pe. We will
have to get tools, though, before we can accomplish much of anything."

"My brother has a miner's outfit here," said Anita. "That will save
you a trip to Deadwood, for the present."

And so it was all satisfactorily arranged. During the remainder of the
day the old "General" and Redburn wandered about through the
flower-meadows of the pocket, here and there examining a little soil
now chipping rock among the rugged foothills, then "feeling" in the
bed of the creek. But, not a sign of anything like gold was to be
found, and when night called them to shelter, Redburn was pretty
thoroughly convinced that Nix was an enormous "sell," and that he
could put all the gold they would find in his eye. The "General,"
however, was confident of success, and told many doubtful yarns of
former discoveries and exploits.

Anita prepared an evening meal that was both tempting and sumptuous,
and all satisfied their appetites after which Harry took down the
guitar, suspended from the wall, tuned it up, and sung in a clear
mellow voice a number of ballads, to which the "General," much to the
surprise of both Redburn and Anita, lent a rich deep bass--a voice of
superior culture.

The closing piece was a weird melody--the lament of a heart that was
broken, love-blasted--and was rendered in a style worthy of a
professional vocalist. The last mournful strains filled the cabin just
as the last lingering rays of sunlight disappeared from the mountain
top, and shadows came creeping down the rugged walls of rock to
concentrate in the Flower Pocket, as Anita had named her valley home.
Redburn rose from his seat at the window, and reached the instrument
to its accustomed shelf, darting a glance toward sad Anita, a moment
later. To his surprise he perceived that her head was bowed upon her
arm that lay along the window-ledge--that she was weeping, softly, to
herself.

Acting the gentlemanly part, the young miner motioned for Nix to
follow him, and they both retired to the outside of the cabin to
lounge on the grass and smoke, and thus Anita was left alone with her
grief and such troubles as were the causes thereof.

Certain it was that she had a secret, but what it was Redburn could
not guess.

About ten o'clock he and Nix re-entered the cabin and went to bed in a
room allotted to them, off from the little parlor. Both went to sleep
at once, and it was well along toward morning when Redburn was aroused
by being rudely shaken by "G