he straightened up his lithe body and came straight toward Jim. Jack
knew he was horribly frightened and so she couldn't help but admire the
boy's sudden grip on himself. He looked straight into the "Big White
Chief's" eyes; only once his eyelids twitched.

"Why did you come with us when I said stay behind?" Jim demanded quietly
with his own peculiar sternness.

The boy hesitated; but an Indian does not lie to his friends. "I heard
you speak of the cave of the never-found gold," Carlos answered simply.
"The Indians of the plains now know the value of the white man's gold.
Often have I followed them into the desert to search for it in vain. For
nothing else would I leave the women whom you gave me to tend, but I too
must see the place of which you speak."

Jim groaned, and Jack laughed lightly. "Come on, Carlos," she said
kindly. "Partner," she turned to Jim, "no matter what happens from this
day's outing, remember you are responsible for planting the gold microbe
in Carlos and me." For the rest of their tramp Jack could not but amuse
herself, whenever her companions were silent, with wild dreams of what
joy it would be for them to come across a gold mine and get suddenly
very rich. She kept guessing and planning what she and the other girls
would do. More than anything, she wished to play fairy godmother to the
overseer of their ranch. During the week of their caravan trip, Jim had
showed so plainly that only Ruth and Frieda were still unconscious of
it, how much he cared for the ranch girl's chaperon. And Jack knew how
little, except the strength of his love, he had to offer her. Jim had
been running the Rainbow Ranch, receiving a salary so small for the
value of his services that it made Jack blush to think of it.

Time after time had she begged him to manage the ranch on shares, but he
had always refused, saying he had no need of money, and the place made
only enough to pay expenses, take care of the girls, and put a little by
for their futures. And Jim knew they would need more money some day if
they were ever to see anything of the great world which lay outside
their ranch lands.

Jim paid no heed to Jack's unnatural silence, for his mind was fixed on
a discovery that absorbed his entire interest. Other travelers had
lately crossed the trail which he and his companions were following.
Footprints were fresh upon it, and in an out-of-the-way spot a tin can
showed a bright new label. The footprints not only follo