"Of course not Honeycutt; I saw him last week, as you wanted me to, and he is cabin-bound down in Coloma as usual.

Then she had caught a word between her father and his friend; had heard Honeycutt mentioned and a ride to Coloma, and on the break of the instant had determined with a young will which invariably went unthwarted, that high adventure was beckoning her.

So King telephoned to San Francisco, arranged to have three thousand dollarsin cashsent immediately to him at Coloma, and to-day fancied himself strictly attending to business with an undivided mind.

But the "Mark" slipped out before they came into sight of the roofs of picturesque Coloma.

Never, it seemed to her, had she seen a lonelier-looking place than old Coloma drowsing on the fringe of the wilderness.

Here one might count on finding Swen Brodie at such times as he favoured Coloma with his hulking presence; here foregathered his hangers-on.

"Some chaps from Coloma, packing off into the woods.

But his interest seemed to be chiefly in "that quaint little relic of past, turbulent days, Coloma."

There would be a message for King; mos' likely from Coloma.

" They were still in the log house when, twenty-four hours later, the telephone rang, and Gloria, quick to forestall her mother, heard the operator saying: "Coloma calling Ben Gaynor's residence.

" "Coloma!" thought Gloria with a quickened heartbeat.

King was to be told that Gratton, instead of going straight to San Francisco, had gone down to Placerville, and next had turned up at Coloma; that he had spent three days there; that he had gone several times to Honeycutt's shanty, and had been seen, more than once, with Swen Brodie.

What business of his is it if Mr. Gratton does go to Coloma, or anywhere else?"

"You are going to Coloma!" He slowed the car down that he might look at her keenly.

"Here we are," he said presently as the first of the picturesque old rock-and-mortar houses of Coloma stood forth out of the wilderness.

It brought her back to earth from a region of swirling vapours, back to to-day and Coloma.

Ben is in Coloma.

There was still the message to be had from Ben Gaynor, who, it seemed, lay hurt somewhere in Coloma.

He knew that with it was a message from his old friend Ben; that Ben, himself, lay at this moment in Coloma hurt.

As soon as you get this phone to Charlie Marsh at Coloma.

Your father is hurt in Coloma.

Then, too, Gratton knew from Gloria's own lips that she had brought the message from her father in Coloma; hence Gratton might suspect, and Brodie after him, that Gloria was in possession of old Loony Honeycutt's secret.

He could not allow her to go to her parents in Coloma; he thought of that, but that was Brodie's hangout, and Ben was in no condition to send for her.

"And then to mamma and papa, in Coloma.

The dispatch of the articles of agreement was commited to John Coloma the secretary, and every thing which he had demanded, as has been mentioned before, without alteration or diminution, was granted under the hands and seals of their Catholic majesties.