ard. It must be only a guess, based on the sight of
the Little Giant's tools. Did you ever see or hear of this man before?"

"No, but I know he's no friend of ours. There are renegades and
desperadoes in these mountains, who make friends with the Indians, and I
judge he's one of that kind. I'm mighty sorry we've run across him. He
may have a band of his own somewhere, or he may go straight to the Sioux
with news of us."

"He suspects us of a great gold hunt, so great that we are ready to risk
anything for it. He showed it."

"So he did, and in my opinion the band, that he almost certainly has,
will undertake to follow us."

"I didn't like him the first minute I saw him," said the Little Giant.
"The reason why I cannot tell, but I do not like thee, Mr. Felton.
Haven't I heard a rhyme like that somewhere, young William?"

"Almost like it, Giant, and just like you, the first moment I laid eyes
on him, I disliked him. I think he's a danger, a big danger, and so do
both of you. I can tell it by the way you act. Now, what do you think we
ought to do?"

"We're not to go down into the plains, that's sure," replied Boyd,
"because then we'd run into Felton and his gang and maybe a band of
Sioux also. There's only one thing open to us."

"Go back up the mountain?"

"That and nothing else. Felton will expect us to come on down, but we'll
fool him by going the other way. There's always hiding in rough country
and under the cover of great forests. In my opinion, we've both Indians
and white men now to fight. We must meet their cunning united, and the
nearer we get to Will's White Dome the safer we'll be."

"An' it's not so bad, after all!" exclaimed the Little Giant. "We'll go
back and climb and climb till neither reds nor whites kin foller us."

"We'll have to go well above the snow line, and camp there awhile," said
Boyd. "And if we were snowed in for a few weeks it wouldn't hurt,
provided we find a well protected hollow. Then we'd be sure to shake off
all pursuit."

"Come on, then," said Will, with enthusiasm. "It's the White Dome that
offers us safety."

"The White Dome it is!" said the Little Giant, with energy.

They put back the packs and saddles and turned once more into the depths
of the mountains, riding whenever it was possible, but when the way grew
steep, leading the animals at the ends of the lariats. Will was rather
glad, for many reasons, that they had abandoned the journey into the
plains, as the gold