-second."

That was hint enough. Pride gave way, and Bill Mosely knelt down and cut
the cords which confined Dewey, and the invalid, with a sense of relief,
sat up on his pallet and watched the conference.

"There! are you satisfied?" asked Mosely, sullenly.

"It'll do as far as it goes, Mosely," said Bradley. "I wouldn't advise
you to try any more of them tricks."

He lowered his weapon, and was about to replace it, when Mosely, who had
made a secret sign to his companion, sprang forward simultaneously with
Tom Hadley and seized the intrepid Bradley.

The attack was sudden, and also unexpected, for Bradley had such a
contempt for the prowess of William Mosely that he had not supposed him
capable of planning or carrying out so bold an attack. It must be
admitted that he was taken at disadvantage, and might have been
temporarily overpowered, for Tom Hadley was strong, and Mosely, though a
coward, was nerved by desperation.

Richard Dewey saw his friend's danger, but, unhappily, he had no weapon
at hand.

But help was not long in coming.

Concealed by the walls of the cabin, Ben had heard all that had been
said, and observed the attack upon his comrade.

He did not hesitate a moment, but sprang forward and showed himself at
Bradley's side.

"Let him go, or I'll shoot," he exclaimed in a tone of command, pointing
at Mosely the twin brother of the revolver which Bradley owned.

"Confusion!" ejaculated Mosely, in fresh dismay.

"Let go," repeated Ben, firmly.

Bill Mosely released Bradley, and the latter threw off the grasp of Tom
Hadley.

"Now," said he, as standing side by side with Ben he confronted the two
thieves, "shall we shoot?"

"No, no," said Mosely, nervously.

"Serve you right if we did. So you thought you'd got me, did you? You
didn't know about Ben, there. He ain't half your size, but he's got
twice the courage.--Ben, what shall we do with them?"

Bill Mosely turned toward Ben, anxious to hear what our hero would say.
He was entirely in the power of the two friends, as he realized.

"Serve them as they served Ki Sing," suggested Ben.

"That's a good idea, that is!--Here, you two rascals, trot out here."

Following directions, the two men emerged from the cabin and stood on
one side of the doorway, feeling that they would gladly be in some other
part of California at that precise moment.

"Mosely, do you see that tree?"

"Yes."

"Go to it."

Bill Mosely slowly and unwillingly proc