ver the new invasion.

"Gorra'mighty!" he ejaculated, flourishing his staff about excitedly,
"d'je mind them same w'at's tuk et inter the'r heads to invade our
sancty sanctorum, up yander? Howly saints frum ther cullender! We
shall be built up inter an entire city 'twixt this an' sunset, ef ther
population n' sect becum enny more numersome. Thars a full fifty o'
them sharks, more or less--consider'bly more o' less than less o'
more--an' ef we hain't got ter hold a full hand in order ta clean 'em
out, why, ye can call me a cross-eyed, hair lipped hyeeny, that's
all."

Redburn uttered an ejaculation as he saw the swarm of invaders that
was perhaps more forcible than polite.

He did not like the looks of things at all. If Ned Harris were only
here, he thought, he could throw the responsibility all off on his
shoulders. But he was not; neither had he been seen or heard of since
he had quitted the valley over a month ago. Where he was staying all
this time was a problem that no one could solve--no one among our
three friends.

The "General" had made inquiries in Deadwood, but elicited no
information concerning the young miner. He had dropped entirely out of
the magic city's notice, and might be dead or dying in some foreign
clime, for all they knew. Anita worried and grew sadder each day at
his non-return; it seemed to her that he was in distress, or worse,
perhaps--dead. He had never stayed away so long before, she said,
always returning from his trips every few days. What, then, could now
be the reason of his prolonged absence?

Redburn foresaw trouble in the intrusion of the road-agents and
Fearless Frank, although he knew not the character or calling of the
former, and he resolved to make one bold stroke in defense of the
mines.

"Go to the quartz mines as quickly as you can!" he said, addressing
Nix, "and call every man to his arms. Then rally them out here, where
I will be waiting with the remainder of our forces, and we will see
what can be done. If it is to be a fight for our rights, a desperate
fight it shall be."

The "General" hurried off with as much alacrity as was possible, with
him, toward the quartz mine, while Redburn likewise made haste to
visit the shaft and collect together his handful of men.

He passed the cabin on the way, and, seeing Anita seated in the
doorway, he came to a momentary halt.

"You had better go inside and lock the doors and windows behind you,"
he said, advisingly. "There