yin'," howled Ladd.

"You were never sick in your life, and if all the bullet holes I see in
you couldn't kill you, why, you never will die."

"Can I smoke?" queried Ladd, with sudden animation. "My Gawd, I used
to smoke. Shore I've forgot. Nell, if you want to be reinstated in my
gallery of angels, just find me a pipe an' tobacco."

"I've hung onto my pipe," said Jim, thoughtfully. "I reckon I had it
empty in my mouth for seven years or so, wasn't it, Laddy? A long
time! I can see the red lava an' the red haze, an' the red twilight
creepin' up. It was hot an' some lonely. Then the wind, and always
that awful silence! An' always Yaqui watchin' the west, an' Laddy with
his checkers, an' Mercedes burnin' up, wastin' away to nothin' but
eyes! It's all there--I'll never get rid--"

"Chop that kind of talk," interrupted Belding, bluntly. "Tell us where
Yaqui took you--what happened to Rojas--why you seemed lost for so
long."

"I reckon Laddy can tell all that best; but when it comes to Rojas's
finish I'll tell what I seen, an' so'll Dick an' Thorne. Laddy missed
Rojas's finish. Bar none, that was the--"

"I'm a sick man, but I can talk," put in Ladd, "an' shore I don't want
the whole story exaggerated none by Jim."

Ladd filled the pipe Nell brought, puffed ecstatically at it, and
settled himself upon the bench for a long talk. Nell glanced
appealingly at Dick, who tried to slip away. Mercedes did go, and was
followed by Thorne. Mr. Gale brought chairs, and in subdued excitement
called his wife and daughter. Belding leaned forward, rendered all the
more eager by Dick's reluctance to stay, the memory of the quick tragic
change in the expression of Mercedes's beautiful eyes, by the strange
gloomy cast stealing over Ladd's face.

The ranger talked for two hours--talked till his voice weakened to a
husky whisper. At the conclusion of his story there was an impressive
silence. Then Elsie Gale stood up, and with her hand on Dick's
shoulder, her eyes bright and warm as sunlight, she showed the rangers
what a woman thought of them and of the Yaqui. Nell clung to Dick,
weeping silently. Mrs. Gale was overcome, and Mr. Gale, very white and
quiet, helped her up to her room.

"The Indian! the Indian!" burst out Belding, his voice deep and
rolling. "What did I tell you? Didn't I say he'd be a godsend?
Remember what I said about Yaqui and some gory Aztec knifework? So he
cut Rojas loose from that awful cra