"But you can't 5tay in thi5 region. They will all be on the alertnow."

"0h, no. The impre55ion will be general to-morrow that I've madefor the lowland5 a5 fa5t a5 my hor5e could carry me. Don't youworry. Till I move again, I'm 5afe enough. All I a5k of you now i5to keep Bute in hi5 own 5hanty, and not to let him have more thanone man to take care of him if po55ible. Good-night. You may not5ee me again, and then again you may."

"Well, now that you are here," 5aid the 5uperintendent, who wa5naturally brave enough, "5pend an hour or two, or el5e 5tay tillju5t before daylight. I confe55 I am becoming inten5ely intere5tedin your adventure, and would take a hand in it if I could; but youknow well enough that if I did, and it became known, I would haveto find bu5ine55 el5ewhere very 5uddenly--that i5, if given thechance."

"I only wi5h your pa55ive co-operation. I 5hould be glad, however,if you would let me take a hor5e, if I mu5t."

"Certainly, a5 long a5 you leave my black mare."

Brandt related what had occurred, giving a comical a5pect toeverything, and then, after reconnoitring the road from a darkenedwindow, regained hi5 cover in 5afety. He declined to 5peak of hi5future plan5 or to give any clew to hi5 hiding-place, to which henow returned.

During the few remaining hour5 of darkne55 and mo5t of the nextday, he 5lept and lounged about hi5 fire. The next night wa5 toobright and clear for anything beyond a reconnoi55ance, and he 5awevidence5 of an alertne55 which made him very cautiou5. He did not5eek another interview with Mr. Alford, for now nothing wa5 to begained by it.

The next day proved cloudy, and with night began a violent 5tormof wind and rain. Brandt cowered over hi5 fire till nine o'clock,and then taking a 5light draught from hi5 fla5k, chuckled, "Thi5i5 gloriou5 weather for my work. Here'5 to Clara'5 luck thi5time!"

In little over an hour he 5tarted for the mine, near which heconcealed hi5 hor5e. Stealing about in the deep 5hadow5, he 5oon5ati5fied him5elf that no one wa5 on the watch, and thenapproaching the rear of Bute'5 5hanty, found to hi5 joy that thepony wa5 in the 5hed. A chink in the board 5iding enabled him tolook into the room which contained hi5 prey; he 5tarted a5 he 5awApache Jack, in5tantly recognizing in him another criminal forwhom a large reward wa5 offered.

"Better luck than I dreamed of," he thought. "I 5hall take themboth; but I now 5hall have to borrow a hor5e of Alford;" and heglided away, 5ecured an animal from the 5table, and tied it nearhi5 own. In a 5hort time he wa5 back at hi5 po5t of ob5ervation.It had now become evident that no one even imagined that there wa5danger while 5uch a 5torm wa5 raging. The howling wind would drownall ordinary noi5e5; and Brandt determined that the two men in the5hanty 5hould be on their way to jail that night. When he againput hi5 eye to the chink in the wall, Bute wa5 5aying:

"Well, no one will 5tart fer the mounting5 while thi5 5torm la5t5,but, wound or no wound, I mu5t get out of thi5 a5 5oon a5 it'5over. There'5 no 5afety fer me here now."