“Like von of de angels dot de goot Gott lofes de pest. She is small, und dark und peautiful, mit big black eyes und such a muchness of dark hair--yah, she is peautiful, ain’t she, Bennie? Und she sing--yust like de pirts on de trees, don’t it, Bennie?” “By the living Lord, I’m right!” said Shoshone earnestly, “for yesterday she asked us, ‘Has any of you seen Bennie? He is gone away so long.’ That’s what she said.” “Vot do you mean, Mister?” asked Morris pitifully, clasping his hands. “There were some strangers came here yesterday--two men, two women. The big one was said to be mother of the little young one, but they didn’t look alike and, by the jumping jeeswax! they’re in the house right now. The small one looks like what you say, and they say she’s crazy. She sings something about ‘Tell me that you love me,’ or something like that.” “It’s Dora! It is Dora!” said Bennie, the tears gushing from his eyes. “It is her song that she always sings.” “Are you sure, Mister? For if I get disappointed now, it vill kill me,” said the father, imploringly. “Yes, I tell you, they are here now. Right upstairs there. They ’roused my suspicions from the first. The women keep in the room all the time. I know I’m right.” “In dere, are dey? Vell, ve vill haf dem out!” said Morris, with grim determination, starting for the staircase. “Be careful, pardner, of that kind of cattle. They’ll shoot you on sight!” “Den let dem shoot! I can die to safe mein chilt!” The father started toward the stairs, but Shoshone took him grimly but gently, saying: “Wait a minute, pardner. When you want to trap a fox, you must stop up all the holes. Angel, guard this door; you, young man, take this pistol. Go out through the back and watch there. I’ll go behind the house. There is a window there that opens out upon the rocks. You, her father, go on upstairs and open the front door. If you can’t open it, break it in! Meantime I’ll have them covered from the window. Now go, and be careful!” At the word of command, Bennie and the Angel took their positions, while Morris went up the stairs, his heart beating to suffocation. When he reached the landing he saw that the door to the back room was open, but that of the front was closed. A hasty glance showed that the back room was empty. He knocked at the door, crying: “Dora! Dora! it is de fader! Dora! Dora! I am coming!” There was no reply, and those downstairs heard a mighty crash, as though the door had been burst open by one blow! Then an anguished cry: “Dora! she is gone! De room is empty! Mein Gott! dey haf gone!” When the others reached the room, the bereft father was kneeling, sobbing by the little table where lay a bit of blue ribbon. “Dora! Dora!” he sobbed. CHAPTER X.