however, was confident of success, and told many doubtful yarns of
former discoveries and exploits.

Anita prepared an evening meal that was both tempting and sumptuous,
and all satisfied their appetites after which Harry took down the
guitar, suspended from the wall, tuned it up, and sung in a clear
mellow voice a number of ballads, to which the "General," much to the
surprise of both Redburn and Anita, lent a rich deep bass--a voice of
superior culture.

The closing piece was a weird melody--the lament of a heart that was
broken, love-blasted--and was rendered in a style worthy of a
professional vocalist. The last mournful strains filled the cabin just
as the last lingering rays of sunlight disappeared from the mountain
top, and shadows came creeping down the rugged walls of rock to
concentrate in the Flower Pocket, as Anita had named her valley home.
Redburn rose from his seat at the window, and reached the instrument
to its accustomed shelf, darting a glance toward sad Anita, a moment
later. To his surprise he perceived that her head was bowed upon her
arm that lay along the window-ledge--that she was weeping, softly, to
herself.

Acting the gentlemanly part, the young miner motioned for Nix to
follow him, and they both retired to the outside of the cabin to
lounge on the grass and smoke, and thus Anita was left alone with her
grief and such troubles as were the causes thereof.

Certain it was that she had a secret, but what it was Redburn could
not guess.