by the expression that came and went upon their faces. No
Indian warrior's face would have betrayed his feelings in such a manner.

Dolores was busy at the camp-fires, as usual, with her frying-pan, and
they were looking at her.

"How old do you think she is, Steve?"

"It's hard to guess, Murray. Maybe she's forty-five."

"She is not much above thirty. The Mexican women grow old sooner than
white ones. She was not much above twenty when she cooked for my
miners on the Santa Rita mine."

"Do you feel perfectly sure about that?"

"I've watched her. There is no doubt left in my mind. Still, I may
ask her a few more questions. Then there is one thing more I want to
make sure of."

"Will it keep us here long?"

"It may keep me, Steve."

"Then it will keep me, Murray. You will need me if you have anything
on hand. I am anxious enough to get off, but I will not leave you
behind. I'll stay and help."

Murray held out his hand.

"It's a fact, Steve. I may need all the help you can give."

"Take care! Here comes Many Bears himself, and two of his cunningest
councillors."

It did not require much guessing on Steve's part to know that, for the
"cunning" of those old Indians was written all over their dark,
wrinkled faces.

"More advice wanted," thought Murray, but it was not asked for so soon
as he expected.

The first words of Many Bears were complimentary, of course. His
pale-face friend had been very wise. All he had said had been good,
even to the not permitting the young men to follow the Lipans into the
mountains. Warriors had told the chief that Send Warning and Knotted
Cord had picked up something in the camp of the pale-faces. The
Apaches were glad. Their friends were welcome to what they had found.
Murray interrupted him there by promptly holding out one of the little
buckskin bags.

"Great chief take it."

"No. No want it. Send Warning keep it, and tell Apaches what better
do next."

"Go to better hunting-ground. Bad place for camp."

"Will the Lipans come again?"

"Not till after next snow. Got enough now. Come then."

All that and more came in as a sort of preface to what Many Bears
really wanted to say. He had something very heavy on his mind that
morning, and in order to get rid of it he had to tell the whole story
of the buffalo-hunt his band had made away beyond the mountains into
the country claimed by the Lipans. That was the way they came to be
followed so c