to sheer amazement as she ran on,
was a wonderfully simulated thing if it were not real.

"You made a mistake," he said coolly. "I saw in the trail that there was
another man following you. If I had known his get-up was so close to
mine, I'd have done a little fast riding to take a peep at him. He
turned off at the last creek, as you thought."

"You saw him?" she asked quickly.

"I saw his tracks. And," he added with deep thoughtfulness as he stared
past her into the smouldering fire in the fireplace, "I'd sure like to
know who he is."

Again, as she watched him, an expression of uneasiness crept into her
eyes; then as he turned back to her she looked down quickly.

"Is it far to the Wendell place?" she asked abruptly. "Where the sick
woman is?"

"Ten miles. Off to the north."

"Not on our trail?" anxiously.

"You're going on, further?"

"Yes. To ..." she hesitated, and then concluded hurriedly, "To Hill's
Corners."

He sat silent for a moment, his strong brown fingers playing with his
knife and fork. And his eyes were merely stern when he spoke quietly.

"So you're going to Dead Man's Alley, are you?"

"I said that I was going to Hill's Corners!"

"And folks who know that quiet little city," he informed her, "have got
into the habit of calling it by the name of its principal street.... I
wonder if you've ever been there?"

"No. Why?"

"I wonder if you know anything about the place?"

"What I've heard. What Mr. Templeton tried to tell me."

"Well," he said thoughtfully, "I don't know that I blame him for trying
to turn you into another trail. He must have told you," and he was
watching her very keenly, "that the stage runs there from Dry Town?"

"Yes. But I chose to ride on horseback. Is there anything strange in
that?"

"Oh, no!" he said briefly. "Just a nice little ride!"

"I have ridden long trails before."

Again for a little while she watched him with intent, eager eyes; he was
silent, frowning into his own cup of coffee.

"Dead Man's Alley," he volunteered abruptly, "is the worst little bad
town I ever saw. And I've camped in two or three that a man wouldn't
call just exactly healthy on the dark of the moon. I guess Mr.
Templeton must have told you, but unless it's happened in the last
month, there isn't a man in that town who has his wife or daughters
there. If I were you," and he lifted his cup to his lips as a sign that
he had said his say, "I'd rope my cow pony and hit the home tra