packed I'll overtake
you on the horse."

A little more satisfied, although still wondering and perplexed,
Demorest shouldered one rifle, and with Barker, who was carrying the
other, followed the muleteer and his equipage down the trail. For a
while he was a little ashamed of his part in this unusual spectacle of
two armed men convoying a laden mule in broad daylight, but, luckily,
it was too early for the Bar miners to be going to work, and as the
tunnelmen were now at breakfast the trail was free of wayfarers. At the
point where it crossed the main road Demorest, however, saw Steptoe
and Whiskey Dick emerge from the thicket, apparently in earnest
conversation. Demorest felt his repugnance and half-restrained
suspicions suddenly return. Yet he did not wish to betray them before
Barker, nor was he willing, in case of an emergency, to allow the young
man to be entirely unprepared. Calling him to follow, he ran quickly
ahead of the laden mule, and was relieved to find that, looking
back, his companion had brought his rifle to a "ready," through some
instinctive feeling of defense. As Steptoe and Whiskey Dick, a moment
later discovering them, were evidently surprised, there seemed, however,
to be no reason for fearing an outbreak. Suddenly, at a whisper from
Steptoe, he and Whiskey Dick both threw up their hands, and stood
still on the trail a few yards from them in a burlesque of the usual
recognized attitude of helplessness, while a hoarse laugh broke from
Steptoe.

"D----d if we didn't think you were road-agents! But we see you're only
guarding your treasure. Rather fancy style for Heavy Tree Hill, ain't
it? Things must be gettin' rough up thar to hev to take out your guns
like that!"

Demorest had looked keenly at the four hands thus exhibited, and was
more concerned that they bore no trace of wounds or mutilation than at
the insult of the speech, particularly as he had a distinct impression
that the action was intended to show him the futility of his suspicions.

"I am glad to see that if you haven't any arms in your hands you're not
incapable of handling them," said Demorest coolly, as he passed by them
and again fell into the rear of the muleteer.

But Barker had thought the incident very funny, and laughed effusively
at Whiskey Dick. "I didn't know that Steptoe was up to that kind of
fun," he said, "and I suppose we DID look rather rough with these guns
as we ran on ahead of the mule. But then you know that wh