"Put me down for five hundred," called out Harding, and the two offers were cheered, while a stern voice called out behind the landlord: "Put me down for a thousand, Larry, for I have heard all that you have told the men." It was Doctor Dick, who, seeing the crowd in front of the hotel, had come to the piazza by passing into the house through the rear door. Another cheer greeted the sum named by Doctor Dick, and there arose cries on all sides as men pressed forward: "I'll give a thousand, landlord!" "Name me for fifty." "Put me on the list for a hundred!" "Twenty-five for me!" And so on were the sums named by the noble-hearted and generous fellows, even those who had lost their money by the road-agents subscribing, until Doctor Dick called out, for he had been keeping account: "Hold on, all! The amount is already named. Now, men, form in line, and give your names as you pass along, and the money, those who have it." It was late when the ransom list was made up, and the men had not heeded the supper-gong until after they had paid their subscriptions. Then Landlord Larry packed the money away, and the crowd dispersed to their various occupations and pleasures for the night, which may be set down as consisting principally of drinking and gambling. The question regarding the unfortunate girl who had fallen into the hands of the masked and merciless outlaws being settled, the driver said to Landlord Larry and Doctor Dick, who had returned to the office in the hotel. "Now I wish to see about the poor fellow whom that young girl was coming out to see, and also to learn about her father." "Who was her father?" asked Landlord Larry. "Her name is Celeste Seldon, and she wished me to ascertain if her father had ever been heard of in the mines. His name was Andrew Seldon." "Andrew Seldon?" quickly said Doctor Dick. "Yes." "I know of such a man, or, rather, knew of him, for he is dead now," was the response of the gambler. A cloud passed over the face of Harding, and he remarked sadly: "That poor girl seems doomed to have sorrow dog her steps. But you knew her father, doctor?" "Yes, I knew him long years ago, and I happen to know of his having been out here, working for a fortune in the mines, I believe." "You are sure that it is the one she seeks?" "The names are the same. The Andrew Seldon I knew was from Tennessee." "So was her father, and he must be the man you refer to. But where did he die?" "I'll tell you what I have not made known to others. Buffalo Bill and I struck a trail to see what the end would bring to us, and the night before we came to the end those we sought were buried by the caving-in of a mine which they were working under a cliff. One of those men was Andrew Seldon, and he had a companion with him." "And they were killed?" "Yes, buried under the cliff, that fell upon their cabin, destroying all." "You must tell the story to the young girl, for I cannot, doctor."