“It is murder!”
“You can prevent it,” he said. “They
know Barry is on the trail, but I think they will
do nothing unless he forces them into trouble.
And he will force them unless you stop him. No
other human being could take him off that trail.”
“I know! I know!” she muttered.
“But I have already tried, and he will not listen
to me!”
“But he will listen to you,” insisted
Haines, “when you tell him that he will be fighting
not one man, but six.”
“And if he doesn’t listen to me?”
Haines shrugged his shoulders.
“Can’t you promise that these men will
not fight with him?”
“I cannot.”
“But I shall plead with them myself.”
He turned to her in alarm.
“No, you must not let them dream you know who
they are,” he warned, “for otherwise—”
Again that significant shrug of the shoulders.
He explained: “These men are in such danger
that they dare not take chances. You are a woman,
but if they feel that you suspect them you will no
longer be a woman in their eyes.”
“Then what must I do?”
“I shall ride ahead of you when we come to the
willows, after I have pointed out the position of
our camp. About an hour after I have arrived,
for they must not know that I have brought you, you
will ride down towards the camp. When you come
to it I will make sure that it is I who will bring
you in. You must pretend that you have simply
blundered upon our fire. Whatever you do, never
ask a question while you are there—and
I’ll be your warrant that you will come off safely.
Will you try?”
He attempted no further persuasion and contented himself
with merely meeting the wistful challenge of her eyes.
“I will,” she said at last, and then turning
her glance away she repeated softly, “I will.”
He knew that she was already rehearsing what she must
say to Whistling Dan.
“You are not afraid?”
She smiled.
“Do you really trust me as far as this?”
With level-eyed tenderness that took his breath, she
answered: “An absolute trust, Mr. Lee.”
“My name,” he said in a strange voice,
“is Lee Haines.”
Of one accord they stopped their horses and their
hands met.
SILENT BLUFFS
The coming of the railroad had changed Elkhead from
a mere crossing of the ways to a rather important
cattle shipping point. Once a year it became
a bustling town whose two streets thronged with cattlemen
with pockets burdened with gold which fairly burned
its way out to the open air. At other times Elkhead
dropped back into a leaden-eyed sleep.
