”
“So I should imagine from the newspaper accounts I read of your prowess,” said Mr. Chillingworth dryly.
“Oh, they wrote a lot of stuff that didn’t happen at all,” put in Jack.
“Not to mention the pictures,” laughed Mr. Dacre.
“Well,” said Mr. Chillingworth, “if there were some enterprising reporter out here now, he would find plenty to write about.”
“How’s that?” inquired Mr. Dacre.
“Why, you may have heard of Chinese smugglers—that is to say, men who run Chinamen into the country without the formality of their obtaining papers?”
Mr. Dacre nodded.
“Something of the sort,” he said.
“Well, they have been pretty active here recently. Some of the ranchers have had trouble with them.”