Madeiras had plucked a glowing faggot from a little “squaw” fire which the Indians had made. He pressed it against Gallup’s mouth. “Wan more word, Gallup,” he dared, “and I shove thees down your dam’, no-good t’roat!” Thunder Bird broke his silence long enough to grunt his approval of this proposed action. “You and Tony will be going with Ames,” Kelsey stated. “Our party will go back the way you came, Johnny. Guess we’d better take Kent’s body with us. Where’ll we find it?” “In that little park of cedars soon after you start downhill.” “Wal, we’ll git goin’ out of hyar,” Ames announced. “What about you, chief? Better trail along.” Thunder Bird shook his head. “Suit yoreself. So-long, boys.” Gallup, gloomy and sullen, got to his feet; the parties separated and soon lost sight of each other. “Never seen trouble come yit when the agent wuz home,” the trader grumbled as they mounted their horses. “Reckon this is about Thunder Bird’s last good time.” CHAPTER XXXIII FULFILLMENT Johnny found Molly sitting on the steps of the trader’s house when he arrived at the Agency. Her face was proof enough of the worry and excitement she had undergone. The boy’s heart sank as he realized that he had to hurt her still more by the news he carried. Delay the telling as long as he might, the truth had to be faced. Johnny might have spared himself this misery, for Molly knew more than he suspected, and explanations, which Johnny dreaded, were to be spared him. She ran toward him, arms outstretched, as he jumped down from his horse. “Oh, Johnny,” she said sadly, “it’s been a terrible day. I think I’ll break down completely if you don’t get me home at once. I was on the ridge with Mr. Ames when you walked into Thunder Bird’s camp. I wasn’t afraid for you. The chief had told me so many things this day that I knew he was your friend. What did they do with Gallup?” “They arrested him for the Traynor murder. Aaron shot Gale this mornin’, and Toby confessed before he died.” “It didn’t need that, though, from what I’ve been told, to convict him. You proved your case against him. What a beast he has been. And—him—what have they done with him?” Although he suspected she referred to Kent, Johnny stared blankly at Molly. “I—I mean Kent,” she went on. “He was with Gallup this morning.” “Why—er—he’s pretty bad off, I—er——” “Is he dead, Johnny? Tell me the truth.” Johnny nodded his head slowly. “Yes,” he muttered, “he’s dead. He tried to kill me. Tony got him.” Molly bit her lip in a vain effort to keep the tears back. “I didn’t want you to know about your father, Molly,” the boy mumbled. “No, Johnny,” Molly told him frankly. “There’s no need for you to fool me longer. Thunder Bird told me. Crosbie Traynor was my father. No wonder that I felt the call within me when I received his note.”