On the following day both were considerably astonished to perceive that there was a stranger in their Paradise;--a bow-legged, hump-backed, grisly little old fellow, who walked with a staff. He approached the cabin, and Redburn went out to find who he was. "Gude-mornin'!" nodded General Nix, (for it was he) with a grin. "I jes' kim over inter this deestrict ter prospect fer gold. Don' seem ter recognize yer unkle, eh? boy; I'm Nix Walsingham Nix, Esquire, geological surveyor an' mine-locater. I've located more nor forty thousan' mines in my day, more or less--ginerally a consider'ble more of less than less of more. I perdict frum ther geological formation o' this nest an' a dream I hed last night, thet thar's sum uv ther biggest veins right in this yere valley as ye'll find in ther Hills!" "Humph! no gold here," replied Redburn, who had already learned from study and experience how to guess a fat strike. "It is out of the channel." "No; et's right in the channel." "Well, I'll not dispute you. How did you get into the valley?" "Through ther pass," and the General chuckled approvingly. "See'd a feller kim down ther canyon, yesterday, so I nosed about ter find whar he kim from, that's how I got here; 'sides, I hed a dream about this place." "Indeed!" Redburn was puzzled how to act under the circumstances. Just then there came a piercing scream from the direction of the cabin. What could it mean? Was Nix an enemy, and was some one else of his gang attacking Anita? Certainly she _was_ in trouble! CHAPTER V. SITTING BULL--THE FAIR CAPTIVE. Fearless Frank stepped back aghast, as he saw the inhuman chief of the Sioux--the cruel, grim-faced warrior, Sitting Bull; shrunk back, and laid his hand upon the butt of a revolver. "Ha!" he articulated, "is that you, chief? You, and at such work as this?" there was stern reproach in the youth's tone, and certain it is that the Sioux warrior heard the words spoken. "My friend, Scarlet Boy, is keen with the tongue," he said, frowning. "Let him put shackles upon it, before it leaps over the bounds of reason." "I see no reason why I should not speak in behalf of yon suffering girl!" retorted the youth, fearlessly, "on whom you have been inflicting one of the most inhuman tortures Indian cunning could conceive. For shame, chief, that you should ever assent to such an act--lower yourself to the grade of a dog by such a dastard deed. For shame, I say!" Instantly the form of the great warrior straightened up like an arrow, and his painted hand flew toward the pistols in his belt. But the succeeding second he seemed to change his intention; his hand went out toward the youth in greeting: