Phil Bradleys Mountain Boys | Page 8

I am

bothered to know why they'd be in such a rattling big hurry. It might be
they knew about us being on the way longer than eight minutes."
"Who would have called 'em up on the phone, and mentioned the fact?"
asked X-Ray, meaning to be humorous.
"Well, one of the lot may have seen us miles back, and put for the cabin
by some short-cut we don't know anything about," Phil told him.
"That could be, of course," admitted Ethan, after considering the matter
seriously.
"Mebbe we'll never know the truth, which would be too bad," Lub
continued; for a mystery was a source of constant anxiety to him; he
was so frank and straightforward himself that double dealing seemed
foreign to his nature.
"Well, as we didn't come all the way up here just to worry our heads
over guessing hard problems, I guess we won't lose any sleep," Ethan
went on to say, in his easy-going way.
"I'm wondering what made all these burns on the floor," Phil told them;
"and on this table, too. In these days people don't mold bullets like they
used to years ago, when the pioneers were settling the wilderness; and
yet that's what it looks like to me."
"The place isn't as clean as it might be," Ethan now remarked, "and the
first thing we'll have to do in the morning will be to tidy up. I'll make a
broom out of twigs, like I've seen poor emigrants do. It answers the
purpose pretty well, too."
He was prying around in one of the bunks while saying this, as though
he had suspicions; which Lub, who was anxiously watching him, hoped
in his heart might turn out to be groundless.
Phil had turned to other things, and was proceeding to undo his pack.
This caught Lub's eye, and caused the worried expression on his face to
give way to one of pleasure. He knew that such a move meant it was

getting time for them to think of supper; and Lub was always ready to
do his part toward providing a meal; oh, yes, and in disposing of the
same, too.
"Wow! you quit too soon!" suddenly yelped X-Ray, who had continued
prowling on hands and knees after Phil and Ethan had stopped
searching the floor.
"Found something, have you?" asked the former, without looking up
from his job of opening the contents of his pack.
"Is it worth a hair-pin, X-Ray?" chirped Ethan, who had been gathering
a handful of timber in a corner where a lot of wood lay in a pile, ready
for burning.
"You could buy a thousand with it, I reckon!" was the astonishing
declaration of the finder, which remark caused every one to
immediately take notice.
The boy with the sharp eyes was holding something up between thumb
and forefinger. It shone in the last rays of the setting sun, as they came
into the cabin through a small window in the western side.
"Why, what's this mean?" ejaculated Ethan; "looks like you've gone
and struck a silver mine, X-Ray! That's a half dollar, ain't it? D'ye mean
to say you found it on this same floor?"
"Just what I did, and deep down in a crack, where it must have slid, so
nobody noticed it!" exclaimed the other, exultantly. "Now, needn't all
get busy looking, because I reckon it's the only coin there is. That's my
reward for keeping everlastingly at it. You fellows are ready to give up
too easy. Say, did you ever see a brighter half dollar than that? Looks
like she just came from the mint, hey?"
"Perhaps it did!" said Phil, solemnly.
When he said that the others all focussed their eyes on Phil's face. They
knew he would not have spoken in such a strain unless he had some

good reason for saying what he did.
"Explain what you mean, please, Phil; that's a good fellow," urged Lub.
X-Ray was not so dense, for he instantly exclaimed.
"Why, don't you see, Phil reckons that this half-dollar may have been
coined right here in this birch bark cabin!"
"Whew! counterfeit, is it?" gasped Ethan, whose breath had almost
been taken away with the momentous discovery. "Then I guess I ain't
going to bother getting down on my knees, and doing any hunting for
bogus money."
The finder apparently did not much fancy having his prize counted so
meanly. He immediately proceeded to bite the coin, and then started to
ringing it on the hard surface of the oak table that had all the scorched
spots on it, mentioned by Phil.
"It tastes good; and listen to the sweet ring, would you, fellows?"
X-Ray hastened to say. "If it's a punk fifty-center, then it's the greatest
imitation ever was. I'd just like