AT THE RENDEZVOUS.
As the coach drew near the rendezvous appointed by the masked road-agent
chief, at the Dead Line, Harding breathed hard with suppressed emotion.
He had really fallen in love with the beautiful girl, whom he felt he
was in a manner the protector of, and he was most anxious as to the
result.
Aside from his regard for Celeste Seldon, her unprotected condition
would have won his deepest sympathy under any circumstances.
Doctor Dick, on the other hand, was calm and silent. He had the money
demanded, and he had come to do his duty, but was prepared to face all
emergencies that might arise.
At last the scene of the tragedies came in view, the cross erected at
the Dead Line was just before them, and then Harding grasped the reins,
expecting a summons to halt.
No one was visible in the pass, but that was no sign that there was no
one there, as Harding and Doctor Dick well knew.
Just as the leaders reached the cross, a voice called out:
"Halt!"
Hard went the foot of the driver upon the brake, and his hands pulled
the team to a sudden stop.
Doctor Dick instinctively dropped his hand upon his revolver, but
removed it instantly, and calmly awaited the issue.
The coach having halted, the same voice called out:
"Is there any one inside the coach?"
"No one," answered Harding.
"If you lie to me, Harding, your life will be the forfeit."
"All right, so be it, sir; but Doctor Dick and I are all that came."
"Who is following you?"
"No one."
"Did none of the miners come out from Last Chance?"
"Not one."
"You are sure?"
"I am."
"If we are attacked, both you and Doctor Dick shall die, and if the
force is large enough to press me hard, I shall kill the girl."
"You need have no fear of an attack; but I only wish we dared make the
attempt, for I would like to see every one of you hanged."
A laugh greeted this remark of the driver, and once again the unseen
road-agent called out:
"Did you bring the gold?"
"Did you bring the young lady?"
"Answer my question, Harding."
"You answer mine."
"I will reply when I have had an answer."
"If you brought the young lady, as you pledged yourself to do, you can
get the ransom money; but if you did not, you will have to fight to get
it."
"That is our trade; but the young lady is here."
"Then get her out of your vile company as quickly as possible."
"Where is the money?"
Before Harding could reply, Doctor Dick said sternly:
"A truce to this nonsensical parleying. I have the money, and will pay
it over when the young lady is given into my charge, but not before.
Where is she?"
The road-agent seemed impressed by the stern words of Doctor Dick, and
responded:
"I will go and fetch her, while you turn your coach around."
This Harding at once did, and coming to a halt again, Doctor Dick got
down from the box, and the bag of gold was handed to him by Harding.
There was a wait of a few minutes, and then out from among the pines in
the pass came a man, followed by Celeste Seldon, a few feet behind him.
As she approached the spot, she waved her hand to Harding, and said
pleasantly:
"We meet again, my good friend."
"And mighty glad am I that we do, miss. Permit me to introduce to you
the boss man of Last Chance, Doctor Dick, and he is here with the money
to pay your ransom."
Doctor Dick doffed his sombrero, bowed low, and then stepped forward, as
Celeste held out her hand to him, and said in his courtly way:
"I am happy in meeting Miss Seldon and receiving her in the name of the
miners of Last Chance."
The outlaw who accompanied Celeste was masked completely, and his form
enveloped in a black robe that effectually concealed it. He stepped
toward Doctor Dick, and said:
"You, sir, have the ransom money for the return of this young lady?"
"I have gold amounting to the sum demanded."
"See here, Doc, I don't see why we should be robbed by one man, so let
us run him in, now we have the young lady, and we will not have to pay
the gold," and Harding suddenly covered the outlaw with his revolver.
"No, no!" cried Celeste. "That will never do."
"No, Harding, we must keep faith with him, even if he be a murderer and
a thief. Put up your gun," said Doctor Dick.
The masked outlaw had not moved at the action of Harding, but now said:
"You wisely decide, Doctor Dick, for I am no fool to be caught in a
trap, and I trust no man, so came prepared to meet treachery if it was
intended, and this young lady will tell you that my men are within easy
range, and you, Harding, in covering me with your revolver, took big
chances."
"I didn't believe you would come alone, and we were fools to do so, for
we could have fought it out right here," grumbled the driver, greatly
disappointed at his not carrying out his suddenly determined upon plot.
The road-agent then took the bag, opened it, ran over the gold like one
who knew its value, and then said:
"Yes, there is the amount here, no more, no less. Ask Miss Seldon if she
has not been treated with marked respect."
"I can but answer yes, for I have been; but am I not to have my trunk
and side-saddle?"
"Oh, yes, certainly," and the road-agent gave a signal, which was
promptly answered by two men appearing in the edge of the pines.
They wore long black robes and red masks, also, and their appearance
was proof that their leader had not come alone.
"Bring the baggage belonging to this lady, and her side-saddle and
bridle, also," called out the leader.
The men disappeared, and Doctor Dick asked:
"Do you expect to keep up your lawless acts much longer without meeting
the fate you deserve, Sir Outlaw?"
"Yes, for the money I get is worth taking big chances for, Doctor Dick,
and, gambler that you are, you never do a better day's work than what
sum this gold calls for."
"It is a long lane that has no turn, and the turn will come for you some
day," said Harding.
A light laugh beneath the mask was the answer, and Celeste Seldon's face
wore a clouded expression Harding was not slow to observe.
"Then I am free to go, sir?" and Celeste turned to the outlaw.
"You are, Miss Seldon," was the answer.
She turned to the coach, and Doctor Dick aided her into it, just as the
two outlaws came up with the small leather trunk she had brought with
her and her saddle and bridle.
Taking the back seat, Celeste leaned up in one corner, as though
fatigued, and her baggage having been put on top, Dick and Harding
mounted to the box, the outlaws attentively regarding them through the
eye-holes in their masks.
"Remember, pards, I still drive this trail," said the driver, with an
air of defiance as he gathered up the reins.
"I won't forget, Harding; but I advise you to keep in mind the story of
the pitcher that went once too often to the well, for right here some
day you may meet your fate."
"If I do, you will not find me flinch from it," was the plucky response,
and the driver called to his horses, and the team moved on.
Looking back at the bend, the driver and Doctor Dick saw that the
outlaws had already disappeared, while Celeste Seldon, gazing back also,
noted the same fact, and murmured to herself:
"What yet is before me, I wonder?"