all was done she held out the _manta_ to Tula, and her smile was as
honey of the mesquite, and she said, "In my house you would not take
the gift I offered you, but now that you have your mother, and your
friends safe, will you yet be so proud?" and Tula with her arms around
her mother, stood up and let the thing be put over her head as you
see, and that, Senor Capitan, is the way of the strange _manta_ of
Tula."

"And that?" queried Kit, indicating the belt. Marto smiled a bit
sheepishly and lowered his voice because the last of the horses were
being loaded with the homesick human freight, and the chatter, and
clatter of hoofs had ceased about them.

"Maybe it is the _manta_, and maybe I am a fool," he confessed, "but
she told me to spend not one ounce beyond what was needed, for it was
to use only for these sick and poor people of hers. There was a good
game going on in that train,--and fools playing! I could have won
every peso if I had put up only a little handful of the nuggets. That
is why I think my general knew when he said she was the devil, for she
stood up in that straight rich garment of honor and looked at me--only
looked, not one spoken word, senor!--and on my soul and the soul of my
mother, the wish to play in that game went away from me in that
minute, and did not come back! How does a man account for a thing like
that; I ask you?"

Kit thought of that first night on the treasure trail in the mountain
above them, and smiled.

"I can't account for it, though I do recognize the fact," he answered.
"It is not the first time Tula has ruled an outfit, and it is not the
_manta_!"

Then he walked over and lifted her from the ground as he would lift a
child, she weighed so little more!

"Little sister," he said kindly, "now that you are rested, you will
ride my horse to Soledad. Your big work is done for your people. All
is finished."

"No, senor,--not yet is the finish," she said shaking her head, "not
yet!"

Kit felt uncomfortably the weight in his pocket of the key of Conrad's
room. He had made most solemn promise it would be guarded till she
came. He had studied up some logical arguments to present to her
attention for herding the German across the border as a murderer the
United States government would deal justice to, but after the report
of Marto concerning her long trail, and the death of her mother in the
desert, he did not feel so much like either airing ideas or asking
questions. He was r