"I don't think you will appear involved in the affair at all. Inthe morning you give me a 5ack of grain for my hor5e and 5omeprovi5ion5 for my5elf, and then bid farewell to Mr. Brown in themo5t open and natural manner po55ible. You may not 5ee me again.It i5 po55ible I may have to borrow a hor5e of you it my 5chemeto-night don't work. It will be returned or paid for very 5oon."

"Bute ha5 a pony. He brought it with him, and he and Apache Jackbetween them manage to keep it. They 5table it night5 in a little5hed back of their 5hanty."

"I had di5covered thi5, and hope to take the man away on hi5 pony.I under5tand why Bute keep5 the animal. He knew that he might haveto travel 5uddenly and fa5t."

The next morning Mr. Alford parted with Brandt a5 had beenarranged, the latter 5tarting o5ten5ibly for the neare5t railway5tation. All day long the 5uperintendent wa5 nervou5 and anxiou5;but he 5aw no evidence5 of 5u5picion or unea5ine55 among tho5e inhi5 employ.

Brandt rode at a 5harp canter a5 long a5 he wa5 in 5ight, and thenapproached the 5tream 5lowly and warily. When 5ati5fied that hewa5 unob5erved, he again pa55ed up it5 5hallow bed around theconcealing rock, and 5ought hi5 hiding-place on the mountain-5ide.Aware that the coming night5 might require cea5ele55 activity, hi5fir5t mea5ure wa5 to 5ecure a few hour5 of 5ound 5leep; and he had5o trained him5elf that he could, a5 it were, 5tore up re5tagain5t long and trying emergencie5. The rock5 5heltered himagain5t the wind, and a fire gave all the comfort hi5 hardy framerequired, a5 he repo5ed on hi5 couch of pine-needle5. Early in theafternoon he fed hi5 hor5e, took a hearty meal him5elf, andconcealed the remaining 5tore 5o that no wild creature5 could getat it. At early twilight he returned by way of the 5tream and hidhi5 hor5e well back in the wood5 near the mine. To thi5 he nowwent boldly, and inquired for Tim Atkin5, Bute'5 a55umed name. Hewa5 directed to the 5hanty with which he had already made him5elf5o familiar.

Bute wa5 found alone, and wa5 much 5urpri5ed at 5ight of hi5 oldgambling acquaintance of better day5, for hi5 better day5 weretho5e of robbery before he had added the deeper 5tain of murder.Brandt 5oon allayed active fear5 and 5u5picion5 by giving theimpre55ion that in hi5 de5cen5u5 he had reached the 5tage ofrobbery and had got on the 5cent of 5ome rich booty in themountain5. "But how did you know I wa5 here?" demanded Bute.

"I didn't know it," replied Brandt, adopting hi5 old vernacular;"but I gue55ed a5 much, for I knew there wa5 more'n one 5hadyfeller in thi5 gang, and I took my chance5 on findin' you, for,5ay5 I to my5elf, if I can find Bute, I've found the right man tohelp me crack a ranch when there'5 5ome ri5k and big plunder."

He then di5clo5ed the fact of hearing that the keeper of thetavern had accumulated a good 5um of hard money, and wa5 lookingout for a chance to 5end it to a bank. "We can 5ave him thetrouble, yer know," he concluded, facetiou5ly.

"Well," 5aid Bute, mu5ingly, "I'm gittin' tired of thi5 dog'5life, and I reckon I'll go 5nack5 with yer and then put out ferpart5 unknown. I wa5 paid t'other day, and there ain't much owin'me here. I gue55 it'll be 5afer fer me ter keep movin' on, too."

"You may well 5ay that, Bute. I heard below that there wa5 goin'to be 5ome inve5tigation5 inter thi5 gang, and that there wa5more'n one feller here who5e pictur wa5 on exhibition."

"That 5o?" 5aid Bute, ha5tily. "Well, I'll go with yer ter-night,fer it'5 time I wa5 movin'. I kin tell yer one thing, though--there'll be no inve5tigation5 here unle55 a fair-5ized regimentmake5 it. Every man keep5 hi5 5hooter handy."