THREAT

"Well, I don't like it—" began Dan; Soames made an impatient motion with his automatic; the little Frenchman went to the tent, returned with a coil of rope, and sidled up to Starrett. "Put up your hands," ordered Soames. Starrett swung them up. But in mid-swing they closed on Dan, lifted him like a doll and held him between himself and the gaunt New Englander. "Now shoot, damn you!" he cried, and bore down on Soames, meeting every move of his pistol arm with Dan's wriggling body. His own right hand swept down to the Frenchman's belt, drew from the holster his automatic, leveled it over the twisting shoulder at Soames. "Drop your gun, Yank," grinned Starrett, triumphantly. "Or shoot if you want. But before your bullet's half through Dan here, by Christ, I'll have you drilled clean."

There was a momentary, sinister silence—it was broken by a sudden pealing of tiny golden bells. Their chiming cleft through the murk of murder that had fallen on the camp; lightened it; dissolved it as the sunshine does a cloud. Soames' pistol dropped; Starrett's iron grip upon Dan relaxed.

Through the trees, not a hundred yards away, came Sierra. A cloak of green covered the girl from neck almost to slender feet. In her hair gleamed a twisted string of emeralds. Bendlets of gold studded with the same gems circled her wrists and ankles. Behind her a snow-white llama paced, sedately. There was a broad golden collar around its neck from which dropped strands of little golden bells. At each of its silvery sides a pannier hung, woven it seemed from shining yellow rushes.

There was no warrior host around her. She had brought neither avengers nor executioners. At the llama's side was a single attendant, swathed in a voluminous robe of red and yellow, the hood of which covered his face. His only weapon was a long staff, vermilion. He was bent, and he fluttered and danced as he came on, taking little steps backward and forward—movements that carried the suggestion that his robes clothed less a human being than some huge bird. They drew closer, and Graydon saw that the hand that clutched the staff was thin and white with the transparent pallor of old, old age.

He strained at his bonds, a sick horror at his heart. Why had she come back—like this? Without strong men to guard her? With none but this one ancient? And decked in jewels and gold? He had warned her; she could not be ignorant of what threatened her. It was as though she had come thus deliberately—to fan the lusts from which she had most to fear.

"Dyable!" whispered Dan—"the emeralds!" "God—what a girl!" muttered Starrett, thick nostrils distended, a red flicker in his eyes. Soames said nothing, perplexity and suspicion replacing the astonishment with which he had watched the approach. Nor did he speak as the girl and her attendants halted close beside him. But the doubt in his eyes grew, and he scanned the path along which they had come, searching every tree, every bush. There was no sign of movement, no sound.

"Sierra!" cried Graydon, despairingly, "Sierra, why did you return?" She stepped over to him, and drew a dagger from beneath her cloak. She cut the thongs binding him to the tree. She slipped the blade beneath the cords that fettered his wrists and ankles; freed him. He staggered to his feet.