“You got a crack on the head when the elevator stopped; I guess that’s what’s the matter with you. There was a piece of timber loose in that elevator, and it fell down on you.” “T’anks vor der misinformadion,” the baron grunted incredulously. “But the question is, What was you doin’ in that elevator?” “I ditn’t knowed idt vos one.” “Well, you know now; and by buttin’ in where you had no business you got yerself in this fix.” The German, feeling his way back to clearer thought, did not answer this. “You was spying!” said the man. The baron stared hard at him again. “You are Misder Gopher Gape, I t’ink,” he said at last. “So you’ve recognized me?” “Vhy you tie me oop like dhis, Misder Gopher Gape?” “So you won’t hurt yerself, and so you won’t go pokin’ about in places where you’ll get into trouble. I’m goin’ to let you think over that a while. By and by, I’ll see you again.” Gopher Gabe arose, took the candle, and disappeared, leaving the baron in total darkness. “Vale, dis iss a kveer pitzness,” he said. “Yaw! I remember now, dot I was drying to findt oudt vot habben to der vomans. Unt so I gidt me into teeficuldy. I vonder vhat pecame uff her?” He had unconsciously spoken his thought aloud, in his queer English. Then a voice reached him, from some spot near: “I am here!” The baron twisted around in his cords, staring. “You ar-re here? I ton’dt seen you.” “It would be hard to see anything, in this black hole.” “Yaw! I pelief you. You come down py der elefator, too--huh!” “I don’t know how I got here.” “Yaw! I remember. You vos inkinscious.” “That man attacked me, after he had sent for me to visit him in his room back of his saloon; he choked me until I couldn’t breathe; then I lost consciousness. I think he means to kill us. For myself, I am sure of it.” “Yoompin’ yack rappits! Iss dot so-o?” “I’m sure of it. I saw it in his eyes when he lunged at me.” “Dhen I am t’inking dot ve petter pe findting a vay to gidt oudt uff dhis blace.” “If it could be done!” she said hopelessly. “Aber I----” But he stopped; for voices had reached them. They had been speaking in whispers, or little more; and the voices came merely as a low grumble, as if walls separated them from the speakers. When they kept silence and listened they could now and then make out words, that, apparently, were not meant for their ears. “We’ll show Cody a thing or two,” was one thing they heard. “He has been thinking he is only up ag’inst a couple of men. He is now gettin’ his eyes open to the fact that he’s got a crowd to fight. But we can down him. A shot from the dark will put him out of business. As for this fool Dutchman, we’ll hold him a while, for we may want to use him; then _he_ can go over the road.” The grumble rose and fell, so that a good many things could not be made out; but something was said about the Fool of Folly Mountain. Then some words came quite clearly.