“But you hadn’t counted on their moving so fast,” Mr. Cook put in.
“Even then,” Joe said grimly, “I didn’t think they’d actually try to kill me.” He paused and stared into the fire. “I knew better after my ‘accident’ on Mr. Henderson’s dock in Salmon.”
“Yes,” Joe said. “They did. Apparently they were desperate enough to do anything to keep me away from Mormon Crossing.”
Mr. Cook leaned forward in his chair. “But, Joe,” he said, “why didn’t you tell us?”
Joe shook his head and shrugged. “I guess I should have,” he said. “But I didn’t want you to get involved. I thought that once we got away, the danger would be over.”
“And I knew they were on my trail. I didn’t know what to do,” Joe said. “I knew I was putting you in danger and I didn’t want that, so I decided to disappear and try to find the silver before they did.”
“What good would that have done?” Mr. Cook pointed out. “They would just have come after you later.”
“You’re right,” Joe admitted. “I guess I was too worried to think things through clearly. At any rate, I was up in the mountains when you came looking for me. I saw Sandy and Mike get captured by the Crows. I followed them up to the Crow campsite and waited for the Crows to leave. You know the rest. They were going to use the boys as hostages to force me into giving up the search.”
“One thing still puzzles me,” Mr. Cook said.
“First of all, if you and the Crows both knew where the silver was located, why didn’t you pick it up right away?”
“Because we couldn’t,” Joe explained. “We all went looking for the cave, but it was too well hidden. If it hadn’t been for Sandy and Mike falling into it, we’d still be running around up there in the mountains.”
“Then why were the Crows up at the cave when we arrived with the dogs?”
“They knew approximately where the cave should be. The map told them that. They were hunting around, the same as I was. What were you doing there?”
“We were searching for you—or the boys. The dogs led us up to the cave just in time to see the action.”
“I’ll say!” Mike grinned. “By the way, what’s going to happen to our friends?”
“I’ve got a short-wave radio up here,” Hank explained. “I’ve called the police and they’re sending a helicopter.”
“Now there’s an unexpected touch,” said Mr. Cook, laughing. “In the middle of all this wilderness a helicopter!”