eded no verification of the tragedy that the girl evidently
remembered as having occurred only a few hours past. Before his mental
vision rose the gruesome images of the skeleton at the foot of the mine
slide and the skeleton in the cabin.

"I've been blind," he murmured to Carmena. "Sim told me that nine years
ago he gave maps of his mine and the Triple Butte region to a doctor
named Lane."

Carmena was gazing yearningly at the unresponsive Elsie.

"All these years!" she sighed. "First her childhood all a blank to her,
and now all the years with me lost! I'm a stranger to her--to my little
Blossom! Oh, Jack!"

"Give her time. She will remember. Such cases are not unknown,"
comforted Lennon. He turned to Elsie.

"Listen, dear. I found your papa and mamma and buried them. Now I have
killed the bad Indian. But you have been sick--out of your head--a long
time. This lady--Carmena--has taken care of you and she loves you."

The child-minded girl peered up at her foster-sister.

"You--you love me? But I know it. You look at me like mamma does."

Carmena smiled radiantly. Lennon hastened to add an urgent appeal.

"She is hurt, Elsie, and more bad Indians are coming. Won't you help me
get her safe away from here?"

The request diverted the girl's thoughts before she could yield again to
panic. Instead of going frantic and becoming a drag upon Lennon's
efforts, she helped support Carmena through to the hoist room.

Slade was lying as the Apaches had left him, beside the charcoal
brazier, his left arm still lashed behind to his right foot. He had died
from his wounds. As they passed by, Lennon shielded Elsie from the
unpleasant sight. But Carmena looked full at the big twisted body of the
man who had ruined and murdered her father.

"He deserved it all and more--far more," she murmured. "First to make
Dad believe the brand-blotting was a part of his honest cattle business,
and then----"

"What's that?" interrupted Lennon. "You mean he deceived your father? I
did not understand it that way."

"Yes. He lied. Dad was an Easterner like yourself. Slade had him
incriminated before he knew it was stock stealing. Then he forced tizwin
making upon us. You know the consequences to poor Dad. And what if the
big beast had found Blossom! Oh, I should have waited for Cochise to
torture him. But I could not bear it."

"Because you are yourself, Carmena--as tender-hearted as you are strong
and brave and wise."

"Silly, you m