ow. The police over there are said
to be in close touch with those here, and to be brutal in their
handling of prisoners. However, let us make up our minds that we will
have nothing to do with the police."

"We are going to Mexico for three reasons," Nestor said, in a moment.
"I can't tell you all about the three now, but one is to get you out of
the way until the real criminal is discovered. The other two will show
in time, and are likely to bring out a great deal of excitement."

"I have been wondering all the way down here," Fremont said, "why you
copied one of the papers in the Tolford estate packet. I know now.
There is in that sheaf of papers a description of a lost Mexican
mine--a very valuable mine which has been lost for any number of years.
I remember of hearing Mr. Cameron discuss the matter with one of the
heirs. The lost mine seems to be the most valuable item in the estate
schedule," the boy went on. "At any rate, there has been a lot of
quarreling over it. That paper contains the only description in
existence, and all the heirs want it."

"So you think I'm going after the lost mine?" laughed Nestor.

"If you are not, why did you copy the description?"

"How do you know that I copied the description?"

"You copied something."

"Yes; I copied the description of the lost mine. I thought it might
be of use to us, and it may prove of the greatest importance."

"Then you think the man who invaded the office and struck Mr. Cameron
down is interested in the lost mine?" exclaimed Fremont. "You think he
committed the crime to get the description? That he copied it, and
left the original paper there to throw off suspicion? That the man we
are in quest of will go directly to the lost mine? Is that why you are
going to Mexico? Is that why you said, from the start, that the clue
pointed across the Rio Grande?"

"Don't ask so many questions," laughed Nestor. "There is a shadowy
suspicion in my mind that the assassin is interested in the Tolford
estate, if you must know, but I may be entirely mistaken. Still, we
must remember that on the occasion when the Tolford papers were in the
office over night, there was an attempt at robbery. This may be a
coincidence, but it is worth looking into."

"I should say so," cried Fremont, with enthusiasm. "I should say it
was worth looking into. Now I begin to see what you mean by coming
this way, and why you dodged about on the route down. You think the
l