ppose I may return it to
you."

"By no means! Don't trouble yourself! Pray allow me to still remain
your debtor,--at least as far as the next station," said the lawyer
gallantly.

The lady uttered a languid sigh, sank back in her seat, and calmly
settled herself to the perusal of her book. Key felt his cheeks
beginning to burn with the embarrassment and shame of his evident
misconception. And here he was on his way to Marysville, to follow a
woman for whom he felt he no longer cared, and for whose pursuit he had
no longer the excuse of justice.

"Then I understand that you have twice seen these road agents," said
the professional man, turning to the miner. "Of course, you could be
able to identify them?"

"Nary a man! You see they're all masked, and only one of 'em ever
speaks."

"The leader or chief?"

"No, the orator."

"The orator?" repeated the professional man in amazement.

"Well, you see, I call him the orator, for he's mighty glib with his
tongue, and reels off all he has to say like as if he had it by heart.
He's mighty rough on you, too, sometimes, for all his high-toned style.
Ef he thinks a man is hidin' anything he jest scalps him with his
tongue, and blamed if I don't think he likes the chance of doin' it.
He's got a regular set speech, and he's bound to go through it all,
even if he makes everything wait, and runs the risk of capture. Yet he
ain't the chief,--and even I've heard folks say ain't got any
responsibility if he is took, for he don't tech anybody or anybody's
money, and couldn't be prosecuted. I reckon he's some sort of a
broken-down lawyer--d'ye see?"

"Not much of a lawyer, I imagine," said the professional man, smiling,
"for he'll find himself quite mistaken as to his share of
responsibility. But it's a rather clever way of concealing the
identity of the real leader."

"It's the smartest gang that was ever started in the Sierras. They
fooled the sheriff of Sierra the other day. They gave him a sort of
idea that they had a kind of hidin'-place in the woods whar they met
and kept their booty, and, by jinks! he goes down thar with his hull
posse,--just spilin' for a fight,--and only lights upon a gang of
innocent greenhorns, who were boring for silver on the very spot where
he allowed the robbers had their den! He ain't held up his head since."

Key cast a quick glance at the lady to see the effect of this
revelation. But her face--if the same profile he had seen at