'm sure he would appreciate your confidence," she smiled.

"Been acquainted with him a good while?" he wanted to know.

"Only since I've been in this country. We met on the train coming to
Comanche."

Smith sighed as if oppressed by a secret trouble, and cast his wise eye
about the camp.

"I wouldn't leave them things around out here at night," he advised,
indicating some boxes of supplies with which she was rather liberally
provided. "Animals might git at 'em."

"You don't mean bears?" she asked with lively concern.

"No; not likely bears," said he. "Badgers, more like. They're awful
thieves."

"Thank you for the advice. I meant to put them in today, but I've been
so distracted by last night's awful events----"

"Yes, I know," Smith nodded. "I'll put 'em in for you."

Smith stored the boxes within the tent. The exertion brought out the
sweat on his red face. He stood wiping it, his hat in his hand, turning
his eyes to see how she regarded his strength.

"I tell you, a woman needs a man to do the heavy work for her in a place
like this," he hinted.

"I'm finding that out," she laughed.

Smith sat down comfortably on the box lately occupied by Dr. Slavens. He
buckled his hands over a knee and sat with that foot raised from the
ground in a most ungainly, but perhaps refreshing, attitude.

"Thinkin' about marryin'?" he asked.

The frankness of the question relieved her of embarrassment. She
smiled.

"I suppose every woman thinks of that, more or less," she admitted.

Smith nodded, and slowly lowered his foot, looking up at her with sly
confidence, as if discovering to her a mighty secret which he had just
become convinced she was worthy to share.

"Well, so am I," said he.

It began to look like dangerous ground, but she didn't know how to turn
him. Thinking to try a show of abstract interest, she told him she was
glad to hear it.

"There's money to be made in this country," he continued, warming up to
his argument, "and I know how to make it. Inside of five years I'll be
able to put up a house with a cupola on it, and a picket fence in front,
and grass in the yard, for the woman that marries me."

"I believe you will," she agreed. "What kind of a noise does a bear
make?"

"Dang bears!" said Smith, disconcerted by having his plans thrown out of
joint in such an abrupt way.

"I thought I heard one the night before last," she went on. "I was
afraid."

"No need to be," he assured her. "Bears don