Shame-faced, and believing that Tom was right, Alf advanced toward
the cot. As he reached the side of it-----

Click-ick-ick! sounded close to him.

"You can't make me stay in this tent. It's the most dangerous
spot in Nevada," cried Drew, turning and fleeing into flee open.
The two chums could hear his feet as he sped to another part
of the camp.

"Some trick about that rattling?" queried Harry in a whisper.

"Of course," Tom admitted with a wink.

"It's a shame to tease the youngster so."

"It would be," Tom assented rather gravely, "but I'm using that
means to make the lad afraid to smoke cigarettes. If young Drew
goes on smoking the miserable little things he'll become come a
physical wreck inside of a year."

"How do you do the trick, anyway?" asked Harry curiously.

"Does it really sound like the click of a rattler?" asked Tom.

"Does it? I was 'stung' almost as badly as poor Alf was. How
do you do the trick?"

"I'll show you, some time," nodded Tom Reade.

With that promise Harry had to be content, and so must the reader,
for the present.

Hazelton went out to stand first watch with Joe Timmins. Alf
Drew, finding that the Dunlop party had no room for him under
the shelter they had rigged from the rear of the automobile, curled
himself on the ground under a tree and fitfully wooed sleep.
By daylight the little fellow was fretfully awake, his "nerves"
refusing him further rest until he had rolled and smoked two cigarettes.
By the time the smoke was over Jim Ferrers called to him to help
start the breakfast.

Nothing had been seen of the four intruders through the night.

"I think we shall try to get safely through to Dugout City this
morning," suggested Mr. Dunlop.

"You'll make it all right, if you have gasoline enough," remarked
Ferrers, who hovered close at hand with a frying pan filled with
crisp bacon.

"You don't believe Gage will try to attack us on the way?"

"He has no call to," replied Ferrers. "You're obeying him by
leaving the claim, aren't you?"

"Then probably Gage and his companions will settle down on the
claim after we leave," suggested Mr. Dunlop.

"If Gage tries to jump the claim in your absence," proposed Ferrers,
"your course is easy. If you have the legal right to the claim
you'll have to bring back force enough to drive those hyenas off."

"Will you people try to keep an eye over the claim while I'm gone?"
asked Mr. Dunlop.

"That would be a little out