“And now that you know who I am, what do ye say to it? Ain’t I as good-looking as I was before--as I was when you thought me Buffalo Bill? Buffalo Bill! Faugh! He’s a milksop, that tries to make people believe that kindness pays when you’re dealing with Indians and cattle like that; and then has to go out and shoot up them same Indians for their deviltry, and thus eat his own words. It ain’t been any special honor to me to play Buffalo Bill; but I had a reason for doing it, which was to get him in a sling. I think he’s in that sling about now, and he won’t get out of it easy.” It was a long speech, but he seemed to enjoy his words, and the terror they brought to the countenance of the girl. “Please--please take me to my father!” she begged. He laughed again harshly. “You believed that part of it, too, did ye?” “Please take me to my father!” “Well, that’s a thing I ain’t thinking of doing. I couldn’t afford to deprive myself of your charming presence, ye know. I’ve taken a fancy to you. My dear, I’m dead in love with you.” She wanted to scream again. “You know I told you that once, at your home over there in Scarlet Gulch,” he continued calmly. “You thought I was Buffalo Bill, and you smiled when I said it. I’m the same man, and when I say it now you show a weak disposition and a tendency to holler, which is unkind of you.” She turned on him in wild desperation. “You must let me out of this house!” she cried. “I won’t stay here. You promised to take me to my father, and----” “Promises made to a handsome woman are like the proverbial pie crust, made to be broken. I wanted to bring you here.” “And lied to me?” “Yes, I lied to you like a sinner. I might as well admit it. I ought to have told you the truth at first; only I thought you’d yell, and there would be a sweet muss of it in the street, maybe with a lot of fellows chasin’ me and trying to shoot me full of holes. So I lied to you.” “And my father?” “I ain’t seen your father for a good while. That was a lie, too. I think he’s well and healthy. I don’t expect to see him again soon.” “And you intend----” “Just to keep you here a while, my dear, out of affection for you, pure and simple; and then, as soon as it’s safe, we’ll hike out for a preacher I know about, who’ll marry us. He ain’t in good standing in the church just now, but he can tie the matrimonial knot as tight for us as the next one, and that’s what we want. You see, he got into trouble at the last church he presided over, and, when some of the deacons and leading members wanted to put him in jail, he just jumped the country and came to me; and I’ve treated him better than ever they did, and he’s makin’ more money.” “He is a member of your band of road agents?” she cried.