"The unexpected coming of myself, as Franz Francoise, and of Mrs. Warburton so soon after, caused them, or rather Mamma, to reconstruct her plan, as I have told you. And she reached the height and depth of her cunning by effectually concealing, from first to last, the hiding-place of the little girl. Nothing could wring this secret from her; on that subject she was absolutely dangerous. She never visited the child, so nothing was learned by shadowing her. Indeed, when she brought the child to the house to-day, she eluded the two men whom I had set to watch her, and did it so cleverly that they could not even guess, after her first feint, which way she went. And I was playing my last card without knowing that the child was in the house, when her pitiful prayer betrayed her presence. "Until then I had not intended to reveal myself; the men were to arrest Papa Francoise, and to try and make terms through him for the ransom of the child. One of my men was disguised as a Priest, and of course we had arranged to make Papa's arrest cut short the wedding ceremony. Holt, Beale and the others have aided me wonderfully, though they do not yet know what it was all about." "They shall be generously rewarded," breaks in Walter Parks; "every man of them who has in any way assisted you." Let the reader imagine all that followed: the praises showered upon Stanhope; the congratulations of each to all; the eager questions of Walter Parks; the desire of John Ainsworth to hear of his daughter's courage and devotion over and again; the general jubilation of the Chief. CHAPTER LIX. AND LAST. "But," queried Walter Parks, when question and comment had been exhausted, "are you sure that we have, even now, evidence enough to convict Krutzer, or Francoise, as you call him?" "He has called himself Francoise from the day he and his worthy wife left the wagon-train," rejoined Stanhope. "He has never been Krutzer since. As for proof, we shall not lack that; but I think the old villain, if he lives to come to trial, will plead guilty. His wife possesses all the courage; he is cunning enough, but cowardly. He will not be allowed to see or consult with her; and free from her influence, he can be made to confess. Besides, the old woman has been wearing about her person a belt, which, if I am not mistaken, is the one stolen from the body of Arthur Pearson. It is of peculiar workmanship, and evidently very old. It contains papers and money." "If it is Pearson's belt," interposed Walter Parks, "I can identify it, and so could some others of the party if--" "Was a certain Joe Blakesley a member of your band?" asked the Chief quickly. "Yes." "And could he identify this belt?" "He could." "Then Vernet has done something; he has found this Blakesley." "Where?" asked the Englishman, eagerly. "In California." "Good!" cried Stanhope; "Van shall have the full benefit of his discovery."