"I protest, gentlemen," said Frank energetically, "that I did not _swear_ at all! I did not even _say_ that Bradling tried to murder anybody: on the contrary, I think the way in which the man Dick handled his gun at the time when Bradling fired was very susp--" A shout from the crowd drowned the remainder of this speech. "String him up without more ado," cried several voices. Three men at once seized Bradling, and a rope was quickly flung over the bough of the oak. "Mercy! mercy!" cried the unhappy man, "I swear that I did not murder the man. I have made my pile down at Bigbear Gully, and I'll give it all--every cent--if you will wait to have the matter examined. Stay," he added, seeing that they paid no heed to him, "let me speak one word, before I die, with Mr Allfrey. I want to tell him where my gold lies hid." "It's a dodge," cried one of the executioners with a sneer, "but have your say out. It's the last you'll have a chance to say here, so look sharp about it." Frank went forward to the man, who was trembling, and very pale, and begged those who held him to move off a few paces. "Oh! Mr Allfrey," said Bradling, "I am innocent of this; I _am_ an escaped convict, it is true, and I _did_ try to kill that man Dick, who has given me provocation enough, God knows, but, as He shall be my judge at last, I swear I did not commit _this_ murder. If you will cut the cords that bind my hands, you will prevent a cold-blooded murder being committed now. You saved my life once before. Oh! save it again." The man said all this in a hurried whisper, but there was something so intensely earnest and truthful in his bearing that Frank, under a sudden and irresistible impulse, which he could not afterwards account for, drew his knife and cut the cords that bound him. Instantly Bradling bounded away like a hunted deer, overturning several men in his flight, and being followed by a perfect storm of bullets from rifles and revolvers, until he had disappeared in the neighbouring wood. Then the miners turned with fury on Frank, but paused abruptly on seeing that he and Joe Graddy stood back to back, with a revolver in each hand. Of course revolvers and rifles were instantly pointed at them, but fortunately the miners in their exasperation had discharged all their fire-arms at Bradling--not a piece remained loaded! Several therefore commenced hurriedly to re-load, but Frank shouted, in a voice that there was no misunderstanding-- "The first who attempts to load is a dead man!" This caused them to hesitate, for in those times men, when desperate, were wont to be more prompt to act than to threaten. Still, there were some present who would have run the risk, and it is certain that our hero and his friend would have then and there terminated their career, had not a backwoods hunter stepped forward and said: