civil enough,
asked for a little tobacco, and showed no sign of evil intent.

"Way off the beaten track up hyar," said one.

"Yes. I'm a trapper," replied Slingerland. "Whar do you hail from?"

"Ogden. We're packin' east."

"Much travel on the trail?"

"Right smart fer wild country. An' all goin' east. We hain't met an
outfit headin' west. Hev you heerd any talk of a railroad buildin' out
of Omaha?"

Here Larry put a word in.

"Shore. We've had soldiers campin' around aboot all heah."

"Soldiers!" ejaculated one of the gang.

"Shore, the road's bein' built by soldiers."

The men made no further comment and turned away without any good-bys.
Slingerland called out to them to have an eye open for Indians on the
war-path.

"Wal, I don't like the looks of them fellars," he declared.

Neale likewise took an unfavorable view of the visit, but Larry scouted
the idea of there being any danger in a gang like that.

"Shore they'd be afraid of a man," he declared.

"Red, can you look at men and tell whether or not there's danger in
them?" inquired Neale.

"I shore can. One man could bluff thet outfit.... But I reckon I'd hate
to have them find Allie aboot heah alone."

"I can take care of myself," spoke up Allie, spiritedly.

Neale and Slingerland, for all their respect for the cowboy's judgment,
regarded the advent of these visitors as a forerunner of an evil time
for lonely trappers.

"I'll hev to move back deeper in the mountains, away from the railroad,"
said Slingerland.

This incident also put a different light upon the intention Neale had of
hunting for the buried gold. Just now he certainly did not want to risk
being seen digging gold or packing it away; and Slingerland was just as
loath to have it concealed in or near his cabin.

"Wal, seein' we're not sure it's really there, let's wait till you come
back in summer or fall," he suggested. "If it's thar it'll stay thar."

All too soon the dawn came for Neale's departure with Larry. Allie was
braver than he. At the last he was white and shaken. She kissed Larry.

"Reddy, you'll take care of yourself--and him," she said.

"Allie, I shore will. Good-by." Larry rode down the trail in the dim
gray dawn.

"Watch sharp for Indians," she breathed, and her face whitened
momentarily. Then the color returned. Her eyes welled full of sweet,
soft light.

"Allie, I can't go," said Neale, hoarsely. The clasp of her arms
unnerved him.

"You must. It's you