“Ho, men, head off this coach, and I’ll see who this gamecock is who dares fire upon Silk Lasso Sam and his band,” and the horseman spurred toward the coach, when several shots rang out of the window, one of which dropped his horse and another wounded him in the shoulder. The highwayman returned the fire, just as a mounted man came rapidly to his aid, and riddled the coach with bullets, though the plucky defender inside fired again, this time wounding the horse ridden by the outlaw coming to the aid of his chief. The animal fell heavily, but the rider landed upon his feet and sprang to one side of the coach, while his chief threw the door open upon the other. “It’s over with him, so we have nothing to fear now,” said the chief, as he saw the form of the defender of the coach lying in a heap, and his life ebbing rapidly away from the wounds he had received at the hands of the outlaws. “Frank dead, one horse ditto, and another dying, so the old coach should pan out well, to repay us, Pat,” said the chief; and he added: “Not to speak of my own wound, but which amounts to little.” He drew the body of the brave passenger from the coach as he spoke, and with deft hands, as though long experienced in such work, went through his search for booty. A well-filled purse, some jewelry, a watch and chain, and a wallet of papers, were what he found, and quickly the outlaw chief looked them over. Then he stood for some time lost in a deep reverie, as though with little fear of danger to himself, until suddenly he broke out with the words: “By Heaven, but I’ll risk it! Yes, if I hang for it, I will!” “Do what, sir?” asked his companion. “Pat, I am going to play a bold game for gold, for I shall go to the fort, and you are to help me out.” “Go to the fort, sir?” asked the amazed man. “Yes, I shall go as a passenger in Ribbons’ coach, one who fired upon the road-agents and was wounded, and afterward was robbed. Quick! get me the clothes off that man and help me to disguise myself--yes, here is a dressing-case belonging to him, and I will soon have off my beard and mustache. “Then I will place the body of the passenger in the coach, in another of his suits of clothes, for he traveled well supplied, and Frank can be left where he fell, for they will send back to the scene of the hold-up when I reach the fort.” “Ah! captain, you have clean lost your senses.” “Not a bit of it, Pat, for I see a chance to visit the fort without the slightest danger, and there is one there whom I wish particularly to see, for it means big money for me.” As he spoke the daring man was making his toilet, having quickly shaved off his mustache and imperial.