n't just help
being a girl, but when rustlers are around, raising small Cain with her
men-folks' goods, why, she's got to act the way they would when they
light on a suspicious trail. I was guessing that track would lead me
somewhere. But," she added with a grimace, "I wasn't as smart as I
figgered. You must have crossed it, an' I lost 'em."

"But can't you get back to it? Maybe I can help some. I've followed a
trail before," Elvine added, in a tone which Nan understood better than
the other knew.

But the girl shook her head.

"My plug is tired, and there's the chase back to home. I guess we'll
leave 'em, and just--report. But there's something doing. I mean
something queer. These folk don't reckon to show themselves in daytime,
and I guess they were traveling from the direction of Spruce Crossing."

"That's where the man Sikkem's stationed," said Elvine.

"Sure. But I don't guess they been near his shanty. They wouldn't fancy
gettin' around Sikkem's lay-out in daytime. You see, he's--sudden."

Nan's confidence was not without its effect. But Elvine was less sure.

"This Sikkem. I don't like him. But----"

Nan dismissed the matter in her own way.

"Sikkem's been on the ranch nigh three years. He's a cattleman first,
and hates rustlers worse than poison. But he's tough. Oh, he's tough,
all right. I wouldn't gamble a pea-shuck he hasn't quite a dandy bunch
of notches on his gun. But we're used to his sort."

Then she went on in a reflective fashion as though hollowing out a train
of thought inspired by the man under discussion:

"Sort o' seems queer the way we see things. Right here on the prairie we
mostly take folks on trust, an' treat 'em as we find 'em. Maybe they're
wanted for all sorts of crimes. Maybe they done a turn in penitentiary.
Maybe they even shot up folk cold. These things don't signify a cent
with us so they handle cattle right, and are ready to push lead into any
bunch of rustlers lyin' around. Guess it's environment makes us that
way. The prairie's so mighty wide it helps us folks to get wide."

Evie was watching the play of the girl's expressive eyes.

"I wonder--if you're right."

"Mostly, I guess."

"Mostly?"

Nan nodded.

"It isn't easy to condemn amongst folks on the prairie," she said with a
sigh.

Elvine shook her head. Her eyes were turned from the girl. They were
staring down into the turbulent stream.

"I don't think I've found it that way."