In a Hollow of the Hills

lloper's Ridge had not touched the leafy banks of the dried-up river; the hue and cry had followed the stage-road, and no courier had deemed it worth his while to diverge as far as the rocky ridg

stock from the woodland pasture, he had found a golden squirrel-a beautiful, airy embodiment of the brown woods itself-calmly seated on his bar-counter, with a biscuit between its baby hands. He was full of his charact

in the river-bed undisturbed. Then the murmur was prolonged, until it became the continuous trouble of some far-off sea, and at last the wind possessed the ledge itself; driving the smoke down the stumpy chimney of the mill, rattling the su

he whole mill, even to that heavy impact against the door, which he had heard once before. In this he recognized merely the ordinary phenomena of his experience,

m was filled with masked and armed men, and in another moment he was pinioned and thrust into his empty armchair. At a signal three of the men left the room, and he could hear them exploring the other rooms and outhouses. Then the two men who had been standing beside him fell back with a certain disciplined precision, as a smooth-chinned man advanced from the open door. Going to the bar, he poured out a glass of whiskey, tossed it off deliberately, and, standing

e unhappy incident which occurred as we entered. We desire that you should answer a few questions, and are deeply grateful that you are still able to do so,-w

," said C

he other men, who had reenter

bit, and one that expedites business. Now, is there a room i

N

ar nor o

N

thing could be more distasteful to our feelings than to have you, in your own person, spread such a disgraceful report through the chivalrous Sierras. We must therefore keep you a close prisoner,-open, however, to an offer. It is this: we propose to give you five hundred dollars for this property as it stands, provided that you leave it, and a

to?" said Collins

tor suavely, "that we have no

s Seth Co

nd every eye was fixed upon the two men

?" he conti

zzo

,-through Thompson's Pass. But y

sell this house, or leave

our little accident, Mr. Collinson," said the orator with a singula

left in Mizzouri. It's hers. I kalkilate to keep it, and live in it ontil she comes fur it! A

y heard. A well-built man, with a mask that scarcely concealed his heavy mustachios, who had been standing with his back to the orator in half contemptuous

shly he turned to the others "Pick him up, and stand hi

g at each other. The orator's face was smooth and corrupt; the full, sensual lips wrinkled at the corners with a sardonic humor; the man who confronted him appeared to be physically and even morally his supe

It's your affair; but it's m

Bryce's gun. That would have settled it, though no one g

m that you're the man that ran away with his wife, and you'll have it out together, right on the ledge at twelve paces

artner. I don't think you quite understand me, my dear Jack. If you don't value the only man who is identified in all California as the leader of this gang (the man whose style and address has made it popular-yes, POPULAR, by G-d!-to every man, woman, and child who has heard of him; whose sayings and doings are quoted by the newspapers; whom people run risks to see; who has got the sympathy of the crowd, so that judges he

mistakable and even pitiable vanity in his voice, and a self-consciousness that suffused h

u," said Riggs gloomily. "Think what she might do if she knew her husba

ack on Godfrey Chivers-for a husband! Besides, she went off to see your sister at the convent at Santa Clara as soon as she passed those bonds off on Charley to get rid of! Think of her traveling with that d-d fool lawyer all the way to Stockton, and his bonds (

that boasted reputation you make so much of and set every man's hand against us, I do, and I won't permit it. It's a rotten business enough,-our coming on him as w

d Chivers roughly. "She'll be glad enough to be with your s

"I do not choose to have my sister any longer implicated with OUR

ng against the chimney. Chivers now faced his com

the voice of Nature and the little birds. It was a happy time," he went on with a grimly affected sigh, disregarding his companion's impatient gesture. "You were young then, waging YOUR fight against society, and fresh-uncommonly fresh, I may say-from your first exploit. And a very stupid, clumsy, awkward exploit, too, Mr. Riggs, if you will pardon my freedom. You wanted money, and you had an ugly temper, and you had lost both to a gambler; so you stopped the coach to

ggs impatiently. "You offered to

ot object to her when we formed our gang, and her house became our hiding-place and refuge. You took advantage of her woman's wit and fine address in disposing of our booty; you availed yourself, with the rest, of the secrets she gathered as MY mistress, just as you were willing to profit by the

l of the gang, and gets her share,-or you get it for her," he added sneeri

remember the night you were taking her to school at Santa Clara,-two nights before the fire,-when you were recognized on the road near Skinner's, and had to fly with her for your life, and brought her to us,-your two dear old friends, 'Mr. and Mrs. Barker of Chicago,' who had a pastoral home in t

other took his hand. "But, blank it all, Chivers, don't you see that Alice is a young girl, and this woman is-you know what I mean. Somebody might recognize HER,

-she nearly separated us, and I'll be frank with you as between man and man. I'll giv

aid Riggs slowly, his eye

It will be a ticklish job to manage, for she knows t

, but his former look of discontent came back with

room. Chivers remained standing by the chimney until his stiffened smile gave way under the working of his writhing lips; then he turned to the bar, p

be no longer traced. Since the recent robberies, the local express companies and bankers had refused to receive it, except the owners were known and identified. There had been but one box of coin, which had already been speedily divided up among the band. Drafts, bills, bonds, and valuable papers had been usually intrusted to one "Charley," who acted as a flying messenger to a corrupt broker in Sacramento, who played the role of the band's "fence." It had been the duty of Chivers to control this delicate business, even as it had been his peculiar function to open all the letters and documents. This he had always lightened by characteristic levity and sarcastic comments on the private revelations of the contents. The rough, ill-spelt letter of the miner to his wife, inclosing a

hing to do," growled Fr

anded Chiv

the sky that any scout can see,

ers contemptuously, "and the man who could see that glar

e tied up-that Collinson-allows he wa

ted Chivers. "You

urned French Pete; "he said

owards the door; one or two rose to their feet as if to follow, but Riggs stopped them peremptorily.

of his revolver, Chivers stepped into the open air. Collinson had been moved to the shelter of an overhang of the roof, probably more for the comfort of th

depriving US of the pleasure of your company, and YOU of your absolute freedom; but may

ground, Chivers could see that Collinson's face wor

her they came crawling along the road from the valley, or dropped down upon you like them rocks from the grade; yere they are, and it's your duty, ez long ez you keep this yer house for your wife in trust, so to speak, for wanderers.' And I ain't forgettin' yer ginerel soft style and easy gait with me when you kem here. It ain't every man as could walk into another man's house arter the owner of it had grabbed a gun, ez soft-speakin', ez overlookin', and ez perlite ez you. I've acted mighty rough and low-down, a

nown and immeasurable power! He had no pity for man who trusted him; he had no sense of shame in taking advantage of it; he even felt an intellectual superiority in this want of sagacity in his dupe; but he still felt in some way defeated, insulted, shocked, and frightened. At first, like all scoundrels, he had measured the man by himself; was suspicious and prepared for rivalry; but the grave truthfulness of Collinson's eyes left him helpless.

ur friend. You understand,-your friend. Don't talk much to those men-don't give yourself away to them;" he laughed this time in absolute natural embarrassment. "Don't talk about your wife, and this house, but just say you've made the thing up with me,-with ME, you know, and I'll see you through." An ide

n to yer offer, too, and mebbee made yer one myself, for it seems to me your style and mine would sorter jibe together. But I see you sabe what's in my mind, and make allowance.

d gravely down into the bleared eyes of his captor, and held out his strong right hand. Chivers took it. Whether there was some occult power in Collinson's honest grasp, I know not; but there sprang up in Chivers's agile mind th