with the intention of paying her a hundred-fold for her valuable
assistance in the past and then be through with her for good and all.


The Mexican or greaser settlements had little in them that resembled
their American neighbours. In the latter there were few women, for the
long distance that the American pioneers had to travel before reaching
the gold-fields of California, the hardships that they knew had to be
encountered, deterred them from bringing their wives and daughters. But
with the Mexicans it was wholly different. The number of women in their
camps almost equalled that of the men, and the former could always
be seen, whenever the weather permitted, strolling about or sitting
in the doorways chatting with their neighbours, while children were
everywhere. In fact, everything about the Mexican settlements conveyed
the impression that they had come to stay--a decided contrast to the
transient appearance of the camps of the Americans.

It was one evening late in the fall that Ramerrez and his band
halted just outside of this particular Mexican settlement. And after
instructing his men where they should meet him the following day, he
sent them off to enjoy themselves for the night with their friends. For,
Ramerrez, although exercising restraint over his band, never failed to
see to it that they had their pleasures as well as their duties--a trait
in his character that had not a little to do with his great influence
over his men. And so it happened that he made his way alone up the main
street to the hall where a dance was going on.

The scene that met his eyes on entering the long, low room was a gay
one. It was a motley crowd gathered there in which the Mexicans,
not unnaturally, predominated. Here and there, however, were native