Part 27 (1/2)

As yet, you must understand, Rosemary and her brother were unaware of the ident.i.ty of the attackers.

Rosemary started up from where she was sitting in their extemporized and miserable prison cave. It was evidently her intention to put into operation at once her desperate plan.

”Wait a minute!” exclaimed her brother.

”What for?” she questioned.

”I'm not so sure that it is the best thing to do,” he answered.

Floyd was rather less impulsive than his sister--that is on occasions.

There were times when he could be more hot headed.

”Well, what else is there to do?” Rosemary asked.

She was going to be perfectly fair about it, and if Floyd had anything better to offer as a suggestion she would listen to him.

”Let's think about it a bit longer,” he finally said, with a long intaking of breath, which told more plainly than words, how the situation was oppressing him. ”I'm sure it's mighty plucky of you, Rosemary, to lay out such a plan as this, but I don't believe I ought to let you try it. Something might happen.”

”Something is going to happen anyhow,” she said, with ominous quiet, and a grim tightness showed in the lines of her mouth. ”I believe these Indians have just about reached the end of their rope. They have been very patient with us--that is patient from their standpoint. Now they have met with opposition, and they must know if they are overpowered it will be to our advantage, and that our friends, or whoever is out there firing, will take revenge.”

”That's so,” agreed Floyd.

”Well then, we've just _got_ to do something!” said Rosemary, desperately. ”And I'm going to do it.”

Again she started up.

”Wait a minute!” exclaimed her brother again.

He seemed to be listening. He leaned forward, and then softly arose from where he was sitting and went forward.

”What is it?” asked his sister in a low voice.

”I thought I heard voices--good old United States voices, and not this jargon of Mexican and Spanish,” was the reply. ”Maybe some of the attackers, whoever they are, have broken through.”

A look of delighted joy came over the face of Rosemary. But a moment later it faded away and she seemed hopeless.

”It can't be,” she said. ”There'd be a lot of yelling and shouting if any of those who are attacking the Yaquis had broken through their lines,” she went on. ”There's no use waiting, Floyd. Let's try my plan!”

But her brother was not yet convinced.

”It will be all right if it works,” he agreed. ”But if it fails, and they only have the laugh on us, we'll be treated so much the worse. I don't mind on my own account--but yours!” and he glanced at his sister.

”I hadn't thought of that,” spoke Rosemary in a low voice. ”If it should--fail--why--”

She did not complete the sentence.

”It would only make them more angry, I'm afraid,” went on Floyd.

There was silence, for a time, between brother and sister. It was broken only by occasional and distant shouts, punctuated, now and again, by a shot. But the heavy fusillade had subsided for a time.