"It's about the only thing left for them to do, by George! after the shape in which they have got things; their idea probably would be, in the event of Mr. Cameron's coming, to destroy in this way all the evidence, as they think, existing against them. It shows pretty conclusively that they have no suspicions of us, for if they knew the evidence in our possession they would blow us up rather than the mines. You will telegraph at once for Mr. Cameron, will you not?" "At once; we must get him here as quickly and as quietly as we can; before they put their plans into action, if possible." "That is the thing to do; they probably will take no action unless they hear of his coming. We ought to get a dispatch off before night." "We will," Houston replied, with quiet decision. "How will you manage it? It will look rather suspicious for you or me to leave our work and go down to the Y with a message." "Give Morton our dispatch and cipher book, and he will attend to it better than you or I, for he is an expert operator." "By George! that's so, I had forgotten it; he learned telegraphy there at college just to amuse himself, and had a battery in his room; well, that's fortunate, he will be just the one for us." "It is nearly noon," said Houston, consulting his watch, "we will see Morton at the house, and arrange the message between us, and he will send it immediately." After dinner, there was a brief consultation in Houston's room with the result that the following dispatch was formulated, written in cipher, and addressed to Mr. Whitney, at Chicago, the attorney from New York, accompanying Mr. Cameron: "Come at once, no delay; go to Arlington Hotel, Silver City; keep dark, do not register. Van Dorn will meet you at hotel." Houston realized that they were now rapidly approaching the final denouement,--the closing act of the drama which might yet prove a tragedy,--and as he placed the folded slip of paper in Morton Rutherford's hand, he said with a sigh: "This is the beginning of the end." CHAPTER XLI. As Morton Rutherford's fingers touched the key of the little instrument that was to send forth that fateful message, it was the unconscious touching of a secret spring which was to set in motion a succession of events of which he little dreamed. He remained at the station until the answer came back over the wires: "Leave Chicago to-night; will follow instructions to the letter." This was on Saturday. On Tuesday the expected party would reach Silver City, where they were to be met by Van Dorn, who would furnish them all details and accompany them on the evening train to the Y, from which point Houston and Morton Rutherford would convey them by team to the mining camp.