There, crouched upon the floor in one corner, all in a little heap, pale, tumbling and terrified, was Anita. Before her, squirming along over the sand-scrubbed floor, evidently disabled by a blow, was an enormous black-snake. It was creeping away instead of toward Anita, leaving a faint trail of crimson in its wake; yet the young girl's face was blanched with fear. "You screamed at that?" demanded Redburn, pointing to the coiling serpent. "Ugh! yes; it is horrible." "But, it is harmless. See: some one has given it a blow across the back, and it is disabled for harm." Anita looked up into his handsome face, wonderingly. "I guv et a rap across the spinal column, when I kim into the valley," said General Nix, thrusting his head in at the door, a ludicrous grin elongating his grisly features. "'Twar a-goin' ter guv me a yard or so uv et's tongue, more or less--consider'bly less of more than more of less--so I jest salivated it across ther back, kerwhack!" Anita screamed again as she saw the General, he was so rough and homely. "Who are you?" she managed to articulate as Redburn assisted her to rise from the floor. "What are you doing here, where you were not invited?" There was a degree of haughtiness in her tone that Redburn did not dream she possessed. The "General" rubbed the end of his nose, chuckled audibly, then laughed, outright. "I opine this ar' a free country, ain't it, marm, more or less? When a feller kerflummuxes rite down onter a payin' streek I opine he's goin' ter roost that till he gits reddy to vamoose, ain't he?" "But, sir, my brother was the first to discover this spot and build us a home here, and he claims that all belongs to him." "He do? more or less--consider'bly less of more than more uv less, eh? Yas, I kno' yer brother--leastways hev seen him an' heerd heeps about him. Letters uv his name spell Ned Harris, not?" "Yes, sir; but how can you know him? Few do, in Deadwood." "Nevyer mind that, my puss. Ole Walsingham Nix do kno' a few things yet, ef he ar' a hard old nut fer w'ich thar is not cra'kin'." Anita looked at Redburn, doubtfully. "Brother would be very angry if he were to return and find this man here, what would you advise?" "I am of the opinion that he will have to vacate," replied Harry, decidedly. "_Nix_ cum-a-rouse!" disagreed the old prospecter. "I'm hayr, an' thar's no yearthly use o' denyin _that_. Barrin' ye ar' a right peart-lookin' kid, stranger, allow me ter speculate thet it would take a dozen, more or less--consider'bly less uv more than more o' less--ter put me out." Redburn laughed heartily. The old fellow's bravado amused him. Anita however, was silent; she put dependence in her protector to arrange matters satisfactorily. "That savors strongly of rebellion," Redburn observed, sitting down upon a lounge that stood hard by. "Besides, you have an advantage; I would not attack you; you are old and unfitted for combat; deformed and unable to do battle."