“Yet there is one hope—­one chance—­one path, if not to her affections, at least to her.  It shall be done, and then, most beautiful witch, cold, stern, and to me heartless, as thou hast ever been—­thou shalt not always triumph.  I would that I could sleep on this—­I would that I could sleep.  There is but one time of happiness—­but one time when the thorn has no sting—­when the scorn bites not—­when the sneer chafes not—­when the pride and the spirit shrink not—­when there is no wild passion to make everything a storm and a conflagration among the senses—­and that is—­when one forgets!—­I would that I could sleep!”

As he spoke, his head sunk upon the table with a heavy sound, as if unconsciousness had really come with the articulated wish.  He started quickly, however, as now, for the first time, the presence of Dillon became obvious, and hurriedly thrusting the portrait into his vest, he turned quickly to the intruder, and sternly demanded the occasion of his interruption.  The lieutenant was prepared, and at once replied to the interrogatory with the easy, blunt air of one who not only felt that he might be confided in, but who was then in the strict performance of his duties.

“I came at your own call, captain.  I have just returned from the river, and skirting down in that quarter, and was kept something later than I looked for; hearing, on my arrival, that you had been inquiring for me, I did not hesitate to present myself at once, not knowing but the business might be pressing.”

“It is pressing,” responded the outlaw, seemingly well satisfied with the tacit apology.  “It is pressing, Dillon, and you will have little time for rest before starting again.  I myself have been riding all night, and shall be off in another hour.  But what have you to report?  What’s in the wind now?”

“I hear but little, sir.  There is some talk about a detachment of the Georgia guard, something like a hundred men, to be sent out expressly for our benefit; but I look upon this as a mistake.  Their eye is rather upon the miners, and the Indian gold lands and those who dig it, and not upon those who merely take it after it is gathered.  I have heard, too, of something like a brush betwixt Fullam’s troop and the miners at Tracy’s diggings, but no particulars, except that the guard got the worst of it.”

“On that point I am already advised.  That is well for us, since it will turn the eye of the authorities in a quarter in which we have little to do.  I had some hand in that scrape myself, and set the dogs on with this object; and it is partly on this matter that I would confer with you, since there are some few of our men in the village who had large part in it, who must not be hazarded, and must yet stay there.”

“If the brush was serious, captain, that will be a matter of some difficulty; for of late, there has been so much of our business done, that government, I believe, has some thought of taking it up, and in order to do so without competition, will think of putting us down.  Uncle Sam and the states, too, are quarrelling in the business, and, as I hear, there is like to be warm work between them.  The Georgians are quite hot on the subject, and go where I will, they talk of nothing else than hanging the president, the Indians, and all the judges.  They are brushing up their rifles, and they speak out plain.”