"

"Look here," whispered Sandy, "I've got that imitation detective out
there waiting for me to tell him whether Chester Wagner is here or not.
He says he's hungry, too, and insists that I give him a night lunch. Now
I'll tell you what we'll do," the boy continued. "I'll go and steer the
detective up against the train robber, and we'll see what he'll do."

Before Tommy could reply, Sandy was away in the darkness, whistling
softly to the detective.

"Say," he said, when Katz came lumbering into the edge of the
illumination, "the boy isn't there, but I've got good news for you, just
the same. The man who went in with my chum is one of the train robbers
the cowboys are in search of. There's ten thousand dollars reward
offered for him, and all you've got to do is to walk in there, hold a
gun to his head, and march him off to Green River. You ought to give me
half the reward, though," the boy added, "for you wouldn't have caught
him only for me."

"All right," whispered the detective in a shaking voice. "I'll creep
back into the shadows and come up from behind. When you go back, point
with your hand to where he is. I'll be right there with a gun on him in
half a minute!"

"All right," replied Sandy, and the detective disappeared from view.

Then the boy walked back to Tommy's side and explained what sort of
circus there would be there in about a minute.

CHAPTER VI

THE CALL OF THE BEAVER

"Oh, I don't believe there'll be any circus!" whispered Tommy.

"And why not?"

"Because Katz will get the fellow handcuffed so quick by that there
won't be any fun in it! There's a big reward out for that fellow!"

"Huh!" grinned Sandy. "You didn't see how scared the detective was when
I told him the train robber was here by our fire. It's a hundred to one
that the train robber will give the detective a swift kick in the pants
and go back to his own camp."

The boys listened and waited for a considerable length of time, but
heard no evidence of the approach of the detective.

"Say," Tommy whispered, "this is a pretty nice supper I've been getting
for that robber. It looks good enough for me to eat myself!"

"We can eat it after Katz takes the robber away," suggested Sandy.

"I don't see anything of Katz, do you?" asked Tommy with a wink.

"Je-rusalem!" exclaimed Sandy. "You don't think he's run away, do you?
He wouldn't do that, I'm sure!"

"He wouldn't," laughed Tommy. "I'll bet that fellow's running away no