They kill without
reason, and destroy in mere wantonness. The band has never been
met in its full muster. The general operations are always the same.
It seems to Valois that there are two burning questions:
First--Who is the leader?
Second--Where is the hiding-place or stronghold?
To paralyze the band, this master intelligence must be neutralized
by death. To finish the work, that stronghold must be found or
destroyed.
There is as yet no concurrent voice as to their leader. Maxime
Valois is positive, however, that the stronghold is not far from
the slopes of Mariposa. The deadly riders seem to disappear,
when driven towards Stockton. They afterwards turn up, as if sure
shelter was near.
But who will hound this fiend to his lair? Valois sends for the
sheriff. They decide to organize a picked corps of men. They will
ride the roads, with leaders selected from veteran Indian fighters.
Others are old soldiers of the Mexican war. The heaviest rewards
are offered, to stimulate the capture of the bandit chiefs. Valois
knows, though, that money will never cause a Mexican to betray any
countryman to the Americans. A woman's indiscretion, yes, a jealous
sweetheart's bitter hatred might lead to gaining the bandit chief's
identity.
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