up in honest surprise. "Tell what 'bout little girl?"

Roger turned to Rabbit Tail. "You haven't heard about what Qui-tha did
to little girl?"

"Me no touch little girl," exclaimed Qui-tha, indignantly. "Have fight
with Dick', no touch little girl. Like little girl, bring her home when
she get lost up here."

"You know how Dick is a devil when he gets drunk?"

Qui-tha nodded.

"You knew that, yet you brought him a bottle of whiskey and got drunk
with him and shot him in the leg when you fought."

The old chief turned inquiringly toward Qui-tha. Again Qui-tha nodded
grimly.

"And you knew that the infernal drunken row you kicked up that night
frightened the little girl so that she ran away into the desert where a
rattle snake bit her and she died--died all alone at night, in the
desert."

A look of complete horror rose in Qui-tha's eyes. "No!" he gasped.

"Ai! Ai! Ai!" cried the squaw who had given Felicia the pottery. "Poor
little papoose! She was sweet, like her," pointing to Charley.

Then there was silence in the camp, all eyes turned on the old chief.
Indians are great lovers of children. Their tenderness to them never
fails, be they white or red or black.

"Dick heap sick?" asked old Rabbit Tail, finally.

"Yes, but he'll get well. He's at Doc Evans's house in Archer's."

"Did you tell the sheriff?" continued the chief.

"No," replied Roger. "Charley wouldn't let me."

Rabbit Tail turned to Charley. "Why?" he queried, laconically

Charley bit her lip. "The whites brought whiskey to the Indians in the
first place," she said.

There was another silence. Then Roger began again. "Dick has been sick a
long time now and he can't work much when he gets back. You know his
alfalfa field?"

"Yes," said the chief.

"Well, Dick has been away and his water pump is no good and the alfalfa
is dying. If we don't get water on it it will die. If it dies, then
Charley will have much trouble, bad trouble. They owe Hackett much money
because of Dick's drinking. So they can't get food unless they pay that
money. They can't pay that money unless they sell much alfalfa. See?"

Qui-tha and Rabbit Tail both nodded.

"Now, I know you Indians don't believe in work. But if I can dig a big
well for Charley and move my engine up to the adobe, I can get plenty of
water on the alfalfa. It would take twenty Indians one week to move my
plant. Rabbit Tail, you supply gangs sometimes for government work. Get
Charley a gang f