Matt turned. "Keep perfectly quiet," said the man. "They won't hurt you. They're only after the treasure."
"But that's in the car ahead," protested Bet.
"You'd better yell it loud enough for them to hear," suggested Enid from the depths of the tonneau.
Matt once more warned them to be quiet. "Put up your hands if they tell you to. Don't take any chances. Don't speak unless they ask you a question. I'll do the talking."
With a gun pointed in their direction, they lost no time in putting up their hands. Bet hesitated, her defiant nature rebelled at the idea of such surrender. But a second command from Matt, brought the girl's hands toward her head.
"The chest! Off with it!" commanded Ramon Salazar to the man by his side. "And here, Jake, you hold the gun on them!"
"Not that chest, Ramon," cried Bet. "You can't have that chest!"
"What's to stop us," sneered the Mexican with an ugly scowl.
"My ore samples! My birds' nests. They're in that chest."
"Ha, ha, that's a good joke. Birds' nests!"