on the errand? It almost looked as though the thing
were an impossibility. She lay tossing and puzzling over it till gray
dawn stole into the room. She mentally reviewed every servant on the
place on whom she could rely to do her bidding and keep her secret, but
there was some reason why each one would not do. She scanned the
country, even considering old Ouida, who had been living in a shack over
beyond the fort ever since her cabin had been raided; but old Ouida was
too notorious. Mrs. Tanner would keep Margaret from going with her, even
if Margaret herself did not know the old woman's reputation. Rosa
considered if there were any way of wheedling Mom Wallis into the
affair, and gave that up, remembering the suspicious little twinkling
eyes of Jasper Kemp. At last she fell asleep, with her plan still
unformed but her determination to carry it through just as strong as
ever. If worst came to worst she would send the half-breed cook from the
ranch kitchen and put something in the note about his expecting to meet
his sister an hour's ride out on the trail. The half-breed would do
anything in the world for money, and Rosa had no trouble in getting all
she wanted of that commodity. But the half-breed was an evil-looking
fellow, and she feared lest Margaret would not like to go with him.
However, he should be a last resort. She would not be balked in her
purpose.

CHAPTER XXVIII

Rosa awoke very early, for her sleep had been light and troubled. She
dressed hastily and sat down to compose a note which could be altered
slightly in case she found some one better than the half-breed; but
before she was half through the phrasing she heard a slight disturbance
below her window and a muttering in guttural tones from a strange voice.
Glancing hastily out, she saw some Indians below, talking with one of
the men, who was shaking his head and motioning to them that they must
go on, that this was no place for them to stop. The Indian motioned to
his squaw, sitting on a dilapidated little moth-eaten burro with a small
papoose in her arms and looking both dirty and miserable. He muttered as
though he were pleading for something.

We believe that God's angels follow the feet of little children and
needy ones to protect them; does the devil also send his angels to lead
unwary ones astray, and to protect the plan's of the erring ones? If so
then he must have sent these Indians that morning to further Rosa's
plans, and instantly