t faint, as he feared she might, but fell back in the chair,
while Valencia busied herself with the ointment and bandage, and Tula,
at a word from Kit, poured her a cup of wine.

"Drink," he said, "if only a little, senora. Your strength has served
you well, but it needs help now."

She swallowed a little of the wine, and drew the scarf about her, and
after a little opened her eyes and looked at him. He smiled at her
approvingly, and offered her the bullet.

"It may be you will want it to go on some shrine to a patron saint,
senora," he suggested, but she did not take it, only looked at him
steadily with those wonderful eyes, green with black lashes, shining
out of her marble Madonna-like face.

"My patron saint traveled the trail with you, Senor Americano, and the
bullet is witness. Let me see it."

He gave it into her open hand where she balanced it thoughtfully.

"So near the mark, yet went aside," she murmured. "Could that mean
there is yet any use left in the world for me?"

"Beauty has its own use in the world, senora; that is why rose gardens
are planted."

"True, senor, though I belong no more to the gardens;--no, not to
gardens, but to the desert. Neither have I place nor power today, and
I may never have, but I give back to you this witness of your great
favor. If a day comes when I, Jocasta, can give favor in return, bring
or send this witness of the ride tonight. I will redeem it."

"The favor is to me, and calls for no redemption," said Kit awkward at
the regal poise of her, and enchanted by the languorous glance and
movement of her. Even the reaching out of her hand made him think of
Tula's words, 'a humming bird,' if one could imagine such a
jewel-winged thing weighted down with black folds of mourning.

"A caged humming bird with broken wings!" and that memory brought
another thought, and he fumbled the bullet, and gave the first steady
look into those emerald, side-glancing eyes.

"But--there is a compact I should appreciate if Dona Jocasta will do
me the favor,--and it is that she sets value on the life that is now
her very own, and, that she forgets not to cherish it."

"Ah-h!" She looked up at him piteously a moment, and then the long
lashes hid her eyes, and her head was bent low. "Sinful and without
shame have I been! and they have told you of the knife I tried to
use--here!"

She touched her breast with her slender ring-laden hand, and her voice
turned mocking.

"But you see, Sen