re, and we'll bind him to yonder
chair."

"And leave Cervera to guard him, eh?"

"That's the stuff."

"Can she do it?"

"Can she!" growled Kilgore, with derisive vehemence. "You let her alone
for that."

"Yes, yes, let me alone for that!"

"We must get back to stand by Venner. That Chick Carter is nearly as
tough a customer as this fellow."

"I guess you'll find that that's no dream," said Nick to himself, as the
ruffians bound him to the chair mentioned.

Cervera was laughing and capering around as if about to have a fit--yet
her laugh had a terrible and chilling ring.

"Oh, yes, I'll guard him, Dave," she shrilly cried, with a frightful
menace in her strained voice. "_Caramba_, yes! let me alone for that."

"So I do," snarled Kilgore.

"Knot the line fast, Matt--make sure of that," the woman fiercely added.
"Yes, I'll keep him quiet--never doubt that, boys! He shall be like a
baby taking milk. Perdition! but you shall have a sweet time, Mr. Nick,
alone here with Sanetta Cervera!"

Kilgore paid but little attention to any of this, and only now and then
bestowed a glance upon the vicious woman.

Within a minute after their arrival at the plant, the gang had Nick
securely bound to a common wooden chair, when they condescended to
remove the gag from his mouth.

"He may shout himself hoarse here, if he likes," growled Kilgore. "There
will be none to hear him."

Then he hurried Pylotte and Matt Stall back to the Venner house, to
land Chick Carter.

Left alone with Nick, Cervera darted to the stone door in the solid
wall, and secured it within.

There was murder in her glittering eyes when she shot the heavy bolts
into their iron sockets.

CHAPTER XX.

THE BOOT ON THE OTHER LEG.

In the heat of action and excitement ten minutes are as nothing.

The time seems longer, however, when one sits waiting in a motionless
carriage, enveloped in the gloom of night, with grim distrust and
uncertainty acting like spurs in the sides of one's impatience.

Before five minutes had fairly passed, after Nick's departure, Spotty
Dalton had suffered his misgivings to the very limit of his endurance.

Chick sat mentally counting the passing seconds, then scoring each
departed minute with his fingers, of which he had exhausted four and a
thumb, the entire complement of one hand; and all the while his eyes
were riveted with intense vigilance upon the growling ruffian on the
seat above him.

Had Dalton vent