, burn me ef yer hain't!"

Frank expressed thanks for the compliment, and then, as concisely and
plainly as possible, he told of his experiences since meeting the girl
on the train.

The big man listened closely, his interest growing each minute. When the
boy had finished, the man slapped his thigh and cried:

"Brand me deep ef I don't reckon ye've guv it ter me fair an' squar! I
know somethin' about this yar gang uv queer-makers."

"You do?"

Both lads ejaculated the words.

"You bet!"

"What do you know?"

"I hev heard ez how they has a young gal who is queen uv ther band, an'
she shoves ther queer on ther market fer them."

"Is that all?" asked Frank, with a trace of disappointment.

"Hold yer critters!" advised the big man, with a lazy wave of one hand.
"Don't git too oneasy. I said I know something erbout 'em. What I told
yer wuz what I had heard."

"Well, tell us what you know."

"See them mountains over thar, beyond ther lake, right whar I'm
p'intin'?"

"Yes."

"Purty wild place over thar."

"Well?"

"Thet's whar ther den uv them thar counterfeiters is."

Frank clutched the man's arm, his face full of eagerness.

"How do you know?"

"I hev bin over thar."

"What did you discover?"

"Say, I don't keer ter mix in no rows, an' so I ain't troubled myself
ter inform on 'em."

"But you will tell us what you discovered? We will pay----"

"Pay be derned! I tell yer I don't keer a hoot erbout money. Ef I git
enough ter buy some terbacker an' clothes, an' sech provisions ez I
want, thet's all I ask. I don't keer how much bad money is in
circulation, an' thet's why I ain't meddled with them critters. Ef I
blowed, they might take a notion ter call on me, some time, an' make it
derned onpleasant fer me."

The hopes of the boys dwindled.

"But think what it may mean to me--my liberty, honor, everything!"
cried Frank. "You must understand the situation in which I am placed."

"I do. Ef them critters hedn't run off with my boat, I might hev kept my
mouth shet; but now, burn me deep, ef I don't git squar!"

The hopes of the lads rose again.

"I'll tell yer whut I found over thar," the big man went on, slowly. "I
found ther place whar ther queer-makers hang out."

"You did?" fluttered both lads.

"Thet's whatever. Thar's a hidden cabin on a cliff, an' thet thar is
their headquarters."

"Will you guide us there?"

"Wa-al, what do you two youngsters think you could do? Thar's a gang.
You