The howling of the wind down the gorge and the hoarse roaring of the maddened waters heightened the terror of the situation.
Wah Shin, though not well versed in English, fully understood the import of Ulna's message, but realizing his own inability to do or to suggest anything, he stood with his lips drawn and his little oblique eyes half closed.
Ike was the only one of the party who did not appear to have lost the power of speech. Taking the letter from Sam's hand, he said:
"Dat ar paper's powahful damp, an' I reckon, Mistah Sam, yeh kin read it bettah if so be I dries it so's it won't fall to pieces."
Ike opened the paper and while he held it before the fire, Ulna briefly explained the situation.
He said that Mr. Willett, Hank Tims and himself reached Hurley's Gulch without any mishap.
They found the rude mining camp in a great state of commotion owing to a robbery and murder that had recently been committed.
The more law-abiding, or rather the more industrious, for there was no organized law in the place, had formed a vigilance committee to hang the next murderer or robber, under the wild sanction of "lynch law."
"Just as soon as we reached Hurley's Gulch," continued Ulna, "we met Tom Edwards, and he was very drunk and very abusive. He shouted to every one he met that Mr. Willett had robbed him, and took Gold Cave Camp from him without paying a cent, though he had promised fifteen hundred dollars."
"Why, the man lies infamously!" interrupted Sam. "I was a witness to Edwards' receipt for the money in full, and I have it here among father's papers."