nds and myself."

"I will take care of you," said Roldan, proudly, anxious to rout the
memory of his recent humiliation. "But come." And Rafael, too weary and
bewildered to resent the authority of his erst-while rival, trudged
obediently in the rear.

"It grows colder," said Adan, significantly.

"Yes," said Roldan. "We near the mountains."

Adan stopped. "Is it the mountains again?" he asked. "If it is, then I,
for one, prefer the priest."

"The mountains never scared you half as badly as the priest did," said
Roldan, cruelly. "And to say nothing of the fact that we need never get
lost in the mountains again, the embrace of a grizzly would be no
harder and more death-sure than one in the great arms of that fiend
that wears a cassock."

"True. You are always right. But promise that whatever happens you will
not lead us into the Sierras."

"I promise," said Roldan, much flattered by this unconscious tribute to
his leadership.

"Do you think that priest is really a devil?" asked Rafael, in an
awestruck voice.

"When a man has insulted you, you do not know what you think of him,"
said Roldan, flushing hotly. "If he only were not a priest I'd fight
him, big as he is. But at least I can outwit him. It consoles me to
think of his fury when he goes to the cave and finds us gone."

"We'd better get out of this tunnel before we talk about having the
best of the priest," said Adan. "Suppose he returns to kill us
himself--"

"He will not return until to-morrow. Then he will have repented. He
will promise to let us go free if we keep his secret. But he will not
have that satisfaction, my friends. Yesterday he had a friend in Roldan
Castanada; I would have done anything for him, gladly kept his secret.
But to-day he has an enemy that he will do well to fear. A Spaniard
never forgets an insult."

"What shall you do?" asked Rafael, eagerly. "Expose him?"

"No, I do nothing mean. But I proclaim at Los Angeles that gold has
been discovered in the Californias, and in six days the hills will
swarm, and the priest in his cell will gnash his teeth."

"Ay!" exclaimed Adan. "Do you feel that?"

An icy blast swept down the tunnel, roughening skin and shortening
breath. A few moments later the low rhythm as of distant water came to
their ears. Roldan and Adan recognised that familiar music, and set
their teeth.

"And I prayed that I might never see another redwood," muttered Adan,
crossing himself.

The tunnel stopped ab