he cabin, placing the memoranda on a shelf where Dakota
would be sure to find it when he returned with the doctor. She did not
care to read anything contained in it.

Marveling at her coolness, she went outside again and resumed her seat on
the door step. It was not such a blow to her, after all, and there arose
in her mind as she sat on the step a wonder, as to how her father would
act were she to confront him with evidence of his guilt. Perhaps she would
not show him the paper, but she finally became convinced that she must
talk to him, must learn from him in some manner his connection with the
attempted murder of Doubler. Then, after receiving from him some sign
which would convince her, she would take her belongings and depart for the
East, leaving him to his own devices.

Looking up at the sun, she saw that it still had quite a distance to
travel before it reached the mountains. Stealing into the cabin, she once
more fixed the bandages on the wounded man. Then she went out, mounted her
pony, and rode through the shallow water of the crossing toward the Double
R ranch.

CHAPTER XIV

LANGFORD LAYS OFF THE MASK

The sun was still an hour above the horizon when Sheila rode up to the
corral gates. While removing the saddle and bridle from her pony she noted
with satisfaction that the horse which her father had been accustomed to
ride was inside the corral. Therefore her father was somewhere about.

Hanging the saddle and bridle from a rail of the corral fence, she went
into the house to find that Langford was not there. Duncan's sister curtly
informed her that she had seen him a few minutes before down at the
stables. Sheila went into the office, which was a lean-to addition to the
ranchhouse, and seating herself at her father's desk picked up a six
month's old copy of a magazine and tried to read.

Finding that she could not concentrate her thoughts, she dropped the
magazine into her lap and leaned back with a sigh. From where she sat she
had a good view of the stables, and fifteen minutes later, while she still
watched, she saw Langford come out of one of the stable doors and walk
toward the house. She felt absolutely no emotion whatever over his coming;
there was only a mild curiosity in her mind as to the manner in which he
would take the news of her intended departure from the Double R. She
observed, with a sort of detached interest, that he looked twice at her
saddle and bridle as he passed them, an