“Yes. They got some from me, too,” added Tom Gray. “Hippy, we are fortunate that we had most of our funds in our money belts. Girls, have you lost anything?”
After a few moments of excited searching for their belongings the girls called out that nothing had been taken from them.
“I drove them out before they got to the ladies,” spoke up Badger. “How much did they get, Mr. Gray?”
“Only ten dollars in bills, some small change and my watch.”
Hippy had fared better. They had removed a five-dollar bill from his trousers, but his watch, that he wore in his pajamas pocket, was still there. Tom and Hippy were angry, but Stacy, instead of being angry, was bemoaning the loss of his fifty cents.
The girls, after hurriedly dressing, came out shivering.
“Tell us exactly what occurred, Mr. Badger,” requested Grace.
“Yes. Out with it,” ordered Tom.
“I was sleepin’ by the fire as I most always do, when I heard somethin’. It was one of the thieves failin’ over a pack. I saw them fussin’ over somethin’ there. I reckon they was then goin’ through the clothes they had got from the men. I challenged and they started to run. It was then that I took a shot at the fellers. They opened up on me and I chased them out of camp. You folks know the rest. Never had anythin’ like that happen to a party that I was guidin’. I know there’s some bad ones in the Park, but they don’t generally bother parties like this. They do hold up a stage when they git a chance. Reckon the guards ain’t doin’ their duty. This is a new lot of guards in the Park now. When we git back in the valley we’ll report the robbery, but I don’t reckon it will do any good.”
“I want my fifty cents,” grumbled Stacy.