She was doing well to sleep. It was better than any medicine he could administer.

Meanwhile, he must keep a sharp lookout for travelers. They were a good distance off the trail, which was old and almost unused. It might be days before anyone passed that way. No human habitation was within call, and he dared not leave his charge to go for help. He must simply wait here till she could travel.

He, of course, wondered where she belonged and why she was alone. And wouldn’t a search party come soon with some kind of conveyance to carry her home? He must signal any passing rider.

Thus he moved away from the sleeping girl as far as he dared and called out occasionally, but no answer came. He didn’t dare use his rifle for signaling lest he run out of ammunition before he got her safely back. He felt it wise, however, to combine hunting with signaling. When a rabbit scooted across his path he shot it. The sound echoed in the clear morning, but no answering signal came.

He shot two rabbits and dressed them for dinner later. Then he replenished the fire, set the rabbits to roasting on his own curious device, and lay down on the opposite side of the fire. He was weary beyond measure himself, but he didn’t think of it. The excitement of the occasion kept him awake. He lay still, wondering about the strangeness of his position and what he’d learn when the girl woke up. He almost dreaded for her to do so lest she not be as perfect as she looked asleep. But he was thankful he found her before some terrible fate overtook her.

As he lay there resting, his mind wandered to the previous day, his fellow worker’s adobe home with its pleasant atmosphere and his own longing for companionship. Then he glanced shyly toward the tree shade where the glint of golden hair and the dark line of his blanket were all he could see of the girl he’d found in the desert wilderness. What if his Father had answered his prayer and sent her to him! A thrill of tenderness passed through him.

Then he realized what foolishness that was. Only dreams! He tried to sober himself, but he couldn’t keep from thinking about this lovely girl in his little shack, to share his joys and comfort his sorrows, for him to love, care for, and protect.

The stirring of the blanket and a quiet sigh brought his reverie to a close, and the muscles in his chest tightened at the thought of facing her awake.

She’d turned over toward him slightly, her cheeks flushed with sleep. One hand was thrown back over her head, and the sun caught the sparkle of her jewels, like drops of morning dew when the sun is new upon them. The flash of the jewels reminded him of what he knew already. She was a daughter of a different world from his. They seemed to hurt him as he looked, for they pierced his heart and told him they were set on a wall of separation that might rise forever between them.

Then suddenly he came to himself and was the missionary again, keenly aware that it was high noon and his patient was waking up. He must have slept, too, although he thought he was wide awake the whole time. The time had come for action, and he must put aside the foolish thoughts that had crowded in when his weary brain was unable to cope with the cool facts of life. He must fulfill his duty to this needy one now.

Quietly he brought a cup of water and stood beside the girl, speaking softly, as though he’d been her nurse for years.

“Wouldn’t you like a drink of water?” he asked.

The girl opened her eyes and looked up at him bewildered.

“Oh, yes,” she said, though her voice was weak. “Oh, yes—I’m so thirsty. I thought we never would get anywhere!”

She let him lift her head and drank eagerly, then she sank back exhausted and closed her eyes. He almost thought she was going to sleep again.

“Wouldn’t you like something to eat?” he asked.