The following September found Darrell again in Ophir and re-established

in his old-time quarters. To his old office he had added the room

formerly occupied by Walcott, his increasing business demanding more

office room and the presence of an assistant.

Before leaving the East he revisited the members of his old syndicate

and informed them that he intended henceforth making his head-quarters

in the West, and if they wished to employ him as their expert, he would

execute commissions from that point. To this they readily agreed, and

also gave him letters of introduction to a number of capitalists

interested in western mining properties, who were only too glad to

secure the services of a reliable expert who would be on the ground and

familiar with existing conditions. As a result, Darrell had scarcely

reopened business at his former quarters before he found himself with

numerous eastern commissions to be executed, in addition to his old work

as assayer.

He was prepared for the changes which had taken place during the year of

his absence, his father having kept him thoroughly informed of all that

had occurred.

Darrell was delighted at the story of Kate Underwood's coolness and

bravery in saving her father's life, and sent her a note of hearty

congratulation, which she kept among her cherished treasures. Since that

time, occasional letters were exchanged between them; hers, bright,

entertaining sketches of their travels here and there, with comments

characteristic of herself regarding places and people; his, permeated

with the fresh, exhilarating atmosphere of the mountains, and pervaded

by a vigor and virility which roused Kate's admiration, yet led her to

wonder if this could be the same lover who had won her childish heart in

those idyllic days. Each realized the fact that notwithstanding their

love, notwithstanding their stanch comradeship, at present they were

little more than strangers. Darrell's love for Kate was a reality, but

her personality, so far as he could recall it, was little more than a

dream; each letter revealed some unexpected phase of her character; he

found their correspondence an unfailing source of pleasure, and was

content to await the time of their meeting, confident that he would find

the real woman all and more than the ideal which he fondly cherished as

his Dream-Love. And to Kate, each letter of Darrell's brought more and

more forcibly the conviction that the lover whom she remembered was as a

dream compared with the reality she was to meet some day.

About six months had elapsed when Darrell received, early one morning,

the following telegram from his father, summoning him to Galena: "Come over on first train. Important."

By the first train he would reach Galena a little before noon; he had

not breakfasted, and had but twenty minutes in which to make it. Calling

a carriage, he went directly to his office, where he left a brief

explanatory note for the clerk, written on the way, then drove with all

possible speed to the depot, arriving on time but without a minute to

spare. He breakfasted on the train, and while running over the morning

paper, his attention was caught by a despatch from Galena to the effect

that one of the leading banks in that city had been entered and the safe

opened and robbed on the preceding night. The robbers, of whom there

were three, had been discovered by the police. A fight had ensued in

which one officer and one of the robbers were killed, the second robber

wounded, while the third had made his escape with most of the plunder.

It was further stated that they were known to belong to the notorious

band of outlaws so long the terror of that region, and it was believed

the wounded man was none other than the leader himself, the murderer of

Harry Whitcomb and the young express clerk, for whom there was a

standing reward of twenty-five thousand dollars, dead or alive. The man

was to have a preliminary examination that afternoon, and the greatest

excitement prevailed in Galena, as it was rumored that others of the

band would probably be present, scattered throughout the crowd, for the

purpose of rescuing their leader.




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