al brain it occurred that Dan Barry would be wearing a hat--and
moreover the form was tall.

"Buck!" called a guarded voice.

The muzzle of Daniels' revolver dropped; he threw the gun on his bed and
stood up.

"Jim Rafferty!" he cried, with something like a groan in his voice.
"What in the name of God are you doin' here at this hour?"

"Someone come here and banged on the door a while ago. Had a letter for
you. Must have rid a long ways and come fast; while he was givin' me
the letter at the door I heard his hoss pantin' outside. He wouldn't
stay, but went right back. Here's the letter, Buck. Hope it ain't no bad
news. Got a light here, ain't you?"

"All right, Jim," answered Buck Daniels, taking the letter. "I got a
lantern. You get back to bed."

The other replied with a noisy yawn and left the room while Buck kindled
the lantern. By that light he read his name upon the envelope and tore
it open. It was very brief.

"Dear Buck,

Last night at supper Dan found out where
you are. In the morning he's leaving the ranch and
we know that he intends to ride for Rafferty's place;
he'll probably be there before noon. The moment
you get this, saddle your horse and ride. Oh, Buck,
why did you stay so close to us?

Relay your horses. Don't stop until you're over
the mountains. Black Bart is well enough to take
the trail and Dan will use him to follow you. You
know what that means.

Ride, ride, ride!

Kate."

He crumpled up the paper and sank back upon the bed.

"Why did you stay so close?"

He had wondered at that, himself, many times in the past few days. Like
the hunted rabbit, he expected to find safety under the very nose of
danger. Now that he was discovered it seemed incredible that he could
have followed so patently foolish a course. In a sort of daze he
uncrumpled the note again and read the wrinkled writing word by word. He
had leaned close to read by the uncertain light, and now he caught the
faintest breath of perfume from the paper. It was a small thing, smaller
among scents than a whisper is among voices, but it made Buck Daniels
drop his head and crush the paper against his face. It was a moment
before he could uncrumple the paper sufficiently to study the contents
of the note thoroughly. At first his dazed brain caught only part of the
significance. Then it dawned on him that the girl thought he had fled
from the Cumberland Ranch through fear of Dan Ba