at's what Bill sent me 'long
fer, 'cause he know'd I'd 'tend ter business, an' not talk too much."

"Your name is Joe?"

"Out yere--yes; Joe Sikes, if it pleases yer eny ter know. Yer might
call me Mr. Sikes, if yer want ter be real polite."

He passed the tobacco-bag up to Moore, who thrust the reins under him
while deliberately filling his pipe, the team trotting quietly along
what seemed to be a hard road. The wagon lurched occasionally, as the
wheels struck a stone, but the night was still so dark, the girl could
perceive little of their surroundings in spite of the looped-up
curtains. There seemed to be a high ridge of earth to their right,
crowned by a fringe of low trees, but everything appeared indistinct
and desolate. Outside the rumble of their own progress the silence was
profound.

"And you will not tell me where we are going?" she insisted, "or what
you propose doing with me?"

The pipe-glow revealed Sikes's evil countenance; Moore resumed his
reins, and there was the sharp swish of a whip lash.

"'Twouldn't mean nuthin' ter yer if I did," said the former finally,
after apparently turning the matter over slowly in his mind. "Yer
don't know nuthin' 'bout this country. 'Tain't no place a tenderfoot
like you kin find yer way back frum; so, as fer as I see, thar ain't
nuthin' fer yer to do but just naturally wait till we takes yer back."

"I am to be held a prisoner--indefinitely?"

"I reckon so; not that I knows enything 'bout the programme, miss; but
that's 'bout the understandin' that Matt an' I has--ain't it, Matt?"

The driver turned his head, and nodded.

"Sure; we're just ter take keer of yer till he comes."

"Lacy?"

"Er--some word from him, miss. It might not be safe for him to come
himself. Yer see," apologetically, "I don't just know what the game
is, and Bill might want to skip out before you was turned loose. I
knowed wunst when he was gone eight months, an' nobody knowed where he
was--do yer mind thet time, Joe, after he shot up Medicine Lodge?
Well, I reckon thar must be some big money in this job, an' he won't
take no chance of gettin' pinched. That seems to be the trouble,
miss--you've sorter stuck yerself in whar it warn't none o' yer
business. Thet's what got Lacy down on yer."

"Yes; but what is it to you, and--and Mr. Sikes, here?"

Matt grinned.

"Nuthin' much ter me, or ter--ter Mr. Sikes--how's it sound,
Joe?--'cept maybe a slice o' coin. Still there's reas