Bud, in the meantime, had found a spring on the hillside and had watered the horses, then made a fire of pine boughs over which they heated the coffee and warmed themselves. Then they began their luncheon. Bud was so busily appeasing his hunger that he did not say much, and did not think it strange that Stella said nothing. They were seated on opposite sides of the fire, and Bud, thinking that perhaps Stella might need something, looked across at her. What he saw caused him to stare. Stella was looking over his head with an expression of horror on her face. Her wide, staring eyes were filled with an unspeakable horror. Her hand was poised in mid-air, just as if she had been going to put something into her mouth, when the action was arrested by the sight of something that froze her with terror. "Stella, what's ther matter?" Bud managed to blurt out. Stella's lips moved, but no sound came from them. She was too frightened to speak. Then Bud, observing the direction in which she was looking, turned his head. In an instant he was on his feet. He had become very pale, and his hand shook as he reached slowly toward his holster. Standing behind him was a creature such as he never had seen before. It was a man of great stature, clad entirely in black, over which was thrown a long, black cloak. But the horror of the creature was the face. Out of an expressionless mask of silver, without nose or mouth, gleamed a pair of fierce, black eyes, that twinkled maliciously. Midway of the face were two holes, nostrils through which he breathed. It was the man at whom Carl had fired his six harmless bullets--the man with the silver face. Bud stood staring at him like one frozen, but Stella, when she saw that Bud was as frightened as herself, was able to take her eyes away from those terrible orbs that shone through the silver face, and regained her composure, and now was able to look at him without terror and with curiosity. There was something fascinating in that blank, rounded, shining, white face, lighted only by those remarkable eyes. What was behind that mask? A face, or only a blank? Bud had somewhat recovered from the ague of terror into which the sudden appearance of the man with the silver face had thrown him, for he was a brave fellow, and not easily shaken from his courage. "What do you want?" he asked at last, but yet with a little tremor in his voice. There was no answer, but the eyes continued to burn in a very suggestive way. It seemed as if the man behind the mask was trying to speak, but could not. Presently, however, he made a motion with his hand that told them to follow him. "I'll be derned if we do," said Bud stubbornly. "Who aire yer, anyway, an' what business hey yer buttin' in on us this away?" A strange, inarticulate, bubbling sound came from behind the silver face, but Bud could not understand it. Again came the signal to follow.