y Alf, built a large fire-pile
in a gully at a safe distance from camp. The wood was saturated
with oil, a powder flash laid, then Tom laid a fuse-train. Lighting
the fuse, the three speedily decamped.

Presently they saw the flames of the newly kindled fire shooting
up through the trees. Then the volleying began, for Tom had carefully
deposited through the fire-pile all the captured cartridges.

For fully five minutes the cartridges continued to explode, in
ragged volleys.

"It's a regular Fourth of July," Harry laughed, back in camp. "Tom,
who's going to take the first trick of watch tonight?"

"Neither one of us," Reade replied. "We'll both get a sound sleep."

But the enemy?"

"It would take four mules apiece to drag them over here tonight,"
laughed Reade, as he rolled himself up in his blanket. "Good
night!"

CHAPTER XI

PLANNING A NEW MOVE

Barely were the young engineers astir the following morning when
Alf Drew came racing back with news.

"There's a whole slew of men coming, on horseback and on foot!"
Alf reported. "And a whole train of wagons!"

"Good enough!" nodded Tom. "I hope the new folks camp right close
to here. We need good neighbors more than anything else."

"But they may belong to Gage's crowd," Alf insisted.

"Don't you believe it, lad. Dolph Gage hasn't money enough to
finance a crowd like that."

"It may be Dunlop's crowd," suggested Hazelton.

"That's more likely," said Tom. "Well we'll be glad enough to
see Dunlop back here with a outfit. This part of the woods will
soon be a town, at that rate."

"Come out where you can get a look a new crowd," urged Alf.

"If it's any one who wants to be neighborly," Reade answered with
a shake of his head, "he's bound to stop in and say 'howdy.' We're
going to get breakfast now."

"Then I'll be back soon, and tell you anything I can find out
about the new folks," cried Alf, darting away.

But Tom raced after the lad, collaring him.

"Alf, listen to me. We're not paying you to come in on time to
get your meals. You get over there by Jim's cooking outfit and
be ready to take orders."

"Humph!" grunted young Drew, but he went as directed, for there
was nothing else to do.

Five minutes later Mr. Dunlop turned his horse's head and rode
down into the camp.

"Howdy, boys!" called the mine promoter.

"Glad to see you back, Mr. Dunlop," Tom nodded, while Harry smiled
a welcome.

"I've sent my outfit around by