expected to see one of the Seven Mile boys or her brother instead of
Keller--had looked with a quaking heart for the cattleman to fling back
the swift challenge of a bullet. His tame surrender had amazed her,
especially when Keller's fall had given him a chance to seize the
carbine. His drawling, sarcastic badinage pointed to the same
conclusion. Evidently he had no desire to resist. Behind this must be
some purpose which she could not fathom.

"Elected yourself chaperon of the young lady, have you, Mr. Keller?"
Buck asked pleasantly.

The young man smiled at the girl before he answered. "You've been
losing too much time on the job, Mr. Weaver. Subject to her approval, I
got a notion I'd take her back home."

"Best place for her," assented Weaver promptly. "I've been thinking for
a day or two that she ought to get back to those school kids of hers.
But I'm going to take her there myself."

"Yourself!" Phyllis spoke up in quick surprise.

"Why not?" The cattleman smiled.

"Do you mean with your band of thugs?"

"No, ma'am. You and I will be enough."

The suggestion was of a piece with his usual audacity. The girl knew
that he would be quite capable of riding with her into the hills, where
he had a score of bitter, passionate enemies, and of affronting them, if