of bulk
which suggested reserved rather than impeded energy. His thick beard
and mustache were closely cropped around a small and handsome mouth that
lisped except when he was excited, but always kept fellowship with his
blue eyes in a perpetual smile of half-cynical good-humor. His dress was
superior to that of the locality; his general expression that of a
man of the world, albeit a world of San Francisco, Sacramento, and
Murderer's Bar. He advanced towards her with a laugh and an outstretched
hand.

"YOU here!" she gasped, drawing back.

Apparently neither surprised nor mortified at this reception, he
answered frankly, "Yeth. You didn't expect me, I know. But Doloreth
showed me the letter you wrote her, and--well--here I am, ready to help
you, with two men and a thpare horthe waiting outside the woodth on the
blind trail."

"You--YOU--here?" she only repeated.

Curson shrugged his shoulders. "Yeth. Of courth you never expected
to thee me again, and leatht of all HERE. I'll admit that; I'll thay
I wouldn't if I'd been in your plathe. I'll go further, and thay you
didn't want to thee me again--anywhere. But it all cometh to the thame
thing; here I am. I read the letter you wrote Doloreth. I read how you
were hiding here, under Dunn'th very nothe, with his whole pothe out,
cavorting round and barkin' up the wrong tree. I made up my mind to
come down here with a few nathty friends of mine and cut you out under
Dunn'th nothe, and run you over into Yuba--that'th all."

"How dared she show you my letter--YOU of all men? How dared she ask
YOUR help?" continued Teresa, fiercely.

"But she didn't athk my help," he responded coolly. "D--d if I don't
think she jutht calculated I'd be glad to know you were being hunted
down and thtarving, that I might put Dunn on your track."

"You lie!" said Teresa, furiously; "she was my friend. A better friend
than those who professed--more," she added, with a contemptuous drawing
away of her skirt as if she feared Curson's contamination.

"All right. Thettle that with her when you go back," continued Curson
philosophically. "We can talk of that on the way. The thing now ith to
get up and get out of thethe woods. Come!"

Teresa's only reply was a gesture of scorn.

"I know all that," continued Curson half soothingly, "but they're
waiting."

"Let them wait. I shall not go."

"What will you do?"

"Stay here--till the wolves eat me."

"Teresa, listen. D--- it all--Teresa--Tita!