t of his head. Sent me off the ranch. Now I
reckon you begin to see what a pickle I was in. Finally I went to four
friends I could trust. They're Mormon boys--brothers. That's Joe out
on top, with the driver. I told them all about Beasley's deal an' asked
them to help me. So we planned to beat Anson an' his gang to Magdalena.
It happens that Beasley is as strong in Magdalena as he is in Pine.
An' we had to go careful. But the boys had a couple of friends
here--Mormons, too, who agreed to help us. They had this old stage....
An' here you are." Dale spread out his big hands and looked gravely at
Helen and then at Bo.

"You're perfectly splendid!" cried Bo, ringingly. She was white; her
fingers were clenched; her eyes blazed.

Dale appeared startled out of his gravity, and surprised, then pleased.
A smile made his face like a boy's. Helen felt her body all rigid, yet
slightly trembling. Her hands were cold. The horror of this revelation
held her speechless. But in her heart she echoed Bo's exclamation of
admiration and gratitude.

"So far, then," resumed Dale, with a heavy breath of relief. "No wonder
you're upset. I've a blunt way of talkin'.... Now we've thirty miles to
ride on this Snowdrop road before we can turn off. To-day sometime the
rest of the boys--Roy, John, an' Hal--were to leave Show Down, which's
a town farther on from Snowdrop. They have my horses an' packs besides
their own. Somewhere on the road we'll meet them--to-night, maybe--or
tomorrow. I hope not to-night, because that 'd mean Anson's gang was
ridin' in to Magdalena."

Helen wrung her hands helplessly.

"Oh, have I no courage?" she whispered.

"Nell, I'm as scared as you are," said Bo, consolingly, embracing her
sister.

"I reckon that's natural," said Dale, as if excusing them. "But, scared
or not, you both brace up. It's a bad job. But I've done my best. An'
you'll be safer with me an' the Beeman boys than you'd be in Magdalena,
or anywhere else, except your uncle's."

"Mr.--Mr. Dale," faltered Helen, with her tears falling, "don't think me
a coward--or--or ungrateful. I'm neither. It's only I'm so--so shocked.
After all we hoped and expected--this--this--is such a--a terrible
surprise."

"Never mind, Nell dear. Let's take what comes," murmured Bo.

"That's the talk," said Dale. "You see, I've come right out with the
worst. Maybe we'll get through easy. When we meet the boys we'll take to
the horses an' the trails. Can you ride?"

"