May Arlington went into the sod house, and placing the round, shining gold on the small table, she sat down and deliberately studied it, trying to make some sense out of the strange marks on it. When she could do nothing of the kind, she wrapped it again in the tissue paper, and was about to put it away. But just then she again heard hoofbeats; and she ran to the door. “Ben!” she exclaimed joyfully. It was Ben Stevens this time. He rode up at a canter, and dropped from the saddle with the ease of a circus athlete. Then he caught the girl in his arms. “May!” he cried, and he kissed her. “Ben!” she said, and nestled in his arms. “You haven’t been here for two whole days,” she added reprovingly. “Right you are, sweetheart,” he acknowledged; “but it wasn’t my fault. Work is rushing at the ranch just now, and I couldn’t get away. No one knows I’m here now. I was sent in this direction to hunt for stray cattle.” “I’ve got something to show you,” she cried. “And it’s the strangest thing!” He followed her into the house, permitting his horse to stand near the door, where at once it set to work nibbling the grass that grew there. When she showed him the gold, and the letter, and the envelope, he was ready to acknowledge that the manner in which the gold had come to her was the strangest thing he had ever heard of. “It’s the pure stuff, too!” he cried, as he hefted it. “Pure gold. I wonder what those lines and marks on it mean?” “I’m sure I don’t know.” “You say the fellow was a soldier from the fort?” he asked. “Well, he wasn’t dressed in regular uniform, but he had on a soldier’s cap.” “May have been one of the scouts,” he guessed. “And he just chucked that at you, and flew on without a word.” He laughed again. “Gee! I wish some fellow would chuck me a few of them! Say, that’s worth twenty dollars, or more! Maybe a good deal more, on account of those lines on it.” He reread the singular letter. “And there’s plenty more where it came from, it says. I wish I knew where that is. I think I’ll have to trail the fellow who flung that to you, and camp right on his trail until I discover where this gold is.” He stepped to the window at the back of the room, where the light was strong, and held up the gold, looking at it there, and commenting. Suddenly a trampling of hoofs was heard on the grass outside; then the door was thrown open, and armed men rushed into the room. “Surrender!” they cried to him. The girl screamed, but Ben Stevens turned and coolly faced the intruders, who were soldiers in uniform. “What’s the trouble?” he said, and, though he spoke calmly, his cheeks were flushed and his eyes were bright. He dropped his hand carelessly toward the revolver that swung at his hip. “Hands up!” Guns came down, pointing at him, and there was a clicking of locks. “Surrender!” “But what’s the trouble?” he demanded. “What am I to surrender for?” “Because you’re a thief, caught with the goods on him.”