Bo has been used to horses all her life and I ride fairly well,"
responded Helen. The idea of riding quickened her spirit.

"Good! We may have some hard ridin' before I get you up to Pine. Hello!
What's that?"

Above the creaking, rattling, rolling roar of the stage Helen heard a
rapid beat of hoofs. A horse flashed by, galloping hard.

Dale opened the door and peered out. The stage rolled to a halt. He
stepped down and gazed ahead.

"Joe, who was that?" he queried.

"Nary me. An' Bill didn't know him, either," replied Joe. "I seen him
'way back. He was ridin' some. An' he slowed up goin' past us. Now he's
runnin' again."

Dale shook his head as if he did not like the circumstances.

"Milt, he'll never get by Roy on this road," said Joe.

"Maybe he'll get by before Roy strikes in on the road."

"It ain't likely."

Helen could not restrain her fears. "Mr. Dale, you think he was a
messenger--going ahead to post that--that Anson gang?"

"He might be," replied Dale, simply.

Then the young man called Joe leaned out from the seat above and called:
"Miss Helen, don't you worry. Thet fellar is more liable to stop lead
than anythin' else."

His words, meant to be kind and reassuring, were almost as sinister to
Helen as the menace to her own life. Long had she known how cheap life
was held in the West, but she had only known it abstractly, and she had
never let the fact remain before her consciousness. This cheerful young
man spoke calmly of spilling blood in her behalf. The thought it roused
was tragic--for bloodshed was insupportable to her--and then the thrills
which followed were so new, strange, bold, and tingling that they were
revolting. Helen grew conscious of unplumbed depths, of instincts at
which she was amazed and ashamed.

"Joe, hand down that basket of grub--the small one with the canteen,"
said Dale, reaching out a long arm. Presently he placed a cloth-covered
basket inside the stage. "Girls, eat all you want an' then some."

"We have a basket half full yet," replied Helen.

"You'll need it all before we get to Pine.... Now, I'll ride up on top
with the boys an' eat my supper. It'll be dark, presently, an' we'll
stop often to listen. But don't be scared."

With that he took his rifle and, closing the door, clambered up to the
driver's seat. Then the stage lurched again and began to roll along.

Not the least thing to wonder at of this eventful evening was the way Bo
reached for the basket of