protecting his own beliefs and his own people. I don't know
as I would trust him any further than you, but--he is something of a
pathetic figure, too, Stubbs."

"Huh?"

"Looks to me almost like an exile. I've got more to hate him for than
you have, but I don't very long at a time."

"Ye've got more t' like him for, too; he's doin' his best to git rid
of Sorez fer you. But I says, 'Watch him. Watch him day an'
night--mos' particlarly at night.'"

"But what did he mean by to-morrow? I don't know but what we ought to
let the treasure go and find Sorez first."

"Find Sorez and ye has ter help him; help him and the Priest fixes us
immejiate. Then where's yer girl? No, th' thing for us ter do is ter
git th' treasure first and get it quick. Then we has somethin' ter
work with."

"And if the treasure isn't there?"

"Get the girl an' make a run for home. The Priest won't touch her so
long as he thinks she is jus' bein' fooled. If we joins th' band, he
won't think so an' will kill us all."

"I don't know but what you're right," answered Wilson.

They pushed their tired animals on to the foot of the mountain and,
pausing here just long enough to catch their breath, began the long
ascent. It was no child's play from the first. The path was narrow,
rocky, and steep, blocked by undergrowth and huge boulders, many of
which at a touch became loosened and plunged with a crashing roar down
the slope behind them. With any lesser incentive than that which drove
them on, they would have stopped a dozen times.

Ahead of them loomed the broken crater edge with just below it a
fringe of stubby trees which broke off abruptly where the barren lava
began. The cone was like a huge sugar loaf with the upper third cut
off unevenly. The edges were sharp and made a wild jumble of crags
which were broken by many deep fissures. Here and there the mountain
was split into a yawning chasm. But the growth extended to within
about an eighth of a mile of the top. Here it stopped and the path
became nothing but a dizzy climb up a slope as steep and smooth as a
house roof.

They tethered their animals on the edge of the green growth and here
Stubbs set about making a camping place for the night.

"I don't want the dark comin' down on me," he growled as Wilson
suggested leaving their things and pushing on to the top, "not until I
finds a solid place fer my back where nothin' can come up behin'. You
go on if ye wants to, an' I'll git things settle