"Listen, dear. I found your papa and mamma and buried them. Now I have killed the bad Indian. But you have been sick--out of your head--a long time. This lady--Carmena--has taken care of you and she loves you." The child-minded girl peered up at her foster-sister. "You--you love me? But I know it. You look at me like mamma does." Carmena smiled radiantly. Lennon hastened to add an urgent appeal. "She is hurt, Elsie, and more bad Indians are coming. Won't you help me get her safe away from here?" The request diverted the girl's thoughts before she could yield again to panic. Instead of going frantic and becoming a drag upon Lennon's efforts, she helped support Carmena through to the hoist room. Slade was lying as the Apaches had left him, beside the charcoal brazier, his left arm still lashed behind to his right foot. He had died from his wounds. As they passed by, Lennon shielded Elsie from the unpleasant sight. But Carmena looked full at the big twisted body of the man who had ruined and murdered her father. "He deserved it all and more--far more," she murmured. "First to make Dad believe the brand-blotting was a part of his honest cattle business, and then----" "What's that?" interrupted Lennon. "You mean he deceived your father? I did not understand it that way." "Yes. He lied. Dad was an Easterner like yourself. Slade had him incriminated before he knew it was stock stealing. Then he forced tizwin making upon us. You know the consequences to poor Dad. And what if the big beast had found Blossom! Oh, I should have waited for Cochise to torture him. But I could not bear it." "Because you are yourself, Carmena--as tender-hearted as you are strong and brave and wise." "Silly, you mean--to lose a single moment now in talk. Put me down here. I can get to the hoist. Hurry with Elsie--get saddles, food, your rifle. Hurry! We must get out of the Hole before Slade's punchers come." Lennon eased the girl to the floor and ran into the living room. Elsie darted after him. Nor did she stop to be directed. She went straight to her food cupboard, without paying the slightest heed to the outstretched body of the luckless Farley. Lennon threw a rug over the pitiful form and hastened to drag three saddles and as many canteens out to the hoist. Carmena had crept back close to the body of Slade. She waved Lennon to hurry. He ran back for his rifle and the food. Elsie already had packed two pairs of saddlebags with flour, bacon, and dried meat, and was unlashing the broad stiff hair girth from another saddle. "Here's just the thing to brace Mena's back," she said. "Good enough. It will go round her two or three times and----" Lennon stopped short to stare at the eager girl. "Why Blossom, you call her Mena--and you went direct to the food cupboard. You've remembered all!" The girl gazed up at him, wide-eyed.