"Yes. He was killed--shot by Lieutenant O'Connor, the same man who was a prisoner at the Cache until yesterday morning." "Killed lately, ma'am?" "Two years ago. We swore revenge. MacQueen did not keep his oath, the oath we all swore together." Bellamy began to understand the situation. She wanted to get back at MacQueen, unless she were trying to lead them into a trap. "Let's get this straight. MacQueen turned O'Connor loose, did he?" Bellamy questioned. "No. He escaped. This man--what you call him?--the sheriff, helped him and Senor West to break away." The mine owner's eye met Farnum's. They were being told much news. "So they all escaped, did they?" "_Si, senor_, but MacQueen took West and the sheriff next morning. They could not find their way out of the valley." "But O'Connor escaped. Is that it?" Her eyes flashed hatred. "He escaped because the sheriff helped him. His life was forfeit to me. So then was the sheriff's. MacQueen he admit it. But when the girl promise to marry him he speak different." "What girl?" "_Senorita_ Lee." "Not Melissy Lee." "_Si, senor_." "My God! Melissy Lee a prisoner of that infernal villain. How did she come there?" The Mexican woman was surprised at the sudden change that had come over the men. They had grown tense and alert. Interest had flamed into a passionate eagerness. Rosario Chaves told the story from beginning to end, so far as she knew it; and every sentence of it wrung the big heart of these men. The pathos of it hit them hard. Their little comrade, the girl they had been fond of for years--the bravest, truest lass in Arizona--had fallen a victim to this intolerable fate! They could have wept with the agony of it if they had known how. "Are you sure they were married? Maybe the thing slipped up," Alan suggested, the hope father to the thought. But this hope was denied him; for the woman had brought with her a copy of the Mesa _Sentinel_, with an account of the marriage and the reason for it. This had been issued on the morning after the event, and MacQueen had brought it back with him to the Cache. Bellamy arranged with the Mexican woman a plan of attack upon the valley. Camp was struck at once, and she guided them through tortuous ravines and gulches deeper into the Roaring Fork country. She left them in a grove of aspens, just above the lip of the valley, on the side least frequented by the outlaws. They were to lie low until they should receive from her a signal that most of the gang had left to take West to the place appointed for the exchange. They were then to wait through the day until dusk, slip quietly down, and capture the ranch before the return of the party with the gold. In case anything should occur to delay the attack on the ranch, another signal was to be given by Rosario. The first signal was to be the hanging of washing upon the line. If this should be removed before nightfall, Bellamy was to wait until he should hear from her again.