“Where is he now?”
“Away back at de fort. He’s dere sure, an’ so is de money. I know he’d give it all to see dese young ladies back with him.”
“Does this man speak the truth?” asked the bandit leader sternly of Mainwaring.
“I believe he does,” said the latter, who had hardly let his eyes move from the face of May all this time. “If there is any doubt of the father of these ladies having the money, I know who has it, and who will give up even that large sum to see them restored, safe and unharmed, to their father.”
“You mean yourself, I suppose?”
“For such a purpose I can command that sum. I happen to be a fairly rich man.”
“That’s as it may be. Why don’t you bargain for your own life?”
“Because I would rather buy their safety than my own. I am young and single—and not afraid of death.”
“Well, you certainly take things pretty coolly! The things you wear show you are rich. What do you say, boys? Shall we take them all on to the cave and hold them to ransom? I guess we can make more by that than by our regular business.”
“Yes; take them to the cave!” cried one of the men, and all the rest shouted their approval of the proposition.