ide and streaks of white granite on the
other and down into the gorge and strate up four or five
miles where the old seedar broke off and fell acrost. My
god here goes.

"GUS INGLE."

To any man who knew the Sierra hereabouts less intimately than did Mark
King, Gus Ingle's message would have brought only stupefaction. But to
King now, as to Ben Gaynor before him, the "secret" lay bare. Old names
held on; the three Italians had given a name to what was now known as
Italy Gulch. The caves were on a certain fork of the American River
then, and King had approximately the distances and direction.

"What is more," he thought triumphantly, "I know where two caves are in
there. But where the devil is 'Caive thre'?"

* * * * *

Here he started up and thrust the old Bible into his shirt. There were
steps on the porch. Jim and the "judge" were coming----

_Chapter XV_

"It strikes me," said Summerling sarcastically, "that there's mighty
funny goings-on here to-night. I show up to marry one man to a girl and
nex' thing I know I peek in a winder and see----"

"Never mind that," cut in King hastily. "You are going to marry her
after all. Only to another man."

"Meanin' you, Mark?" demanded Jim. On his honest old face was a look of
utter bewilderment; for the life of him he couldn't decide whether he or
every one else had gone crazy.

King flushed under the look, but nodded and managed a calm "Yes, Jim."

Summerling cleared his throat and thereafter scratched his head.

"It's irregular. I told Gratton that. But he said there was--was
extenuatin' circumstances and all that. Hadn't been time for a licence.
It's irregular; don't know as I mightn't get in trouble for it----"

"The marriage would be binding, wouldn't it?" demanded King.

"Sure it would; once I said 'man and wife' nary man could set _that_
aside. But, if any one wanted to get _me_ in bad, seeing there's no
licence--well, it would make trouble with my bondsmen and they'd make
trouble with me."

King silenced the man with a scowl and led him and Jim into the
living-room, closing the door. It was unthinkable that Gloria should
hear a lot of talk about why's and how's. For Gloria, it struck him, had
undergone enough for one day. "Look here," he said to Summerling then,
"either you will or you won't. If you won't, then Miss Gaynor and myself
will go elsewhere. Now, which is it?"

"Gratton promised me a hu