dowland and the broad stretch of barren sand and sage,
and followed, at a leisurely pace, the winding of the trail through
the scarred desolation where the earth had been washed for gold. Evadna
stared absently at the network of deep gashes, evidently meditating
very seriously. Finally she turned to Grant with an honest impulse of
friendliness.

"Well, I'm sure I'm willing to bury the tomahawk--er--that is, I mean--"
She blushed hotly at the slip, and stammered incoherently.

"Never mind." His eyes laughed at her confusion. "I'm not as bad as
all that; it doesn't hurt my feelings to have tomahawks mentioned in my
presence."

Her cheeks grew redder, if that were possible, but she made no attempt
to finish what she had started to say.

Good Indian rode silent, watching her unobtrusively and wishing he knew
how to bring the conversation by the most undeviating path to a certain
much-desired conclusion. After all, she was not a wild thing, but a
human being, and he hesitated. In dealing with men, he had but
one method, which was to go straight to the point regardless of
consequences. So he half turned in the saddle and rode with one foot
free of the stirrup that he might face her squarely.

"You say you're willing to bury the tomahawk; do you mean it?" His
eyes sought hers, and when they met her glance held it in spite of her
blushes, which indeed puzzled him. But she did not answer immediately,
and so he repeated the question.

"Do you mean that? We've been digging into each other pretty
industriously, and saying how we hate each other--but are you willing
to drop it and be friends? It's for you to say--and you've got to say it
now."

Evadna hung up her head at that. "Are you in the habit of laying down
the law to everyone who will permit it?" she evaded.

"Am I to take it for granted you meant what you said?" He stuck
stubbornly to the main issue. "Girls seem to have a way of saying
things, whether they mean anything or not. Did you?"

"Did I what?" She was wide-eyed innocence again.

Good Indian muttered something profane, and kicked his horse in the
ribs. When it had taken no more than two leaps forward, however, he
pulled it down to a walk again, and his eyes boded ill for the misguided
person who goaded him further. He glanced at the girl sharply.

"This thing has got to be settled right now, without any more fooling
or beating about the bush," he said--and he said it so quietly that she
could scarcely b