e from the coral. Kate stood beside
the cabin, waiting.

When he reached her, she was already mounted. He halted beside her,
panting, his hand on her bridle.

"Don't do it, Kate!" he pleaded. "Lemme go with you. Lemme go and try to
help."

The brisk wind up the gulch set her clothes fluttering, stirred the hair
about the rim of her hat, and she seemed to Buck more gracefully, more
beautifully young than he had ever seen her; but her face was like
stone.

"You'd be no help," she answered. "When I get to the place I may have to
meet him! Would you face him, Buck?"

His hand fell away from the bridle. It was not so much what she said
as the cold, steady voice with which she spoke that unnerved him. Then,
without a farewell, she turned the brown horse around and struck across
the meadow at a swift gallop. Buck turned to meet the sick face of
Haines.

"Well?" he said.

"Let me have that flask."

Buck produced a metal "life-saver," and Haines with nervous hands
unscrewed the top and lifted it to his lips. He lowered it after a long
moment and stood bracing himself against the wall.

"It was hell, Buck. God help me if I ever have to go through a thing
like that again."

"I see what you done," said Buck angrily. "You walked right in and took
your story in both hands and knocked her down with it. Haines, of
all the ornery, thick-headed cayuses I ever see, you're the most
out-beatin'est!"

"I couldn't help it."

"Why not?"

"When I went in she took one look at me and then jumped up and stood as
straight as a pine tree.

"'Lee,' she said, 'what have you heard?'"

"'About what?' I asked her, and I looked sort of indifferent."

"Dan!" snorted Buck. "She could see death an' hell written all over your
face, most like."

"I suppose," muttered Haines, "I--I was sick!

"'Tell me!' she said, coming close up.

"'He's gone wild again,' was all I could put my tongue to.

"Then I blurted it out. I had to get rid of the damned story some way,
and the quickest way seemed the best--how Dan rode into Alder and did
the killing.

"When I got to that she gave one cry."

"I know," said Buck, shuddering. "Like something dying."

"Then she asked me to saddle her horse. I begged her to let me go with
her, and she said to me what she just now said to you. And so I stayed.
What good could we do against that devil?"

Chapter XXIV. The Music

To the last ravine Kate's horse carried her easily enough, but that
mountai