e company's office in San
Francisco. It read, "Come at once--important."

Disappointed as it left him, it determined his action; and as the train
steamed out of San Luis, it for a while diverted his attention from the
object of his pursuit. In any event, his destination would have been
Skinner's or the Hollow, as the point from which to begin his search.
He believed with Sister Seraphina that the young girl would make her
direct appeal to her brother; but even if she sought Mrs. Barker, it
would still be at some of the haunts of the gang. The letter to the
Lady Superior had been postmarked from "Bald Top," which Key knew to be
an obscure settlement less frequented than Skinner's. Even then it was
hardly possible that the chief of the road agents would present himself
at the post-office, and it had probably been left by some less known of
the gang. A vague idea, that was hardly a suspicion, that the girl
might have a secret address of her brother's, without understanding the
reasons for its secrecy, came into his mind. A still more vague hope,
that he might meet her before she found her brother, upheld him. It
would be an accidental meeting on her part, for he no longer dared to
hope that she would seek or trust him again. And it was with very
little of his old sanguine quality that, travel-worn and weary, he at
last alighted at Skinner's. But his half careless inquiry if any lady
passengers had lately arrived there, to his embarrassment produced a
broad smile on the face of Skinner.

"You're the second man that asked that question, Mr. Key," he said.

"The second man?" ejaculated Key nervously.

"Yes the first was the sheriff of Sierra. He wanted to find a tall,
good-looking woman, about thirty, with black eyes. I hope that ain't
the kind o' girl you're looking arter--is it? for I reckon she's gin
you both the slip."

Key protested with a forced laugh that it was not, yet suddenly
hesitated to describe Alice; for he instantly recognized the portrait
of her friend, the assumed Mrs. Barker. Skinner continued in lazy
confidence:--

"Ye see they say that the sheriff had sorter got the dead wood on that
gang o' road agents, and had hemmed 'em in somewhar betwixt Bald Top
and Collinson's. But that woman was one o' their spies, and spotted
his little game, and managed to give 'em the tip, so they got clean
away. Anyhow, they ain't bin heard from since. But the big shake has
made scoutin' along the ledges