from Nat Potts, the
youngest of the trio. "One thing is certain, Macklin is crazy to make
money."

"I know a thing or two of Macklin's past--that's why," went on Gus
Fetter. "If he got us into trouble I wouldn't keep silent about him, and
he knows it."

"Macklin is slippery, no two ways about it," said Matt Gilroy, as he
took off his jacket and wrung the water out. "I am not inclined to trust
him, and that is all there is to it."

"Did he ever belong to the old gang?" questioned Nat Potts. "Some say he
did, and some say he didn't."

"He was a hanger-on, that's all," came from Matt Gilroy. "He was always
afraid to take the chances of being shot, but was on hand when the
spoils were divided. They used him as a messenger and a spy, but I don't
believe he ever really helped to hold up a coach."

"Humph, then it's a wonder the old crowd had anything to do with him!"

"Oh, they had to have messengers and spies, and they never gave Macklin
more than was coming to him, you can bet on that! I understand that when
the Riverton coach was held up six years ago, and the gang got
twenty-two thousand dollars, they gave Macklin five hundred, and he was
glad to get that."

"That was a big haul!" cried Nat Potts enthusiastically. "I wish I had
been in it."

"The gang was followed for two days--by the soldiers under Colonel
Fairfield," went on Matt Gilroy, as he threw himself on the rocks,
leaving his companions to start up a fire. "They had a hot time of it
over to Bear Pass, I can tell you. Two men were shot, and one of them,
Dan Hickey, my old chum, died from his wounds. They say Colonel
Fairfield himself fired the shot that took poor Hickey in the head, and
if that's so--well, I've got an account to square with the colonel,
that's all."

"You can square that after we've had our little interview with the
quartermaster," returned Gus Fetter with a hard laugh.

"That's right--we'll be sure to have the soldiers after us," put in Nat
Potts. "They'll be doubly mad when they learn that the hold-up resulted
in the emptying of the box with their wages."

"It will be a good haul if it goes through, boys. The quartermaster will
be carrying not less than twelve thousand dollars of the government's
money besides his other stuff," returned Matt Gilroy.

Here the conversation came to a temporary end, for Nat Potts had
produced a black flask, from which each of the men took a deep draught.
Then Potts and Fetter started in to build a r