hair flowing in the bright air, and stood watching for the
departure.

Then came that hideous thing which was to shadow all her future life.
It came almost without warning. In a flash, it seemed, the last tinge
of romance was swept from her thoughts, and the hideous skeleton of
reality was laid bare.

The men had tightened up the cinchas of their saddles, and passed the
reins over their horses' heads, ready to mount. She watched them all
with something very like admiration in her blinded eyes. Their hard,
desperate faces did not appear so to her. These things, in her foolish
mind, were the hall-mark of reckless courage, of strong, virile
manhood. They were men who feared nothing, who cared no more for their
own lives than they would care for the life of an enemy. And somehow
this seemed to her just as it should be.

She waited to see them mount their raw-boned bronchos. But somehow
there was a delay; and in this delay a change came over the scene. The
men drifted away from their horses and gathered into groups. They
stood whispering together with faces averted from their leader. A
feeling of apprehension somehow caught hold of her. She did not
understand why, but she felt that all was not right. She turned to
James, and saw that he was moving round his horse all unconcernedly,
and she wondered if he were aware of the change in his men.

But all further speculation was abruptly checked, for at that moment
she heard the leader issue one of his sharp orders. She did not quite
catch his words, but she noticed that no one moved or attempted to
comply. Only talk ceased instantly. Then she saw the handsome face of
her lover flush, as he glanced about him at this unusual phenomenon,
and in a moment she recognized the sudden savage anger that flashed
into his eyes. Simultaneously his hand dropped to the butt of one of
his guns.

Then she heard his words, as they were shouted to the accompaniment of
a string of vicious oaths.

"Ho, you, Ned, an' you, too, Sully!" he cried fiercely, "get your ears
flappin'. Huyk that rotten skunk Conroy out. I ain't tellin' you
again."

The woman had thrilled at his words. There was such command, such
fearlessness in them, in his whole poise. She felt, too, that there
was trouble looming. There was rebellion in the air. Her excitement
rose, and her sympathies were all for this one man.

The two men indicated suddenly bestirred themselves, and moved off
under their leader's eye. The rest