MissCantirestoppedshort，withaprettyflushofcolorandanadorablelaugh。“There！I’vedoneit，soImightaswelltellthewholestory。ButIcantrustyou，Mr。Boyle。“Shefacedhimwithclear，penetratingeyes。“Well，“shelaughedagain，“youmighthavenoticedthatwehadaquantityofbaggageofpassengerswhodidn’tgo？Well，thosepassengersneverintendedtogo，andhadn’tanybaggage！Doyouunderstand？Thoseinnocent-lookingheavytrunkscontainedcarbinesandcartridgesfromourpostforFortTaylor“——shemadehimamischievouscurtsy——“underMYcharge！
　　And，“sheadded，enjoyinghisastonishment，“asyousaw，Ibroughtthemthroughsafetothestation，andhadthemtransferredtothiscoachwithlessfussandtroublethanacommissarytransportandescortwouldhavemade。“
　　“AndtheywereinTHIScoach？“repeatedBoyleabstractedly。
　　“Were？TheyARE！“saidMissCantire。
　　“ThenthesoonerIgetyoubacktoyourtreasureagainthebetter，“
　　saidBoylewithalaugh。“DoesFosterknowit？“
　　“Ofcoursenot！DoyousupposeI’dtellittoanybodybutastrangertotheplace？Perhaps，likeyou，Iknowwhenandtowhomtoimpartinformation，“shesaidmischievously。
　　WhateverwasinBoyle’smindhehadspaceforprofoundandadmiringastonishmentoftheyoungladybeforehim。Thegirlishsimplicityandtrustfulnessofherrevelationseemedasinconsistentwithhispreviousimpressionofherreserveandindependenceashergirlishreasoningandmannerwasnowdelightfullyatvariancewithhertallness，heraquilinenose，andhererectfigure。Mr。Boyle，likemostshortmen，wasapttooverestimatethequalitiesofsize。
　　Theywalkedonforsomemomentsinsilence。Theascentwascomparativelyeasybutdevious，andBoylecouldseethatthisnewdetourwouldtakethemstillsometimetoreachthesummit。MissCantireatlastvoicedthethoughtinhisownmind。“Iwonderwhatinducedthemtoturnoffhere？andifyouhadn’tbeensocleverastodiscovertheirtracks，howcouldwehavefoundthem？But，“sheadded，withfemininelogic，“that，ofcourse，iswhytheyfiredthoseshots。“
　　Boyleremembered，however，thattheshotscamefromanotherdirection，butdidnotcorrectherconclusion。Neverthelesshesaidlightly:“PerhapsevenFostermighthavehadanIndianscare。“
　　“Heoughttoknow’friendlies’or’governmentreservationmen’
　　betterbythistime，“saidMissCantire；“however，thereissomethinginthat。Doyouknow，“sheaddedwithalaugh，“thoughI
　　haven’tyourkeeneyesI’mgiftedwithakeenscent，andonceortwiceI’vethoughtISMELTIndians——thatpeculiarodoroftheircamps，whichisunlikeanythingelse，andwhichonedetectsevenintheirponies。IusedtonoticeitwhenIrodeone；noamountofgroomingcouldtakeitaway。“
　　“Idon’tsupposethattheintensityordegreeofthisodorwouldgiveyouanyideaofthehostileorfriendlyfeelingsoftheIndianstowardsyou？“askedBoylegrimly。
　　AlthoughtheremarkwasconsistentwithBoyle’sobjectionablereputationasahumorist，MissCantiredeignedtoreceiveitwithasmile，atwhichBoyle，whowasalittlerelievedbytheirsecuritysofar，andtheirnearnesstotheirjourney’send，developedfurtheringenioustriflinguntil，attheendofanhour，theystoodupontheplainagain。
　　Therewasnosignofthecoach，butitsfreshtrackwasvisibleleadingalongthebankoftheravinetowardstheintersectionoftheroadtheyshouldhavecomeby，andtowhichthecoachhadindubitablyreturned。Mr。Boyledrewalongbreath。Theywerecomparativelysafefromanyinvisibleattacknow。AttheendoftenminutesMissCantire，fromhersuperiorheight，detectedthetopofthemissingvehicleappearingabovethestuntedbushesatthejunctionofthehighway。
　　“Wouldyoumindthrowingthoseoldflowersawaynow？“shesaid，glancingatthespoilswhichBoylestillcarried。
　　“Why？“heasked。
　　“Oh，they’retooridiculous。Pleasedo。“
　　“MayIkeepone？“heasked，withthefirstintonationofmasculineweaknessinhisvoice。
　　“Ifyoulike，“shesaid，alittlecoldly。
　　Boyleselectedasmallsprayofmyrtleandcasttheotherflowersobedientlyaside。
　　“Dearme，howridiculous！“shesaid。
　　“Whatisridiculous？“heasked，liftinghiseyestoherswithaslightcolor。Buthesawthatshewasstraininghereyesinthedistance。
　　“Why，theredon’tseemtobeanyhorsestothecoach！“
　　Helooked。Throughagapinthefurzehecouldseethevehiclenowquitedistinctly，standingempty，horselessandalone。Heglancedhurriedlyaroundthem；ontheonesideafewrocksprotectedthemfromthetangledrimoftheridge；ontheotherstretchedtheplain。“Sitdown，don’tmoveuntilIreturn，“hesaidquickly。
　　“Takethat。“Hehandedbackherpistol，andranquicklytothecoach。Itwasnoillusion；thereitstoodvacant，abandoned，itsdroppedpoleandcuttracesshowingtooplainlythefearfulhasteofitsdesertion！Alightstepbehindhimmadehimturn。ItwasMissCantire，pinkandbreathless，carryingthecockedderringerinherhand。“Howfoolishofyou——withoutaweapon，“shegaspedinexplanation。
　　Thentheybothstaredatthecoach，theemptyplain，andateachother！Aftertheirtediousascent，theirlongdetour，theirprotractedexpectancyandtheireagercuriosity，therewassuchasuggestionofhideousmockeryinthisvacant，uselessvehicle——
　　apparentlylefttotheminwhatseemedtheirutterabandonment——
　　thatitinstinctivelyaffectedthemalike。AndasIamwritingofhumannatureIamcompelledtosaythattheybothburstintoafitoflaughterthatforthemomentstoppedallotherexpression！
　　“Itwassokindofthemtoleavethecoach，“saidMissCantirefaintly，asshetookherhandkerchieffromherwetandmirthfuleyes。“Butwhatmadethemrunaway？“
　　Boyledidnotreply；hewaseagerlyexaminingthecoach。Inthatbriefhourandahalfthedustoftheplainhadblownthickuponit，andcoveredanyfoulstainorblotthatmighthavesuggestedtheawfultruth。EventhesoftimprintoftheIndians’moccasinedfeethadbeentrampledoutbythelaterhorsehoofsofthecavalrymen。ItwasthesethatfirstattractedBoyle’sattention，buthethoughtthemthemarksmadebytheplungingofthereleasedcoachhorses。
　　Notsohiscompanion！Shewasexaminingthemmoreclosely，andsuddenlyliftedherbright，animatedface。“Look！“shesaid；“ourmenhavebeenhere，andhavehadahandinthis——whateveritis。“
　　“Ourmen？“repeatedBoyleblankly。
　　“Yes！——troopersfromthepost——theescortItoldyouof。Thesearetheprintsoftheregulationcavalryhorseshoe——notofFoster’steam，norofIndianponies，whoneverhaveany！Don’tyousee？“
　　shewentoneagerly；“ourmenhavegotwindofsomethingandhavegallopeddownhere——alongtheridge——see！“shewenton，pointingtothehoofprintscomingfromtheplain。“They’veanticipatedsomeIndianattackandsecuredeverything。“
　　“Butiftheywerethesameescortyouspokeof，theymusthaveknownyouwerehere，andhave“——hewasabouttosay“abandonedyou，“butcheckedhimself，rememberingtheywereherfather’ssoldiers。
　　“TheyknewIcouldtakecareofmyself，andwouldn’tstandinthewayoftheirduty，“saidtheyounggirl，anticipatinghimwithquickprofessionalpridethatseemedtofitheraquilinenoseandtallfigure。“Andiftheyknewthat，“sheadded，softeningwithamischievoussmile，“theyalsoknew，ofcourse，thatIwasprotectedbyagallantstrangervouchedforbyMr。Foster！No！“sheadded，withacertainblind，devotedconfidence，whichBoylenoticedwithaslightwincethatshehadnevershownbefore，“it’sallright！
　　and’byorders，’Mr。Boyle，andwhenthey’vedonetheirworkthey’llbeback。“
　　ButBoyle’smasculinecommonsensewas，perhaps，saferthanMissCantire’sfemininefaithandinheriteddiscipline，forinaninstanthesuddenlycomprehendedtheactualtruth！TheIndianshadbeenthereFIRST；THEYhaddespoiledthecoachandgotoffsafelywiththeirbootyandprisonersontheapproachoftheescort，whowerenownaturallypursuingthemwithafuryarousedbythebeliefthattheircommander’sdaughterwasoneoftheirprisoners。Thisconvictionwasadreadfulone，yetareliefasfarastheyounggirlwasconcerned。Butshouldhetellher？No！Betterthatsheshouldkeephercalmfaithinthetriumphantpromptnessofthesoldiers——andtheirspeedyreturn。
　　“Idaresayyouareright，“hesaidcheerfully，“andletusbethankfulthatintheemptycoachyou’llhaveatleastahalf-
　　civilizedshelteruntiltheyreturn。MeantimeI’llgoandreconnoitrealittle。“
　　“Iwillgowithyou，“shesaid。
　　ButBoylepointedouttohersostronglythenecessityofherremainingtowaitforthereturnofthesoldiersthat，beingalsofaggedoutbyherlongclimb，sheobedientlyconsented，whilehe，evenwithhisinspirationofthetruth，didnotbelieveinthereturnofthedespoilers，andknewshewouldbesafe。
　　Hemadehiswaytothenearestthicket，whereherightlybelievedtheambushhadbeenprepared，andtowhichundoubtedlytheyfirstretreatedwiththeirbooty。Heexpectedtofindsomesignsortracesoftheirspoilwhichintheirhastetheyhadtoabandon。Hewasmoresuccessfulthanheanticipated。Afewstepsintothethicketbroughthimfulluponarealizationofmorethanhisworstconvictions——thedeadbodyofFoster！Nearitlaythebodyofthemailagent。Bothhadbeenevidentlydraggedintothethicketfromwheretheyfell，scalpedandhalfstripped。Therewasnoevidenceofanylaterstruggle；theymusthavebeendeadwhentheywerebroughtthere。