ard
work of diggin' gold. Gold is hard to dig, easy to lose, an' easy to get
from some other feller. I see the signs of a comin' strike somewhere in
this region. Mebbe it's on now. There's thousands of prospectors in twos
an' threes an' groups, out in the hills all over. They ain't a-goin' to
tell when they do make a strike. But the gold must be brought out. An'
gold is heavy. It ain't easy hid. Thet's how strikes are discovered. I
shore reckon thet this year will beat '49 an' '51. An' fer two reasons.
There's a steady stream of broken an' disappointed gold-seekers
back-trailin' from California. There's a bigger stream of hopeful an'
crazy fortune hunters travelin' in from the East. Then there's the
wimmen an' gamblers an' such thet hang on. An' last the men thet the
war is drivin' out here. Whenever an' wherever these streams meet, if
there's a big gold strike, there'll be the hellishest time the world
ever saw!"

"Boys," said Kells, with a ring in his weak voice, "it'll be a harvest
for my Border Legion."

"Fer what?" queried Bate Wood, curiously.

All the others except Gulden turned inquiring and interested faces
toward the bandit.

"The Border Legion," replied Kells.

"An' what's that?" asked Red Pearce, bluntly.

"Well, if the time's ripe for the great gold fever you say is coming,
then it's ripe for the greatest band ever organized. I'll organize. I'll
call it the Border Legion."

"Count me in as right-hand, pard," replied Red, with enthusiasm.

"An' shore me, boss," added Bate Wood.

The idea was received vociferously, at which demonstration the giant
Gulden raised his massive head and asked, or rather growled, in a heavy
voice what the fuss was about. His query, his roused presence, seemed to
act upon the others, even Kells, with a strange, disquieting or halting
force, as if here was a character or an obstacle to be considered. After
a moment of silence Red Pearce explained the project.

"Huh! Nothing new in that," replied Gulden. "I belonged to one once. It
was in Algiers. They called it the Royal Legion."

"Algiers. What's thet?" asked Bate Wood.

"Africa," replied Gulden.

"Say, Gul, you've been around some," said Red Pearce, admiringly. "What
was the Royal Legion?"

"Nothing but a lot of devils from all over. The border there was the
last place. Every criminal was safe from pursuit."

"What'd you do?"

"Fought among ourselves. Wasn't many in the Legion when I left."

"Shore thet ain't