e of her
description; but he must have speed if he was going to save his
friend's life, and he knew she could give it.

CHAPTER XVI

WHAT LOVE WILL DO

Daylight was breaking when the jaded Lady Jezebel and her double
freight raced into the ranch. The mare had done the journey in
precisely two hours and a quarter. Arizona galloped her up to the
house and rounded the lean-to in which Joe slept. Then he pulled up
and shouted. Just then he had no thought for the rancher or Jake. He
had thought for no one but Tresler.

His third shout brought Joe tumbling out of his bed.

"Say, I've got a mighty sick man here," he cried, directly he heard
the choreman moving. "Git around an' lend a hand; gentle, too."

"That you, Arizona?" Joe, half awake, questioned, blinking up at the
horseman in the faint light.

"I guess; an' say, 'fore I git answerin' no fool questions, git a holt
on this notion. Red Mask's bin around Willow Bluff, an' Tresler's done
up. Savee?"

"Tresler, did you say?" asked a girl's voice from the kitchen doorway.
"Wounded?"

There was a world of fear in the questions, which were scarcely above
a whisper.

Arizona was lifting Tresler down into Joe's arms. "I 'lows I didn't
know you wus ther', missie," he replied, without turning from his
task. "Careful, Joe; easy--easy now. He's dreadful sick, I guess.
Yes, missie, it's him. They've kind o' scratched him some. 'Tain't
nothin' to gas about; jest barked his neck. Kind o' needs a bit o'
band'ge. Gorl durn you, Joe! Git your arm under his shoulders an' kep
his head steady; he'll git bleedin' to death ef y' ain't careful.
Quiet, you jade!" he cried fiercely, to the mare whom Diane had
frightened with her white robe as she came to help. "No, missie, not
you," Arizona exclaimed. "He's all blood an' mussed up." Then he
discovered that she had little on but a night-dress. "Gee! but you
ain't wropped up, missie. Jest git right in. Wal," as she deliberately
proceeded to help the struggling Joe, "ef you will; but Joe ken do it,
I guess. Ther', that's it. I ken git off'n this crazy slut of a mare
now."

Directly Arizona had quit the saddle he relieved Diane, and, with the
utmost gentleness, started to take the sick man into the lean-to. But
the girl protested at once.

"Not in there," she said sharply. "Take him into the house. I'll go
and fix a bed up-stairs. Bring him through the kitchen."

She spoke quite calmly. Too calmly, Joe thought.

"To that h