ss had really come with the articulated wish. He started
quickly, however, as now, for the first time, the presence of Dillon
became obvious, and hurriedly thrusting the portrait into his vest, he
turned quickly to the intruder, and sternly demanded the occasion of his
interruption. The lieutenant was prepared, and at once replied to the
interrogatory with the easy, blunt air of one who not only felt that he
might be confided in, but who was then in the strict performance of his
duties.

"I came at your own call, captain. I have just returned from the river,
and skirting down in that quarter, and was kept something later than I
looked for; hearing, on my arrival, that you had been inquiring for me,
I did not hesitate to present myself at once, not knowing but the
business might be pressing."

"It is pressing," responded the outlaw, seemingly well satisfied with
the tacit apology. "It is pressing, Dillon, and you will have little
time for rest before starting again. I myself have been riding all
night, and shall be off in another hour. But what have you to report?
What's in the wind now?"

"I hear but little, sir. There is some talk about a detachment of the
Georgia guard, something like a hundred men, to be sent out expressly
for our benefit; but I look upon this as a mistake. Their eye is rather
upon the miners, and the Indian gold lands and those who dig it, and not
upon those who merely take it after it is gathered. I have heard, too,
of something like a brush betwixt Fullam's troop and the miners at
Tracy's diggings, but no particulars, except that the guard got the
worst of it."

"On that point I am already advised. That is well for us, since it will
turn the eye of the authorities in a quarter in which we have little to
do. I had some hand in that scrape myself, and set the dogs on with this
object; and it is partly on this matter that I would confer with you,
since there are some few of our men in the village who had large part in
it, who must not be hazarded, and must yet stay there."

"If the brush was serious, captain, that will be a matter of some
difficulty; for of late, there has been so much of our business done,
that government, I believe, has some thought of taking it up, and in
order to do so without competition, will think of putting us down. Uncle
Sam and the states, too, are quarrelling in the business, and, as I
hear, there is like to be warm work between them. The Georgians are
quite hot on t