CHAPTER VI

FORMING THE SYNDICATE

“Well, I guess they’ll come to a decision to-day,” remarked Bob Baker, as he tilted back in his chair, and looked across at his two chums, Ned and Jerry.

“I’m sure I hope so,” said Jerry. “For if we go after that gold we’ll want some time to prepare, and get the airship in shape.”

“Are you going in the _Comet_?” asked Ned.

“No--at least not all the way there. That’s as far as I figured out. Of course we could make the whole trip in her if we wanted to, but I thought it would be better to ship her to--say Kabspell, put her together there, and then all get in and have a try for the valley of gold.”

“That wouldn’t be a bad scheme,” agreed Bob. “We could travel by railroad, I suppose, and if they have dining cars on the train----”

“Oh, you and your dining cars!” cried Ned. “Wouldn’t you get enough to eat if we took the airship?”

“Well, I might, but I have to do most of the cooking, and then, it’s rather cramped. You can’t really enjoy a full meal on board.”

“And Bob always wants a full meal,” laughed Jerry.

It was several days after the arrival of the miners, and the time had passed quickly. The chums had assembled at Bob’s house to talk matters over, and, in fact, they had talked about little else than the sixty nuggets of gold ever since hearing of them.

Jim Nestor and Harvey Brill had been made comfortable at the Hopkins home, as had Professor Snodgrass. The latter at once began roving about, as he always did, looking for new and strange insects, while the two Westerners went about town, Jim to call on some friends he had made during a previous visit.

“Yes, we’ve put it up to the folks now, as to whether we can go or not,” went on Ned.

“And they promised to have an answer for us to-night,” added Jerry.

“But I wonder why they wanted to have a conference with Jim and his friend again?” inquired Bob. “That’s twice they’ve held secret meetings when they didn’t let us in. Can it be that this thing isn’t going to pan out?” It was a fact that, following the information given them by their sons, Mrs. Hopkins, Mr. Slade and Mr. Baker had been in frequent communication, and had been closeted with the two Westerners.

“Oh, I guess it’s all right,” said Jerry. “There’s no fake about Harvey Brill; anyone could tell that. And as for Jim Nestor, we all know him. But I guess the folks think it’s a bit dangerous, on account of those plotting grub-stakers, and they want to see if there isn’t some safer way to get the gold.”

“Well, I hope they let us go,” spoke Bob, with a sigh. “I always get such a good appetite when I travel!”

“Hit him, Ned!” begged Jerry; but the stout lad quickly got out of reach.

“We’ll soon know,” remarked Jerry, after a bit. “Let’s go down to the river, and look over the motor boat. I promised Jim and his friend a ride in it, and we’ve got time before dinner.”

“All right,” agreed his chums; and soon they were tinkering at the motor, which needed some slight adjustments.

“I say though,” questioned Bob, as he paused with a bit of oily waste in his hand; “if we do go, what about school? The term doesn’t end for three or four weeks.”

“Oh, we can easily cut it, and make it up in the Fall,” said Ned, quickly. “Besides, if we want to, we can get Professor Snodgrass to coach us.”

“Not if he gets on the trail of the luminous snakes,” declared Jerry, with a laugh. “He’ll want to hunt for them all the while, for Mr. Brill said he didn’t see very many--just a few in the valley--and they may take all the professor’s time.”

“Well, we can take a chance,” said Ned. “Say, Bob, wipe that smudge off your nose.”

“I will. Thanks! There’s one on your ear.”

“I guess we can clean up,” announced Jerry. “She’ll do.”

They returned to Bob’s house, and a little later the whole party, including Mrs. Hopkins, Mr. Slade, Mr. Baker, and the two Westerners, were gathered about the table.

“I guess we can go, all right,” whispered Ned. “Dad looks as though he’d consented.”

“I hope so,” answered Jerry, for the grown folk had been in conference with the miners just prior to the announcement of the meal.

“Well, boys,” said Mr. Slade, after a pause, “I don’t see the necessity of keeping you in suspense any longer. We have decided that----”

“Can we go?” burst out Ned.

“Wait a bit, son,” advised his father. “There are one or two matters to be explained. You did not hear, did you, that your friend Mr. Brill expects to buy a valuable piece of mining property near the one you are interested in, out in Arizona?”

“No, he didn’t tell us,” said Jerry.

“Well it’s true,” said the prospector. “I didn’t mention it because I had so much else on my mind. But I got a chance to secure an option on a mine not far from yours. I can get it cheap, for the owners are getting discouraged about it, but Jim and I figured on a new way to handle the ore. But I’m afraid, unless I can locate my sixty nuggets of gold, that I’ll have to let the proposition go.”

“Why?” inquired Ned.

“Because I haven’t the money to take it up. I paid out two hundred dollars--nearly all the money I had in the world except my sixty nuggets--for a mere chance to buy an option inside of a month.

“The option itself will cost me ten thousand dollars, and if I get that it means that I have the right, within another month, to buy the mine for forty thousand dollars. Now I can swing half of that, for my nuggets are easily worth twenty thousand.”

“And I promised to take the other half interest,” said Jim. “But just at present my money is all tied up, and so I can’t advance Harvey the necessary ten thousand to get the option.”

“And if I don’t close, and take that option in a few days, I’ll lose the mine,” went on Mr. Brill. “And I hate to do that for I know it will pay. I did think I could get to my nuggets in time, but now I see I can’t, and so I guess the mine will have to go to somebody else.”

“Unless you can raise the rest of the ten thousand dollars,” put in Mr. Slade.

“Exactly,” spoke the miner.

“Well,” went on the department store proprietor, “we have talked the matter over,” and he indicated Mrs. Hopkins, the rich widow, and Mr. Baker, the banker. “We have decided that it would be too bad to lose the mine, and we have also agreed that you boys may make the trip after the nuggets--but----”

“Hurray!” yelled Bob, Ned and Jerry in a chorus.

“Wait!” exclaimed Mr. Slade, holding up his hand. “I’m not done yet. If we advance the necessary ten thousand dollars, as a syndicate of three, to secure the option, will you agree to reimburse us when you get the nuggets, and take possession of the mine?” he asked of Mr. Brill.

“I sure will!” cried the prospector. “I’ll sign any kind of paper you like.”

“And I will too!” declared Jim Nestor.

“Well, we thought you would,” went on the merchant; “so I had a contract drawn up. We have investigated your story,” he said to the prospector, “and think it is all right. We will let the boys have a try at finding the hidden nuggets.

“But mind you!” he exclaimed, becoming serious, and looking at the three chums, “it’s up to you boys now to find those nuggets, and keep ’em after you find ’em, or we’ll lose the ten thousand dollars we advance. You’ve got to find that gold!”

“And we’ll do it!” cried Jerry.

“We sure will!” exclaimed Bob.

“When can we start?” Ned wanted to know.

“Just as soon as the papers can be prepared,” answered his father. “Remember this trip isn’t all for fun. There are grave responsibilities attached to it, for, though the ten thousand dollars will be advanced by the three of us, still none of us wish to sustain a loss. So--find those sixty nuggets!” he finished, with a smile.

“Oh, we’ll get ’em--if those other fellows haven’t located ’em; and I don’t believe they have,” declared Mr. Brill.

“Well, boys,” began Mr. Baker, “now that is settled I think we can----”

He was interrupted by a rush of feet on the porch, and a shrill voice cried out:

“Hey, Bob! Jerry! Ned! Come on! Noddy Nixon is running off in your motor boat!”