"Well, good night," agreed the other, still peaceable. "I reckon I gather considerable about you, anyhow." He turned away. "I had a notion from what I heard that you was sort of picked on, and I dropped round, sort of friendly like; but Lord love you! I don't care how many of you desperadoes kill each other. Go to it, and good riddance!" He cast his pale blue eyes on Johnny's rigid figure. "Also, go to hell!" he remarked dispassionately. Johnny stared at him puzzled. "Hold on!" he called, after a moment. "Then you're not a friend of this Hound?" The stranger turned in slow surprise. "Me? What are you talking about?" He looked from one to the other of us, then returned the few steps he had taken. "I believe you don't know me. I'm Randall, Danny Randall." "Yes?" puzzled Johnny. "Of Sonoma," added Randall. "I suppose I should know you, but I'm afraid I don't," confessed Johnny. Randall turned back to the tree beneath which lay our effects. "I believe I'll just have a cup of coffee with you boys," said he. We blew up the fire, scoured the frying pan, made ourselves food. Randall brought a pail of water. We all ate together, without much conversation; then lit our pipes and piled on dry wood to make a brighter friendship fire. "Now, boys," said Randall, "I'm going to ask you some questions; and you can answer me or not, just as you please. Only I'll say, it isn't just curiosity." Johnny, who was studying him covertly from beneath the shadow of his hat, nodded briefly, but said nothing. "How long have you been in the mines?" "Since March." "Since March!" echoed Randall, as though a little bewildered at this reply. "Yet you never heard----What camp?" Johnny studied a while. "Hangman's Gulch for six weeks," said he. "Then just prospecting." "Where?" "I don't believe I'll answer that question," replied Johnny slowly. "But somewhere back in the hills?" persisted Randall. "Somewhere back in the hills," agreed Johnny. "Seems to me----" I broke in, but Johnny silenced me with a gesture. He was watching Randall intently, and thinking hard. "Then you have been out of it for three months or so. That explains it. Now I don't mind telling you I came up here this evening to size you up. I heard about your row with Scar-face Charley, and I wanted to see whether you were just another fighting desperado or an honest man. Well, I'm satisfied. I'm not going to ask you if you have much gold with you, for you wouldn't tell me; but if you have, keep it with you. If you don't, you'll lose it. Keep in the middle of the road, and out of dark places. This is a tough camp; but there are a lot of us good men, too, and my business is to get us all to know each other. Things are getting bad, and we've got to get together. That's why I came up to see you. Are you handy with a gun?" he asked abruptly. "Fair," said Johnny. "You need to be. Let's see if you are. Stand up. Try to get the draw on me. Now!"