," said Tom.

"Of course we did after they frightened us, but not before. They spoke
about that, too. We took them completely by surprise the day we came
down the gorge. We were close upon their camp before they knew it,
and for a minute or two they didn't know what to do. Then one of them
conceived the idea of making that hideous noise, and when the other saw
how well it worked, he joined in with him."

"But didn't they know that we would be back sooner or later to look into
the matter?" asked Tom.

"Of course they did, and that was another thing that frightened them.
They saw very plainly that their hiding-place was broken up, and were
making preparations to leave it when Silas and Dan put in their
appearance. The robbers saw and heard them long before they got to the
camp, and the one who found the letter recognized them at once. It was
at his suggestion that that ghost was rigged up."

"But they must have known that they could not scare everybody with that
dummy," observed Tom.

"To-be-sure they did, and they were in a great hurry to get away from
there; but they needed provisions, and by stopping to get them they fell
into trouble. They took Joe Morgan's house for a wood-chopper's cabin,
and while we were robbing them, they were foraging on Joe. I tell you,
Tom, it's a lucky thing for us that we got out of that gorge when we
did. They were mad enough to shoot us on sight."

"I don't wonder at it," replied Tom. "It would make most anybody mad to
lose a hundred and fifty thousand dollars in money and securities, no
matter how he came by them. Where did they catch you? Did they treat you
well?"

"They treated me well enough," was Bob's reply; "but I believe that if
they had not stood in fear of immediate capture, I should have a
different story to tell, if, indeed, I were able to tell any. I told you
nothing but the truth in the postscript I added to their note."

"I knew they made you write it, and that you did not express your honest
sentiments when you told us to be in a hurry about giving back that
valise."

"I was sure you would understand it: but what could a fellow do with a
cocked revolver flourished before his eyes by a man who was in just the
right humor to use it on him?"

"He would do as he is told, of course," answered Tom. "But do you
suppose they thought they could get that valise back by threatening
you?"

"I don't know what they thought, for they acted as if they were crazy.
They caught