They soon reached the black rock and Dick again showed them the trail. Still he did not attempt to follow it, but started off rapidly in the direction which he considered the wall ought to be, and hit it so accurately that within ten minutes they came up against the rocks. “Why, you are a splendid guide!” exclaimed Clara. “Now, what is to be done?” “Which way do you think the camp lies?” asked Dick. Clara pointed to the left and Dick promptly started off to the right. “I suppose you wonder what I’m doing this for?” he said, “but I happen to know that you are wrong.” “I’m sure I’m right,” said Clara. “How can you know that I am not?” “Listen!” replied Dick. “I hear something like the pawing of a horse,” said Charley. “That’s exactly it. I heard the sound before we came to the wall. It’s the camp, of course, and what’s more, Martin Mudd or one of his men has returned.” “For mercy’s sake, don’t expose yourself, Dick,” said Clara. “Tell me what your plan is. I hate to even think of what might happen if you fell into the hands of Mudd.” “Then don’t think of it, for he is already in the hands of Mudd!” spoke a sneering voice right ahead of them. Clara screamed and Dick and Charley hastily drew their revolvers, for at the same instant two men armed with rifles sprang out from behind a turn in the rocks, and the foremost man was Mudd. CHAPTER XVI. MARTIN MUDD MAKES A SERIOUS CHARGE. “Throw up nothing!” shouted Dick Darrell when Martin Mudd called out, “Throw up your hands!” and he rushed forward, firing two shots as he went. This rather took Mudd & Co. by surprise, as they had not expected anything of the sort. One of the shots went through Mudd’s rusty “tile,” knocking it off his head. “Oh, I’m shot! I’m shot!” he yelled. “Spare my life, boys!” Down he fell all in a heap. Tony had fired one shot, but, seeing Charley rush up to help Dick, letting fly with his revolver as he came, the valiant Tony took to his heels and sprinted off into the depths of the cavern. Dick lost no time in making Mudd a prisoner. Clara and Charley lent a hand and with a stout cord, which the latter happened to have in his pocket, they tied the fellow’s hands behind him. While this was going on Mudd kept up a dreadful racket, calling out in one breath that he was shot and the next begging the boys not to shoot him. He made so much noise about it that Dick unfeelingly suggested that he was not shot at all and told him he had better hold his tongue. “Yes I am, too,” growled Mudd. “I know I am. This is a nice way to treat a man who has been deserted by his friend. Miss Clara, you might plead my cause, I think. I was always a good friend of your father’s, as you know very well.” “What impudence!” exclaimed Clara. “After the way you have used me, too!” “Don’t see it in that light at all,” returned Mudd. “I haven’t ill used you. Your father owes me money that I can’t collect. I simply detained you until I could collect it--that’s all.”