forty year ago. Fer weapins we is 'bout equal. Now I
figgers this way; it will take us 'bout a week to learn what we has
gotter learn 'bout the coast beyond those hills afore we takes chances
on crossin' 'em. We can git this information at th' same time we is
doin' what we can to locate th' girl, though I ain't reckonin' on
seein' her till we reaches th' lake. We can pick up our outfit and our
grub at th' same time."

Wilson broke in.

"I don't like the scheme, Stubbs. I want to get to work and find the
girl before she gets over the hills. It's too hard a trip for her--it
might kill her. She's weak now, but that brute wouldn't care. If----"

"Slow! Slow, m' son. Yer blood is hot, but sometimes th' short course
is th' longest. If we wastes a week doin' nothin' but thet, we wastes
another perhaps arter we had found they has started. If we makes
ourselves sure of our course to th' treasure, we makes sure of our
course to th' girl. Thet is th' only _sure_ thing, an' when ye've gut
big things at stake it's better ter be sure than quick."

"I suppose you are right."

"'Nother thing, m' son, 'cordin' to my notions this ain't goin' ter be
a partic'laly healthy place fer 'Mericans in a day er two. Now thet
they have bamboozled the Queen (an' she herself is as squar' a little
woman as ever lived) inter gittin' Danbury outer th' city, an' now
thet the fight is won fer 'em, an' now thet th' boys we brought is
about ter raise hell (as they certainly is), Otaballo ain't goneter be
squeamish 'bout removin' quiet like and safe everyone who bothers him.
In three days we might not be able to git out long 'nuff to git
tergether an outfit er ask any questions. There's a whole lot 'bout
thet map o' yourn thet we wanter understan' afore we starts, as I
looks at it."

"There is some sense in that."

"It's a simple proposition; does ye want ter gamble on losin' both
chances fer th' sake of savin' a week, or does yer wanter make sure of
one fer the double treasure--gold and girl?"

"I'd give every penny of the treasure to get the girl in my grip once
again."

"Ye've gotter git yer treasure fust afore ye can even do thet."

"I know it. I'm powerless as things are. If there is a treasure there
and we can get it, we'll have something to work with. If I had the
money now, I'd have fifty men on his track, and I'd post a hundred
along the trail to the lake to intercept him."

"If ye'd had the treasure, likely 'nuff ye wouldn't have sta