Senor Merriwell."

"Oh, no, Gonchita!" said Frank earnestly; "not as bad as that! It cannot
be!"

"You know me," was the surprised whisper. "How you know I am Gonchita?"

"Oh, I discovered it the other day--I found you had your hair tied up
beneath your hat. Here, men--somebody bring a light! Be lively about
it!"

"All right, sir," said one of the men. "Have one directly."

"No use, Senor Merriwell," came weakly from the lips of the disguised
girl. "I shall be dead in a minute. _Ay-de mi_! Poor Gonchita! You
theenk she ees veree bad girl? Beel he say he weel marree her. He get me
to fool you, senor. Then you are so veree brave! Senor Frank, I theenk
you are de han'someest, de braveest man I evere know. I run away from
Beel. I wear de boyee's clothes an' come here. Dat ees all. Now I haf to
die."

"Perhaps not, Gonchita," said Merry, with infinite pity for the
unfortunate girl. "We'll see what can be done for you."

She managed to press one of his hands to her lips.

"So goode--so han'some!" she whispered. "Good-by, senor! Eet ees ovare."

Then one of the men came out with a lighted lantern; but before the
light fell on the face of the wounded girl Frank knew he was holding a
corpse in his arms.

       *       *       *       *       *

Among the dead was found Hop Anson. Jim Tracy lay where he had fallen
immediately after the shot which ended the life of poor Gonchita.

Such of the ruffians who were wounded were cared for as well as
possible. The dead were buried there in the valley.

Cimarron Bill's band was completely broken up.

On his next visit to town Merry had a marble slab cut for the grave of
the Mexican girl, which was located at a distance from those of the
outlaws.

On the slab were chiseled these words: "Poor Gonchita!"




CHAPTER XVII.

THE WAR-WHOOP OF OLD ELI.


The afternoon sun lay scorching hot upon the arid plain. Heat waves
moved in the air like the billows of a phantom sea. To the west were
barren mountain-peaks and the nearer foot-hills; to the east the
unbroken plain lay level to the hor