ey cried in
the same breath. And Ruth was glad she had caught Jim's big hands in her
warm ones, for the great, self-controlled overseer of the Rainbow Ranch
shook like a child in a chill. "Aren't Jack and Carlos with you?" he
queried hoarsely. And Ruth shook her head, drawing him, stumbling like a
blind man, to their camp-fire.

All night long she sat by the fire with him while the girls and Ralph
Merrit made coffee and walked back and forth from the tent to them. No
one thought of going to bed. Jim wished to be off at once to recommence
his search, but Ruth persuaded him to wait till daylight. For his sake
she pretended to believe that Jack was too clever not to have found a
refuge for herself and Carlos for the night. They were glad that the
little Indian boy had run away with Jim and Jack to the mine, for it was
better that Jack should not be alone.

At the first streak of dawn a light footfall sounded some distance away.
Jim and Ruth and Ralph Merrit sprang up from the smouldering fire. "It's
Jack!" Ruth cried happily, so that Jean and Olive and Frieda heard her,
and came running pale and breathless from the shelter of the tent.

Stealing up the pathway of light made by the first streak of rose color
in the sky was little brown Carlos, but he walked alone.

"Where's Jack?" called everybody this time. And Carlos shook his head
uncertainly. He could not understand. There stood "The Big White Chief,"
and certainly he must have brought their companion back with him. Why
did they ask _him_ about "The Girl Who Was Never Afraid"? He was only a
little boy, even though an Indian; he was hungry and cold and tired and
had found his way all alone through the darkness of night in a strange
country, and no one, not even "The Princess," seemed glad to see him.
Carlos blinked, but his bronze, statuesque face showed absolutely no
emotion. He dropped a little gray ball of fur on the ground, which
Frieda picked up with a cry of pleasure.

CHAPTER XII

CARLOS MAKES GOOD

"Don't, please, Mr. Colter!" Olive faltered.

Frieda clutched at Jean's skirts, with big tears in her eyes, and Jean
stared at the scene with a frightened face. Ralph Merrit had walked some
distance away and Ruth had gone back to their tent, worn out by her
second disappointment over Jack's failure to return. The three girls who
remained had rarely seen anyone so angry as Jim Colter. He had not
spoken when Carlos first returned; now he made the boy sta