has given you?"

"My jewels! No; they are safe in their case; locked up in my room, of
which I've the key with me. As for Luis's gold, he hasn't much of that.
All the money he possesses--quite fifty thousand dollars, I believe--is
in silver. I wondered at his bringing it out here in that heavy shape,
for it made a whole waggon-load of itself. He's told me the reason,
however; which is, that among Indians and others out here on the
frontier, gold is not thought so much of as silver."

"It can't be silver Fernand is stealing--if theft it be. He would look
more loaded, and couldn't have gone so lightly over that wall."

"Indeed, as you say, he went skipping over it like a grasshopper."

"Rather say gliding like a snake. I never saw a man whose movements
more resembled the Devil in serpent shape--except one."

The thought of this one, who is Richard Darke, causes Helen Armstrong to
suspend speech; at the same time evoking a sigh to the memory of another
one--Charles Clancy.

"Shall we return into the house?" asks Jessie, after a pause.

"For what purpose?"

"To tell Luis of what we've seen; to warn him about Fernand."

"If we did the warning would be unheeded. I fear Monsieur Dupre will
remain unconvinced of any intended treachery in his trusted servant,
until something unpleasant occur; it may be something disastrous. After
all, you and I, Jess, have only our suspicions, and may be wronging the
fellow. Suppose we stay a little longer, and see what comes of it. No
doubt, he'll soon return from his mysterious promenade, and by
remaining, we may find out what he's been after. Shall we wait for him?
You're not afraid, are you?"

"A little, I confess. Do you know, Helen, this Fernand gives me the
same sort of feeling I had at meeting that big fellow in the streets of
Natchitoches. At times he glares at me just in the same way. And yet
the two are so different."

"Well, since no harm came of your Nachitoches bogie, it's to be hoped
there won't any from this one. If you have any fear to stay, let us go
in. Only my curiosity is greatly excited by what we've seen, and I'd
like to know the end of it. If we don't discover anything, it can do no
harm. And if we do--say; shall we go, or try?"

"I'm not afraid now. You make me brave, sister. Besides, we may find
out something Luis ought to know."

"Then let us stay."

Having resolved to await the coming back of the half-blood, and watch
his further m