"I must hold you to your promise. Set them upon each other, if you wish---- But it shall not be that other way." "If you hold me to my promise," said Carmena, her eyes hot with scorn. She started to help Elsie clear the food-splattered table. Before many minutes Farley reeled in, speechless from terror. He collapsed into the first chair and held out a key in his wavering hand. Carmena looked at it, nodded understandingly, and hastened out, with a significant glance for Lennon. He was not altogether reassured. After a few moments he followed her along the front row of the cliff house rooms. He was close enough to hear the talk that followed when she joined Cochise and Slade at the padlocked door. The trader gruffly accepted her excuses for her father, but swore violently when the two keys that she had brought failed to open the lock. She explained how she had changed her father's clothes, and took upon herself all the blame with regard to the misplacing of the key. After much soothing talk, she at last quieted Slade by promising to have a given quantity of whiskey distilled before his next visit. "That'll do," he conceded. "Look out you don't forgit it, though, or I'll take it out of Dad's hide. Now, Cochise, you hit the high places for them hosses. Don't do no shooting this time. Just natchelly have 'em drift off. Git a move on you." Had not Lennon been wearing moccasins, he must have been caught. As it was, he glided back through the many rooms, undetected. Farley had crept into his own room. His absence gave Lennon opportunity to calm Elsie's fears and comfort her with the promise that he would save her from both Slade and Cochise. The tread of heavy boots sent her scurrying out of the living room. Slade strode in after Carmena and jerked a chair around to where he could look close into Lennon's face. "Now, young man, what's this bunk about you and Carmena being pards?" he demanded. "What business you got in Dead Hole, anyhow? Cochise says you shot a hoss of hisn." "I told you how that started," interposed Carmena. "It wasn't our fault that Cochise flew off the handle. Jack had to shoot to save me as well as himself." Slade stared hard at the girl and then at Lennon. "Well, supposing the young devil did break loose. What of it? How about this pard bunk? That's what I want to know." "I fear that Miss Farley has found me rather a disappointment," put in Lennon, and he looked at his trussed arm. "Not at all--just the other way 'round," Carmena glowingly asserted. "Figure it out for yourself, Mr. Slade. A man who could follow up a Gila monster bite by outrunning Cochise and his bunch across the Basin, and then make them back up. Can you wonder I think he's a man for us to tie to?" "If we needed a new pard," qualified Slade. "Fact is, we don't, and you know it. We got enough a'ready to do the work and split up our profits." Carmena cast a significant glance toward Elsie, who had ventured back to renew the fire in her oven.