us; I should rather you would kill me than harm a hair of
father's head."

"Wal, 'spose I shoot you and the leftenant and the captain and the
rest? No; that won't do; how the mischief shall I fix things?"

The cooler headed Russell saw that the problem had been solved; Nellie
Dawson had won over Vose Adams, as may be said, by the turn of her
finger. He was eager to do all he could to help them, but in the
flurry of the moment could not reason with his usual acumen.

"We don't want any shooting, Vose; I am sure that if we can reach
Sacramento without meeting the captain, his anger will pass away. In
Sacramento, I shall be able to arrange a meeting between him and his
daughter, and his love for her will break down the barriers and do the
rest."

"I'm in too deep water when you get to figgerin' that way, but there
seems to be reason in what you say, but what about Ruggles and the
parson?"

"We'll leave them out; they are in this as the friends of Captain
Dawson, and will not dare go contrary to his wishes, but if they do,
it can make no difference to my plan."

"They're just as savage as the captain," said Vose significantly; "and
it won't do to forget 'em; but what did you expect to do, when you
left the kenyon? If you come back, you would have been sartin to meet
us, and what then?"

"My intention was not to return, but to keep away from the main trail
and hunt a shorter road through the mountains to Sacramento."

Vose Adams gave a low whistle of astonishment.

"That's the worst I ever heard!"

"And why?"

"You're not follerin' any trail at all; you would be sartin to get
lost and would never find your way through the mountains; anyhow it
would take you three or four years, which I ca'clate is longer than
you want to wait."

"How can you be so positive?"

"It's true I never went to Sacramento and back, except by follerin'
for most of the way the trail that I know so well, but other folks as
smart as you have been lost in the mountains and you couldn't help
it."

"You advise against it then?"

"I'm so sure of your goin' wrong that I won't try to help you unless
you give up the idee."

"Then I hereby give it up."

Since Vose Adams had committed himself to Russell and Nellie's
interests, there was no more talking at cross purposes. The object
of the three was the same, and they sat down on the rocks for
consultation. There was abundance of time in which to do this,
since those whom they feared would