's Bard done now?
Horse--gun-fighter--woman; which?"

The other loosened the bandanna which circled his bull neck.

"Woman," he said hoarsely, and the blood swelled his throat and face
with veins of purple.

"Ah-h-h," drawled the girl, and straightening, she dropped both hands on
her hips. It was a struggle, but she managed to summon another smile.

"Wife--sister--sweetheart?"

The man stared dubiously on her, and Sally, mother to five hundred wild
rangers, knew the symptoms of a man eager for a confidant. She slipped
into the opposite chair.

"It might be any of the three," she went on gently, "and I know because
I've seen him work."

"Damn his soul!" growled the other by way of a prefix to his story. "It
ain't any of the three with me. This Bard--maybe he tried his hand with
you?"

Whether it was rage or scorn that made her start and redden he could not
tell.

"Me?" she repeated. "A tenderfoot get fresh with me? Stranger, you ain't
been long in Eldara or you wouldn't pull a bonehead like that."

"'Scuse me. I was hopin' that maybe you took a fall out of him, that's
all."

He studied the blue eyes. They had been tinted with ugly green a moment
before, but now they were clear, deep, dark, guileless blue. He could
not resist. The very nearness of the woman was like a gentle, cool hand
caressing his forehead and rubbing away the troubles.

"It was like this," he began. "Me and Lizzie had been thick for a couple
of years and was jest waitin' till I'd corralled enough cash for a
start. Then the other day along comes this feller Bard with a queer way
of talkin' school language. Made you feel like you was readin' a bit out
of a dictionary jest to listen to him for a minute. Liz, she never
heard nothin' like it, I figure. She got all eyes and sat still and
listened. Bein' like that he plumb made a fool out of Liz. Kidded her
along and wound up by kissing her good-bye. I didn't see none of this; I
jest heard about it later. When I come up and started talkin' jest
friendly with Liz she got sore and passed me the frosty stare. I didn't
think she could be doin' more than kiddin' me a bit, so I kept right on
and it ended up with Liz sayin' that all was over between us."

He paused on his tragedy, set his teeth over a sigh, and went on: "The
feller ain't no good. I know that from a chap that come to the house a
few hours after Bard left. Nash was his name--"

"What!"

"Nash. Feller built husky around the shoulder