continued to receive hourly reports from Denver,
who always brought with him four or five honest cowpunchers from
up-country to listen to the strange tale she unfolded to them. It was,
of course, in part, the spell of her sweet personality, of that shy
appeal she made to the manhood in them; but of those who came, nearly
all believed, for the time at least, and aligned themselves on her side
in the struggle that was impending. Some of these were swayed from their
allegiance in the course of the day, but a few she knew would remain
true.

Meanwhile, all through the day, the enemy was busily at work. As Denver
had predicted, free liquor was served to all who would drink. The
town and its guests were started on a grand debauch that was to end in
violence that might shock their sober intelligence. Everywhere poisoned
whispers were being flung broadcast against the two men waiting in the
jail for what the night would bring forth.

Dusk fell on a town crazed by bad whiskey and evil report. The deeds of
Bannister were hashed and rehashed at every bar, and nobody related them
with more ironic gusto than the man who called himself Jack Holloway.
There were people in town who knew his real name and character, but of
these the majority were either in alliance with him or dared not voice
their knowledge. Only Miss Messiter and her punchers told the truth, and
their words were blown away like chaff.

From the first moment of darkness Helen had the outlaw leader dogged by
two of her men. Since neither of these were her own riders this was
done without suspicion. At intervals of every quarter of an hour they
reported to her in turn. Bannister was beginning to drink heavily, and
she did not want to cut short his dissipation by a single minute. Yet
she had to make sure of getting his attention before he went too far.

It was close to nine when she sent him a note, not daring to delay a
minute longer. For the reports of her men were all to the same effect,
that the crisis would not now be long postponed. Bannister, or Holloway,
as he chose to call himself, was at the bar with his lieutenants in evil
when the note reached him. He read it with a satisfaction he could not
conceal. So! He had brought her already to her knees. Before he was
through with her she should grovel in the dust before him.

"I'll be back in a few minutes. Do nothing till I return," he ordered,
and went jingling away to the Elk House.

The young woman's anxiety