d the Indian
Agent? You'll not forget that. You'll treat me and Jack, my new pard,
all right when I've helped you kill Slade."

"Dam' friend--you," jeered the Indian. "You kept my woman."

"What if I did? How about now? Do you want Slade to have her? You know
he has been scheming all along to take her from you. Are you going to
let him do it? Think about her--and about the tizwin--that tizwin hidden
from you by Slade--barrels of tizwin! All yours if only you have the
nerve to go up after Slade!"

Cochise looked up the cliff, with a sudden ferocious scowl. Lennon was
gasping for breath against the frightfulness of what he had heard. To
save herself, Carmena was betraying her foster-sister to the fiendish
savage. Elsie's fate in the hands of Slade was fearful enough without
the added horror of what she would suffer in the hands of Cochise.

"Carmena!" he cried. "Carmena, are you mad? Think of Blossom! What does
it matter if we are tortured? Surely you can't intend----"

"Why not?" cried back the girl, her face aflame with vengeful anger.
"That big beast first ruined my father; now he has murdered him.
Cochise, you'll have to choose quickly. Run off with us and have your
fun, and have Slade trail you down; or kill him and get your woman and
the tizwin--barrels of tizwin!"

The young Apache plucked out his knife and sprang at the girl. A stroke
slashed through the thongs that bound her wrists. Her ankles had already
been freed. Cochise made a sharp upward gesture. Carmena shook her head
and pointed to Lennon.

"Let him lead the way up--unarmed," she suggested.

The advantage of the plan was instantly grasped by the crafty Apache. At
his command, two of his men cut loose Lennon's bonds and jerked him to
his feet.

"Wait, Carmena! Wait!" begged Lennon. "Think of Elsie!"

But the girl had already signalled to those above. The rope ladder came
slipping down the cliff face. Lennon fell silent. Protests were now
useless. The lowering of the ladder laid the cliff stronghold open to
the merciless Apaches.

He turned away from the girl, full of loathing. Slade might possibly
have refrained at the last moment from wronging Elsie. But Cochise----

There was no need of the Apache's prodding knife point to start him up
the ladder. Though he did not relish having to act as a living shield
for the attackers, he was more than willing to go first. Unluckily the
tightness of his bonds had so bruised the ligaments of his wrists