For an instant their eyes read each other's souls, and then she hastily put up her hand to stop him from leaping from his horse. "No, no! Do not get off! They will be sure to follow us and we must lose no time. Take me up behind you and gallop for Laguna. If we can catch the next train we'll be all right!" She seized his hand and sprang to her seat behind his saddle. He turned and kissed her. "Put spurs to your horse," she said. "They will be sure to follow us soon." There was need of haste, for scarcely had the horse pricked up his ears and sprung into a long gallop when they heard loud shouts from the top of the mesa. "Hurry, hurry!" exclaimed Barbara. "They have found me out and they will follow us!" Scarcely had she spoken when the sound of a rifle report came from the top of the cliff, and Wemple's left arm dropped helpless beside him. "They dare not shoot to kill," she said, "but they think they can frighten you, and they may cripple the horse. My darling, you will not let them have me again?" The terror in her voice told how intense was her fear of capture. "Sweetheart, they shall not have you again unless they kill me first!" A dozen Indians were galloping recklessly down the steep trail. "Promise me," Barbara, pleaded, "if it comes to that, if you must die, you will kill me first! For it would be hell--it would be worse than hell--to go back there now!" Wemple did not answer. "Promise me that you will," she begged. "You do not know what you would save me from; but believe me, and promise me that you will not send me back to it!" "I promise!" he answered as another shot whistled in front of them and clipped the top of the horse's ear. Wemple dug his spurs into its sweating side and the beast sprang forward at a faster gallop. The Indians, shouting loudly, were urging their ponies across the plain at breakneck speed. Lieutenant Wemple glanced back again and a frown wrinkled his forehead, as he said, "If our horse does not break down we may keep ahead of them until we reach Laguna." [Illustration: Wemple dug his spurs into its sweating side and the beast sprang forward at a faster gallop.]