asleep. The house within was very silent. Elsa
came out onto the porch and spoke to Gustav, softly and Roger opened his
eyes.

"It's all right, Gustav, old man," he said gently. "I won't touch Dick.
Go on and do what Elsa wants and as soon as I've rested a bit, I'll help
you."

"You'll feel better if you have some food, Roger." Elsa came round to
the side of the cot where Roger could see her. She was carrying a bowl
of milk and a plate of bread, which she placed silently on a chair
beside him, then she and Gustav disappeared toward the tool house where
Ernest already had gone.

Roger did feel better after he had cleaned the two dishes and he dozed a
little.

He was roused by the sound of sawing and hammering from the tool house.
A moment after Charley flew out the door and down the trail to the door
of the little adobe shack.

"What are you all doing?" Roger heard her ask in a voice totally unlike
her own, so shrill it was, and broken.

"Don't come in, Charley," cried Elsa. "Roger, come here."

Roger already was hurrying down the trail.

"You must take Charley down to the Plant and keep her there for awhile,"
Elsa said firmly, as Roger came up. "We'll tend to things here--she's
reached her limit."

"Wait till I get Peter," replied Roger. He was back shortly with the
little burro and Charley's broad hat. When the trembling girl mounted he
walked beside her with a steadying arm over her shoulders. Her
helplessness suddenly made her seem very like Felicia to him.

"We'll go right to the living tent," he said, quietly, "and you must try
to rest while I get some supper."

"No! No! Don't leave me. I'm not hungry. I can't rest! I killed her,
Roger, I killed her!"

"Nonsense! Booze killed her. Come, Charley, dismount, poor girl, and
we'll turn old Peter loose," as they reached the camp.

Charley dismounted, then stood staring levelly into Roger's eyes. "I let
my love for Dick kill her. I hate him now. Oh, how I hate him!"

"Don't talk about that," exclaimed Roger. "Charley, let's go into the
living tent out of the sun."

They sat down side by side on one of the trunks. Roger had a vague
notion that Charley would find relief if she could weep. But he had no
notion of how to make her do so. He took one of her feverish, trembling
hands in his and began talking at random.

"You are so like Felicia. You two always were getting confused in my
mind and right now it's worse than ever. She loved me as much as I lov