wed to lead 'em to
the gold.

"Now as the years passed slowly by, Lorena, the Mescaleros had got
quite some civilized; this old rooster, he held out for two thousand
plunks, half in his grimy clutch, half on delivery. He got it. And
they left Tularosa, eighteen miles below the agency, and ten miles
off the reservation, about nine o'clock of a fine Saturday night.

"Well, sir, four miles above Tularosa the wagon road drops off the
mesa down to a little swale between a sandstone cliff and Tularosa
Creek. They turned a corner, and there was nine big bucks, wrapped up
in blankets, heads and all! There wasn't no arrows, and there wasn't
nothing said. Not a word. Those nine bucks moved up beside Falling
Pine, real slow, one at a time. Each one leaned close, pulled up a
flap of the blanket, and looked old Falling Pine in the eye, nose to
nose. Then he wrapped his blanket back over his face and faded away.
That was all.

"It was a great plenty. The plot thinned right there. Falling Pine, he
handed back that thousand dollars advance money, like it was hot, and
he beat it for Tularosa. They wanted him to try again, to tell 'em
where the stuff was, anyhow; they doubled the price on him. He said
no--not--_nunca_--nixy--_neinte_--he guessed not--_nada_--not
much--never! He added that he was going to lead a better life from
then on, and wouldn't they please hush? And what I say unto you is
this: How did them Indians know--hey?"

"Don't ask me," said Adam. "I've heard your story before,
Charles--only your dead Injun had thirty-five arrows for souvenirs,
'stead of nine. The big idea was, of course, that where gold is found
the white man comes along, and the Indian he has to move. But all this
is neither here nor there, especially here, though heaven only knows
what might have been under happier circumstances not under our
control, as perhaps it was, though we are all liable to make mistakes
in the best regulated families; yet perhaps I could find it in my
heart to wish it were not otherwise, as the case may be."

"Nine arrows!" said Charlie firmly.

"Young fellow!" said Adam severely. "Be I telling this story or be I
not? I been tryin' to relate about this may-be-so gold of mine, ever
since you come--and dad burn it, you cut me off every time. I do wish
you'd hush! Listen now! Of course there's placer gold all round
Hillsboro; most anywheres west of the river, for that matter. But
it's all fine dust--never coarse gold beyond th