weaponless as they were, they seemed to lack their ordinary courage.

"Run! they's comin' out arter us, Kunnel!" cried Waffles, suiting the
action to his words, by turning and dashing wildly away.

The second man followed close at his heels, just as thoroughly
demoralized. Kracker might have stood it out, for Kracker gripped a
firearm in his fat hand; but when he found that he was being deserted
by his companions, the big prospector also started to run clumsily
away, breathing out all manner of threatenings against the other two
for cowards.

Thad no longer growled, but lying there on the rocky floor of the
fissure, he shook all over with half-suppressed laughter.

"That's the time we saved the day with our growls, Aleck!" he
whispered, when he could control himself to some extent.

The other lad felt even more exultant. The mine had been in danger, but
thanks to the ready wit of the scoutmaster, the enemy had been
frightened away before they learned anything. And so Aleck, feeling that
he had plenty of cause for rejoicing, soon joined Thad in soft laughter.

"No danger of those fellows coming back to investigate, do you think?"
he asked.

"Well, if you could judge from the hurried way they lit out, I guess
we needn't dream that they'll ever want to see this cliff again,"
replied Thad.

"And when we want to, we can crawl out ourselves, can't we?" Aleck
went on.

"Sure thing, right now is the time, because they're traveling for all
they're worth, and never even looking back over their shoulders as
they gallop along."

"How about these wolves; shall we drag them out, and throw the
carcases away in some hole?" asked Thad's companion, evidently only
too glad to do just whatever the scoutmaster decided were best.

Indeed, he had reason to feel the utmost confidence in Thad Brewster;
from the very first this new friend had directed affairs in a way that
Aleck looked on as simply wonderful. It was almost like a dream to
him, the coming of these scouts, their championing his almost lost
cause, and bringing success out of failure. No wonder then that Aleck
felt so willing to trust this staunch friend through thick and thin.
No wonder that he asked his opinion, knowing full well that whatever
Thad decided would be best.

"Might as well get rid of the things while we're about it," was what
Thad said. "Sooner or later you'll be entering this passage again, I
hope with capitalists along with you to look the mine ove