As we climbed up and stepped out on this eminence, the Gold Hill lights dropped out of sight at our backs, and the night closed down gloomy and dismal.

A sharp wind swept the place, too, and chilled our perspiring bodies through.
"I tell you I don't like this place at night," said Mike the agent.
"Well, don't speak so loud," I said.

"You needn't remind anybody that we are here." Just then a dim figure approached me from the direction of Virginia--a man, evidently.

He came straight at me, and I stepped aside to let him pass; he stepped in the way and confronted me again.

Then I saw that he had a mask on and was holding something in my face--I heard a click-click and recognized a revolver in dim outline.