I need not die? It
is you who will save me, yes? O'santos Dios!"

He had half risen from the bed, but now sank back, exhausted by the
shock of emotion as well as by the physical effort; and Jessica sprang
forward, terrified by the sudden pallor of his swarthy face. But John
put her quietly aside and himself placed a flask to Antonio's lips,
saying:

"You've done your part well, my noble little captain, and you've done
me proud. It's my place now."

The senor soon rallied, and again fixed his eyes imploringly on
Benton's face, as he sat on the edge of the bed beside him.

"Yes, top-lofty, I promise to help you. But first you must help
yourself. You must pledge your word, the word of a dying man, that he
dare not break. You will restore everything that you have taken from
the mistress of Sobrante--or anybody else--so far as it will hereafter
be in your power; you shall compel your Brother Ferd to guide a party
of prospectors to that secret spot in the canyon where that piece of
copper came from; and you shall do all that it is possible to do for
the good, and not the evil, of your neighbors. That all clear?"

"But, yes, yes!" whispered Antonio, frantically. "Haste! Oh, haste!"

"I'm a-hasting, but I ain't a-hurrin'. Which is a good thing for you,
'cause so I can think this thing over. That ball in your back will
have to come out. I've taken some from folks myself, once or twice,
but this one is in a ticklish place. A doctor is what we want, and the
nearest one is ten miles away on Kimball's ranch. He'd rather potter
with his roses than other folks' bullets, and I'll have a tough piece
of work to drag him up here, especially to see--you."

With an impressive emphasis on the word "you" John paused, and waited
some rejoinder. None came, and though Jessica again exclaimed against
the carpenter's contemptuous tone, Antonio neither resented it, nor
felt it undeserved. Then Benton continued:

"Sharp, here, is a writin' fellow, and knows what's what every time.
In the jerk of a lamb's tail he'll draw up a paper which'll explain
what you promise, and you've got strength enough to sign your name to
it. The minute you do that I'm off for Kimball, and I'll fetch him up
here fast as horses can travel--if I have to carry him on my back!"

"Quick! The paper! I sign--I live!"

"Quick" it was, and though Ninian was no lawyer, he was always well
provided with pads and fountain pens. Also, he was clever enough to
use the longes