A door had been skilfully
constructed, shutting off the entrance to the cave itself. Years
before a notorious band of outlaws had been known to have a hiding
place somewhere in the vicinity. Tom Cravath and his associates had
come upon it and used it for their own nefarious purposes.
"I think we'll find we've come upon a very important discovery,"
decided Mr. Phipps after listening to the fat boy's story. And so it
proved.
Cravath had been at the head of a band of thieves, who made way with
their plunder through the Ruby Mountain. A large quantity of it was
found there on the following day. As for the stock which they stole,
this was led into the mine entrance, down into a subterranean water
course along which it was directed for several miles along towards the
Indian Territory where it was eventually sold by other members of the
gang.
No trace of any of the desperate band was ever found. Eagle-eye, the
missing Indian guide, was discovered bound and gagged in a remote
chamber in the Ruby Mountain, weak from loss of food. He had caught
some of the band stealing the ponies and they had taken him prisoner.
It was proved, however, that neither Rose Cravath nor her mother had
any knowledge of the transactions of the desperate band.
Great was the rejoicing in the mining camp when the news of the
discovery became noised about.
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