pose it's all the same which course you follow, but I fear I am
doing wrong in allowing you to ride off--"

"Now, don't spoil everything by regretting the handsome way in which
you have indulged my whim; I think I will ride over the ridge to the
left--"

"Hold on, Jennie, until I can speak to Inman; he may object--"

"You can speak to him after I am gone; good-night, Larch, and many
thanks again for your kindness."

She rode off with her intelligent Jack on a walk until she was clear
of the camp, when she touched him into an easy gallop.

Larch Cadmus stood looking into the gloom where she had vanished,
almost before he comprehended her intention.

"Well, she's a puzzle!" he exclaimed to his two companions, who came
forward; "I don't know what to make of her. What do you suppose she
meant by that, boys?"

"It's easy enough to see," replied one of them, with a laugh; "she's
gone off after help."

"Do you think so?" asked the startled Cadmus; "where can she get it?"

"She may bring back their hands."

"There are only two of them," said Larch, much relieved, "and they
won't amount to anything in the rumpus. You don't imagine that she
knows of any larger force anywhere in the neighbourhood?"

"She can't know of any, for there ain't any," was the clincher of the
rustler; "or, if there is, she can't get it here in time to do Asbury
and the rest any good."

Cadmus was relieved by the words of his friend. Enough misgivings,
however, remained to make him say:

"There are so many moving about that her departure don't seem to be
noticed; I'll take it as a favour if you don't mention it to any one,
for now that she is gone I am sure I never should have allowed it."

The couple gave the promise, though their belief was that nothing
serious would follow.

Leaving the two to keep watch at the stables, Cadmus sauntered to
where Inman was seated near the camp-fire, smoking a pipe. A little
inquiry disclosed that neither the leader nor any of his companions
had noticed the departure of the young lady.

It was some time after this that Duke Vesey brought the report of Mrs.
Whitney's illness as an explanation of her son's delay in returning to
the camp of the rustlers.

Exasperated, and suspecting a pretense, Inman consented to a brief
postponement of the attack.

The next startling occurrence was the capture of Monteith Sterry while
trying to steal through the lines. As we have shown, he was identified
the instant