her word." She confronted Belle without yielding.
"Did Jim Laramie accuse me in any way of anything?"

"Oh, you needn't be so high and mighty," flustered Belle. "I'll answer
your question; no. Now you answer mine, will you?"

"How can _I_ answer how they found out? I will not say another word
until I see Mr. Laramie--where is he?"

"You can't see him--nobody knows he is here--he won't talk to you."

Kate paid no attention to her words: "He'll have to tell me that
himself," she returned. "If he is near here--he must be at Kitchen's."

Belle could say nothing to check or swerve her. Taking up her hat and
ignoring all warnings, Kate walked straight over to the barn. She
found McAlpin at the stable door: "I want you to take a message for me
to Mr. Laramie," she said, speaking low and collectedly. "Ask him if
he will see Kate Doubleday for just two minutes."

McAlpin, in all his devious career, had never passed through more or
quicker stages of astonishment, confusion, poise and evasion than he
did in listening to those words. But at pulling his wits together,
McAlpin was a wonder. By the time Kate had finished, his innocent
question was ready: "Where is he?"

"He is here. I must see him at once."

"But I ain't seen him myself for a week. He's not here. Who told you
he's here?"

"Belle," persisted Kate calmly, "told me he _is_ here. I must see him.
Don't deceive me, McAlpin--do just as I ask you, no more, no less."

"No more, no less, sure," grumbled the Scotchman. "You gives me one
kind of orders--the boss gives me another kind. I can't do no more, I
can't do no less. I can't do nothin'--I've got a family to support and
all this damned rowing going on, a man's job is no safer nowadays in
this country than his head!"

But words were not to save him. Kate persisted. She would not be put
off. McAlpin, swearing and protesting, could in the end only offer to
go see whether he could by any chance find Laramie. After a long trip
through the winding alleys of the big barn--for Kate watched the
baseball cap and crazy vizor as long as she could follow it--then
complete disappearance for a time, McAlpin came back to Kate, immovable
at the office door, his face wreathed with a surprised smile.

He spoke, but his eyes were opened wide and his words were delivered in
a whisper; mystery hung upon his manner: "Come along," he nodded,
indicating the interior. "Only say nothing to nobody. He's
hit--there'