"I'm not afraid of him," answered Dave, and took a firm hold on the horse's bridle. Then Nat leaped from the buggy, and he and Ben took hold of the wheels and pushed, while Dave led the horse forward. By this means, in a minute more, the turnout was safe in the middle of the roadway. "Much obliged to you fellows for this," remarked the money-lender's son, when all danger seemed past. "Don't mention it, Nat. I am glad to help you," returned Dave, quickly. "And so am I," added Ben. "Funny thing," went on the money-lender's son. "I was coming around to your house to see you," and he glanced quickly at our hero. "Well, you'll have to come, Nat, some time when I am home," answered Dave. "We are going off on another trip next Monday." "Is that so? Then I'm glad I met you as I did, because I wanted to see you before you went away. I've got some strange news to tell you." "What is it?" "Link Merwell is alive. He wasn't killed in that landslide at all," was Nat Poole's astonishing reply. CHAPTER VI NEWS OF IMPORTANCE "Link Merwell!" "Nat, you must be fooling!" put in Ben. "Why, we couldn't find a single trace of him after that awful landslide!" went on Dave. "We made a thorough search, too." "I don't know anything about that," returned the money-lender's son. "But I know Link Merwell is alive. I got a letter from him yesterday." "Are you sure that it was not an old letter delayed in delivery?" queried Ben. "No, it was not an old letter. It was dated only a few days ago. It was sent to me from Boston." "Boston!" cried Laura. "Then he must not only be alive, but he must have followed us East." "Did he say anything about Job Haskers?" queried our hero. "He said he didn't know what had become of Haskers. He said they had separated a short while before the big landslide struck them. He was pretty well bruised up, and had to rest in a little mining camp up in the mountains for two weeks." "This is certainly the strangest news yet," was Dave's comment. "I thought sure that he and Haskers had been swallowed up in that landslide, along with that miner who was with them. Nat, what caused him to write to you? I thought you told me that you had destroyed his last letter without answering it." "So I did destroy it, Dave, without answering it," returned the money-lender's son. "I was as surprised to hear from him as you would have been. I thought he would know enough to let me alone." "What did he have to say, Nat?" questioned Ben. "Of course you haven't got to tell us if you don't want to," he added, hastily. "That's all right. Didn't I tell you I was coming to see Dave? I was going to show him the letter. I've got it in my pocket. Here it is," and Nat brought forth the communication.