The Girl of the Golden West

he had done much. In all the mining camps of the Sierras the mere mention of the name of Ramerrez brought forth execrations. Not a stage s

at camp, had been attacked and the passengers forced to surrender their money and valuables. Under no circumstances, however, were any of Ramerrez's own countrymen molested. If, by any c

to show his chivalry, since few women were living, at that time, in the Sierras. Nevertheless, it happened in rare instances that a stage was held up which contained one or two of them, and they were never known to complai

oubt, they followed him through a rude spirit of loyalty; but after a short time it was because they had found in him all the qualities of a leader of men, one whose plans never miscarried. Fully two-thirds of the present band were vassals, as it were, in his family, while all were of Spanish or Mexican descent. In truth, Ramerrez himself was the only one among them who had any gringo blood in his veins. And hence not a tal

ible to forget her, for she had stirred some depth in him, the existence of which he had never before suspected. He was haunted by the thought of her attractive face, her blue eyes and merry, contagious laugh. For the hundredth time he recalled his feelings on that glorious day when he had intercepted her on the great highway. And with this memory would come a sudden shame of himself and occupation,-a realisation of the barrier which he had deliberately put between the present and the past. Up to the hour when he had parted from her, and had remained spellbound, seated on his horse at the fork of the roads, watching the vanishing coach up to the last minute, he was still a Spanish gentleman, still w

of a carefully matured plan. A prime factor in Ramerrez' success had from the first been the information which he was able to obtain from the Mexicans, not connected with his band, concerning the places that the miners used as temporary depositories for their gold; and it wa

as still an

had for his country-women. Unfortunately, however, in one of his weak moments, he had foolishly permitted himself to become entangled with a Mexican woman-Nina Micheltore?a, by name-whose jealous nature now threatened to prove a serious handicap to him. It was a particularly awkward situation in which he found himself placed, inasmuch as this woman had furnished him with much valuable in

ad to be encountered, deterred them from bringing their wives and daughters. But with the Mexicans it was wholly different. The number of women in their camps almost equalled that of the men, and the former could always be seen, whenever the weather permitted, strolling a

sent them off to enjoy themselves for the night with their friends. For, Ramerrez, although exercising restraint over his band, never failed to see to it that they had their pleasures as well as their

eption of an occasional coatless man in a red or blue shirt, they wore faded, old, black coats,-frequently frock-coats, at that,-which certainly contrasted unfavourably, at least so far as heightening the gaiety of the scene was concerned, with the green velvet jackets, brilliant waistcoats with gold filigree and silver buttons and re

ounding the dancers, clapping their hands and shouting their applause. In order to see if the woman he sought was present, it was necessary for Ramerrez to push to the very front of the crowd of lookers-on, where he was not long in observing that nearly

ll from grace had been rapid, though her dissolute career had in no way diminished her beauty. Indeed, her features were well-nigh perfect, her skin transparently clear, if dark, and her form was suppleness itself as she danced. And that s

t was a green sash; while her jet-black hair was fastened with a crimson ribbon. Diamonds flashed from the earrings in her ears as well as from the rings on h

p down in her heart she was conscious that he was not as thoroughly under the sway of her dark eyes as she would have wished. Something had happened in the last few weeks that had brought about a change in him, but just what it was she was unable to determine. There were moments when she saw plainly that he was much more occupied with his daring plans than he was with thoughts of her. So far, it was true, there had been no evidences on his part of any hesitation in confiding his schemes to her. Of that she was positive. But, on the other hand, she had undoubtedly lost some of her influence over him. It did not lessen her nervousness to realise that he had been in the hall for some time without making any effort to see her. Besides, the appointment had been of h

was tanned to the colour of old leather, sufficiently so as to be noticeable even in a country where all faces were tanned, swarthy, and dark. One would have thought that this big, heavy, but extremely-active man whose clothes, notwithstanding the wear and tear of the road, were plainly cut on "'Frisco patterns," was precisely the person calculated to make an impression upon a woman like Nina Micheltore?a; and, yet, oddly en

y. To such a woman the outlaw's neglect could mean but one thing-another woman. And, finally, unable to control

" she demanded, jealousy and ungovernab

u," replied the other with

one, every inflection of his voice! I saw how he looked at you!" And so crazed was she by jealousy that her

oman laughe

way from me then-if y

iated Nina drew a

you'll not see h

ed fire at him; another, and submissive to his will, she slipped the knife somewhere in the folds of her dress and the attention that s

na," he said, taking her to one

r woman would have been able to dete

ind me when there is dancing." And then with a significant smile: "But perhaps ther

ief in the truth of her words;

, immediately, a bottle and two glasses were placed before them. When they had pledged each other, Ramerrez went on to say, in a low voice, that he had made the appointment in order to deliver to her her

no movement to pick up the gold; whereu

r sh

t her, she made her way over to the bar where she handed it to the Mexican in charge with

he now asked. "Why did you not come to my roo

; no one was paying the slightest attention to them and

m wh

as if she would ferret out his innermost thoughts;

ghly trusted. The woman yo

once before," was h

h, but there was still that cold, abstracted manner of his to be explained.

ka Saloon-the raid on

oyance crossed

o give that up-at

n she spoke there was a suspicious gle

right-it will no

n. "But the real reason is, that I h

n's eyes

going a

es

out me? Do I

laughed

eing the change that came over her face he went on in more conciliatory tones: "Now, Nin

, scowling darkly upon him. And for the moment she lo

answer, she

hat you would l

an fl

once? What a m

never m

e so-at t

on't love m

made no

determine upon the best course to pursue. At length she decided to ma

nd putting her face close to his, her eyes the while flood

shook h

, all tha

t her lips w

you to-night? Is there anything wrong with my be

N

t come? You

the least, but I wo

S

rd. For a while she seemed to be reflecting

than give you up to any other woman I will giv

unmoved by her threat. "We've been good pals, N

vinced she became that, for some reason or other, Ramerrez had been deceiving her. It was made all the more clear to her when she recalled that when Ramerrez' messenger had brought his master's message that she was to meet him, she had asked where the band's next rendezvous was to be, and that he, knowing full well that his countrywoman had ever been cognizant of his master's plans, had freely given the desired information. Like a flash it came to her now that no such meeting-place would have been selected for any under

s with her would not be opposed. Ever a keen judge of men and their ways, she was well aware that any effort to reclaim him to-night

nything happens, remember you

he had indeed obtained his release far easier than he had deemed it possible. As a matter of fact, h

well? We part

th well-simulated su

iends. Good luck, amigo!" And

his band remained in the dance-hall, Nina, her face set and pale, exchanged a few whispered wo

gical; the man could not suppres

herself in a crowd of her own countrymen. "She will tell where I can put my hands on this Ramerrez. Bah! It's too good

ent, was nearer than ever before to the

heir horses, for the man whom they recognised so quickly, the individual who saved the situation, as it were, was none other than Jose Castro, an ex-padrona of the bull-fights and the second in command to Ramerrez. He was a wiry, hard-faced and shifty-eyed Mexican, but was as thoroughly devoted to Ramerrez as he had been to the young leader's father. On the other hand, the man who had caused them to fear that a stranger had surprised them, and that they had been trapped, was Ramerrez or Johnson-the name that he had assumed for the dangerous work he was about to engage in-and they had failed to know him, dressed as he was in the very latest fashion prevailing among the Americans in Sacramento in '49. Nor was it to be wondered at

time that their leader had so startled them by his strange appearance, the outlaws were ready to take the trail for Cloudy Mountain. One comprehensive glance the pseudo-American-and he certainly looked the part-shot at his picturesque, if rough-looking followers, not a few of whom showed red bandannas under their sombreros or around their necks-and then

pass where it had been arranged that the band should await further instructions, none going on further save the two leaders. Here, saddle-girths and guns were inspected, the last orders given, and with

et some time before sunset. Presently, he made a sign to Castro to take the lead, for he had never been in this locality before, and was relying on h

es, reached a place where the trees had thinned out and were replaced by the few scrubs that grew in a spot almost bar

after range as far as the eye could see to the northwest; in the opposite direction there stood out against the steel-blue of the sky a succession of wooded peaks ever rising higher and higher u

he fleecy cumuli gathered in the upper heavens of the east and changed them from pearl to brilliant scarlet. For a moment, also,

d of a group of miners' cabins set among pines, firs and manzaneta bushes with two larger pine-slab buildings, and scattered around in various places were shafts, whose crude timber-hoists appeare

e, here and there a light twinkled out from the cabins and, presently, a much stronger illumination shot forth

ight is The Polka Saloon!" For even as he spoke the powerful kerosene lamp of The Polka Saloon, flanked by a com

e steps and porch of which were held up by poles made of trees. There, also, a light could be seen, but dimly. It was a strange place for anyone to erect a dwelling-place, and he found himself wondering what manner of

he were hypnotised by it and, in a vague, shadowy way, he had a sense of being connected, somehow, with the little cabin and its recluse. Was this feeling that he had a premonition of danger? Was this a moment of f

ed hard to glimpse it, but it was gone. And with a supreme effort he wrench

t, for which he had been waiting, had fallen, he called to the impat

th his purpose. As a matter of fact he was already listening intently to the bursts of song and shouts of revelry that came every now and then from the nearby saloon. But his master, unaccountably under the sp