le invite?"

"Don't care if I do," replied the instructor.

"Don car fido," repeated Frenchy. "And what eef you do not accep' le
invite?"

The Kentuckian looked grave, slowly shook his head, and finally answered
in despair:

"You've got me there, Frenchy!"

The Californian laughed heartily--rather too heartily, Keeler thought;
and then inquired:

"Going East or West?"

"Westward for me," replied Keeler; "and you?"

"Well, I reckon I've played my last game of poker in Nevada City. The
East for me. With a little dust for capital, this country seems right
good. Why, out there in the Sierras, you know as well as I do, the
soil's too poor to feed lizards. Not much like the blue grass country of
Kaintuck."

"Well," said Keeler, "if I had made my pile, Maryland would be good
enough for me. As it is, California is all right, barring those same
pesky lizards."

"The boys set too stiff a pace out there, though," replied the ex-miner.
"Why, many a Saturday night I've seen fellows drop into town with a
hundred and fifty dollars in dust, and then borrow the money to take the
stage out Monday morning."

"I don't go in for sporting myself," said Keeler, "so I guess my
character won't be ruined. The churches have got started, and they are
giving the saloons a good deal of trouble."

"By thunder! that reminds me," quoth the Californian, "this here is a
Christian country, and I'm going to join the church, first thing I do."

"And spin California yarns to a Sunday-School class," suggested Keeler.
"Bet your class will be a large one."

"I'll do it, by thunder! The very thing! And I'll shoot any lad as gets
impertinent."

Keeler was clearly out of his element, and thought it time to terminate
the brief acquaintance.

"John Keeler is my name; and I can swear I've seen you in Nevada City.
But you have the best of me."

"Why," replied the Californian, as cool as you please, "my name's
Darcy."

It was the man who had killed Will Cummins! But John Keeler was none the
wiser, as Darcy quickly saw. He and Collins had reached Louisville
undetected. Had there assumed the character of honest miners, shipped
their bullion by express, a part to New Orleans and a part to
Philadelphia, and were on the point of dissolving partnership.

Darcy soon afterward assumed the name of Thorn, set up in the lumber
business at Union City, Indiana, where it is but a few steps across the
border into Ohio,--and became a prosperous and respecte