They were
passing her window which she had raised on account of the heat when the
low voices of two men came to her.

"I tell you I'm not going, Leroy. Send Hardman," one said.

"Are you running this outfit, or am I, Neil?"

"You are. But I gave her my word. That's all there's to it."

Alice was aware that they had stopped and were facing each other
tensely.

"Go slow, York. I gave her my word, too. Do you think I'm allowing to
break it while you're away?"

"No, I don't. Look here, Phil. I'm not looking for trouble. You're
major-domo of this outfit What you say goes--except about this girl. I'm
a white man, if I'm a scoundrel."

"And I'm not?"

"I tell you I'm not sayin' that," the other answered doggedly.

"You're hinting it awful loud. I stand for it this time, York, but never
again. You butt in once more and you better reach for your hardware
simultaneous. Stick a pin in that."

They had moved on again, and she did not hear Neil's answer.
Nevertheless, she was comforted to know she had one friend among these
desperate outlaws, and that comfort gave her at least an hour or two of
broken, nappy sleep.

In the morning when she had dressed she found her room door unlocked,
and she stepped outside into the sunshine. York Neil was sitting on the
porch at work on a broken spur strap. Looking up, he nodded a casual
good morning. But she knew why he was there, and gratitude welled up in
her heart. Not a young woman who gave way to every impulse, she yielded
to one now, and shook hands with him. Their eyes met for a moment and he
knew she was thanking him.

An eye derisive witnessed the handshake. "An alliance against the teeth
of the wolf, I'll bet. Good mo'ning, Miss Mackenzie," drawled Leroy.

"Good morning," she answered quietly, her hands behind her.

"Sleep well?"

"Would you expect me to?"

"Why not, with York here doing the virgin-knight act outside your door?"

Her puzzled eyes discovered that Neil's face was one blush of
embarrassment.

"He slept here on the po'ch," explained Leroy, amused. "It's a great
fad, this outdoor sleeping. The doctors recommend it strong for sick
people. You wouldn't think to look at him York was sick. He looks plumb
husky. But looks are right deceptive. It's a fact, Miss Mackenzie, that
he was so sick last night I wasn't dead sure he'd live till mo'ning."

The eyes of the men met like rapiers. Neil said nothing, and Leroy
dropped him from his mind as if he were a t