ers had swept across his own. She had returned to him,
voluntarily, his slender chance for life. But in doing it she had
challenged him to a new and overwhelming interest in life itself. And
again, in front of her cousin, she was crying out anew against the
shedding of blood.

"I came up here to fight a man. I don't fight women," muttered de
Spain, maintaining the deceit and regarding both with an unpromising
visage. Then to Morgan. "I'll talk to you later. But you've got to
fight or get away from here, both of you, in ten seconds."

"Take me away, Gale," cried Nan. "Leave him here--take me home! Take
me home!"

She caught her cousin's arm. "Stay right where you are," shouted
Morgan, pointing at de Spain, and following Nan as she pulled him
along. "When I come back, I'll give you what you're looking for."

"Bring your friends," said de Spain tauntingly. "I'll accommodate four
more of you. Stop!" With one hand still on his revolver he pointed the
way. "Go down that trail first, Morgan. Stay where you are, girl, till
he gets down that hill. You won't pot me over her shoulder for a while
yet. Move!"

Morgan took the path sullenly, de Spain covering every step he took.
Behind de Spain Nan stood waiting for her cousin to get beyond
earshot. "What," she whispered hurriedly to de Spain, "will you do?"

Covering Morgan, who could whirl on him at any turn in the descent, de
Spain could not look at her in answering. "Looks pretty rocky, doesn't
it?"

"He will start the whole Gap as soon as he gets to his horse."

He looked at the darkening sky. "They won't be very active on the job
before morning."

Morgan was at a safe distance. De Spain turned to Nan. He tried to
speak out to her, but she sternly smothered his every effort. Her
cheeks were on fire, she breathed fast, her eyes burned.

"It looks," muttered de Spain, "as if I should have to climb Music
Mountain to make a get-away."

"There is no good place to hide anywhere above here," said Nan,
regarding him intently.

"Why look so hard at me, then?" he asked. "If this is the last of it,
I can take it here with our one lone cartridge."

Her eyes were bent on him as if they would pierce him through. "If I
save your life--" still breathing fast, she hesitated for words--"you
won't trick me--ever--will you?"

Steadily returning her appealing gaze, de Spain answered with
deliberation. "Don't ever give me a chance to trick you, Nan."

"What do you mean?" she deman