“I do not understand you,” the old man protested. “I will explain; I am an outlaw, and you are perhaps worse, for you dare not show your face among your fellow men.” “By the Heaven above, but you are bold to thus address me!” cried Gray Chief furiously. “My worst foes never called me a coward,” said the young man. “But I came here not to parley about courage or character, but to discuss a more important matter. You are accursed for some crime, or you would never hide in these hills like a hunted wolf. I am an outlaw, a price is upon my head, and, figuratively speaking, a noose is around my neck.” “Go on, sir,” said the old man. “Well, of late the troops have made it rather lively for me, because I have made it lively for the bordermen and emigrant trains. So I am compelled to have a stronghold that I can retreat to and where none dare follow me.” “And you come here! You are a robber by trade, and what guarantee have I that you will not murder us and plunder our homes?” said Gray Chief sneeringly. “You have the guarantee of mutual protection, old man. Already frontiersmen are turning their eyes upon your hills, and even now two bands of miners and settlers have a foothold here, one of them fortified not five leagues from this spot. “Now, listen to me,” he continued: “One of these bands is fortified in a position that it will be hard to drive them from, and that place I need for my stronghold. I want to be on friendly terms with you and these redskins, and am willing to divide profits with you and with White Slayer and his warriors, after each one of my raids upon the settlements. “With my band in the Black Hills, and my men on friendly terms with White Slayer and his half a thousand warriors, no man will be fool enough to attempt to come here to settle, and there are not sufficient troops on the border to attempt to follow me here, when they know they will have two forces to fight.” “You speak truly, young man,” said Gray Chief. “Of course I do, chief. My plan is to capture the miners’ fort down the glen, and there establish myself at once. The booty and the scalps may all go to you and to the redskins. Then I will attack and carry Ramsey’s camp, and again the spoils go to you, except three persons.” “And those are----” “Captain Ramsey, his son, and daughter; them I claim.” “And you wish me to aid you in taking these two points?” “Yes; but whether you do or not, I shall carry them,” said the outlaw, with determination. “Where are you now encamped?” “Some twenty miles from here, in the lower hills.” “How many men have you with you?” “About a hundred.” “Divide that by two, boy, and you’ll be nearer right,” said Gray Chief, with a sneer. Kansas King looked at him defiantly. “Attempt to drive us from these hills, and you’ll think us double the number I named,” he threatened. “No threats, boy, for I do not like to hear them.”