n upon one erect
figure, and that was the form of Dr Lascelles, as he stood near the
faintly glowing fire, leaning upon his rifle, and listening intently for
the faintest sound of danger that might be on its way to work them harm.

CHAPTER TWO.

WHAT WENT BEFORE.

As Dr Lascelles stood watching there, his thoughts naturally went back
to the events of the past day, the sixth since they had bidden good-bye
to civilisation and started upon their expedition. He thought of the
remonstrance offered by his men to their proceeding farther; then of the
satisfactory way in which the difficulty had been settled; and later on
of the troubles brought up by his man's remarks. He recalled the weary
years he had spent upon his cattle farm, in which he had invested after
the death of his wife in England; how he had come out to New Mexico, and
settled down to form a cattle-breeding establishment with his young
daughter Maude for companion.

Then he thought of how everything had gone wrong, not only with him, but
with his neighbours, one of the nearest being killed by an onslaught of
a savage tribe of Indians, the news being brought to him by the son of
the slaughtered man. The result had been that the Doctor had determined
to flee at once; but the day was put off, and as no more troubles
presented themselves just then, he once more settled down. Young Bart
became by degrees almost as it were a son, and the fight was continued
till herd after herd had been swept away by the Indians; and at last Dr
Lascelles, the clever physician who had wearied of England and his
practice after his terrible loss, and who had come out to the West to
seek rest and make money for his child, found himself a beggar, and
obliged to begin life again.

Earlier in life he had been a great lover of geology, and was something
of a metallurgist; and though he had of late devoted himself to the
wild, rough life of a western cattle farmer, he had now and then spent a
few hours in exploring the mountainous parts of the country near: so
that when he had once more to look the world in the face, and decide
whether he should settle down as some more successful cattle-breeder's
man, the idea occurred to him that his knowledge of geology might prove
useful in this painful strait.

He jumped at the idea.

Of course: why not? Scores of men had made discoveries of gold, silver,
and other valuable metals, and the result had been fortune. Why should
not he do so