. In him lay no
appeal to any conscience court of last resort. But the terror of this
was not for herself principally, but for her flying lover. With his
indubitable power, backed by the unpopularity of the sheepman in this
cattle country, the King of the Bighorn could destroy his cousin if
he set himself to do so. Of this she was convinced, and her conviction
carried a certainty that he had the will as well as the means. If he
had lacked anything in motive she herself had supplied one. For she was
afraid that this villain had read her heart.

And as her hand went fluttering to her heart she found small comfort
in the paper lying next it that only a few hours before had brought her
joy. For at any moment a messenger might come in to tell her that the
writer of it had been captured and was to be dealt with summarily in
frontier fashion. At best her lover and her friend were but fugitives
from justice. Against them were arrayed not only the ruffian followers
of their enemy, but also the lawfully constituted authorities of the
county. Even if they should escape to-day the net would tighten on them,
and they would eventually be captured.

For the third time since coming to Wyoming Helen found refuge in tears.

CHAPTER 17. RUN TO EARTH

When word came to Denver and the other punchers of the Lazy D that Reddy
had been pressed into service as a guide for the posse that was pursuing
the fugitives they gave vent to their feelings in choice profanity.

"Now, ain't that like him? Had to run around like a locoed calf telling
all he knowed and more till Burns ropes him in," commented the disgusted
Missou.

"Trouble with Reddy is he sets his mouth to working and then goes away
and leaves it," mourned Jim Henson.

"I'd hate to feel as sore as Reddy will when the boys get through
playing with him after he gets back to the ranch," Denver contributed,
when he had exhausted his vocabulary.

Meanwhile Reddy, unaware of being a cause of offense, was cheerfully
happy in the unexpected honor that had been thrust upon him. His will
was of putty, molded into the opinion of whomever he happened at the
moment to be with. Just now, with the ironic eye of Sheriff Burns upon
him, he was strong for law enforcement.

"A feller hadn't ought to be so promiscuous with his hardware. This
here thing of shooting up citizens don't do Wyoming no good these days.
Capital ain't a-going to come in when such goings-on occur," he sagely
opined, unco