that Dolph Gage shot him?" demanded Jim in a
semi-injured tone. "Men don't often waste ammunition out in this
county, even if I did send in three wild shots just now. But that
was because I was excited, and couldn't see straight. I'll try to
do better next time."

Mr. Dunlop was now engaged in making his daughter, her child and
the other woman comfortable in one of the touring cars.

Several of the men in the party, also, had decided that they did not
care to remain if they were to be exposed to shooting at all hours
of the day.

In the end Mr. Dunlop had but three of the men in his party left
with him.

The younger of the two armed men was sent to drive the car containing
the women. One of the guests of the Dunlop party drove a second
car. In this order they started for Dugout City, thirty miles
away. As the roads hardly deserved the name the motor cars would
not be likely to reach Dugout before dark.

"Look out for ambushes," exclaimed Mr. Dunlop, to the armed driver
of the women's car.

"Yes, sir; but there isn't much danger of our being fired on. Gage's
gang will be only too glad to see the women folks leaving here. We
won't be troubled."

Mr. Dunlop stood anxiously gazing after the two touring cars as
long as they could be seen. Then he stepped briskly back, holding
out his hand to Tom Reade.

"Permit me, now, to thank you for your timely aid," said the stout
man. "You know my name. Will you kindly introduce your friends?"

This Tom did at once, after which Mr. Dunlop presented his three
companions. One was his nephew, Dave Hill, the second, George
Parkinson, Mr. Dunlop's secretary, and the third a man named John
Ransome, an investor in Mr. Dunlop's mining enterprise. The elder
of the armed men who remained behind was Joe Timmins, both guide
and chauffeur. The young man who had gone with one of the cars
was Timmins's son.

"You have a mining claim hereabouts, Mr. Dunlop?" Tom inquired.

"Yes; but not exactly at this point," added the older man, with
a smile as he noted Reade staring about him with a quizzical smile.
"The claim stands over there on that slope"--- pointing to the
westward.

"Has it been prospected, sir?" asked Hazelton.

"Yes: it's a valuable property, all right. I brought my party
out here to show it to them. The friends who have returned to
Dugout, and Mr. Ransome here, have the money ready to put up the
needed capital as soon as they are satisfied."

"I'm satis