"Well, you're honest about it, anyway," said Gilroy with a brutal laugh.
"Have you been following our party?"
"You had better not ask too many questions, captain."
By this time Potts and two other men were coming up. One of the latter carried his left arm in a sling. Captain Moore's recognized him as a fellow who had been wounded in the raid on the quartermaster's party.
The desperadoes consulted among themselves for a few minutes, and then Captain Moore was ordered to march on.
"To where?" he asked.
"You'll see when you get there," answered Fetter. "Now move, or, by the boots, I shoot you down where you stand!"
Seeing it would be worse than useless to resist, the young officer did as ordered, and the whole party moved away from the water-course and took to a trail leading back to the side of the mountain.
Presently they came upon a number of horses, and here they mounted. There were two steeds without riders, and Captain Moore was ordered to the back of one of these. All rode off in a bunch, the prisoner being kept in the center of the party. He had been searched and his pistol taken from him, also his pocket-knife, field-glass, and his money and jewelry.
In less than quarter of an hour a split in the mountain side was gained. To the rear was something of a cave, the entrance overgrown with brush and vines. At the mouth of the cave the party came to a halt, and were met by several other desperadoes.