“My instructions were to come into these hills and protect all white settlers. I expected to find here a band of rude miners—certainly not any ladies.”
“I, sir, am the daughter of Captain Ramsey,” said Ruth. “He is the leader of a small party of settlers who came here to establish homes and also dig for gold; this girl I never met until ten minutes ago, when she saved me from a terrible fate—a fate to which death was preferable.”
Ruth Ramsey spoke with exceeding earnestness.
“Indeed!” exclaimed the young officer. “This young lady, then, does not belong to your settlement. Can there be another band of settlers in these hills?”
He asked the question with surprise, gazing with admiration upon Pearl’s lovely face. Pearl flushed slightly, to find herself the object of such ardent notice, and replied:
“I was on my way to warn the palefaces of danger, when I came suddenly upon this lady and Kansas King, the outlaw, who was forcing her to accompany him.”
“Warn the palefaces of danger? Are you not a paleface?” asked the astonished soldier.
“I am a paleface, yes. But I cannot say more than that I was going to tell the settlers that White Slayer and his band are to move to-morrow night upon their forts, and that there is no hope for them unless they at once leave these hills.”
“And you! Are you not in danger?” said Ruth Ramsey earnestly.
“No, I am not in danger; but you must escape from the red devils, who will soon be on the warpath against every paleface who has lately come into the hills.”