one another
with knives? She remembered scenes from Western movies, the overturned
tables, the crash of things thrown. Had some sense of chivalry still
remained in the lieutenant, and he, knowing Sam wouldn't stand a chance
in hand to hand conflict, devised some contest which would be more fair?

There need be no contest. If only they would be sensible, work out an
equitable schedule....

Barefooted, she ran across the ground toward the bunkhouse. She had
visions of herself throwing open the door, shocking them to stillness in
a tableau of violence. She was close now. She should be able to hear the
crashing of their table and chairs.

She could hear nothing at all. Was she too late? Even now, was one of
them standing above the other, holding a dripping knife? What horrors
might she run into, even precipitate, if she threw open the door?
Caution, Katheryn!

Instead, she crept up to the crack in the wall. Her teeth were
chattering so hard, she had difficulty in holding her head still enough
to peer through the slit of light. With her free hand, her shoulders
were shaking so hard she had difficulty in clutching the blanket about
her with the other, she grabbed her jaw and held on, to still her
shaking. Her eyes focused on the scene inside the room.

* * * * *

She had a three-quarter vision of each man and the table between them.
They were dealing a greasy pack of cards! Were they going to gamble for
her? Relief and shame intermingled in her reaction. She would have
preferred they settle it with more elemental.... It would have made it
less.... Yet, this way neither would be killed. Sons and daughters from
both....

"How are we going to tell her now?" Sam asked, as he picked up his
cards. His voice came distinctly through the wall crack.

"We should have told her about our wives and families right at the
start," Harper answered morosely. "I don't know why we didn't. Except
that, well, none of us have talked about things back home. She didn't,
and so we didn't either."

"But I never dreamed Miss Kitty would start getting ideas," Sam said in
a heartsick voice. "I just never dreamed she...."

"We're going to have to tell her," Harper said resolutely. "We'll just
have to tell her that, well, there's still hope and as long as there's
hope...."

Blindly, in an anguish of shame such as she had never known, Miss Kitty
crept away from the bunkhouse, and stumbled back to the cabin. Now s