Bloom of Cactus

re penned in small enclosures a short distance up-valley from the cliff house. The girls also gather

Though the rifles were carried, no occasion arose that called for use of the weapons. The Apaches in charge of t

armena said that guards were always posted in the two main

e hay pastures of the lower valley. All the way they followed an irrigation canal of the ancient cliff dweller

o a rather wide box ca?on. The ca?on bed offered a broad leve

se that Lennon fixed upon a heavy farm wago

t that way except by rope, and the windlass is always guarded. Hell Ca?on is no easier. It forks, and the forks both fork twic

ference between Cochise and Slade,

e'll hold that back. He knows that matters must soon come to a show-down with the bunch. Cochise has

ared in a

-that little pink

Hole, two years before Slade. He claimed he had found her over beyond Triple Butte. She was crazed from

n made for her? Did you not adver

eport. Dad and I just happened to stumble into it. About advertising Elsie, we tried that some. There was

ed by Cochise,"

s eyes n

lky schoolboy then, playing hookey. Besides, he had not harmed the child. He worked

ion that the two girls were not of blood kin, Lennon found himself dwelling upon the differences between them. Elsi

f Farley's blood. Her frank manner took on the tinge of boldne

a certain garishness about her rich colouring? And was all the brown of her skin on the outside? Both her

shown in his expression. Otherwise the

ed us that Dad would die without a lot of stimulant. That's how he got hold of Dad. Once the habit was fixed

r-foster-siste

e in Carmena. "I've tried to be the cactus fe

ochise. You say

through the cactus fence before this, if it hadn't been for Slade. You kno

oint across the uppe

devil--" sh

group of mounted men waiting for the basket th

ey haven't bluffed Dad into sending do

et back," said Lennon. "Shall I d

'm going to make him stick to it. We'll

outh of the ca?on belied its name. The bed, though rocky, was neither steep nor broken. Along the ledges of the cliff foot a canal had bee

fessional interest that Lennon

n work for those old mummies, isn't it? All we had to do was re

natural pothole, which the ancient builders had convert

ennon was too intent upon overtaking her to more than glance at the stand of rough-made b

jerk her thumb at a

ll Slade got

ow

our callers; and it's pie, thank goodness. Keep your gun d

you

m, with the Mex sombrero, is Pete. He's one of Slade's Navaho

your man-tips y

omes to the show-down. Don't forget now: That run 'cross the

o trust to his companion's lead. Side by side they rode up and stopped before the seve

-also wore Mexican leg-buttoned breeches and a red cotton shirt, the tails of which hung outside. He l

, under his old cowboy hat, was as square and massive as the cloth-bound heads of the other Apaches, and his shoulders wer

boys!-Bueno amigo, Pete. Howdy, Cochise. Fine day. Ho

his short, small hands upon his leather c

. Glad to meet n

a was thrusting her rifle into its saddle-sheath. Instead of clasping hands, palm to palm, Cochise clutc

Jack," murmu

d not stirred in his saddle or made

" reproached Carmena. "You sa

lade come. Then I have my fun. You sw

irl s

e got you covered, and I figure the first b

nce down toward the girl's right hand. It had slipped into

hat happens to us won't be any f

s that were clutched abo

t to explain away his treacherous attempt. "Make sur

y urged him. "We can talk a while with you and Pete. B

ered a word or two that sent the other Apaches loping off down the va

ave to go, too.... Good-bye, Pete. Maybe you know, Cochise, it's

ed their ponies and l

did not