ell us," said
the captain.

"Disarm him then for he is a tricky devil."

"Captain Denham, will you permit that boy to cover me with his revolver
and hurl insult upon me?" cried the guide.

"As you will not do as I ask I will do it myself," and Billy rode up to
the guide, still holding his cocked revolver upon him, and deliberately
took from his belt his revolvers and knife.

"You are so sly, so soft in your cunning, Velvet, that I'll be on the
safe side," said Billy with a smile, as he felt over the man for another
weapon.

"Ah! I'll take this Derringer from your breast pocket," and out he drew
the concealed weapon.

"Now, captain, I'll introduce to you Red Reid, the Renegade Chief."

All were astonished at this charge made by Billy against the guide, for
Red Reid was one of the vilest road-agents that infested the overland
trails to the West, and had robbed and murdered many a train of
emigrants, and of Government supplies.

He was known also to be in league with the red-skins, and had them for
allies, when his own force of renegades was not large enough to make a
successful attack.

"He lies! I am not that monster," shouted the guide as white as a
corpse.

"I do not lie, sir; from the first I did not like you, and knowing that
you were going off the regular trail west I watched you.

"I have seen you, at night, slip out of camp and meet Indians, and last
night I followed the one you met.

"I overtook him on the prairies, after a hard chase, and he shot my
horse; but I shot him and found he was a white man in Indian disguise,
and more, before he died he recognized me, for he was once my father's
friend, but went to the bad.

"He told me who and what you were, and when he died to-day I mounted his
horse and came on after the train, for I knew you were going to lead
them here to attack this very night with your band that is not far
away."

The story of Billy made a deep impression upon the train people, and
the result was that Roy Velvet was seized, bound, and hanged to a tree
within fifteen minutes, and the boy who had saved them from death was
made chief guide.

At once he led them out of the dangerous locality where they could be
ambushed and attacked, and the truth of the charge against Roy Velvet
was sustained by the attack of the supposed Indians upon their camp;
for, when driven off and the dead examined, a number of white men were
found in the red paint and dress of Indian warriors.

Withou