illed and ground the quartz roughly, and cradled it in the
water of the brook.

By the innocent aid of Baby Bunting, two wild burros of the sierra had
been enticed within reach for slaughter, and, aside from the food
values, they furnished green hide which under Kit's direction, Tula
deftly made into bags for carrying the gold.

All activities during the day were carefully confined within a certain
radius, low enough in the little canon to run no risk in case any
inquisitive resident of Soledad should study the ranges with a field
glass, though Kit had not seen one aside from his own since he entered
Sonora. And he used his own very carefully every morning and evening
on the wide valley of Soledad.

"Something doing down there, sister," he decided, as they were
preparing for the last trail out. "Riders who look like cavalry,
mules, and some wagons--mighty queer!"

Tula came over and stood beside him expectantly. He had learned that a
look through the magic glasses was the most coveted gift the camp
could grant to her, and it had become part of the regular routine that
she stood waiting her turn for the wide look, the "enchant look," as
she had called it that first morning. It had become a game to try to
see more than he, and this time she mentioned as he had, the wagons,
and mules, and riders. And then she looked long and uttered a brief
Indian word of surprise.

"Beat me again, have you?" queried Kit good humoredly. "What do you
find?"

"A woman is there, in that wagon,--sick maybe. Also one man is a
padre; see you!"

Kit took the glasses and saw she was right. A man who looked like a
priest was helping a woman from a wagon, she stumbled forward and then
was half carried by two men towards the house.

"Not an Indian woman?" asked Kit, and again her unchildlike mind
worked quickly.

"A padre does not bow his head to help Indian woman. Caballeros do not
lift them up."

"Well I reckon Don Jose Perez is home on a visit, and brought his
family. A queer time! Other ranch folks are getting their women north
over the border for safety."

"Don Jose not bring woman to Soledad--ever. He take them away. His men
take them away."

It was the first reference she had made to the slavers since they had
entered the canon, though she knew that each pile of nuggets was part
of the redemption money for those exiles of whom she did not speak.

But she worked tirelessly until Kit would stop her, or suggest some
restful tas