eads bowed while Hyrum, standing, delivered
himself of a long-winded blessing, through his nose. It was the signal for
breaking up. They stood. My Lady arose lithely; encumbered by her trailing
skirt she pitched forward and I caught her. Daniel sprang in a moment,
with a growl.

"None o' that, Mister. I'm takin' keer of her. Hands off."

"Don't bully me, sir," I retorted, furious. "I'm only acting the
gentleman, and you're acting the boor."

I would willingly have fought him then and there, probably to my disaster,
but Hyrum's heavy voice cut in.

"Who quarrels at my fire? Mark you, I'll have no more of it. Stranger, get
you where you belong. Daniel, get you to bed. And you, woman, take
yourself off properly and thank God that you are among his chosen and not
adrift in sin."

"Good-night, sir," I answered. And I walked easily away, a triumphant
warmth buoying me, for ere releasing her strong young body I had felt a
note tucked into my hand.

CHAPTER XIII

SOMEONE FEARS

A note from a pretty woman always is a potential thing, no matter in what
humor it may have been received. The mere possession titillates; and
although the contents may be most exemplary to the eye, the mind is apt to
go hay-making between the lines and no offense intended.

All the fatuousness that had led me astray to the lure of her blue eyes,
upon the train and in hollow Benton, surged anew now--perhaps seasoned to
present taste by my peppery defiance of Daniel. A man could do no less
than bristle a little, under the circumstances; could do no less than
challenge the torpedoes, like Farragut in Mobile Bay. Whether the game was
worth the candle, I was not to be bullied out of my privileges by a clown
swash-buckler who aped the characteristics of a pouter pigeon.

Mr. Jenks was just going to bed under the wagon. With pretext of warming
up the coffee I kicked the fire together; while squatting and sipping I
managed to unfold the note and read it by the flicker, my back to the
camp.

All that it said, was:

If you are not disgusted with me I will walk a stretch with you on
the trail, during the morning.

The engagement sent me to my blanket cogitating. When a woman proposes,
one never knows precisely the reason. Anyway, I was young enough so to
fancy. For a long time I lay outside the wagons, apart in the desert camp,
gazing up at the twinkling stars, while the wolves whimpered around, and
somewhere she slept beside the gentl