to use a slang
expression--an old hand at the business of hunting and trapping, and
have accomplishments in which I can not be beaten. Among them, stands my
ability to whip a grizzly bear in a fair fight, with no weapon but my
knife. I have hunted wild gorillas in the streets of New York City;
have"--

"Good morning, fellows!"

Archie brought the story of his adventures to a sudden close, and,
looking over his shoulder, saw Arthur Vane standing at the end of the
porch. The boys had never expected him to call upon them again, and
Archie and Johnny were too surprised to speak; but Frank, who always
kept his wits about him, returned Arthur's greeting, and invited him to
occupy the chair he pushed toward him. He was not at all pleased to see
the visitor, but he was too much of a gentleman to show it.

One would suppose, that the remembrance of what had happened, three days
before, would have caused Arthur some embarrassment; but such was not
the case. On the contrary, he was as dignified as ever, and seemed to be
perfectly at his ease. Frank and his friends were considerate enough to
refrain from making any allusions to the fright he had sustained, but
Arthur brought the subject up himself.

"I received your note," said he, "and also the articles you were kind
enough to send me; and I am here now to say, that I feel heartily
ashamed of myself. From some cause or another, that I could not explain
if I should try, I was extremely nervous that day; but I may, some time,
have an opportunity to show you that I am not as much of a coward as I
know you now believe me to be."

Arthur remained at the rancho all that day, sitting down at the same,
table, and eating his dinner with the boys he was about to betray into
the hands of the robbers; and, when he went home that night, he had
asked, and received, permission to accompany them to the mountains.
Their consent had been given reluctantly, and with very bad grace; but
they could see no way to get around it. Arthur was a boy with whom they
did not care to associate; but he had done them no injury, and they
could not bring themselves to refuse his request.

"They will start early Monday morning," soliloquized Arthur, as he rode
homeward, "and will take the road that leads to Captain Porter's. This
is Friday. I shall send word by Joaquin to Pierre to-night, and he will
have plenty of time to make all his arrangements."

Arthur spent the next day with the boys at Mr. Winters's