ached Floyd did not know
what would follow.

He shot a quick look at the girl before he started out on what he
thought might be a last desperate venture. He felt that he might
discover something to do--some way of escape--that would not make it
necessary for his sister to virtually rush into danger.

And he was relieved when he saw the calm and cool look that was on
Rosemary's face.

"She isn't going to give up!" decided Floyd.

There was an exultant feeling in his heart.

During this talk between brother and sister the dirty Indian detailed
to guard the captives had sauntered within view of them every now and
then. To quiet his suspicions, in case he should have any, Rosemary
and Floyd had spoken most casually on these occasions.

The lad waited until the guard had come on one of his periodic trips of
inspection and had dropped out of sight on a ledge of rock, and then
Floyd started out.

"Don't be too long!" called Rosemary in a low voice.

"I won't!" he promised.

Walking as aimlessly as he could pretend, Floyd started toward a break
in the natural wall that ran in front of the prison cavern. He wanted
to see if he could catch a glimpse of the Yaquis below him.

"And I'd give a whole lot of money--if I had it--to see who is fighting
them," thought Floyd. "But I haven't much left."

He glanced ruefully down at his now soiled and torn garments. And as
he thrust his hands into his pockets he missed many a trinket and
possession. For nearly everything had been taken away by Paz, Mike or
some of their rascally followers.

Two or three Indians, some of them wounded, were coming back "from the
front," so to speak. One of them glanced scowlingly at Floyd, as he
passed the lad, evidently associating his wounds with the presence of
the prisoner.

"I'd give you a whole lot worse than that if I had a chance--Ugly
Face!" thought Floyd.

Another member of the renegade band grinned or--Floyd took it for a
grin--as he passed. But none of them seemed to care where the lad went
or what he did, and for this Floyd was glad.

"I seem to be getting somewhere," he murmured. "Whether I can hit on
any scheme to beat Rosemary's is a question, but I don't want her to
take the risk unless there's nothing else to do."

He had now reached a low spot in the natural rocky wall. He felt that
if he could once get a glimpse at this point he might see something
that would help him and Rosemary.

And to his great delight