eared to be more than a dozen men, and by
the dim light he recognized several. They had been drinking, he could
easily tell, and were in a quarrelsome mood, and wrangled with one
another as to what they should do with their captive. One was for
stringing him up to a tree; another was for shooting him; while a third
suggested that they should pitch him head first down one of the
mining-shafts. But Curly would not listen to these propositions, and
gave orders that the prisoner should be taken up the creek in the
direction of Crooked Trail.

"It's safer there," he told them, "an' we don't want our fun spoiled by
the Police."

"There's none in camp to-night," one explained. "They're all off on
the trail."

"An' lucky fer us," Curly replied. "Anyway, let's hustle an' get out
of this."

Reynolds was immediately seized and hurried up the creek. He tried to
think and plan some way of escape. He realised that the situation was
serious, for with Curly, devilish and full of revenge, and at the head
of a band of half-drunken men as reckless as himself, there was no
knowing what he might do. But he was determined to be game, and await
further developments as calmly as possible.

As they moved forward he partly learned from the men's conversation why
they had waylaid him. He found out that Curly had been filling his
companions' minds with gross lies, and now inflamed with impure whiskey
they were willing tools in the hands of their revengeful leader.

CHAPTER XXVIII

HELP FROM THE HILLS

After they had stumbled on for about fifteen minutes Curly called a
halt, and ordered the men to build a fire.

"This is as good a place as any," he told them. "No one will bother us
here to-night, an' that's all we care."

Cursing and grumbling in a maudlin manner, several of the men gathered
a number of sticks, and soon a fire was started. As the flames shot up
Reynolds could see plainly the faces of his captors, and as he watched
them his prospects did not seem very bright. They were men as reckless
as Curly himself, and being half drunk they had lost all sense of
responsibility. They did exactly what their leader commanded,
notwithstanding their incessant complaints. This was exactly what
Curly wanted. He had supplied them with liquor, but had taken little
himself.

When the fire had been lighted, Reynolds was securely tied to a tree
standing near. The rope which bound him was drawn tight and caused him
consi