“Except for that map, I’d call this night’s business more than lucky,” affirmed Malemute Slade. “But it’s too blamed bad he got that. MacClaren’ll feel worse about the loss of the map than the trummeling he got. Still as you say, corporal, we’re all of us mighty fortunate that nothin’ worse happened. Ol’ Scar-Face ain’t usually so keerful ’bout things.”
The scout continued talking to himself as he carried his bewildered burden into the adjoining room.
“So the map’s gone,” Dick quavered a moment later. “Are you sure, Slade?”
“You sit here an’ keep your trap shut,” Slade ordered, not as gruffly as his manner indicated. “You’re hurt, boy, an I’m goin’ to fix you up. I’ll fetch some bandages right quick.”
“But the map——” Dick sat straight up, not in the least heeding Slade’s command. “Did he really get it? I tell you, I must know.”
“He sure did. Broke the window an’ made good his escape. I don’t want to discourage nobody, but you an’ Sandy had better say good-bye to your chances of ever finding that mine. Jes’ forget it.” An interval of silence ensued. The mounted police scout stroked Dick’s hand.
“Plucky little savage—you!” he grinned. “But you better forget it. Sandy an’ you can have lots of fun anyway. Couldn’t keep you out of mischief very long, I guess. Not you two, I reckon!”
“I don’t care so much about losing the map or our chance of finding the mine,” declared Dick manfully, smothering what sounded very much like a sob, “but I hate to give up before we’re really licked—especially by that—that——” He paused, searching for the word that would most aptly describe the person he had in mind, “by that tripe,” he concluded.
“Yeah, it does seem bad,” Slade reflected. “’Course, we’ll try to get the map back again. I didn’t mean to sit with our arms folded, or anything like that. Scar-Face ain’t through with us yet, an’ the mounted police’ll have a nice string of crimes chalked up to his credit when we do get him. But this here map is a different matter, if you can follow me, son. They’ll be sure to hide or destroy it when they are in danger of being captured. It stands to reason that if they can’t have the pesky mine themselves, they won’t let you have it.”
“You’re right,” admitted Dick.