"He'll talk them to death if they catch him," Dave answered.
"Back to business. What's our next move, son?"
"Some more conversation with Miller. Probably he can tell us where the gold is hidden."
"Whoopee! I'll bet he can. You do the talkin'. I've a notion he's more scared of you."
The fat convict tried to make a stand against them. He pleaded ignorance.
"I don' know where they hid the stuff. They didn't tell me."
"Sounds reasonable, and you in with them on the deal," said Sanders.
"Well, you're in hard luck. We don't give two hoots for you, anyhow, but
we decided to take you in to town with us if you came through clean.
If not—" He shrugged his shoulders and glanced up at the branch above.
Miller swallowed a lump in his throat. "You wouldn't treat me thataway, Mr. Sanders. I'm gittin' to be an old man now. I done wrong, but I'm sure right sorry," he whimpered.
The eyes of the man who had spent years in prison at Cañon City were hard as jade. The fat man read a day of judgment in his stern and somber face.
"I'll tell!" The crook broke down, clammy beads of perspiration all over his pallid face. "I'll tell you right where it's at. In the lean-to of the shack. Southwest corner. Buried in a gunnysack."
They rode back across the valley to the cabin. Miller pointed out the spot where the stolen treasure was cached. With an old axe as a spade Dave dug away the dirt till he came to a bit of sacking. Crawford scooped out the loose earth with his gauntlet and dragged out a gunnysack. Inside it were a number of canvas bags showing the broken wax seals of the express company. These contained gold pieces apparently fresh from the mint.