"I hope not; but we stand a chance of doing so."
"When are we going to start?" asked Jack with alacrity.
"Do you want to meet these gentlemen, Jack?" inquired Harry with a smile.
"There'll be some fun about it," responded Jack.
Harry shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't think there'll be much fun about being robbed," he said. "I would rather they would give us a wide berth, for my part."
Jack did not answer, but from that time he was eager to set out for the mines. The hint of danger invested the journey with a charm it had not hitherto possessed in his eyes.
While the boys were conversing, a tall man, with heavy black whiskers and wearing a rough suit and a slouch hat, appeared to listen attentively. At this point he rose from his seat, and lounged over to where Harry and Jack were seated.
"Young gentlemen," he said, "do I understand that you are thinking of going to the mines?"
"Yes, sir," answered Harry, surveying his inquirer with some attention.