the more anxious he became to see his
adopted daughter set up in a lodge of her own. Or at least under the
care of a warrior who was willing to give such a "big heap" for the
privilege. He "thought of something more" almost every hour from that
time on, but his demands were mainly for items of moderate cost, and he
did not feel at liberty to mention any larger number of ponies or
blankets.

"We can buy the blankets easily enough," said Steve, when he was told
the terms of the bargain, "but what about the ponies?"

"Cheaper than blankets, my boy. I've seen droves of them going for ten
dollars a head. We won't have to give more than twenty. As to the
other things there are always traders around the posts."

They had already counted the contents of their little buckskin bags,
and Steve had been surprised to find how much money there was in little
more than twenty pounds of gold coin. He had found, indeed, a strange
pleasure in counting it over and over, while Murray told him of his
beautiful home away across the sea.

"You'll be a rich man there."

"Have three or four times as much as this every year. You must come
and visit with me, Steve, as soon as you've seen your own people."

"I dare not think much of them, Murray. I can't talk about them. It
will be time enough when I learn if any of them are yet alive."

"Your father and mother?"

"Don't, Murray. I'd rather talk about Rita and our plans here."

Poor Ni-ha-be! It was not many days after that before Mother Dolores
one morning called her into the lodge.

"Ni-ha-be, Rita is going to the lodge of Send Warning!"

"She shall not! He is to old. His head is white. He is ugly. I will
not let her go. He is a pale-face."

"So is she."

"She is an Apache now. She is my sister. He shall not have her."

"She is to be his daughter."

"Ugh! Then he will take her away."

"No. He will stay with us."

"Will the Knotted Cord stay?"

"Of course. He is to be the son of Send Warning."

"Ugh! Good. He is young. He is poor. He has no ponies. He will
never have any. Send Warning is poor. How will he pay for Rita?"

"He is rich among his people. He is a great chief."

Ni-ha-be sprung out of the lodge and looked hurriedly around for her
adopted sister. Rita had never imagined till that moment how much she
was loved by the earnest-hearted Apache girl. Ni-ha-be's arms were
twining around her neck, and she was weeping bitterly as she exclai