m an old man and I'm likely to go any
time. I'd like to feel that I'd helped you into a big success. It's the
only record I'll leave behind me except a few dead Injuns. We both come
of good old New England stock and we've got to show the old fighting
blood ain't dead yet. I want to tell you--Hi! Suma-theek! Jump! Jump!"

Suma-theek was standing close to the mountain side out of which a blast
had cut a great slice of rock. Up above his head some loosened stone was
slipping down the mountain. As he called and before either Jim or the
Indian saw the impending danger, Iron Skull dashed across the road and
shoved Suma-theek out of the danger line. But he miscalculated his own
agility. The rapidly-sliding rock caught him on the head and he who had
shed Indian bullets like raindrops went down like a pinon, smitten by
lightning.

For one breath there was an appalling silence on the mountainside. The
Apaches stood like a group of bronzes. The eagle who lived on the
Elephant's side hung motionless high above the road. A cotton-tail sat
with quivering nose and inquiring ears above the rift of the slide.

Then, with a shout, Jim flung himself from his horse and thrust the
reins into an Indian's hands.

"Ride for the doctor!" and the Indian was off like a racing shadow.

At Jim's call, old Suma-theek gave a great groan and ran to lift Iron
Skull's head. The Indians gathered about in wonder as Jim knelt beside
his friend. For Iron Skull was dead.

Penelope ran out of the tent house at Jim's shout and made her way among
the Indians to Jim's side.

"O Jim!" she cried. "O Jim! O Jim!" Then she dropped down and lifted the
quiet face into her lap and wiped the blood from it and fell to sobbing
over it. "Oh, what a useless death!" she sobbed. "What a useless death!"

Jim held his dead friend's hand close in his own. Through his
tear-blinded eyes he saw a golden August field and felt other fingers
clinging to his own.

The doctor, driving the mule ambulance, dashed up the half-made road. He
looked Iron Skull over, and shook his head. "Get the stretcher out," he
said to Jim.

Four Indians lifted the stretcher with Iron Skull on it, but when they
would have put it in the ambulance, old Suma-theek stepped forward. He
was taller even than Jim. His face was lean and wrinkled. His eyes were
deep-set and tragic. He wore a twist of red cloth filet-wise around his
head.

"He die for Injun. Let Injun carry 'em home," said the old Apache.