with me. Good. Your equally excellent observation
will have called your attention to this river. I have a posse
stationed further down stream, for certain reasons which I will keep
to myself. It is a hidden posse, but it will always be there. Now, to
a man of your natural cleverness, I do not think you will have any
difficulty in finding a means of floating a message down to me. But do
not send an urgent message unless the urgency is positive. Any message
I receive in that way I shall act upon at once. I have learned a great
deal to-day, Tresler, so much indeed that I even think you may
need to use this river before long. All I ask of you is to be
circumspect--that's the word, circumspect."

The sheriff edged his horse away so that he could obtain a good view
of Lady Jezebel. And he gazed at her with so much intentness that
Tresler felt he must call attention to it.

"She is a beauty," he suggested.

And Fyles answered with a sharp question. "Is she yours?"

"No. Only to use."

"Belongs to the ranch?"

"Jake told me she is a mare the blind man bought from a half-breed
outfit passing through the country. He sets great store by her, but
they couldn't tame her into reliability. That's three years ago. By
her mouth I should say she was rising seven."

"That's so. She'd be rising seven. She's a dandy."

"You seem to know her."

But Fyles made no answer. He swung his horse round, and, raising his
hand in a half-military salute in token of "good-bye," called over his
shoulder as his bay took to the water--

"Don't forget the river."

Tresler looked after him for some moments, then his mare suddenly
reared and plunged into the water to follow. He understood at once
that fresh trouble was brewing in her ill-balanced equine mind, and
took her sharply to task. She couldn't buck in the water; and,
finally, after another prolonged battle, she dashed out of it and on
to the bank again. But in the scrimmage she had managed to get the
side-bar of the bit between her teeth, and, as she landed, she
stretched out her lean neck, and with a snort of ill-temper, set off
headlong down the trail.

CHAPTER X

A WILD RIDE

The intractability of the Lady Jezebel was beyond all bounds. Her
vagaries were legion. After his experiences with her, Tresler might
have been forgiven the vanity of believing, in spite of her sex, that
he had fathomed her every mood. But she was forever springing
unpleasant surprises, and her pres