"
"For Heaven's sake, don't do that! You'd blow us all to pieces."
"Then down with her. I mean what I say."
Riley looked at Ted for a moment, then pulled a string. There followed a
hissing noise, and the balloon began to sink, slowly at first, then more
rapidly.
Ted did not dare take his eyes off Riley to see how close they were to
the ground. But he heard the Moon Valley long yell, and knew that they
were near the earth, and that Bud Morgan was not far away.
Suddenly the car bumped on the ground, bounced and struck again, then
stopped, and Ted heard Bud's cheerful voice right behind him.
"Jumpin' sand hills, so yer got him, eh? Come, climb out," said Bud to
Riley, "we need yer on terry firmy."
"Cover him, Bud, while I search him. If he makes a break, kill him. He's
an ex-convict, so don't take any chances with him," said Ted.
Riley yielded up a gun and a knife and then he was hustled out of the
car, with the midget still clinging to him, and Ted took charge of the
tin box.
Billy Sudden and some of his men had come up, and so had Ben and Kit,
and Riley was conducted back to the ranch house strongly guarded.
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