then he whispered:

"I tella you something--you lika the _Maestro_?"

Unconsciously the Girl nodded, which evidently satisfied the Mexican,
for he went on:

"You thinka well of him--yees. Now I tella you something. The man Pedro
'e no good. 'E wisha the reward--the money for Ramerrez. 'E and the
woman--woman no good--tell Meester Ashby they thinka 'im 'ere."

The Girl felt the colour leave her cheeks, though she made a gesture for
him to proceed.

"Pedro not 'ere any longer," smiled the Mexican. "Me senda 'im to the
devil. Serva 'im right."

"An' the woman?" gasped the Girl.

"She gone--got away--Monterey by this time," replied Castro with evident
disappointment. "But Meester Ashby 'e know too much--'ees men everywhere
searched the camp--no safa 'ere now. To-norrow--" Castro stopped short;
the next instant with a joyful gleam in his eyes he cried out:
"_Maestro_!"

"Castro's right, Girl," said Johnson, who had waked and heard the
Mexican's last words; "it is not safe a moment more here, and I must
go."

With a little cry of loving protest the Girl abruptly left the men to
talk over the situation and sought the opposite side of the room. There,
her eyes half-closed and her lips pressed tightly together she gave
herself up to her distressing fears. After a while it was made plain to
her that she was being brought into the conversation, for every now and
then Castro would look curiously at her; at length, as if it had been
determined by them that nothing should be undertaken without her advice,
Johnson, followed by his subordinate, came over to her and related in
detail all the startling information that Castro had brought.

Quietly the Girl listened and, in the end, it was agreed between them
that it would be safer for the men not to leave the cabin together, but
that Castro should go at once with the understanding that he should
procure horses and wait for the master at a given point across the
ravine. It was decided, too, that there was not a moment to be lost in
putting their plan into execution. In consequence, Castro immediately
took his departure.

The hour that passed before the time set for Johnson to leave the cabin
was a most trying one for both of them. It was not so hard on the man,
of course, for he was excited over the prospect of escaping; but the
Girl, whose mind was filled with the dread of what might happen to him,
had nothing to sustain her. Despite his objection, she had stipulated
that