much as a leaf's thickness. Then the 

 second Indian, grim and ugly as the 

 first, spoke sullenly : 



"No touch 'em; savey?" He laid 

 his hand suggestively on something in 

 his belt. 



Again we shook our heads in a way 

 that deprecated the very idea of such a 

 thing. They gave another dissatisfied 

 look around, and slowly turned their 

 horses. 



We waited breathless to see which 

 way they would go. If they went on 

 the other side of the gully, they must 

 surely see that bundle on the ground 

 and — who can tell what might hap- 

 pen ? But they did not. With many 

 a look backwards, they slowly rode 

 away, and with them the passive ele- 

 ments of a tragedy. 



I tied my ill-gotten, ill-smelling pelf 



