"This is the end of the case," Frank Shaw said, covering the face of the dead man with a handkerchief. "Fremont is free to go back to New York, taking his mine with him! Nestor was right when he declared that the solution of the Cameron mystery lay on this side of the Rio Grande.""But the object of our visit has not yet been accomplished,"Nestor said, "and so I can't go back with you. Perhaps you would better leave me in charge of the mine!""You are wrong," Lieutenant Gordon said, then, "the object of our journey is accomplished. I was ready to announce the fact when you stopped me to listen to the last words of the poor wretch who lies there.""Do you mean that the arms and ammunition were stopped on the other side?" demanded Nestor.
That is what the signals said! When I left Don Miguel in charge of the secret service men at San Jose and came back into the hills to find you, I left word with the men to climb to the top and signal if the news came that the arms had been stopped. I don't know just how they got the news, but it is undoubtedly reliable. The arms are in Uncle Sam's possession. The rag-tag-and-bob-tail-of-creation fellows we have seen skulking about here will have to go away without a fight.""That is too bad!" grunted Frank. "I wanted to see a raid!""It is better as it is," replied Nestor.
"And the signals told me something else," continued the lieutenant.
"Something about your end of the case," he added, turning to Fremont.
"About Mr. Cameron?" asked the boy, excitedly. "He is--""In his right mind again, and knows who struck him."Then the Black Bears and the Wolves joined hands and actually danced about the old hut until it seemed about to collapse. The secret service men looked on and smiled at the sight of so much happiness.
Then Fremont asked:
"And he will live?"
"There is no doubt of it," was the reply. "I do not know the details, for one rocket told me that he was in his right mind again, and another that he would live.""Then we can all go back to New York and get ready for the trip down the river!" said Jimmie. "You fellers can ride on cushions and I'll hoof it.""Say," cried Stevens, in a moment, "if this raid scare is all over, get a couple of drums and let Frank and Peter drum their heads off.""I don't want to drum," Frank said, "not here, anyway! I don't want to go down the Rio Grande, either. I've had enough of Mexico."He turned to the night watchman with a shudder and bent over him.
The man's face was whiter than before, and his form seemed rigid.
Seeing the boy's action, Lieutenant Gordon also stooped down.
When he arose his face was grave.
"Prussic acid!" he said. "It seems that he was prepared for an emergency!""The last of the three conspirators!" Nestor said. "To wander through the world until past middle age and then to come to this! But it is better so."It was daylight now, and the burials took place. After taking a very light breakfast, the party started back over the mountain. They passed up the ravines and canyons to the mine, and Lieutenant Gordon ascended the mountain of crushed rock and entered the gold chamber.
"There is a fortune here," he said looking about. "What are you going to do with it?" he added, turning to Fremont.
"I had not thought of that," was the reply.
"You'd better be thinking about it!" said Jimmie. "Some one will come down here and geezle it!""No one will ever find it," Fremont said.
"But we found it!" Stevens remarked.
"There are a couple of men in my company," the lieutenant said, then, "who are anxious to get out of the service. Why not leave them here to keep possession? After this revolution is over, you can come down here and work it, or they can handle it for you.
They are honest and capable."
When spoken with about the matter the men were eager to undertake the task of guarding the mine until peace should be restored, after which they were willing to undertake its development.
And so, when the party left, these men stood on the shelf of rock by the opening, reminding Lieutenant Gordon and Fremont for the twentieth time to be sure to send up provisions. It is needless to add that the provisions were sent!
