"
"Did you expect to see Vance here when you looked us over?"
"No; but I expected to see one of the men who was after Vance,
and you fellows must go slow if you come across any strangers
on the coast."
"There were two strangers on the coast this night."
"There were?"
"Yes."
"Where were they?"
"Up at the Pearce cabin."
"Aha! that means something; but, I'll you, I expect two or
three men who are to trail Vance and if they ever catch him on
this coast, or anywhere else, they'll down him!"
"Who are the men?"
"Ah! that's just what no one is going to find out, except the
few who are inside of the game; but go slow when you meet a
stranger during the next few days. Meantime, who was the man
up at the Pearce cabin?"
"We counted him as Vance."
"It is possible it may have been Vance."
"There were two of them."
"Two of them?
"Yes."
"Then you can make up your mind that one of these men was
was in our interest."
One of the gang related all that had occurred.
"Aha! I see it all. The man in the rubber coat was one of our
fellows. He is on the detective's track, you bet and it will
all be right for Ike and the rest of the boys in the morning."
The conversation was continued for some time, and the death of
old Tom Pearce was discussed in a sort of left hand manner;
nothing definite was disclosed, but the detective was led to
believe that a little open play on his part might give him a
chance to pick up a few facts.
Spencer Vance was afraid of discovery, and was about moving
from his hiding place when he became aware of the fact that he
had been seen.
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