t of Link Merwell and those with him. It must be
one of their enemies, and if so, what had brought him to this spot at
such an hour of the night?

"Maybe he is after our horses," reasoned the youth, and then he dropped
down again and rolled over to where Roger was lying. He shook his chum
and at the same time placed a hand over the other's mouth.

"Roger! Don't make any noise!" he whispered. "Somebody is coming here in
the dark."

The senator's son awoke and heard what was said. Then, as Dave took away
his hand, he whispered:

"Where is he? Who is it?"

"There he is," and Dave pointed with his hand. "I don't know who it is,
but I guess it is one of Link's crowd."

"I'll wake up Phil, and we can watch the rascal," said Roger, and this
was done, although not without difficulty, for the shipowner's son was
inclined to give a yell when aroused from such a sound slumber.

"Who--who is it?" he stammered. "Say, maybe we had better get our
pistols ready!" And he felt for his weapon.

"I've got mine all ready," answered Dave.

"And here is mine," whispered Roger. "If that fellow thinks he is coming
here unseen, won't he be surprised!"

"Hush!" came softly from Dave. "Look behind him! There is a second
fellow coming!"

Our hero was right, a second figure had emerged from the shadow of some
rocks. The two persons were coming along slowly, as if to make certain
that they were not being observed.

"I know that second fellow!" whispered Dave, a moment later. "See how
tall and thin he is. It's old Haskers!"

"Yes, and the other fellow is Link Merwell," replied Roger, a second
later.

CHAPTER XXVII

THE TWO PRISONERS

The three chums were right; the two persons who were approaching the
camp on the mountainside so stealthily were Link Merwell and Job
Haskers.

They came on step by step, looking ahead and to either side, as if on
the alert to flee at the first sign of danger.

"What do you suppose they are after?" asked Phil, in a low voice.

"Hush! We'll watch them and see," returned Dave.

"Let us pretend to be asleep," advised Roger. "But lie so you can keep
an eye on them."

The boys had been crouching low, but now all followed the advice of the
senator's son and fell back, as if in slumber. Then they rolled over
and, with their hands on their weapons, watched the approach of the
others.

At last Merwell and Haskers were within fifty feet of those around the
dying campfire. They had been talking