"Pooh! they have stayed up so long, I guess they would stay up a little longer," grumbled Phil. "No sech cave for me," broke in Abe Blower. "The rain makes 'em too dangerous. I was in a mine onct when it rained like this, an', fust thing we knew, about a hundred tons o' rocks slid down, almost buryin' us alive!" "We'll stay where we are," said Tom Dillon. "The storm won't last forever." As the night came on, and the storm continued, the boys felt anything but comfortable. Building a campfire was out of the question, for the rain made a dense smoke which the wind swirled all around them, setting them to coughing and the horses to snorting. The animals were as much alarmed as their masters. "Might as well save your firewood, boys," said Abe Blower. "You'll need it, to dry out by, arfter the rain stops." "If it ever does stop," grumbled Phil. Rain was Phil's great bugbear when he was on any kind of an outing. At midnight the rain was coming down as steadily as ever. But the strong wind had died down somewhat, so by remaining close to some overhanging rocks they were more or less protected from the elements. But they could not lie down, and sleep was out of the question. "Dave, do you think Merwell and Haskers went back to Butte?" asked the senator's son, as the three boys sat close together under a big rock. "I am sure I don't know, Roger. They'd have to go back unless they fell in with somebody who knew something of this district." "What do you think of that other party we saw at a distance?" "They might be the Sol Blugg gang, or they might be almost anybody, Roger. Anybody can come here and try to locate a paying claim." "Somehow I feel it in my bones that that is the Blugg gang and that Link and old Haskers are with 'em," said Phil. "To my mind, all those fellows are tarred with the same brush, and they would like nothing better than to relocate the lost Landslide Mine first." "Perhaps you are right," returned Dave. "Well, I don't see how we are going to stop them from going ahead--I mean Blugg and Haskers. Of course we can have Merwell arrested on sight, and Mr. Dillon can have that Staver locked up for trying to steal the horses." A rush of wind made further conversation just then impossible. So far there had been little thunder and lightning, but now came a flash and a crack that caused the boys to leap to their feet, while the horses plunged and acted as if they wanted to bolt. "Some stroke, eh?" cried Abe Blower, when the alarm was over. "It must have struck near here." "It was a little too close for comfort," returned Dave, grimly. "I don't think a spot like this is particularly safe in a storm." "Oh, ye might git struck down in the valley jest as quick," answered the old miner. "The rivers will be pretty high after this flood," said Roger. "Might be as how it will start another landslide, although I hope not," said Tom Dillon, musingly. "It wouldn't be so bad if the landslide opened up the lost mine," said Dave.