ne to open his head gets a
bullet down his throat."

"Hands behind your back, Bald-head," commanded Axtell, briskly. "Be
quick about it, Mr. Macloud is wonderfully easy on the trigger. So,
that's better! just hold them there a moment."

He produced a pair of nippers, and snapped them on.

"Now, lie down and put your feet together--closer! closer!" Another
pair were snapped on them.

"Now, I'll do for you," Axtell remarked, turning toward Hook-nose.

With Croyden's and Macloud's guns both covering him, the fellow was
quickly secured.

"With your permission, we will search you," said Croyden. "Macloud, if
you will look to Mr. Smith, I'll attend to Hook-nose. We'll give them a
taste of their own medicine."

"You think you're damn smart!" exclaimed Hook-nose.

"Shut up!" said Croyden. "I don't care to shoot a prisoner, but I'll do
it without hesitation. It's going to be either perfect quiet or
permanent sleep--and you may do the choosing."

He slowly went through Hook-nose's clothes--finding a small pistol,
several well-filled wallets, and, in his inside waistcoat pocket, the
Parmenter letter. Macloud did the same for Bald-head.

"You stole one hundred and seventy-nine dollars from Mr. Macloud and
one hundred and eight from me," said Croyden. "You may now have the
privilege of returning it, and the letter. If you make no more trouble,
lie quiet and take your medicine, you'll receive no further harm. If
you're stubborn, we'll either kill you and dump your bodies in the Bay,
or give you up to the police. The latter would be less trouble, for,
without the letter, you can tell your story to the Department, or
whomever else you please--it's your word against ours--and you are
thieves!"

"How long are you going to hold us prisoners?" asked Bald-head--"till
you find the treasure? Oh, Lord!"

"As long as it suits our convenience."

"And luck is with you," Hook-nose sneered.

"At present, it _is_ with us--very much with us, my friend," said
Croyden. "You will excuse us, now, we have pressing business,
elsewhere."

When they were out of hearing, Macloud said:

"Doesn't our recovery of Parmenter's letter change things very
materially?"

"It seems to me it does," Croyden answered. "Indeed, I think we need
fear the rogues no longer--we can simply have them arrested for the
theft of our wallets, or even release them entirely."

"Arrest is preferable," said Macloud. "It will obviate all danger of
our being shot at