uide, circle round through Altar
Valley to the trail, and head for Yuma.... Wait now, Laddy. Let me
finish. I want you to take the white horses for two reasons--to save
them and to save you. Savvy? If Rojas should follow on my horses he'd
be likely to catch you. Also, you can pack a great deal more than on
the bronchs. Also, the big horses can travel faster and farther on
little grass and water. I want you to take the Indian, because in a
case of this kind he'll be a godsend. If you get headed or lost or
have to circle off the trail, think what it 'd mean to have Yaqui with
you. He knows Sonora as no Greaser knows it. He could hide you, find
water and grass, when you would absolutely believe it impossible. The
Indian is loyal. He has his debt to pay, and he'll pay it, don't
mistake me. When you're gone I'll hide Nell so Rojas won't see her if
he searches the place. Then I think I could sit down and wait without
any particular worry."

The rangers approved of Belding's plan, and Thorne choked in his effort
to express his gratitude.

"All right, we'll chance it," concluded Belding. "I'll go out now and
call Rojas and his outfit over... Say, it might be as well for me to
know just what he said in that paper."

Thorne went to the side of his wife.

"Mercedes, we've planned to outwit Rojas. Will you tell us just what
he wrote?"

The girl sat up, her eyes dilating, and with her hands clasping
Thorne's. She said:

"Rojas swore--by his saints and his virgin--that if I wasn't given--to
him--in twenty-four hours--he would set fire to the village--kill the
men--carry off the women--hang the children on cactus thorns!"

A moment's silence followed her last halting whisper.

"By his saints an' his virgin!" echoed Ladd. He laughed--a cold,
cutting, deadly laugh--significant and terrible.

Then the Yaqui uttered a singular cry. Gale had heard this once
before, and now he remembered it was at the Papago Well.

"Look at the Indian," whispered Belding, hoarsely. "Damn if I don't
believe he understood every word Mercedes said. And, gentlemen, don't
mistake me, if he ever gets near Senor Rojas there'll be some gory
Aztec knife work."

Yaqui had moved close to Mercedes, and stood beside her as she leaned
against her husband. She seemed impelled to meet the Indian's gaze,
and evidently it was so powerful or hypnotic that it wrought
irresistibly upon her. But she must have seen or divined what was
beyond t