CHAPTER III. 

ON A LUMBER RAFT. 

"You think you saw Arnold Baxter?" demanded Tom. 

"Yes, I saw Arnold Baxter, just as plain as day." 

"Sam, you must be--" 

"No, I am not dreaming. It was Arnold Baxter, true enough. As soon as he saw I had spotted him he drew out of sight." 

"But we thought he was dead--buried under that landslide out in Colorado." 

"We didn't find his body, and he isn't dead. Why, I would never make a mistake in that rascal's face, never," and Sam shook his head to emphasize his words. 

"Was Dan with him?" 

"I didn't see the son." 

"If it was really Arnold Baxter we ought to let the authorities know at once, so that they can arrest him for getting out of prison on that bogus pardon." 

"Yes, and we ought to let father know, too, for you may be sure Baxter will do all he can to get square with us for keeping the Eclipse mining claim out of his grasp." 

"He can't do anything about that claim now. Our claim is established by law, and he is nothing but an escaped jailbird. But I agree he may give us lots of trouble in other directions. I presume he would like to see us all hung for the way we got ahead of him and his tools." 

"If the steamer wasn't so far off we might hail her," continued Sam, but this was now out of the question. 

Both lads were very much disturbed, and with good reason. Arnold Baxter had been an enemy to Mr. Rover for years, and this meant a good deal when the desperate character of the man was taken into consideration. He was a well-educated fellow, but cruel and unprincipled to the last degree, and one who would hesitate at nothing in order to accomplish his purpose. 
Was this reasonable?
Both lads were very much disturbed, and with good reason