rush to watch.

It was not long before the little caravan came, the Indians riding ahead
single file, like two graven images, moving not a muscle of their faces,
and Margaret a little way behind on her own pony, her face as happy and
relieved as if she were a child let out from a hard task to play.

The Indian stopped beside the horse, a glitter of satisfaction in his
eyes as he saw that the little lady had fulfilled her part of the
bargain. He indicated to the squaw and the lady that they might move on
down the trail, and he would catch up with them; and then dismounted,
pouncing warily upon the sardine-tin at once. He looked furtively about,
then took out the money and tested it with his teeth to make sure it was
genuine.

He grunted his further satisfaction, looked over the pack-horse, made
more secure the fastenings of the load, and, taking the halter, mounted
and rode stolidly away toward the north.

Rosa waited in her covert until they were far out of sight, then made
her way hurriedly back to the house and climbed to a window where she
could watch the trail for several miles. There, with a field-glass, she
kept watch until the procession had filed across the plains, down into a
valley, up over a hill, and dropped to a farther valley out of sight.
She looked at the sun and drew a breath of satisfaction. She had done it
at last! She had got Margaret away before Forsythe came! There was no
likelihood that the fraud would be discovered until her rival was far
enough away to be safe. A kind of reaction came upon Rosa's overwrought
nerves. She laughed out harshly, and her voice had a cruel ring to it.
Then she threw herself upon the bed and burst into a passionate fit of
weeping, and so, by and by, fell asleep. She dreamed that Margaret had
returned like a shining, fiery angel, a two-edged sword in her hand and
all the Wallis camp at her heels, with vengeance in their wake. That
hateful little boy, Bud Tanner, danced around and made faces at her,
while Forsythe had forgotten her to gaze at Margaret's face.

CHAPTER XXIX

To Margaret the day was very fair, and the omens all auspicious. She
carried with her close to her heart two precious letters received that
morning and scarcely glanced at as yet, one from Gardley and one from
her mother. She had had only time to open them and be sure that all was
well with her dear ones, and had left the rest to read on the way.

She was dressed in the khaki riding-habi