ad," cried a loud voice which dominated the roar of anger
which arose; "they had me; I was along with 'em--only a little un, my
sons, but big enough for you all to see."

There was a laugh at this, but it was silenced by the dark man's voice.

"Silence, gentlemen, please," he said, "and no laughter where two men's
lives are at stake."

A chill ran through Dallas again, but he forced a smile at his cousin,
as if to say, what he did not think, "It will be all right now."

"Look here," cried the Cornishman, drawing himself up to his full
height, and looking round as if to address every one present; "these
youngsters said what was quite right. They've been along with me and
two more ever since we dug 'em out of the snow."

"That's right, as far as I know," said their acquaintance with the gold;
"there was a party of five when I came upon them to-night;" and a fresh
murmur arose.

"It's all right, mates," said Redbeard to his two companions; "there's a
gang of 'em, but don't you be skeared; these gents'll see justice done."

"Well, I don't mind being called one of a gang, my sons," said the
Cornishman. "I worked on the railway once, and I was ganger, or, as you
call it here, boss, over a dozen men; but if this chap, who looks as red
as if he'd come out of a tin-mine, says I robbed him, I'll crack him
like I would a walnut in a door."

There was a roar of laughter here, and cries of "Well done, little un!"
But the dark man sternly called for silence once more.

"Now, sir, what do you say to this?" he said to Redbeard sharply.

"What I said before, boss. That big chap wasn't with 'em then. I say
these two young larrikins tried to rob and do for us. Look at his leg!"

"Robbed yer and tried to do for yer? Did they, now! Well, they do look
a pair of bad uns, don't they, my sons?--bad as these three looks good
and innercent and milky."

"Hear him!" growled Redbeard fiercely. "Talking like that, with my poor
mate suffering from a wound like this, pardners," and he pointed to his
companion's leg.

"Get out!" roared the Cornishman scornfully; "put that sore prop away;
you're talking to men, not a set of bairns. Think they're going to be
gammoned by a bit of play-acting?"

There was another loud murmur of excitement, the occupants of the canvas
building crowding up closer, evidently thoroughly enjoying the genuine
drama being enacted in their presence, and eager to see the
_denouement_, even if it only proved