“Don’t you boys maul me all over no more,” said Tony complainingly. “I tell ye, ye won’t find nothin’ on me—and ye tickle. I never could stand being tickled. Lemme up,” and the rough fellow grinned up into their faces in a most knowing way.
“No,” said Chet slowly. “We’ll not let you up yet. I think you’d look pretty going back to Silver Run with a rope around you.”
“Back to the Run?” questioned Dig, puzzled.
“No use our going on to Grub Stake if we can’t find the deeds,” said Chet sternly. “And what do you suppose the boys at father’s mine would do to this scamp if they got hold of him again?”
“Aw—say!” growled Tony. “You’re too fresh. I don’t want to go back to the mine.”
“Then where are those papers?” Chet demanded earnestly.
“Don’t ask me about ’em. I never had ’em,” declared the man.
“But you’ve seen them? Your partner had them? And he has them yet, I believe,” cried Chet, turning sharply on the other villain.
“Find out!” snarled that individual.
“I’ll find out before I let you free,” promised the lad.