“Leonard threatened to kill me if I did so. He nearly succeeded, as, perhaps, you know. At last, he said we should find that gang in Helena, and that by this time they would be willing to come to my terms—forty thousand dollars—their first bid having been for a hundred thousand.
“We came to Helena, Leonard taking a different route from Chicago, in order to give the word to the gang, who, he said, were mostly at the North.
“I came here and went, as he told me, to a low saloon, where I stayed till he came, and the rest you know.”
“Not quite all,” said Nick; “wasn’t there a man on your track all this time?”
“Not that I know of, though yesterday a stranger was found spying on us. The gang killed him.”
“How? When? Where?” demanded Nick, anxiously.
Gov. Bradley told him about the way the stranger was put down the cellar.
“And I was there,” thought Nick, with deep sorrow, “perhaps in time to save him! I wish I had let the governor go.”
They went to the house, and found it deserted by all, save the dead Harry.