and Roger both mounted, leaving Gustav and Ernest to go up to the corral
after the other two horses. Just at this moment there came through the
afterglow a familiar treble shriek.

"Oh! Oh! Dickeee!"

The four men were motionless. Coming down the trail from the mountains
was a little figure in blue overalls, curly head glorious in the last of
the sunset gleam.

"Wait for me, Roger, wait!" shrieked Felicia, trying to quicken a very
tired gait, and much impeded by a basket, which she clasped with both
arms. Ernest suddenly broke into a run and picked the child up, basket
and all. Dick dropped from his horse and followed to lift her away from
Ernest's clinging arms.

"She's my sister, let me take her," he said hoarsely.

"Vere vas you, liebchen?" asked Schmidt.

"Well," said Felicia, looking a little bewildered--"Oh, Roger dear,
look--the squaw gave me a basket and some eenty dishes, just like the
olla."

"Felicia, where have you been?" begged Roger; "tell us, honey."

"Why, I just went over the mountain to find the place Dick told about
where the Indians make dishes. And I got lost, and a squaw found me and
I had a funny dinner with her and I bought these dishes and I told her
Dick would pay for them and I brought you each a present and I'm awful
tired." She stopped for lack of breath.

Dick looked helplessly at the other men. "It's five mountain miles to
that Indian camp," he said.

"I got tired," Felicia nodded her head, "but Qui-tha brought me home. He
wanted some more peroxide. So I gave him the bottle in your room, Dicky.
He was so good to bring me home. He went right back with it."

"I wish I'd had a quart for the good old fool," said Dick.

"Where are you all going? Where's Charley?" asked Felicia.

"She's nearly frantic about you," exclaimed Roger. "We were all going to
look for you."

Felicia's liquid eyes widened with sudden understanding. "Put me down,
Dick, I want to go to Charley."

"Here she comes now," said Ernest.

Charley was breathless with running. Felicia set her basket in the sand
and rushed into her sister's arms. The men all started explaining at
once. Charley, still clasping Felicia, listened, then looked down on the
curly head resting against her heart.

"Felicia, how could you be so naughty," she asked gently.

"Now, don't you scold her, Charley," protested Dick.

"Do I ever scold any one, Dick? Only Felicia must realize that she did a
very dangerous thing that she must ne