in a way he
had not thought of. After his unsuccessful attempt to capture Archie
Winters, he went down the mountain to the place where he had left his
horse, and there he found Joaquin, who had narrowly escaped a ball from
the rifle of old Bob Kelly. He was in ill-humor about something, but his
face brightened when he discovered Arthur.

"We must be off at once," said he. "The mountains are full of men."

"I believe I'll go home," replied Arthur. "I am going to ask my father
to give me money enough to take me back to Kentucky; for, of course, I
can't live here after what I have done. Before I go, however, I want to
tell you, that you and your friends are a set of blockheads. If I had
known that you would be so stupid as to allow those fellows to escape, I
shouldn't have had any thing to do with you. Good-by, Joaquin."

"Not quite so fast, my lad," said the Ranchero, seizing Arthur's horse
by the bridle. "You are worth as much to us as the others."

"What do you mean?" exclaimed Arthur.

"I mean that you are a prisoner, and that you must stay here with us. I
hope you understand that?"

Arthur was thunderstruck. "Why, Joaquin," said he, "Pierre promised me
faithfully that I should be treated as a visitor, and that no ransom
should be demanded for me."

"And did you put any faith in that promise? When your father gives us
twenty thousand dollars, you can go, and not before."

Arthur cried, begged, and threatened in vain. Joaquin was firm, and the
traitor was obliged to accompany him to the mountains. That night he
wrote to his father, informing him of his situation, and Joaquin, after
tying his prisoner to a tree, and gagging him, to prevent him from
shouting for assistance, rode to the settlement, and left the note on
Mr. Vane's door-step.

During the three weeks following, Arthur led a most miserable life. He
had nothing to eat but dried meat, and but little of that. His captor
treated him very harshly, tying him to a tree every night, to prevent
his escape, and moving him about in the day-time, from place to place,
to avoid capture. It soon became known in the settlement, that Arthur
was held as a prisoner, and the search was conducted with redoubled
energy. Joaquin was constantly on the alert, but he was caught at last;
for, one day, just as he and Arthur were about to sit down to their
dinner of dried meat, Frank, Archie, and Johnny suddenly appeared in
sight, accompanied by the two trappers. Archie had repe