'"It's all for the little girl!' she cried. 'More than her life
depends upon it. We must get her away from him.'"

"She saw it was her only course, and went where her heart was
calling."

The Lieutenant met the look of appeal in the trader's eyes, and
nodded to imply his complete understanding and approval.

"We love some women for their goodness, others we love for their
frailness, but there never was one who combined the two like her,
and, now that I knew she loved me, I began to believe again there
was a God somewhere. I'd never seen the youngster, so she led me in
where it was sleeping, and I remember my boots made such a devil of
a thumping on the floor that she laid her slim white finger on her
lips and smiled at me. All the fingers in the world began to choke
at my throat, and all the blood in me commenced to pound at my
heart, when I looked on that little sleeping kiddie. The tears began
to roll out of my eyes, and, because they had been dry for four
years, they scalded like melted metal. That was the only time I ever
wept--the sight of her baby did it.

"'I love her already,' I whispered, 'and I'll spend my life making
her happy and making a lady of her,' which clinched what wavering
doubt the mother had, and she began to plan quickly, the fear coming
on her of a sudden that our scheme might fail. I was for riding away
with both of them that night, back through the streets of Mesa and
up into the hills, where I'd have held them single-handed against
man or God or devil, but she wouldn't hear of it.