"Now I can know what this means," muttered Andrew Seldon eagerly. The young girl had certainly seen the man arrive in camp, but she had shown no interest apparently in his coming, and now, as he approached, she calmly remained seated, her eyes, however, following his movements. As he drew near he politely raised his sombrero and said: "I hope I find Miss Seldon well?" "Seldon! She bears the name I now am masquerading under," muttered the gold-hunter in intense surprise. "Miss Seldon is as well as could be expected under the existing circumstances, of being the captive of a band of cutthroats," was the cutting reply, and the listening man, who heard all, opened wide his eyes. "You are harsh in your terms, Miss Seldon." "Are you not road-agents, robbers, and murderers, and are you not holding me here for ransom, after having robbed me of a large sum in my keeping?" "Yes, such is the case." "Then why wince under the name of cutthroat? But you have been away for some days." "I have." "You have seen your chief?" "I have." "And what message does he send?" "You are to go with me at dawn to the rendezvous on the Overland Trail, where you are to be given over to the one sent by the miners of Last Chance to pay your ransom." "I am glad of this; but will your chief keep faith, or will he play the traitor for a third time and escape giving me up through some trick?" "No, for if he did he would surely be run down, as he knows, by the miners, even if your life was the forfeit." "I hope it may prove true that I am to be ransomed, and I will be ready to go with you; but where is your chief?" "He is in his other camp." "Then he has two?" "Yes." "Am I to be blindfolded and bound again when you are taking me from here?" "Such are his orders, Miss Seldon." "He fears that I, a young girl, may lead a force upon his secret retreat?" "That is just what he fears, Miss Seldon." "I only wish I _was_ able to do so." "Miss Seldon, may I speak a word to you?" suddenly said the masked outlaw, drawing nearer. "I believe there is no more to say, for I will be ready at the hour you desire to start." "There is more to say, and say it I will. I wish to tell you that I have been a very wicked man, that I went to the bad when hardly out of my teens, broke my mother's heart by my evil life, and ruined my father financially, driving him to suicide in his despair. "I came West and tried to redeem the past by becoming an honest miner; but luck went against me, and I at last turned once more to evil and found a band of outlaws. Money came to me in plenty, and at last I drifted into the band that our chief commands, and, as you know, I am his lieutenant.