The leader, who was also a young man, pointed to the gold nugget shining in the fingers of Ben Stevens. “Just how?” said Stevens, redder in the face than before. “Is this your property?” “No,” was the answer, “it isn’t; but it is the property of Colonel Montrose, at Fort Cimarron; and it was given to him only a day or so ago by Buffalo Bill.” “By Buffalo Bill?” “Just so; and I suppose you know how you came by it!” “Perhaps _you_ do?” “You stole it from the colonel’s quarters at the fort. We hit the trail of the horse of the fellow who took it, and that trail, when we followed it, led right here, and here we find you, with the stuff on you. That’s proof enough, ain’t it?” “Hardly,” said Stevens. “For the trail you followed from the fort went on, after leaving this house; while, as you can see, my horse is out in front.” “Oh, let me explain; let me explain!” cried the girl, rushing forward. The young troopers looked at her curiously and with admiration. She was a beautiful girl; they had not known so handsome a young woman was near Fort Cimarron for some time. More than one of them expressed his admiration for her in his looks. But she was not thinking of this; she was solely concerned now about the possible fate of her lover. “Let me explain,” she repeated. “Yes, miss,” said the young commander respectfully; “we shall be pleased to hear anything you have to say.” Then she told the strange story of how she had come into possession of the nugget. “I am willing to surrender it to you,” she declared. “So you see Mr. Stevens isn’t guilty, as you thought; and, of course, you will not try to arrest him.” The young officer looked about at his men, and he saw hesitation in their eyes. Then he remembered that he had a duty to perform. He recalled that he had trailed to this house the pony whose tracks had guided him, and here was the nugget which had caused the pursuit. “I’ll have to take possession of the nugget,” he said, after a moment of hesitation. “It belongs to the colonel; and I could not acquit myself to him if I did not take it and keep it, now that I see it.” “But you believe what I say?” the girl implored. “Indeed, Mr. Stevens knew nothing about it.” The young officer bowed. “We hope we shall not have to be disagreeable to any young lady,” was his gallant statement. He turned to his men. “Jones and Simpson,” he said, “go out and look for that trail which Mr. Stevens says went straight on.” The men saluted and hurried outside, but they came in shortly. “Yes, sir, there is a trail going on; but it seems to us, on examination, that the horse now out in front is really the one that made the trail we have so far followed.” “No, no!” the girl insisted, speaking to the men. “You are mistaken. That trail, made by the horse of the man who threw that envelope to me, leads on past this house.” The young officer touched his cap to her.