"Give me your hand, Pierre; I knew you would help me. But let me tell you one thing, and that is, when you capture them you must look out for yourself. They will have plenty of weapons, and, from what I have seen of them, I don't think they would hesitate to use them if they got a chance. There's one thing about this business I don't exactly admire. Of course, I shall start with their expedition--I want to have the satisfaction of seeing them captured--and my idea was, that, when you made the attack on them, you should give me a chance to escape; but Joaquin says, that won't do at all." "Certainly not;" said Pierre, quickly. "I shall have five men with me, and if we should let you get away, the boys would be suspicious of you at once." "That's just what Joaquin said; and since I have thought the matter over, I have come to the conclusion that he was right. I don't want them to know that I had a hand in this matter, for they might make me some trouble." "Very likely they would. You must allow yourself to be captured with the others." "Well, I sha'n't mind that, for, I believe, I can enjoy myself among the mountains for a month or two. But, Pierre, when you get them you must hold fast to them." "I am not the man to let sixty thousand dollars slip through my fingers," said the Ranchero, with a laugh. "And there are three other things I want you to remember," continued Arthur, earnestly. "The first is, you must not demand any ransom for me." "Oh no; of course not." "The second is, I shall expect to be treated at all times like a visitor. I am a gentleman, and a gentleman's son." "I am well aware of that fact. I knew it the moment I put my eyes on you." "The third thing I want you to bear in mind, is, that I shall not be captured without a struggle; and that every chance I get I shall try to escape. I am going to show those fellows that I have some spunk. I want you to act natural, and to prevent me from getting away from you; but you must not abuse me. You can treat the others as roughly as you please. Do you agree to all this?" "I do, and there's my hand on it," said Pierre. "I fully understand your plans now, and know just what you want me to do; and, what's more, I'll do it. If you have got through with what you have to say, you had better be off. I have a good many enemies, and I am in danger as long as you are here. Watch those boys closely, and keep Joaquin posted. I can find out every thing I want to know from him." "My plans are working nicely," chuckled Arthur, as he rode homeward. "I'll teach these backwoodsmen manners, before I am done with them." "Eighty thousand dollars!" said Pierre, gazing after the retreating horseman. "That's a nice little sum to be divided among six of us."