would not consent
to be drawn out.

"No, boys, it can't be done to-day," he said; "I've no time, for I'm
bound for Quester Creek in hot haste, an' am only waitin' here for my
pony to freshen up a bit. The Redskins are goin' to give us trouble
there by all accounts."

"The red devils!" exclaimed one of the men, with a savage oath; "they're
always givin' us trouble."

"That," returned Hunky Ben, in a soft voice, as he glanced mildly at the
speaker,--"that is a sentiment I heer'd expressed almost exactly in the
same words, though in Capatchee lingo, some time ago by a Redskin
chief--only he said it was pale-faced devils who troubled _him_. I
wonder which is worst. They can't both be worst, you know!"

This remark was greeted with a laugh, and a noisy discussion thereupon
began as to the comparative demerits of the two races, which was ere
long checked by the sound of a galloping horse outside. Next moment the
door opened, and a very tall man of commanding presence and bearing
entered the room, took off his hat, and looked round with a slight bow
to the company.

There was nothing commanding, however, in the quiet voice with which he
asked the landlord if he and his horse could be put up there for the
night.

The company knew at once, from the cut of the stranger's tweed suit, as
well as his tongue, that he was an Englishman, not much used to the ways
of the country--though, from the revolver and knife in his belt, and the
repeating rifle in his hand, he seemed to be ready to meet the country
on its own terms by doing in Rome as Rome does.

On being told that he could have a space on the floor to lie on, which
he might convert into a bed if he had a blanket with him, he seemed to
make up his mind to remain, asked for food, and while it was preparing
went out to attend to his horse. Then, returning, he went to a retired
corner of the room, and flung himself down at full length on a vacant
bench, as if he were pretty well exhausted with fatigue.

The simple fare of the hostelry was soon ready; and when the stranger
was engaged in eating it, he asked a cow-boy beside him how far it was
to Traitor's Trap.

At the question there was a perceptible lull in the conversation, and
the cow-boy, who was a very coarse forbidding specimen of his class,
said that he guessed Traitor's Trap was distant about twenty mile or so.

"Are you goin' thar, stranger?" he asked, eyeing his questioner
curiously.

"Yes, I'm going th