"Certainly. He has a pile about him; and it was for this I was trying, when
he accused me of attempting to rob him, and resenting the accusation
brought on the quarrel, and with it the insult. Yes, I must have his life
and his money, too."

"I'm with you. But hold! What's that? Horses' feet, as I'm alive. He's
coming; we must be quick to our place of concealment."

In the briefest possible time their horses led out of sight of the road,
and hid away among the bushes, while the two murderers took their stand at
the side of the road in ambush, to await the arrival of their victim.

They had only a few minutes to wait, when other two horsemen made their
appearance, and took their stations exactly as they had done, but about a
hundred yards further up the mountain.

"What the d----l does this mean?" inquired one of the other.

"I don't know, unless some others have an eye on the gold, as well as
ourselves."

"That's it, I'll warrant. Good! They may do the murdering, and we'll rush
up in time to secure the booty, by frightening them away. Then we can take
the body to the next tavern, and tell how we came upon the robbers and
murderers, just as they had finished their work.--Good! Let us get our
horses nearer at hand, and be ready to dash upon them."

While the first two villains were preparing for the new phase the affair in
which they were engaged had taken, as they supposed, the two who had
arrived last busied themselves in making ready for some damnable work which