"Yes," replied Smithers. "That is, my wife had a child by a former husband, a sort of vagabond fellow, and——"
"What do you say?" cried the captain, his eyes flashing angrily through his mask.
"I beg your pardon, sir, if he is any friend of yours; but the man pretended to be dead; he turned up, however, and is now, I am informed, in prison."
"So that woman is not your wife?"
"I account her so, because we all thought this Thompson dead."
"If her first husband lives, as you state, she belongs to him, as does the child."
"The child is a soft creature, and he is welcome to him, if he can find him, though it would be difficult to do so, as he has gone on a trip to Europe."
"Go!" exclaimed the captain; "I shall not touch your stores or your money, on condition that you say nothing about being robbed when you reach Silver City."
Smithers was silent.
"What!" cried the robber, angrily; "will you not purchase your life and your property at so cheap a price?"