wo cowboys linked their arms through Jose's and led him off towards
the door.

"The stranger's right, Jose," one of them insisted. "You can't carve a
girl up in company."

The girl clutched at Craig's arm.

"Sit down here, please," she begged. "Wait."

She disappeared for a moment and came back with a glass full of wine,
which she set down on the table.

"Drink this," she invited. "And thank you for saving me."

Craig emptied the glass eagerly. He was beginning to be more than a little
conscious of his fatigue.

"I just happened to be the first to see him," he said. "They aren't quite
wild enough to allow that here, are they?"

"Quien sabe? The girls do not like me! The men do not care," she declared.
"Jose took me by surprise, though, or I would have killed him. But who are
you, and where did you come from?"

"I have just crossed the border," he replied.

She nodded understandingly.

"Were they after you?"

"Yes! with a warrant for my arrest!"

She patted his hand.

"You are safe now," she whispered. "We care that much for a United States
warrant," and she snapped her slim fingers. "You shall stay with us for a
time. We will take care of you."

He sighed wearily.

"If I do," he said, "there will be trouble. Wherever I go there is
trouble. I have been round the world looking for peace. I shall never find
it in this world."

Her eyes filled with tears. There was something hopelessly pathetic in his
appearance.

"You shall find it here," she promised.

* * * * *

Back in the camp, a spirit of deviltry had entered once more into Long Jim
and his mates. A tactless remark on the part of one of the deputies had
set alight once more the smouldering fire of resentment which the cowboys
had all the time felt against them. At a word from Long Jim they were
taken by surprise and again tied to the wagon.

"These guys ain't got a sufficiency yet, boys. Limber up them guns again.
Same order as before. Put a few more petals on them flowers, and I'll trim
their eyelashes for them."

The deputies spluttered with rage and fear. Shots rained about them and
the canvas of the wagon was riddled. French began to get restless.

"Look here," he said to Laura, "I can't stand this any longer. It don't
seem right to have two officers of the law treated like that, any way. I
guess I'll have to butt in again."

"Don't," Laura advised bluntly. "You'll get yours if you do."

A yell from