rrupted, suddenly, leaping to his feet; "they say
the devil's couriers are ever around when you are talking of them.
Look! invaders already."

He pointed toward the east, where the passage led out of the valley
into the gorge beyond.

Out of this passage two persons on horseback had just issued, and now
they came to a halt, evidently surprised at the scene which lay spread
out before them.

No sooner did the "General" clap his eyes on the pair than he uttered
a cry of astonishment, mingled with joy.

"It's thet scarlet chap, Fearless Frank!" he announced, hopping about
like a pig on a hot griddle "w'at I war tellin' ye about; the same
cuss w'at desarted Charity Joe's train, ter look fer sum critter w'at
war screechin' fer help. I went wi' the lad fer a ways, but my jackass
harpened to be more or less indispositioned--consider'bly more o' less
than less o' more--an' so I made up my mind not ter continny his
route. Ther last I see'd o' the lad he disappeared over sum kind o' a
precypice, an' calkylatin' as how he war done fer, I rej'ined Charity
Joseph, ar' kim on."

"He has a female in his company!" said Redburn, watching the new-comer
keenly.

"Yas, peers to me he has, an' et's more or less likely that et's the
same critter he went to resky w'en he left Charity Joe's train!"

"What about him? We do not want him here; to let him return to
Deadwood after what he has seen would be certain death to our
interests."

"Yas, thar's more or less truth in them words o' yours,
b'yee--consider'bly more o' less than less o' more. He ken't go back
now, nohow we kin fix et. He's a right peart sort o' a kid, an' I
think ef we was ter guv him a job, or talk reeson'ble ter him, thet
he'd consent to do the squar' thing by us."

Redburn frowned.

"He'll have to remain for a certain time, whether he wants to or not,"
he muttered, more savage than usual. It looked to him as if this was
to be the signal of a general invasion. "Come! let's go and see what
we can do."

They left the foothills, clambered down into the valley and worked
their way toward where Fearless Frank and his companion sat in
waiting.

As they did so, headed by a figure in black, who wore a mask as did
all the rest, a band of horsemen rode out of the fissure into the
valley. One glance and we recognize Deadwood Dick, Prince of the Road,
and his band of road-agents!

CHAPTER XII.

MAKING TERMS ALL AROUND.

Old General Nix was the first to disco