are invaders in the gulch, and we must try
and effect a settlement with them; so it is not desirable that they
should see you."

"You are not going to fight them?"

"Yes, if they will not come to reasonable terms which I shall name.
Why?"

"Oh! don't fight. You will get killed."

"Humph! what of that? Who would care if I were killed?"

"I would, for one, Mr. Redburn."

The miner's heart gave a great bound, and he gazed into the pure white
face of the girl, passionately. Was it possible that she had in her
heart anything akin to love, for _him_? Already be had conceived a
passing fancy for her, which might ripen into love, in time.

"Thanks!" he said, catching up her hand and pressing it to his lips.
"Those words, few as they are, make me happy, Miss Anita. But, stop! I
must away. Go inside, and keep shady until you see me again;" and so
saying he hurried on.

In ten minutes' time two score of brawny, half-dressed Utes were
rallied in the valley, and Redburn was at their head, accompanied by
the "General."

"I will now go forward and hold parley," said Harry, as he wrapped a
kerchief about the muzzle of his rifle-barrel. "If you see me fall,
you can calculate that it's about time for you to sling in a chunk of
your lip."

He had fallen into the habit of talking in an illiterate fashion,
since his association with the "General."

"All right," assented the old locater; "ef they try ter salt ye, jes'
giv' a squawk, an' we'll cum a-tearin' down ter yer resky at ther rate
o' forty hours a mile, more or less--consider'bly more o' less than
less o' more."

Redburn buckled his belt a hole tighter, looked to his two revolvers,
and set out on his mission.

The road-agents had, in the mean time, circled off to the right of the
fissure, and formed into a compact body, where they halted and watched
the rallying of the savages in the valley.

Fearless Frank and his lovely companion remained where they had first
halted, awaiting developments. They had stumbled into Paradise and
were both surprised and bewildered.

Redburn approached them first. He was at loss how to open the confab,
but the Scarlet Boy saved him the trouble.

"I presume I see in you one of the representatives of this concern,"
he said, doffing his hat and showing his pearly teeth in a little
smile, as the miner came up.

"You do," replied Redburn, bowing stiffly. "I am an owner or partner
in this mining enterprise, which, until your sudden adven