, and listened in silence to the report that Bernard Brandon
could not be found.

He, however, would not believe that road-agents had kidnaped the crazed
man, but said that he might have sprung from the cliff and taken his own
life, have fallen over a precipice, or been devoured by the fierce
mountain-wolves that hung in packs about the camps.

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE OUTLAWS' CAPTIVE.

It was with a sinking heart that Celeste Seldon saw Harding drive away
upon the stage, leaving her in the power of the road-agents. But she was
a brave girl, and determined to show the outlaws that she did not fear
them, no matter how great her dread of them was in reality.

The saddle and bridle she had brought with her were carried along for a
couple of miles, and placed upon a led horse, one of half a score hidden
there, and the masked chief started to aid her to mount.

But she said with a sneer:

"I need no assistance from you."

With this she placed her hands upon the horn and leaped lightly into the
saddle.

Her leather trunk was then strapped securely upon a pack-saddle, and the
chief said:

"Now, Miss Seldon, that you and my men are mounted, we will start."

She turned her horse on the trail behind him, and the other outlaws
followed, all riding in Indian file and with several packhorses bringing
up the rear.

After a ride of a dozen miles a halt was made for a rest, the chief
said, and then Celeste Seldon observed that the hoofs of every horse
were muffled, to prevent their leaving a trail.

Having been left something over a couple of miles from the scene of the
holding up of the stage, it would be next to impossible for the best of
trailers to discover which way the road-agents had come to the spot and
left it, for the chief's muffled-hoofed horse would leave no track to
where the other animals were.

Tired out and anxious, Celeste Seldon, after eating sparingly of the
food given her by the chief, sat down with her back to a tree, and,
closing her eyes, dropped into a deep sleep. When she was awakened to
continue the journey she found that she had slept an hour.

"We are ready to go miss," said the man who had appeared to be the
chief's lieutenant, and whom he had called Wolf, whether because it was
his real name, or on account of his nature, Celeste did not know.

"I am ready," she said simply, refreshed by her short nap.

"Shall I aid you to mount, miss?"

"No, I can mount without your aid; but whe