king rapidly to the young Navaho in mingled
Spanish and English. At sight of the other Navaho and Lennon she paused.

Pete took the opportunity to mutter a sullen reply:

"_Basta._ Slade, him bad med'cine. Me no fight him. You go Cochise, _muy
pronto_."

"Wait!" urged the girl. "You want me to be your woman. Remember what I
promised if you'd help Slade to get up the canon against Cochise. I'll
promise more now. I'll give you all those horses and cattle--and I'll
give you myself. Sabe? I'll be your woman."

The Indian's eyes gleamed with avid desire. But he did not falter.

"Woman no good, me dead."

"Afraid--you girl!" taunted Carmena. "He's only a man. A single shot
will kill him. You have only to----"

"_Basta._ Him big devil. Me no shoot him. Him say you go Cochise, _muy
pronto_."

The stubborn coward turned away toward the windlass. Carmena glared
after him in agonized desperation.

"All right--all right, Pete!" she cried. "Lower me to Cochise. But
listen! You needn't fight Slade or any one. You heard how he fooled
Cochise--made him feel good by promising him me and Jack?"

"Me send you down, pronto."

"Yes--yes. Only first, if you want me to be your woman, listen. You
lower me, I make bargain with Cochise and----"

The rest of the fiercely urgent proposal was in Spanish. Pete came to a
pause and cast a stealthy glance at his fellow Navaho. The man had
dragged Lennon out past the windlass and turned back to grasp the crank
handle.

"You damn sure Cochise him no kill me? You no lie?" demanded Pete.

"Won't you be proving you are his friend?" countered the girl. "You know
Slade only half trusts you. He'll be sure to shoot you, soon as his
punchers come. How about it? Do you promise? It's your only chance to
get me, so long as you daren't tackle Slade yourself."

"Slade, him big devil. Injun no can----"

"Just wait and see," broke in Carmena. "Remember, there'll be tizwin for
you--all you can drink--heaps of tizwin!"

"Ugh!" grunted Pete. "Slade no come. _Bueno_--me do him you say."

He grunted to the other Navaho and swung the crane outward as the
tightening rope lifted the girl above the sacks of corn. She disappeared
from view below the barrier. The Navaho lowered away with a
deliberation that set Lennon's teeth on edge. The strain on his nerves
was not lessened by the total silence of the waiting Apaches down below.

At last the rope slackened. After a brief pause it was rapidly wound in
on