“You—­didn’t find him?” The words came with an effort.

The Texan forced a smile:  “I wouldn’t have be’n here if I hadn’t.  Or rather Bat did, an’ I found the two of ’em.  He’s all to the mustard an’ none the worse for wear, except his clothes—­they won’t never look quite the same, an’ his socks need mendin’ in sixty or seventy spots.  They’ll be along directly.  You run along and fix ’em up some breakfast an’ keep out of sight.  I’m goin’ to do a little scoutin’ an’, maybe, won’t be back ’til pretty near dark.”

“But you!  Surely, you must be nearly starved!” The relief that flashed into her face at the news of Endicott’s safety changed to sincere concern.

“I ain’t got time, now.”

“Please come.  The coffee is all ready and it won’t take but a minute to fry some bacon.”

The Texan smiled up at her.  “If you insist,” he said.  The girl started in surprise at the words, and the man plunged immediately into the vernacular of the cow-country as he followed her into the timber.  “Yes.  A cup of Java wouldn’t go bad, but I won’t stop long.  I want to kind of circulate along the back-trail a ways to see if we’re bein’ followed.”  He took the cup of coffee from her hand and watched as she sliced the bacon and threw it into the frying pan.  “Did you ever figure on turnin’ nester?” he asked abruptly.

The girl looked at him inquiringly:  “Nester?” she asked.  “What’s a nester?”

Tex smiled:  “Nesters is folks that takes up a claim an’ fences off a creek somewheres, an’ then stays with it ’til, by the grace of God, they either starve to death, or get rich.”

Alice laughed:  “No, I never thought of being a nester.  But it would be loads of fun.  That is, if——­”

The Texan interrupted her almost rudely:  “Yes, an’ if they didn’t, it would just naturally be hell, wouldn’t it?” He gulped down the last of his coffee, and, without waiting for the bacon, strode out of the timber, mounted his horse, and rode away.

At the reservoir site he drew rein and inspected the ruined dirt-and-rock dam.  Fresh dirt, brush, and rock had already been dumped into the aperture, and over on the hillside a group of men was busy loading wagons.  He let himself into the ranch enclosure, rode past the bunk-house and on toward the big house that sat well back from the other buildings in the centre of a grove of trees.  A horse stood saddled beside the porch, and through the open door Tex could hear a man’s voice raised in anger:  “Why in hell ain’t it ready?  You might of knowed I’d want it early today, havin’ to git out at daylight!  You wouldn’t give a damn if I never got nothin’ to eat!” The door banged viciously cutting off a reply in a woman’s voice, and a man strode across the porch, and snatched up the reins of the waiting horse.

“What’s the matter, Johnson, your suspenders galdin’ you this mornin’?”

The man scowled into the face of the cow-puncher who sat regarding him with an irritating grin.