her old
sombrero.

Lennon's gaze lifted to the wealth of dark hair that lay coiled about
her shapely head. The girl was neither pretty nor beautiful, yet there
was a certain handsomeness about her strong features.

Out of the tail of his eye Lennon caught a glimpse of a black and orange
blur streaking toward them over the hot sand. He had seen many darting
lizards that day. But none had moved more swiftly than the clumsily
built Gila monster now darted at the disturbers of his torpor. There was
no time for thought. Lennon sensed that the reptile aimed to strike at
Carmena's bared wrist.

"Jump!" he cried, and flung himself forward to block the attack with his
out-thrust right hand.

An instant later the Gila monster snapped its gaping jaws together on
the fleshy edge of Lennon's palm. It whirled over upon its back. Caught
outstretched and almost prone upon the ground, Lennon sought to wrench
his hand free and draw away. The heavy lizard was dragged along with its
crooked legs futilely clawing the air. But its powerful jaws remained
clenched on the hand with bulldog tenacity.

A voice shrilled in Lennon's ear: "Hold still! Hold still!"

Carmena stooped over the writhing monster to thrust the muzzle of a
small revolver against the side of its lower jaw. The bullet shattered
the jaw and blew it half off. A vigorous kick hurled the now harmless
reptile aside.

Lennon had started to raise himself to a sitting position. Carmena flung
herself upon her knees and caught up his torn hand to her red lips. She
sucked hard at the wounds----

With the suddenness of a dropped veil, the hot, white glare of the
desert noon went black before Lennon's eyes. He sank down upon the sand,
unconscious.

When the light of returning life glimmered back into his brain, he first
was dimly aware of a pale Madonna face that appeared to hover close
above him. His clearing gaze gradually made out the girl's features.
There was no colour even in her lips. Her eyes were wide with grief and
dread.

She saw the dawning consciousness in his eyes.

"Jack!" she whispered--"Jack!--You haven't left me--you won't leave me!"

"Who--what's the matter?---- Oh, that----"

He sought to raise his right arm. It was strangely numb and heavy. The
girl lifted it from her lap, where it had been lying. He saw that her
silk handkerchief had been knotted around his bared forearm and twisted
very tight with the barrel of the little revolver. From the tourniqu