"What was it?" urged Tony.
"Dynamite!" snapped the desperado holding the girl with a wondering gaze. "And you near put us all out of business at the same time.
"Yes, dynamite. I understand it all now. Jess must have left those sticks here and the girl used one of them to build the fire with. It's a wonder it didn't blow us all to kingdom come."
A loud guffaw greeted Frank's explanation.
All danger past they could afford to look on the humorous side of the disaster now.
"Well, we got rid of old saw bones quicker'n we thought," chuckled Tony. "Good thing Jesse wasn't here. It might have got him too, for he'd a been right on top of it likely as not."
"Jess. I had forgotten," cried Frank. "What has become of him? He's got into trouble, I'll bet my spurs on it. It must have been hours since he went away.
"Say Dew Drop, did he go with you?"
The girl shook her head.
The men looked into each other's faces in dismay.