he place
was exactly as Joan had left it.

Kells held Joan a second, as if he meant to embrace her, but he did not.
"Lord, it's good to see you! I never expected to again.... But you
can tell me all about yourself after you rest.... I was just having
breakfast. I'll fetch you some."

"Were you alone here?" asked Joan.

"Yes. I was with Bate and Handy--"

"Hey, Kells!" roared the gang, from the outer room.

Kells held aside the blanket curtain so that Joan was able to see
through the door. The men were drawn up in a half-circle round the
table, upon which were the bags of gold.

Kells whistled low. "Joan, there'll be trouble now," he said, "but don't
you fear. I'll not forget you."

Despite his undoubted sincerity Joan felt a subtle change in him, and
that, coupled with the significance of his words, brought a return of
the strange dread. Kells went out and dropped the curtain behind him.
Joan listened.

"Share and share alike!" boomed the giant Gulden.

"Say!" called Kells, gaily, "aren't you fellows going to eat first?"

Shouts of derision greeted his sally.

"I'll eat gold-dust," added Budd.

"Have it your own way, men," responded Kells. "Blicky, get the scales
down off of that shelf.... Say, I'll bet anybody I'll have the most dust
by sundown."

More shouts of derision were flung at him.

"Who wants to gamble now?"

"Boss, I'll take thet bet."

"Haw! Haw! You won't look so bright by sundown."

Then followed a moment's silence, presently broken by a clink of metal
on the table.

"Boss, how'd you ever git wind of this big shipment of gold?" asked
Jesse Smith.

"I've had it spotted. But Handy Oliver was the scout."

"We'll shore drink to Handy!" exclaimed one of the bandits.

"An' who was sendin' out this shipment?" queried the curious Smith.
"Them bags are marked all the same."

"It was a one-man shipment," replied Kells. "Sent out by the boss miner
of Alder Creek. They call him Overland something."

That name brought Joan to her feet with a thrilling fire. Her uncle, old
Bill Hoadley, was called "Overland." Was it possible that the bandits
meant him? It could hardly be; that name was a common one in the
mountains.

"Shore, I seen Overland lots of times," said Budd. "An' he got wise to
my watchin' him."

"Somebody tipped it off that the Legion was after his gold," went on
Kells. "I suppose we have Pearce to thank for that. But it worked out
well for us. The hell we raised there at the