old me the story of the lost mine of the padres, an' she kissed
me an made joyful over me in the strangest way. I knew marriage went to
women's heads, an' I thought even Bonita had a spell.

"Well, she left me for a little, an' when she came back she wore some
pretty yellow flowers in her hair. Her eyes were big an' black an'
beautiful. She said some queer things about spirits rollin' rocks down
the canyon. Then she said she wanted to show me where she always sat an'
waited an' watched for me when I was away.

"She led me around under the crags to a long slope. It was some pretty
there--clear an' open, with a long sweep, an' the desert yawnin' deep
an' red. There were yellow flowers on that slope, the same kind she had
in her hair--the same kind that Apache girl wore hundreds of years ago
when she led the padre to the gold-mine.

"When I thought of that, an' saw Bonita's eyes, an' then heard the
strange crack of rollin' rocks--heard them rattle down an' roll an'
grow faint--I was some out of my head. But not for long. Them rocks were
rollin' all right, only it was the weatherin' of the cliffs.

"An' there under the crags was a gold pocket.

"Then I was worse than locoed. I went gold-crazy. I worked like
seventeen burros. Bill, I dug a lot of goldbearin' quartz. Bonita
watched the trails for me, brought me water. That was how she come to
get caught by Pat Hawe an' his guerrillas. Sure! Pat Hawe was so set on
doin' Gene dirt that he mixed up with Don Carlos. Bonita will tell you
some staggerin' news about that outfit. Just now my story is all gold."

Danny Mains got up and kicked back his chair. Blue lightning gleamed
from his eyes as he thrust a hand toward Stillwell.

"Bill, old pal, put her there--give me your hand," he said. "You were
always my friend. You had faith in me. Well, Danny Mains owes you,
an' he owes Gene Stewart a good deal, an' Danny Mains pays. I want two
pardners to help me work my gold-mine. You an' Gene. If there's any
ranch hereabouts that takes your fancy I'll buy it. If Miss Hammond ever
gets tired of her range an stock an' home I'll buy them for Gene. If
there's any railroad or town round here that she likes I'll buy it. If
I see anythin' myself that I like I'll buy it. Go out; find Gene for me.
I'm achin' to see him, to tell him. Go fetch him; an' right here in
this house, with my wife an' Miss Hammond as witnesses, we'll draw up a
pardnership. Go find him, Bill. I want to show him this go