Soon cowboys appeared riding barebacked horses, driving in others and the burros.  Some of these horses were taken away and evidently hidden in deep recesses between the crags.  The string of burros were packed and sent off down the trail in charge of a cowboy.  Nick Steele and Monty returned.  Then Stewart appeared, clambering down the break between the cliffs.

His next move was to order all the baggage belonging to Madeline and her guests taken up the cliff.  This was strenuous toil, requiring the need of lassoes to haul up the effects.

“Get ready to climb,” said Stewart, turning to Madelines party.

“Where?” asked Helen.

He waved his hand at the ascent to be made.  Exclamations of dismay followed his gesture.

“Mr. Stewart, is there danger?” asked Dorothy; and her voice trembled.

This was the question Madeline had upon her lips to ask Stewart, but she could not speak it.

“No, there’s no danger,” replied Stewart, “but we’re taking precautions we all agreed on as best.”

Dorothy whispered that she believed Stewart lied.  Castleton asked another question, and then Harvey followed suit.  Mrs. Beck made a timid query.

“Please keep quiet and do as you’re told,” said Stewart, bluntly.

At this juncture, when the last of the baggage was being hauled up the cliff, Monty approached Madeline and removed his sombrero.  His black face seemed the same, yet this was a vastly changed Monty.

“Miss Hammond, I’m givin’ notice I resign my job,” he said.

“Monty!  What do you mean?  What does Nels mean now, when danger threatens?”

“We jest quit.  Thet’s all,” replied Monty, tersely.  He was stern and somber; he could not stand still; his eyes roved everywhere.

Castleton jumped up from the log where he had been sitting, and his face was very red.

“Mr. Price, does all this blooming fuss mean we are to be robbed or attacked or abducted by a lot of ragamuffin guerrillas?”

“You’ve called the bet.”

Dorothy turned a very pale face toward Monty.

“Mr. Price, you wouldn’t—­you couldn’t desert us now?  You and Mr. Nels—­”

“Desert you?” asked Monty, blankly.

“Yes, desert us.  Leave us when we may need you so much, with something dreadful coming.”

Monty uttered a short, hard laugh as he bent a strange look upon the girl.

“Me an’ Nels is purty much scared, an’ we’re goin’ to slope.  Miss Dorothy, bein’ as we’ve rustled round so much; it sorta hurts us to see nice young girls dragged off by the hair.”

Dorothy uttered a little cry and then became hysterical.  Castleton for once was fully aroused.

“By Gad!  You and your partner are a couple of blooming cowards.  Where now is that courage you boasted of?”

Monty’s dark face expressed extreme sarcasm.