"Tree miner gone aleddy--two tenderfut comin'."
"Three up there already! By the Great Horned Spoon! how did they do it?" cried Sam Brewster, aghast at the idea that perhaps they would have trouble when they reached Polly's mine.
"Maybe the three gone on ahead have no idea that we found gold up there. Maybe they are after pelts, or some other thing," said Anne Stewart.
Mike grinned complacently, for he had spoken.
"How do you know those three are miners, Mike?" asked Polly.
The Indian pointed to the ground where an imprint of a miner's boot was plainly seen. Only the miners at Oak Creek wore such spiked heels, the ranchers and other citizens being satisfied with heavy leather soles. The foot-print pointed towards the Slide--not away from it.
"That's only one, Mike, and you said there were three!" exclaimed Anne, triumphantly.
"Tree hoss go by--see." Mike pointed out three different kinds of horse-shoe imprints.
"One hoss carry pack an' go lame. Two hoss all light."
"How do you know he is lame--and maybe he isn't packed," Eleanor said.
Mike sniffed derisively, and pointed at the lighter impression of one hind foot. Then he showed his admiring audience how a slight rip in a flour-sack allowed the contents to trickle down upon the ground at each limp the lame horse gave.
Mike now said to Mr. Brewster: "Dem go slow--lame hoss no go fas', mebbe jus' ahead."
"If we ride on we can catch up with them!" eagerly exclaimed Anne.
Mike shook his head and lifted a finger for silence. Then the girls heard a faint clip-clop of hoof-beats on the rocky trail leading along Top Notch.
"Two tenderfut 'mos' catch up. We-all wait an' talkee," suggested Mike, settling himself in his saddle to await the riders.
"Mike's right, because they will only follow us and find out where our claim is located, if we start on now," added Polly.
Mr. Brewster shook his head. "Ah reckon you-all talk sense but Ah would offer an amendment to your plan: to have Polly and Anne take Jeb for an escort and ride on at once. Let the horses have their head and get to the cave as soon as you can. Hold the fort until we-all join you. We-all will see these two men and find out what they are after."
"Daddy, you must remember a grizzly bear lives in that cave. He may have been injured but he may not have died, the other night. I have my small rifle but Anne hasn't any weapon at all. As for Jeb--he's great on the farm, but for this work, huh! Then there are those three miners who are up ahead: they wouldn't hesitate to put two mere girls out of their way, if we interfered with their staking our mine or jumping our claims," said Polly.