The young road-agent was a prisoner.

“Hal ha!” leered the elder Filmore, peering down into the masked face—­“ha! ha! my young eaglet; so I have you at last, have I?  After repeated efforts to get you in my power, I have at last been rewarded with success, eh?  Ha! ha! the terrible scourge of the Black Hills lies here at my feet, mine to do with as I shall see fit.”

“Shall we settle him, and leave him lying here, where his gang can find him?” interrupted the younger Filmore, who, now that his blood was up, cared little what he did.  “You give him one jab, and I will guarantee to finish him with the second!”

“No! no! boy; you are too hasty.  Before we silence him, forever, we must ascertain, if possible, where the girl is.”

“But, he’ll never tell us.”

“We have that yet to find out.  It is my opinion that we can bring him to terms, somehow.  Take hold, and we will carry him back to our hole in the hill.”

Deadwood Dick was accordingly seized by the neck and heels, and borne swiftly and silently toward the western side of the gulch, up among the foothills, into the rift, where the plotters had lain concealed since their arrival.  Here he was placed upon the ground in a sitting posture, and his two enemies crouched on either side of him, like beasts ready to spring upon their prey.

Below in the valley, the Utes had kindled one solitary fire, and this with a starlike gleam of light from the cabin window, was the only sign of life to be seen through the night’s black shroud.  The trio in the foothills were evidently quite alone.

Alexander Filmore broke the silence.

“Well, my gay Deadwood Dick, Prince of the Road, I suppose you wish to have the matter over with, as soon as possible”

The road-agent nodded.

“Better let him loose in the jaws,” suggested Filmore the younger; “or how else shall we get from him what we must know?  Take out his gag.  I’ll hold my six against his pulsometer.  If he squawks, I’ll silence him, sure as there is virtue in powder and ball!”

The elder, after some deliberation, acquiesced, and Dick was placed in possession of his speaking power, while the muzzle of young Filmore’s revolver pressed against his breast, warned him to silence and obedience.

“Now,” said the elder Filmore, “just you keep mum.  If you try any trickery, it will only hasten your destruction, which is inevitable!”

Deadwood Dick gave a little laugh.

“You talk as if you were going to do something toward making me the center of funeralistic attraction.”

“You’ll find out, soon enough, young man.  I have not pursued you so long, all for nothing, you may rest assured.  Your death will be the only event that can atone for all the trouble you have given me, in the past.”

“Is that so?  Well, you seem to hold all the trump cards, and I reckon you ought to win, though I can’t see into your inordinate thirst for diamonds, when spades will eventually triumph.  Had I a full hand of clubs, I am not so sure but what I could raise you, knaves though you are!”