e fire. When he started from his
revery Bull was asleep. De Spain picked him up, carried him in his
blanket over to a cot, cut the wet rags off him, and, rolling him in a
second blanket, walked out into the barn and ordered up a team and
light wagon for Sleepy Cat. The rain fell all night.

CHAPTER XXIV

AN OMINOUS MESSAGE

Few men bear suspense well; de Spain took his turn at it very hard.
For the first time in his life he found himself braved by men of a
type whose defiance he despised--whose lawlessness he ordinarily
warred on without compunction--but himself without the freedom that
had always been his to act. Every impulse to take the bit in his teeth
was met with the same insurmountable obstacle--Nan's feelings--and the
unpleasant possibility that might involve him in bloodshed with her
kinspeople.

"Patience." He repeated the word to himself a thousand times to deaden
his suspense and apprehension. Business affairs took much of his time,
but Nan's situation took most of his thought. For the first time he
told John Lefever the story of Nan's finding him on Music Mountain, of
her aid in his escape, and the sequel of their friendship. Lefever
gave it to Bob Scott in Jeffries's office.

"What did I tell you, John?" demanded Bob mildly.

"No matter what you told me," retorted Lefever. "The question is:
What's he to do to get Nan away from there without shooting up the
Morgans?"

De Spain had gone that morning to Medicine Bend. He got back late and,
after a supper at the Mountain House, went directly to his room.

The telephone-bell was ringing when he unlocked and threw open his
door. Entering the room, he turned on a light, closed the door behind
him, and sat down to answer the call.

"Is this Henry de Spain?" came a voice, slowly pronouncing the words
over the wire.

"Yes."

"I have a message for you."

"What is it?"

"From Music Mountain."

"Go ahead."

"The message is like this: 'Take me away from here as soon as you
can.'"

"Whom is that message from?"

"I can't call any names."

"Who are you?"

"I can't tell you that."

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I say. Good-by."

"Hold on. Where are you talking from?"

"About a block from your office."

"Do you think it a fair way to treat a man to----"

"I have to be fair to myself."

"Give me the message again."

"'Take me away from here as soon as you can.'"

"Where does it come from?"

"Music Mountain."

"If you're