n a
cave out in Arizona, and they had for a leader a guy named
Three-fingered Pete. Pete could draw a gun quicker with his three
fingers than any other man with five."

And so on. There was magic in it. Let it not be supposed that little
girls are proof against a story of robbers however they may make
believe. They came drifting across the saloon. In ten minutes there
were twenty children surrounding Evan, while Corinna's audience had
dwindled to four and they were restive. Corinna kept on. Her pale,
calm profile revealed nothing to Evan, but he doubted if she were pale
and calm within. Corinna was not red-headed for nothing.

When her hearers were reduced to two she abruptly rose. Evan wondered
if sweet Dorothy Dolores had been brought to a violent end. He got up
too.

"To be continued in our next," he said.

"Aw, Mister! Aw, Mister!" they protested, clinging to his coat.

"After lunch," he promised, freeing himself, and hastening down the
saloon after Corinna.

He thought he had her cornered in the bow, but she dropped into a seat
beside a woman with a sick baby and enquired how it was getting on.
The two women embarked on what promised to be an endless discussion of
the infant's symptoms. Evan felt decidedly foolish, but stubbornly
stood his ground.

Denton unexpectedly came to his assistance. "Miss Playfair," he said,
"I've got a seat for you in the dining-room, and one for Mr. Weir.
Won't you come down now?"

Two seats! Together, naturally. Evan's heart went up with a bound.
But Corinna was not going to be led into any such trap. She asked the
woman beside her if she had had her lunch. The answer was a shake of
the head.

"Then I'll hold the baby, and you go with these gentlemen," said
Corinna blandly.

"Let me hold the baby," said Evan.

"Oh, thank you, sir; but he don't like men."

Evan went down with Denton and the woman, but he did not mean to be put
off so easily. Seeing the crowd in the dining-saloon, he said:

"They're rushed here. Let me help serve for a while. Save two seats
when Miss Playfair comes down."

"Sure," said Denton amiably.

Down the length of the lower saloon there was a double row of tables,
each with an end to the side wall. Every seat was taken. In addition
to Denton the waiters were Anway and a black-haired youth with a hot
eye who greeted Evan with a frank scowl. Denton introduced him as
Tenterden. "Another of Corinna's 'brothers'," thought Eva