“Well, he wasn’t dressed in regular uniform, but he had on a soldier’s cap.”
“May have been one of the scouts,” he guessed. “And he just chucked that at you, and flew on without a word.” He laughed again. “Gee! I wish some fellow would chuck me a few of them! Say, that’s worth twenty dollars, or more! Maybe a good deal more, on account of those lines on it.”
He reread the singular letter.
“And there’s plenty more where it came from, it says. I wish I knew where that is. I think I’ll have to trail the fellow who flung that to you, and camp right on his trail until I discover where this gold is.”
He stepped to the window at the back of the room, where the light was strong, and held up the gold, looking at it there, and commenting.
Suddenly a trampling of hoofs was heard on the grass outside; then the door was thrown open, and armed men rushed into the room.
“Surrender!” they cried to him.
The girl screamed, but Ben Stevens turned and coolly faced the intruders, who were soldiers in uniform.
“What’s the trouble?” he said, and, though he spoke calmly, his cheeks were flushed and his eyes were bright. He dropped his hand carelessly toward the revolver that swung at his hip.
“Hands up!”