s responsible for a subtle and gradual change in him. This change
he fancied, was only that through remembrance of her he got rid of his
pale, sickening ghosts.

One day a careless Mexican threw a lighted cigarette up into the brush
matting that served as a ceiling for Benson's den, and there was a fire
which left little more than the adobe walls standing. The result was
that while repairs were being made there was no gambling and drinking.
Time hung very heavily on the hands of some two-score outlaws. Days
passed by without a brawl, and Bland's valley saw more successive hours
of peace than ever before. Duane, however, found the hours anything but
empty. He spent more time at Mrs. Bland's; he walked miles on all the
trails leading out of the valley; he had a care for the condition of his
two horses.

Upon his return from the latest of these tramps Euchre suggested that
they go down to the river to the boat-landing.

"Ferry couldn't run ashore this mornin'," said Euchre. "River gettin'
low an' sand-bars makin' it hard fer hosses. There's a greaser
freight-wagon stuck in the mud. I reckon we might hear news from the
freighters. Bland's supposed to be in Mexico."

Nearly all the outlaws in camp were assembled on the riverbank, lolling
in the shade of the cottonwoods. The heat was oppressive. Not an
outlaw offered to help the freighters, who were trying to dig a heavily
freighted wagon out of the quicksand. Few outlaws would work for
themselves, let alone for the despised Mexicans.

Duane and Euchre joined the lazy group and sat down with them. Euchre
lighted a black pipe, and, drawing his hat over his eyes, lay back in
comfort after the manner of the majority of the outlaws. But Duane
was alert, observing, thoughtful. He never missed anything. It was
his belief that any moment an idle word might be of benefit to him.
Moreover, these rough men were always interesting.

"Bland's been chased across the river," said one.

"New, he's deliverin' cattle to thet Cuban ship," replied another.

"Big deal on, hey?"

"Some big. Rugg says the boss hed an order fer fifteen thousand."

"Say, that order'll take a year to fill."

"New. Hardin is in cahoots with Bland. Between 'em they'll fill orders
bigger 'n thet."

"Wondered what Hardin was rustlin' in here fer."

Duane could not possibly attend to all the conversation among the
outlaws. He endeavored to get the drift of talk nearest to him.

"Kid Fuller's goin' to cash