glibly. It was to this effect: They had
met the Chinaman, who induced them to accompany him to the cabin where
his master lay sick. From motives of compassion they assented. When they
reached the cabin they were set upon by the combined party, their horses
were taken from them, they were tied to trees, where they were kept in
great pain all night, and in the morning stripped of the greater part of
their money and sent adrift.

It will be seen that the story did not entirely deviate from fact, and
was very artfully framed to excite sympathy for the narrator and
indignation against the perpetrators of the supposed outrage. Tom
Hadley, who had not the prolific imagination of his comrade, listened in
open-mouthed wonder to the fanciful tale, but did not offer to
corroborate it in his usual manner.

The tale was so glibly told that it carried conviction to the minds of
most of those present, and a storm of indignation arose.

"Let's have 'em out! let's hang 'em up!" exclaimed one impetuous miner.

Others echoed the cry, and the company of miners in stern phalanx
marched to the hotel, where, unconscious of the impending peril, our
friends were resting after the day's fatigue.

We have already described the manner in which Jim Brown burst in upon
them with the startling charge that they were horse-thieves.

Of course all were startled except Ki Sing, who did not fully comprehend
the situation.

Richard Dewey was the first to speak. "What do you mean," he said,
sternly, "by this preposterous charge?"

"You'll find out soon enough," said the landlord, nodding significantly.
"Jest you file out of that door pretty quick. There's some of us want to
see you."

"What does all this mean?" asked Dewey, turning to Jake Bradley.

"I don't know," answered Bradley. "It looks like a conspiracy."

The party filed out, and were confronted by some thirty or forty
black-bearded, stern-faced men, who had tried and condemned them in
advance of their appearance.

Richard Dewey glanced at the faces before him, and his spirit sank
within him. He had been present at a similar scene before--a scene which
had terminated in a tragedy--and he knew how swift and relentless those
men could be. Who could have made such a charge he did not yet know,
but, innocent as he and his companions were, he knew that their word
would not be taken, and the mistake might lead to death. But he was not
a man to quail or blanch.

"Hoss-thieves! string 'em up