Wiley turned and fled, sick with rage at his own impotence, but as he whipped over the dump the earth opened up before him and he slipped and stopped on the brink of a chasm. It was the caved-in stope, the old glory-hole of the Paymaster, and it cut off his last escape. A sudden sinking of the heart, a feeling of fate being against him, came over him as he slunk along the bank; and then, as a path opened up before him, he took the steep slope at a bound. Further on in the darkness he saw the roof of the mill and the broken hummocks of the dump; beyond lay the other trail and the open country and his car--and the six-shooter--beyond! His feet seemed to fly as he dashed across the level and breasted a sudden ascent and then on its summit as the wind snatched him back someone struck him in full flight. "God!" he cried, and fought himself free but the other clutched him again. "Run!" she begged, and he knew it was Virginia, but he was in a panic for fear of what was behind. "No!" he cried, catching her roughly in his arms and starting the other way, "there's a crazy man back there and----" "No--no--no!" she clamored, bringing him to a halt with her struggles. "The other way--can't you hear what I'm saying to you----" And then Wiley saw the Widow. She was standing on the dump with her shotgun raised and pointed, and he hurled Virginia to one side. "Don't shoot!" he yelled, but as he ducked and started to run, the Widow's gun spoke out. A blow like that of a club struck his leg from under him and he fell to the ground in a heap, but even in his pain he remembered the presence which had followed with its head on one side. "You danged fool!" he cursed as the Widow ran up to him. "Keep that cartridge, whatever you do. There's a crazy man after me and----" "I see him!" shrieked the Widow, making a dash for the bank with her gun at her hip for the shot. "You git, you dastard!" she shrilled into the darkness and once more the old shotgun roared forth. "Oh, mother!" wept Virginia, throwing her arms about Wiley, and attempting to raise him up. "Oh, look what you've done--it's Wiley Holman--and now I hope you're satisfied!" "You bet I'm satisfied!" answered the Widow, exultingly. "That other fellow was Stiff Neck George!" CHAPTER V A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster; but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he blamed it all on the Widow. Without warning or justification, without even giving him a chance, she had sneaked up and potted him like a rabbit; and now, as men came running to witness his shame, she gloried in her badness. "Aha-ah!" she jeered, coming back to stand over him and Wiley reached for a stone. "You old she-cat," he burst out, "you say another word to me and I'll bounce this rock off your head!"