“Sure, I did, Tom,” replied Bill. “Do you know any of the fellows who committed it?” “Not I,” replied Caldwell, “and I wouldn’t for the world. If I did, and told of them, I shouldn’t live long.” “That’s so, Tom,” rejoined Graves. “You wouldn’t live twenty-four hours. It’s always best to be ignorant in matters of that kind. I’ve had experience, and I know. I’ll just tell you, by way of illustration, about my being robbed in California. One night as my partner and I were riding along, two fellows rode up and told us to throw up our hands. We did so, and they took from us two thousand dollars in coin. I said to ’em, ‘Boys, it’s pretty rough to take all we’ve got.’ They said so it was, and gave us back forty dollars. A week afterwards I saw ’em dealing faro. One of ’em saw me looking at him, and arose and came up to me, and said in a whisper, ‘Ain’t you one of the men that was robbed the other night?’ ‘Not at all,’ says I, for I thought if I said ‘yes’ he would find a way to put me out of the way. ‘Oh, well,’ says he, ‘honor bright! I want you to own up. I know you’re the man. Now, I’m going to give you four thousand dollars, just for keeping your mouth shut.’ And he kept his promise. So you see, Tom, that I saved my life, and got four thousand dollars for keeping still.” Tom wished somebody would treat him so, but when telling the story, said that he “lacked confidence in human nature, especially where the road agents were concerned.” He even ventured the assertion that he “did not believe Graves’ story, anyway.” Ives went to Virginia City the day following the robbery. While intoxicated at one of the fancy establishments, he boasted openly of having made Tom Caldwell throw up his hands, and that he intended to do it again. Talking of the robbery with one of the drivers, he said, “I am the Bamboo chief that committed that robbery.” “Don’t you believe Caldwell knows it?” inquired the driver. “Certainly he knows it,” replied Ives. “He recognized me at once.” As Ives and the driver were riding side by side into Virginia City, on their return from Nevada, the driver saw Caldwell approaching. He motioned him to keep away. Caldwell turned and went away, and was afterwards told that Ives knew he had recognized him in the robbery, and would probably kill him on sight. The driver, who expected that Ives would shoot at Caldwell, had his revolver in readiness to shoot him at the time alluded to, in case Ives manifested such a design. Meantime, Southmayd, having finished his business at Bannack, was ready to return to Virginia City by the next coach. His friends were importunate for him to remain. On the day he was to leave, Buck Stinson and Ned Ray, on being told of it at the express-office, avowed their intention of accompanying him. The agent then searched for Southmayd, and said to him, “For God’s sake, Leroy, don’t go. These fellows mean to kill you.”