dly back and forth. Yuma himself--inert, limp, rolled from
Hollis's back and lay flat on his own, his eyes wide open and staring,
two huge bullet holes in his forehead. And in the open doorway of the
cabin stood Ten Spot.

For an instant Hollis could not realize his escape. He looked at Yuma
and then again at Ten Spot. Slowly and painfully he got to his feet,
looking around at the wreck of the room. Staggering a little, he walked
to where Ten Spot stood, gripping the latter's hand silently, at a loss
for words with which to thank him.

But apparently Ten Spot did not notice the omission, for he grinned
broadly.

"I reckon there's folks which would call that a right clever bit of
shootin'," he said, "seem' a? there wasn't time to pull off no fancy
stuff!"

CHAPTER XXIII

TEN SPOT USES HIS EYES

The crash of Ten Spot's pistols aroused Nellie Hazelton, and she sat up
and stared stupidly about--at Hollis, who was just rising from the
floor; at Ten Spot, who still stood in the doorway; and then at Yuma's
body, stretched out on the floor beside the overturned table. She
shuddered and covered her face with her hands. The next instant Hollis
was bending over her, helping her to her feet, leading her to the door
and assuring her in a low, earnest voice that everything was all right,
and that Yuma would never trouble her again, and that he wanted her to
get on her pony and go to the Circle Bar. She allowed herself to be led
out on the porch, but once there she looked at him with renewed spirit.

"It was you who came first," she said; "I didn't see you, but I heard
Yuma curse, felt something strike him, and then--I must have fainted.
You see, I felt it must be you--I had been expecting you."

As she spoke she seized his hands and pressed them tightly, her eyes
eloquent with thankfulness. "Oh, I am so glad!" she whispered. Then she
saw Ten Spot standing in the doorway and she ran over and seized his
hands also, shaking them hysterically. And Ten Spot stood, red of face,
grinning bashfully at her--like a big, awkward, embarrassed schoolboy.

"That's the first time I've ever been thanked for shootin' anybody!" he
confided to Hollis, later. "An' it cert'nly did feel some strange!"

In spite of Hollis's remonstrances the girl insisted on returning to the
interior of the cabin, to "bundle up her things." Feeling the futility
of further objection, Hollis finally allowed her to enter. But while she
was busy in one of t