est of its action, and as carefully reloaded the old style
cylinder. The weapon was well suited for hip-pocket wear. At the
suggestion of Elsie, he hung his rifle under his bed.

Carmena half carried her father into the living-room and seated him in
one of the big chairs. He was very white and shaky but rational. He had
been bathed and dressed, and his eyes showed proof of soothing
treatment. Though the sight and odour of the cooking nauseated him, he
was braced by a drink made from some bitter desert herb known to the
girls for its tonic effect.

"Now, Dad, remember you're sick. Just sit here quietly and leave all the
business to me," said Carmena. "Jack will keep you company."

She looked at Lennon, cool-eyed and self-possessed.

"Watch your bad arm, Mr. Lennon," she advised. "You don't want to go
around with it loose like that. Elsie will fetch you a sling. I'm going
to lower the ladder. Slade doesn't enjoy being made to wait."

Elsie brought one of her floursack dish-towels, which Lennon, with mock
seriousness, permitted her to knot over his shoulder in a sling. The
loop of cloth extended along his arm from elbow to finger tips without
hiding the bandages.

Farley glowed at the sling with sour suspicion.

"You climbed the ladder with that arm when you first came," he snapped.
"There has been all this time for it to improve."

"Do such poison wounds always improve?" parried Lennon. "I was willing
to risk using the arm. But you heard what your daughter said."

He went across the room to look from an outer window. A large band of
horsemen was racing full tilt up the valley. They were already near. At
their head rode Cochise and a big red-faced white man. As Lennon looked
out at them Carmena swung down the rope ladder.

The tall rangy American horse of the white man forged ahead of the
Indian ponies and brought his rider under the cliff as Carmena reached
the foot of the ladder. She called out to him in a tone of joyful
greeting and hastened forward to offer her hand. The man ignored her
welcome and jerked a thumb up at the window from which Lennon was
looking.

Cochise came galloping to the cliff foot with his band of Apaches and
four or five Navahos. All reined their ponies to one side except
Cochise. He sprang off to confront Carmena, with denunciatory words and
gestures. The white man leisurely swung out of his saddle and took the
attitude of a judge between the girl and Cochise. After no little
disputi