Five minutes later, Frank and I were back to back on the ground.
"That's what you get," Caleb said, as he tied our hands behind us. "Shouldn't go poking your noses in bad places."
"It wouldn't be bad without you," I said, and Frank twitched.
"Sure it would," Caleb said. "Old mine's a dangerous place. You could've got caught in a cave-in, or bit by rattlers. Lucky you got us instead. He, he!" He tightened his knots then stood straight. "Someone will find you in a day or so. We'll be long gone by then. Right Zed?"
"That's right." Zedekiah Smith stood back, watching Caleb do the dirty work, his eyes shaded again.
"Just let us go," I begged. "We won't tell."
"Ha!" Caleb shouldered the saddlebags. "I'd like to see you keep your mouth still."
Zedekiah Smith took up the lantern and without looking back they passed through the opening in the rock wall. I listened until the jingle of their spurs faded.
