the thick purplish blood was
receding from his face. "Your cowpuncher--"

"Bah!" she interrupted, and she snapped her fingers in his face. "He's
from Texas! He's from TEXAS!"

"Supposin' he is from Texas?" demanded Beasley, in angry irritation.
"What's thet? Texans are all over. There's Jim Wilson, Snake Anson's
right-hand man. He's from Texas. But thet ain't scarin' any one."

He pointed toward Wilson, who shifted uneasily from foot to foot. The
girl's flaming glance followed his hand.

"Are you from Texas?" she asked.

"Yes, Miss, I am--an' I reckon I don't deserve it," replied Wilson. It
was certain that a vague shame attended his confession.

"Oh! I believed even a bandit from Texas would fight for a helpless
girl!" she replied, in withering scorn of disappointment.

Jim Wilson dropped his head. If any one there suspected a serious
turn to Wilson's attitude toward that situation it was the keen outlaw
leader.

"Beasley, you're courtin' death," he broke in.

"You bet you are!" added Bo, with a passion that made her listeners
quiver. "You've put me at the mercy of a gang of outlaws! You may force
my sister out of her home! But your day will come.' Tom Carmichael will
KILL you."

Beasley mounted his horse. Sullen, livid, furious, he sat shaking in the
saddle, to glare down at the outlaw leader.

"Snake, thet's no fault of mine the deal's miscarried. I was square. I
made my offer for the workin' out of my plan. It 'ain't been done. Now
there's hell to pay an' I'm through."

"Beasley, I reckon I couldn't hold you to anythin'," replied Anson,
slowly. "But if you was square you ain't square now. We've hung around
an' tried hard. My men are all sore. An' we're broke, with no outfit to
speak of. Me an' you never fell out before. But I reckon we might."

"Do I owe you any money--accordin' to the deal?" demanded Beasley.

"No, you don't," responded Anson, sharply.

"Then thet's square. I wash my hands of the whole deal. Make Riggs pay
up. He's got money an' he's got plans. Go in with him."

With that Beasley spurred his horse, wheeled and rode away. The outlaws
gazed after him until he disappeared in the cedars.

"What'd you expect from a greaser?" queried Shady Jones.

"Anson, didn't I say so?" added Burt.

The black-visaged Moze rolled his eyes like a mad bull and Jim Wilson
studiously examined a stick he held in his hands. Riggs showed immense
relief.

"Anson, stake me to some of your outfit an' I'l