"What business you got in here?" snapped his companion.
"I might ask you the same question, you fellow and Tom Cravath?"
retorted Mr. Phipps, holding the two men with a level gaze. "And
what's more I think your peculiar doings will bear looking into.
There's something mighty queer about this business. I shouldn't be
surprised if we found we'd solved a greater mystery than we thought--"
"You'll solve nothing!" shouted Cravath, suddenly drawing a revolver.
His companion did likewise, both men quickly covering Tom Phipps and
the boys with their weapons. "You'll find it ain't profitable to
meddle with other folks' business."
"Pity you hadn't learned that lesson yourself," jeered Tom.
"It's over the cliff for the whole blooming bunch of you. I'll give
you all the mystery you want."
"Father, father," protested Rose, horrified at her parent's
cold-blooded threat. "They haven't done anything. They--"
"You shut up!" roared the miner. "Get out of here! Get in under the
arch there! I'll attend to you later!"
The girl hesitated, then crept away sobbing as Cravath made a
threatening move toward her.
"Now, I'll settle with you and your bunch of meddling tenderfeet,"
announced Cravath sternly. "Right about face!"
They hesitated, then turned in obedience to his command. There seemed
nothing else for them to do, for both men were fingering their weapons
suggestively.
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