help to many people in
the lands he crossed. Now the many will forget, and like a hawk with
the weight of an arrow in his breast he will fly alone to a high nest
of the hills. Death will nest with him there some night or some day,
Excellencia. And the many will forget."

"Quiet you!" ordered Dona Jocasta angrily.

Abashed, Clodomiro went silent, and with a murmured apology took
himself into the shadows.

She lifted the pictured face barely discernible now in the diminished
light.

"And--the many will forget!" she repeated irritably. "The boy has the
truth of it, but if _she_ had lived, so terribly wicked,--so lost of
God, I wonder if----"

She lifted her face looking up at the still stars as if for light on a
thought, then flung her hands out despairingly and turned away to the
couch by the green bush of fragrant yellow bloom.

But not to sleep. Long after the Americanos were wrapped in slumber a
little blaze sent glimmer of light through the undergrowth, and she
saw Clodomiro stretched beside the fire. He had tossed a bit of
greasewood on the coals that he might again study the face of El
Gavilan.

She had heard him say that if no desert wind lifted the sand he could
follow to that hidden nest of the Hawk. It was very dark now except
for glimmer of stars through lacy, slow-drifting clouds,--there was no
wind. Later there would be a waning moon! Much of every waking life
is a dream, and her dreams were of the No Man's Land of the
desert,--the waterless trail from which she had been rescued for
peace!

Twice during the night Kit roused from the depths sufficiently to
realize that sleep is one of the greatest gifts to man. Once Clodomiro
was stretched by the little fire inspecting the paper he could not
read, the second time he thought Baby Bunting was nosing around trying
to get close to human things. Both times he reached out his hands to
the precious packs beside which he slept on the trail. All were safe,
and he drifted again into a great ocean of slumber.

He was wakened at dawn by the voice of Cap Pike, keyed high for an
ultra display of profanity.

"By the jumping Je-hosophat, I knew it!" he shrilled. "That's your
latest collection, begod! I hoped he wouldn't, and knew he would! The
all-firedest finest pair of mules on Granados, and every water bag in
the outfit! Can you beat it?"

At the first shout Kit jumped to his feet, his eyes running rapidly
over his pack saddle outfit. All was safe there, a