Mercedes and the Yaqui. She ran right
into Dick's arms, and there her strength, if not her courage, broke,
and she grew lax.

"Mercedes, you're safe! Thorne's safe. It's all right now."

"Rojas!" she whispered.

"Gone! To the bottom of the crater! A Yaqui's vengeance, Mercedes."

He heard the girl whisper the name of the Virgin. Then he gathered her
up in his arms.

"Come, Yaqui."

The Indian grunted. He had one hand pressed close over a bloody place
in his shoulder. Gale looked keenly at him. Yaqui was inscrutable, as
of old, yet Gale somehow knew that wound meant little to him. The
Indian followed him.

Without pausing, moving slowly in some places, very carefully in
others, and swiftly on the smooth part of the trail, Gale carried
Mercedes up to the rim and along to the the others. Jim Lash worked
awkwardly over Ladd. Thorne was trying to assist. Ladd, himself, was
conscious, but he was a pallid, apparently a death-stricken man. The
greeting between Mercedes and Thorne was calm--strangely so, it seemed
to Gale. But he was calm himself. Ladd smiled at him, and evidently
would have spoken had he the power. Yaqui then joined the group, and
his piercing eyes roved from one to the other, lingering longest over
Ladd.

"Dick, I'm figger'n hard," said Jim, faintly. "In a minute it 'll be
up to you an' Mercedes. I've about shot my bolt.... Reckon you'll do--
best by bringin' up blankets--water--salt--firewood. Laddy's got--one
chance--in a hundred. Fix him up--first. Use hot salt water. If my
leg's broke--set it best you can. That hole in Yaqui--only 'll bother
him a day. Thorne's bad hurt... Now rustle--Dick, old--boy."

Lash's voice died away in a husky whisper, and he quietly lay back,
stretching out all but the crippled leg. Gale examined it, assured
himself the bones had not been broken, and then rose ready to go down
the trail.

"Mercedes, hold Thorne's head up, in your lap--so. Now I'll go."

On the moment Yaqui appeared to have completed the binding of his
wounded shoulder, and he started to follow Gale. He paid no attention
to Gale's order for him to stay back. But he was slow, and gradually
Gale forged ahead. The lingering brightness of the sunset lightened
the trail, and the descent to the arroyo was swift and easy. Some of
the white horses had come in for water. Blanco Sol spied Gale and
whistled and came pounding toward him. It was twilight down in the
arroyo. Yaqui