der and leaped away from the bench with the instinctive swiftness
for defense that had been ingrained in him.

Dick Hardman showed the most abject astonishment. His eyes stuck out,
his jaw dropped. No other emotion seemed yet to have dawned in him.
He stared from Lucy to Pan and back again. A slow dull red began to
creep into his cheeks. He ejaculated something incoherent. His amaze
swiftly grew into horror. He had caught his fiancee in the arms of
another man. Black fury suddenly possessed him.

"You--you--" he yelled stridently, moving to dismount.

"Stay on your horse," commanded Pan.

"Who the hell are you?" bellowed Hardman, sliding back in the saddle.

"Howdy, Skunk Hardman," rejoined Pan, with cool impudence. "Reckon you
ought to know me."

"Pan Smith!" gasped the other, hoarsely, and he turned lividly white.
"By God, I knew you last night. But I couldn't place you."

"Well, Mr. Dick Hardman, I knew you the instant I set eyes on
you--sitting there gambling--with the pretty bare-armed girl on your
chair," returned Pan, with slow deliberate sarcasm.

"Yes, and you got that little ---- over to you about as quick," shouted
Hardman.

"Be careful of your language. There's a lady present," replied Pan,
menacingly.

"Of all the nerve! You--you damned cowpuncher," raved Hardman in a
fury. "It didn't take you long to get to _her_, either, did it? Now
you make tracks out of here or I'll--I'll--it'll be the worse for you,
Pan Smith.... Lucy Blake is as good as married to me."

"Nope, you're wrong, Dick," snapped Pan insolently. "I got here just
in time to save her from that doubtful honor."

"You'd break her engagement to me?" rasped Hardman huskily, and he
actually shook in his saddle.

"I have broken it."

"Lucy, tell me he lies!" begged Hardman, turning to her in poignant
distress. If he had any good in him it showed then.

Lucy came out from the shade of the tree into the sunlight. She was
pale, but composed.

"Dick, it's true," she said, steadily. "I've broken my word. I can't
marry you.... I love Pan. I've loved him always. It would be a sin
to marry you now."

"_Hellsfire!_" shrieked Hardman. His face grew frightful to
see--beastly with rage. "You're as bad as that hussy who threw me down
for him. I'll fix you, Lucy Blake. And I'll put your cow-thief father
behind the bars for life."

Pan leaped at Hardman and struck him a body blow that sent him tumbling
out of his sa