“The big round-up came yesterday when the bandits were preparing to make a mass attack on our camp, but Haley outwitted them. They did not know that a body of forest rangers and sheriff’s deputies were secreted on your side of the meadow, ready not only to defend you, but to capture the ruffians who were about to try to take you and force information from you. It was Haley who, as you know, went out to meet Two-gun Murray, and beat him in a standup gun duel,” said Tom.
“Captain! Please talk about the weather,” begged Haley amid laughter.
“They didn’t find out about the gold mine after all, did they?” chuckled Hippy. “Say, Haley, I know you, you old rascal! You’re the fellow with a cold who rescued me from the bandits,” he accused, and Haley agreed with a nod.
“Speaking of gold, Hippy Wingate,” spoke up Elfreda Briggs, “I think I am entitled to an explanation. How did you chance to have my bag of gold in your possession?”
“Ham White gave it to me, and told me to hang onto it—that it wasn’t safe for you to carry it around.”
“Indeed!”
“I took it from the bunk where Petersen lay, before you came in the shack that day. I expected that the gang would return, so I scraped up some pebbles and substituted them for the gold, replacing the canvas bag where I found it,” explained Ham White.
“Was it you who exchanged shots with Two-gun Murray that day?” she asked.
Ham nodded, and Elfreda bent an accusing glance on Stacy Brown.
“Well, I saved you from that ruffian, didn’t I?” protested the fat boy.