in a new, unsettled country. He felt a new admiration for her
and a profound sympathy.

"I think that you must be a very brave young woman," he said earnestly.

"Oh!" she returned with a sudden, illuminating smile. "It isn't hard to
be brave. But at times I find it hard to be patient."

"Patience is one of the cardinal virtues," declared Hollis, "but it
takes bravery of a rare sort to remain in this country, surrounded with
the care----"

Her fingers were suddenly over her lips warningly, and he saw Ed
Hazelton nearing the porch.

"I wouldn't have him know for the world," she said rapidly. "It isn't a
care to look after someone you love."

Hollis smiled grimly at the reproach in her voice and rose to greet her
brother.

The latter seemed to be quite recovered from the attack he had suffered
in Devil's Hollow and talked freely and intelligently of affairs in the
country. Hollis found that on the whole he was a well informed young
man--quiet, modest, and apparently well able to give a good account of
himself in spite of his affliction. He was bitter against Dunlavey and
thanked Hollis warmly for his defense of his sister.

At sundown Hollis departed, telling the Hazeltons that since he was
their neighbor he would not neglect to see them occasionally. As he rode
away into the dusk Nellie Hazelton stood on the porch smilingly waving
her hand at him. As he threaded his way through the rapidly growing
darkness he felt an unaccountable satisfaction over the fact that he had
elected to remain in Union County; that henceforth his fortunes were to
be linked with those of a brave young woman who had also accepted the
robes of sacrifice and who was committed to war against their common
enemy--Dunlavey. Curiously, during the past few days he had felt a
decided change in his attitude toward life. His old ambition was no
longer uppermost in his mind--it had been crowded out of his existence.
In its place had been erected a new pinnacle of promise. A seat among
the mighty was a worthy goal. Yet the lowly bench of sacrifice was not
without its compensations.

CHAPTER VIII

CONCERNING THE "SIX-O'CLOCK"

On Friday evening previous to the Saturday on which the _Kicker_
was to be issued for the fifth consecutive time by Hollis, Potter did
not ride out to the Circle Bar. There still remained some type to be set
and Potter had declared his intention of completing the work and staying
overnight in town. Hollis had acquie