What was Drummond to do?  To leave his charges here, unprotected, was out of the question.  Fail to go, or send, to Wing’s relief he could not.  Decide he must and decide quickly.

“Patterson, that party of Apaches can’t be over a dozen strong or they would have rushed out of their cover by this time, yet they are too strong and too securely posted to be driven by that little squad, especially if Wing is wounded.  I can’t shoot now, but I can ride and direct.  Every man who can shoot may be needed here.  You have four now and can stand off forty Apaches—­Tonto or Chiricahua—­in such a position as this, so I leave you in charge.  You have everything to help you stand a siege.  Now see to it that the ladies are kept well under cover, and I’ll hurry back with Walsh and what men I can find.”

Then down he scrambled, giving one look at Moreno and his sleeping guardian as he passed, then gave a low-toned order to Walsh.

“Saddle your horse again and ride just to the other side of that rock yonder and wait for me.”

Well he understood that it would be impossible for him to ride away without Fanny Harvey’s knowing that something of a serious nature was impending, and that he could not get away at all without their knowing it.  What he desired was to conceal from them that there was any danger from Apaches.

Just as he expected, both girls were eagerly awaiting him at the entrance to the cave.  His revolvers were in there beside the rude couch on which he had slept so peacefully.

“Now are you ready to return to hospital and proper subjection?” asked Miss Harvey, laughingly.  “It is high time.  What could have tempted you to climb to that high point?”

“Why, it’s the first chance I’ve had of a look around,” was the answer.  “This is an awfully strong spot for a place of refuge.  You are safe here, safer than anywhere between Yuma and Tucson, now that the former possessors are scattered.  But did you hear what took Wing off?”

“No, he didn’t stop to explain matters.  He simply dashed away without even a saddle.  ‘Something I must look after,’ was all he vouchsafed to say.”

“Well, the men just in tell me the paymaster’s safe was spirited off.  Confound that little green box of greenbacks!  Some shrewd packer among Morales’s people whisked it out of the wagon and onto a burro, and now we are all keen to get it back.  Of course I can’t sleep again until we know.  Some of our people are coming slowly up the valley and Wing went on down to meet them.”

But all the time he talked so airily with the elder sister, Ruth stood watching him with suspicious eyes.

“Mr. Drummond, please do not go,” she broke forth.  “You have no right to—­now.”  And James, the dissembler, found himself trapped.

“Go I must, Ruthie,” he said, with sudden change of manner.  “I know you will not blame me or detain when I tell you, as I feel forced to tell you now, that Sergeant Wing is hurt.  His horse has fallen with him far out on the desert.  I’ll be back and very soon.”