t you?"

"No. What letter?" asked Jim.

The two were walking up to the hotel now. Uncle Denny threw up both his
hands. "Soul of me soul! They are out there by now. It all happened very
unexpectedly and I did me best to head him off. I must admit Pen was no
help to me there."

"But what----" exclaimed Jim.

Uncle Denny interrupted. "I don't know, meself. You gave Sara's name to
Freet some time ago, two years ago, when he wanted to do some real
estate business in New York. Well, ever since Sara has had the western
land speculation bug, and lately nothing would do but he must get out to
your Project. They are waiting there now for you if Sara killed no one
en route. There is so much peace in the old brownstone front now, Still
Jim, that your mother and I fear we will have to keep a coyote in the
parlor to howl us to sleep!"

Jim turned a curiously shaken face on Dennis. "Do you mean that Pen,
_Pen_ is out at the Dam? That she will be there when I get back?"

Uncle Denny nodded. "Pen and _Sara_! Don't forget Sara. Me heart
misgives me as to his purpose in going."

"Penelope at my dam?" repeated Jim.

Uncle Denny looked at Jim's tanned face. Then he looked away and his
Irish eyes were tear-dimmed. He said no more until they were in Jim's
room at the hotel. Jim began to pack rapidly and Uncle Denny remarked,
casually:

"Penelope is Saradokis' wife, you know."

Jim's drawl was razor-edged. "Uncle Denny, she never was and never will
be Saradokis' wife."

"Oh, I know! Only in name! But--I may as well tell you that I think she
was unwise in going to you."

Jim walked over to the window, then slowly back again. His clear gray
eyes searched the kindly blue ones. "Uncle Denny, why do you suppose
this thing happened to Pen?"

The Irishman's voice was a little husky as he answered: "To make a grand
woman of her. She's developed qualities that nothing else on earth could
have developed in her. It's because of her having grown to be what she
is that I didn't want her to go to you. I--Oh, Still Jim, me boy! Me
boy!"

For just a moment Jim's lips quivered, then he said, "We shall see what
the desert does for us," and he closed his suitcase with a snap.

CHAPTER XI

OLD JEZEBEL ON THE RAMPAGE

"Old Jezebel is a woman. For years she keeps her appointed
trail until the accumulation of her strength breaks all
bounds and she sweeps sand and men before her."