hen he turned and spoke gravely to Doubler.

"I've done all I could," he said. "You know how you stand and the rest of
it is up to you. You can go on, letting Dakota and Sheila pretend to be
friendly to you, and some day you'll get wise awful sudden--when it's too
late. Or, you can wise up now and fix Dakota before he gets a chance at
you. I reckon that's all. You can't say that I didn't put you wise to the
game."

He swung into the saddle and urged the pony toward the crossing. Looking
back from a crest of a rise on the other side of the river, he saw Doubler
still standing in the doorway, his head bowed in his hands. Duncan smiled,
his lips in cold, crafty curves, for he had planted the seed of suspicion
and was satisfied that it would presently flourish and grow until it would
finally accomplish the destruction of his rival, Dakota.

CHAPTER XII

A MEETING ON THE RIVER TRAIL

About ten o'clock in the morning of a perfect day Sheila left the Double R
ranchhouse for a ride to the Two Forks to visit Doubler. This new world
into which she had come so hopefully had lately grown very lonesome. It
had promised much and it had given very little. The country itself was not
to blame for the state of her mind, though, she told herself as she rode
over the brown, sun-scorched grass of the river trail, it was the people.
They--even her father--seemed to hold aloof from her.

It seemed that she would never be able to fit in anywhere. She was
convinced that the people with whom she was forced to associate were
entirely out of accord with the principles of life which had been her
guide--they appeared selfish, cold, and distant. Duncan's sister, the only
woman beside herself in the vicinity, had discouraged all her little
advances toward a better acquaintance, betraying in many ways a
disinclination toward those exchanges of confidence which are the delight
of every normal woman. Sheila had become aware very soon that there could
be no hope of gaining her friendship or confidence and so of late she had
ceased her efforts.

Of course, she could not attempt to cultivate an acquaintance with any of
the cowboys--she already knew _one_ too well, and the knowledge of her
relationship to him had the effect of dulling her desire for seeking the
company of the others.

For Duncan she had developed a decided dislike which amounted almost to
hatred. She had been able to see quite early in their acquaintance the
defects of his c