which he meant to
take her, away beyond the great salt sea she had never seen.

CHAPTER XXIX

Captain Skinner and his miners were well mounted, and they were tough,
seasoned horsemen. They were in a great hurry, too, for their minds were
full of dreams of the grand good times they meant to have. Some of them
talked and laughed and even sung over their plans for the future.
Others, older or of more quiet disposition, rode forward in good-humored
silence all the many long miles of that second day.

The only thing to be done, now they were once for all beyond the reach of
enemies, was to get to a place where they could exchange their gold-dust
and nuggets and ingots for coin, and then spend that.

Captain Skinner had been compelled to hear nearly all of them say, one
after another, and in very much the same way,

"It's a great pity, Cap, we didn't get out them twenty-dollar pieces, and
leave bullion instead."

He had only replied two or three times,

"No use, boys. All under the false bottom, at the hind end of the wagon.
No time to go for 'em. Had to take what was handiest."

They made an astonishingly long day's march, and did not meet with the
slightest sign of danger. Nor did they come across any better token of
civilized life than two deserted "ranches," or farm-houses, made of
"abode" or sunburnt brick.

That night they slept soundly on their blankets in the open air, and
perhaps some of them dreamed that in a few nights more they would have
roofs over their heads, and wake up in the morning to find hot coffee on
the breakfast-table. No bell rung for them, however, when breakfast time
came, and they had nearly completed their simple meal of broiled beef and
cold water when their ears were saluted by a very different sound from
that of a bell.

"Horses! Rifles! Mount, boys!" shouted the little Captain. "That's a
cavalry bugle!"

Cavalry.

They sprung for their arms, and they mounted in hot haste, but before the
last man was in the saddle the music of that bugle was close upon them.
It was a good bugle, with a sweet, clear voice, and it was well played by
the tall German who had somehow drifted away from the Rhine-land into
that gayly dressed and glittering regiment of Mexican lancers.

"No use to fight, boys, even if they were enemies. There's more'n three
hundred of 'em. Regulars, too. What on earth brings 'em away up here?
Can't be there's any revolution going on."

Captain Skinn