“I doesn’t care ’tic’larly ’bout gittin’ ’quainted wid any spooks,” muttered Jim Tubbs, after bidding good-bye to George Inwood, as the latter started on his reconnoisance of the Island.  
“Dat ’ere George was always a fearsome boy eber since he was a little codger, dat used to ride de hosses at home in ole New York—nebber could make him b’lebe any stories about ghosts, an’ hobblegoblins, an’ spooks. Beats all natur’ how queer some folks be; I don’t care much for darkeys, whedder dey be red or black, while he does; but when spooks is around, I ’fers to be ’scused, while he don’t.”
 
Thus did the African commune with himself, as he made his way carefully from the lake and its phantom-like island. Not until he was far from it, did he pause, look around, and ask himself what was the best thing for him to do.
 
“I has de ’pinion dat when I ’grated to dese parts, I come arter gold, an’ dat’s what I’m going to hunt for at present. I sometimes tinks I orter be de ’prietor ob dis ’stablishment, as I ’wested de most money. Howsumeber, Mr. Tubbs, we’ll ’scuse de ’scussion ob dat question to some subsequent ’casion.”
 
Without suspecting it, the African took almost the same direction as that followed by Edwin Inwood. As he was looking for gold, he went along the of a small stream, and began examining its banks and current for some signs of auriferous deposit.
 
“Dey say you’re the most aptest to find gold near de water, ’less you find it somewhere else—so I’ll take a peep. O!——”
 
Jim stopped, absolutely thunderstruck, for there in the water before him he saw a large piece of yellow metal, whose nature he divined at a glance. forward[68] the next instant, he seized it in his hand, and held it up, and turned it over. It was a piece of pure gold, nearly the size of a hen’s egg. It lay imbedded in the sand, only a small portion displaying itself.
 
The dusky fellow could scarcely restrain his delight. He turned it over and over again, and danced about, and laughed, and almost cried. Finally he sobered down.
 
“Dat’s de best fish I ebber catched an’ I’ve fished a good deal. Shouldn’t wonder if dere’s some more ob ’em ’bout.”
 
There was some reason, if not much truth, in this conclusion, and he fell to work with might and main. The stream was about a dozen feet in breadth, some eighteen or twenty inches in depth, with a clear current, and a hard, sandy bottom. As he had not his tools with him, he laid his rifle on the bank, and a heavy stick with which he raked the sand hither and in his search.
 
A few minutes’ search revealed another piece smaller than the first, but large enough to fill Jim’s heart with joy.
 
“Talk about spooks!” he exclaimed contemptuously, “dat ’ere lump ob yaller stuff is more interesting dan all de spooks on de lake or in de wood. I tinks I’ll settle here for de present.”
 
He his rude rake with unabated , but nothing more rewarded his . He gradually worked his way up the channel, so intent on his labor as not to observe or care for aught that took place around him.
 
This would have continued until darkness, had it not been checked in a most sudden and alarming manner. Jim’s head was down, as he in the dust, when a , whirring noise caught his ear, and he looked up just in time to see a dark, circling ring over him, and, ere he could , the loop of the lasso dropped to his elbows, and was with the quickness of lightning.
 
The huge fellow comprehended his predicament in an instant, and exerted his giant strength to the utmost to free himself.
 
[69]
 
“Dat ’ere will nebber do! My gracious, dey’ll got all my gold!”
 
So great was his strength, that, in all probability, he would have broken the rope which enclosed his arms; but, in the midst of his furious struggles, a second lasso, from nearly an opposite point, shot up in the air, and, in spite of the attempt he made to dodge it, came down with unerring certainty, and helped his arms.
 
“Dat ’ere is a little too lubbin’,” muttered Jim, like a giant in his bonds, but, finding himself unable to accomplish anything in this manner, he resorted to different tactics.
 
“I can pull, if I can’t break.”
 
With which, he made a furious up the bank, a rather ludicrous occurrence. The Mohave who had the second lasso, simply held it in his hand, he and his companion instantly dropping out of sight the moment they threw their ropes. The sudden and tremendous strain upon the rope found him totally unprepared, and he came headlong out of the bushes and over the bank before he could recover himself, observing which, Jim made a dash at him; but, as the first red man had secured his around the point of a projecting rock, the fellow was brought up with a round turn, and the other made all haste to the mistake which he had committed.
 
“Lucky for you I couldn’t cotch you! If I’d got one ob dem feet ob mine on you, I’d have you.”
 
At this the red men revealed themselves, three of them rising to their feet, and all motioning to their captive to come . This command he obeyed, all the time puzzling his wits to see whether there was not some means by which he could himself. The third Indian placed his loop over his arms, and they then mounted their horses, fastening the ropes to the saddle, and taking good care to keep their at a respectable distance.
 
Poor Jim Tubbs was now fairly secured. The three ropes, which encased him like a child, were woven of a peculiar[70] thread, which made their almost equal to that of of iron. The Mohaves were perfect at this kind of business, and, coming upon the African unawares, they had effected his capture with rare skill.
 
“Dey’ve got me dis time, sure,” he reflected, as he walked along between their horses, “an’ de ’portant question is, what am dey gwine to do wid me, an’ when dey gwine to do it, an’ how dey gwine to do it, an’ how it’s gwine to ’gree wid me when dey come to do it.”
 
He walked along a short distance in silence,............