qual. The equal I would not tolerate, and the animal I cowed in
brute fashion. Then I sent Singing Arrow to do her work, and I went to
the Englishman.

The Englishman saw me from the window, and was at the door before I
could lift the latch. Yet his eagerness did not trip him into
carelessness, and so long as the guards could see, he greeted me with a
hostile stare.

I pushed him within, and closed the door. "Have you seen any one?" I
asked.

"Only the guard with my supper."

I drew a freer breath. "Good tidings. Then Cadillac has succeeded in
holding off the Indians until moonrise."

He glanced out at the dusk. "That is not long," he said
dispassionately.

I put out my hand. Somehow this youth could move me curiously by his
calmness, although I was no stranger to brave men.

"The time is terribly short," I agreed, "but we will make it suffice.
And we need not haste. We can do nothing till it is a little darker,
then we shall move swiftly. A young squaw, Singing Arrow, will be here
in a few minutes. You are to escape in her dress."

He wasted no time in comment. "Am I dark enough?" he demurred. "My
neck, where I am not sunburned, is very white."

I had thought of this, and had warned Singing Arrow. "There is no
opportunity to stain your skin," I said, "so we must trust to the dark,
and a blanket wrapping. The Indian will wear leggings, skirt and
blouse of skin, so you will be fairly covered. The hands and hair are
the weak points. You will have to keep them in the blanket."

He hesitated. "You can trust this girl?" he asked slowly.

Now why should he ask what he knew I could not answer? "Can you trust
me--or I you, for the matter of that?" I jerked out with a frown.
"This is an outlaw's land, and the wise man trusts no one except under
compulsion. I would not trust Singing Arrow for a moment if I could
help myself, but she is our only hope, so I trust her implicitly. I
advise you to do the same. Half measures are folly. If you try to be
cautious in your dealings with her, you will tie her hands so that the
whole thing will fall through. If she betrays us--well, you are in no
worse estate than now, and we will still have my sword and my men to
depend on. But that is a slender hope, and we will save it for a last
resort. Now we will hazard everything on this plan."

I had made my long speech nervously, knowing, in my heart, that what I
asked the man to do would take more courage of