CHAPTER XVIII
OFF FOR LOST VALLEY
Jim Nestor leaped to his feet, and, with a characteristic motion, hishand sought the revolver he always wore, but which he seldom used, forJim was a very peaceable man. Then, as if regretting that he had beenbetrayed into action by the taunt of a bully like Noddy, Jim sat downagain, and, looking at the deputy sheriff, asked:
"Did you want to see me, Mike?"
"Yes, that's what I came here for," was the answer, "and if some peoplewould mind their own business, and let me attend to mine we'd get alongbetter," continued Malone, as he gave Noddy a sharp glance.
Jerry looked as if he was going to step forward and engage in a wordyif not a fistic encounter with Noddy, but in a low voice Jim Nestorbade him keep cool.
"Leave it to Malone," said the superintendent of the gold mine. "He andI are friends. We'll soon see what's in this."
Malone turned to Noddy, Bill Berry and Tom Dalsett.
"You fellows stay back here until I tell you to come on," he ordered.
"But it's our mine now," insisted Noddy. "We have a right----"
"You do as I tell you, or I'll go back to town, and you can fight yourown battle without the aid of the courts," interrupted Mike. Noddy gaveone look at Jim and Tod, with the three motor boys standing in back ofthem. Then, coming from the mine, for their day's work was over, couldbe seen a number of sturdy men. The force was too big for the one Noddyhad, and he wisely agreed to keep back. Mike Malone came on alone, andhanded Jim Nestor a paper.
"I'm sorry to do this," he said, "but business is business, and I'mdirected by the court to serve this on you."
"What is it?" asked Jerry.
"It's some legal document in a suit over this mine. It appears thatNixon and some others lay claim to it."
"But we own it!" cried Jerry. "Once before Noddy Nixon disputed ourtitle, but the courts held that we had the sole rights to it."
"I don't know anything about that," replied Malone. "All I know isthat there's another suit on, and that I have to serve them papers onyou. Nixon and them other two fellows got an order from the court thismorning."
"Yes, and we're going to take the mine!" exclaimed Noddy. "You fellowshad better clear out. We're in possession."
"You dry up!" commanded the deputy sheriff. "If I hear another word outof you, I'll spank you--little whipper-snapper that you are!"
"We want our rights," growled Bill Berry.
"If you had what was coming to you, there'd be a striped suit on you,instead of the one you're wearing," declared Jerry, and Bill onlyscowled. He knew how true this was.
"What does it all mean?" asked Jim Nestor, as he looked over the paper."I can't make head or tail out of these law terms."
"It means that you can't work the mine any more until the disputeis decided," said the deputy. "It seems that there is a defect inthe title, and the statute of limitations is somehow involved. Thesepeople--Noddy Nixon and his crowd--learned of it, they bought therights of a man who used to own some shares in it, before the mine wasa paying proposition, and now they are suing you under that claim fortheir share."
"But I thought that was all settled," remarked Jerry, for once beforeNoddy and his cronies had tried the same kind of a game.
"It was, in a way, and yet it wasn't," answered Malone. "There are somany loopholes in the law that these fellows have found one, and aresort of firing on you through it. So you lose possession for a while."
"Too bad, just as we uncovered a rich vein," sighed Jim.
"Oh, we'll work it all right," sneered Tom Dalsett, who had graduallydrawn nearer.
"No, you won't!" cried Mike Malone quickly. "Don't you fool yourself.This mine, from now on, is in possession of the Supreme Court ofArizona, and I'm its representative. Nobody can take an ounce of goldfrom these workings until this dispute is settled forever."
"Do you mean that we can't work our mine?" cried Noddy.
"I don't know that it's your mine," was the reply from the deputy, "butI do mean that you can't set foot inside it. Are all the men out?"he asked of Jim, who nodded. "Then," went on the court official, "Ihereby formally and in the name of the court take possession of thesediggings, to remain in my possession until dissolved by an orderfrom the court, all accordin' to the statutes in such cases made andprovided! There, I'm glad I got rid of that! I learned it by heart,but I was afraid I'd forget it. Now I'll seal up the mine, with theofficial seal, and any man who breaks it or enters the mine will renderhimself in contempt of court, and liable to a fine or imprisonment, orboth, at the discretion of the judge, which is the way the law bookshave it."
Having thus cleared his mind, Malone proceeded to affix lead seals tothe rude wooden door that closed the mouth of the shaft.
"Does that mean we can't go in?" asked Jerry.
"It does, but it also means that they can't go in, either," and Malonenodded toward Dalsett and the others. "I'm in possession, and I intendto remain. You haven't got a pipeful of tobacco you could spare, haveyou, Jim?"
Nestor handed over a plug, from which the deputy sheriff proceeded toshave some into his hand.
"Do you mean to say we can't have possession of our mine?" cried Noddy,as Malone took his seat on a bench in front of the shaft opening.
"That's what I mean, bub, but I wouldn't get excited over it. It's toowarm. You can go back to town and cool off."
"This means that we all have a vacation, doesn't it?" asked Nestor.
"Something like that," answered the official. "Nothing doing until thecourts decide who are the real owners."
"Well, that satisfies me," declared Jim. "We've all been working prettyhard lately, and I don't mind a rest. Men," he went on, turning to theminers, "I'll pay you off, and notify you when I want you again. Themine is closed up."
The miners did not seem to mind it much, for they had made considerablemoney lately, and had not had a chance to spend it. They hurried tochange their clothes, for a vacation in town. As for Jerry and hischums, once they understood that Noddy had no special advantage overthem, and that the court would rule on the question, they were notmuch alarmed. They did not like their old enemy to gain even thisadvantage over them, but it could not be helped, and they had no fearbut that they would ultimately be declared the real owners of the mine.Meanwhile, no harm would result, as no gold could be taken from it.At first Noddy and his two cronies seemed about to make a determinedeffort to take physical possession of the diggings, but when theyunderstood that the deputy sheriff meant what he said, and realizedthat Jim, Tod, and the three boys would be more than a match for themphysically, they decided to withdraw.
They went down the road they had come, casting malevolent glances atour heroes; but Jerry, Ned and Bob did not mind these.
"Well, I'm glad that job's over," announced Malone, as he saw Noddydisappear. "I didn't want to serve any papers for those scoundrels, forI believe that's what they are. I couldn't help it, however. I thinkthere was crooked work somewhere, to enable them to get even the claimthey say they have, but the court will soon settle it. Meanwhile, yougentlemen can do as you like around here. It's only the mine that issealed. You can start another if you like, and, of course, you arestill in possession of the buildings, bunk houses and the like. Infact, I hope you'll remain, for it's going to be a mighty lonesome jobfor me to stay here on guard all the while, alone."
"Yes, I guess we'll stay," said Jim. "There's lots of things I'vebeen wanting to do, but I haven't had a chance. I want to go huntingmountain lions, but I didn't feel like leaving when we were taking outso much gold. Now that I can't get at it, I'll take a vacation."
"Well, I don't know as I blame you," agreed Malone.
"Say, this is just the thing for you!" suddenly exclaimed Sledge HammerTod. "It's a lucky thing this happened."
"I don't see that," remarked Jim. "How do you figure it out?"
"Why, you can go with the boys and me in the airship to hunt for LostValley," replied the old miner. "It's just the chance for you. Betw
eenus we ought to be able to locate the place, and rescue the Deeringcrowd."
Jim thought deeply for a few minutes. Then, slapping his leg with anoise like a pistol shot, he announced:
"By cracky! I believe you're right. I _will_ go with you. That is, ifthat airship shebang is safe," he added cautiously.
"We came all the way in it," answered Bob.
"Then I'll go," decided Jim. "The mine will be safe with Malone incharge, and I'll not worry. When can we start?"
"In a few days," replied Jerry. "I'm glad you can go along, Jim, for wemay need your help."
"Well, let's get grub, and talk it all over," proposed Bob, hurryingover to the cook's shack in order to escape any comments of his chums.But they were too interested in the recent developments to jibe him.
"Why didn't you ask Noddy why he stole our airship, and what became ofMr. Bell?" suggested Ned to Jerry.
"I didn't think of it until he started back," was the reply. "Hisclaiming our mine again sort of knocked my ideas into a cocked hat. Butwhen I did think of it I decided it was best to keep still. We'll foolNoddy that way. If we begin to question him he may find out that we'regoing to make a try to rescue Mr. Bell's friends, and spoil our plans.But it certainly is queer what has become of the former hermit, and Iwould like to know how he found out about the people in Lost Valley. Ifwe had Mr. Bell with us now, he could pilot us right to the place."
"Maybe his son knows."
"Probably, but we can't find his son. The last I heard of Tommy Bellhe was many miles from here, and it would be hard to locate him. No, Iguess it's just as well we didn't say anything to Noddy, though someday I'll get even with him. We'll go off on our own hook now, andlocate that valley."
Preparations for the trip were hurried during the next few days.
Meanwhile, Noddy and his cronies made an unsuccessful attempt to geta modified order from the court, allowing them to work the mine; butthey were defeated, and Mike Malone remained in possession. With him onguard, the motor boys and their friends had little to fear.
At last all was in readiness, and one morning, the airship havingbeen thoroughly gone over, the supplies and food put on board, andeverything made taut and trim, was ready for the start.
"All aboard!" called Jerry. "Come on, Professor," for the scientist wasracing after a new kind of butterfly.
"In a moment," he answered, as, with a sweep of his net, he imprisonedthe insect. Then he hurried into the cabin of the _Comet_.
Jerry started the motor, and the big airship arose with a rush, whileMalone, on guard at the mine, sent a cheer after the adventurers.
"Good luck!" he called.
Would they find the mysterious valley and rescue the missing party, orwould they themselves fall a prey to the Indians? It was a question noone could answer.
The Motor Boys Over the Rockies; Or, A Mystery of the Air Page 19
