told me the man in here was a
Texan, somehow, I just knew it was you."

The gleam faded from the man's eyes and he regarded her curiously; "But,
what are you doin' in Timber City--you an' Win?"

"Why, it's our anniversary! We wanted to spend it here where we were
married. And besides we've got the grandest scheme. Win wants to see
you. Come on, give yourself up, and pay their old fine."

"I won't be arrested," repeated the Texan stubbornly, "an' don't count
me in on any scheme with you an' Win." Once more his eyes blazed, and
his words came low and tense: "Can't you see--I haven't forgot. I don't
reckon I ever will forget! I loved you then, an' I love you now----"

"Don't, don't, Tex! You haven't tried to forget. How many girls have you
known since--a year ago?"

"None--an' I don't want to know any! There ain't any more like you----"

Alice interrupted him with a laugh: "Don't be a fool! I know loads of
girls--and they're all prettier than I am, and they've got lots more
sense, too. Please don't spoil our anniversary this way. There are
twenty men out there, and they're all armed, and they've sworn to kill
you if you don't give yourself up."

"They better start in killin', then." Throwing back his shoulders, he
struck the bar with his fist. "I'll tell you what I'll do--an' that's
all I'll do. You go back an' tell 'em I'll pay my fine, an' a reasonable
amount of damages if they'll leave my horse outside and let me go away
from here. It ain't because I'm afraid of 'em," he hastened to add, "not
a man of 'em--nor all of 'em. But, if you want it that way, I'll do it."

"But, we don't want you to go away!" cried the girl. "Win wants to see
you."

The cowboy shook his head: "I'm goin' away--an' far away," he answered,
"I don't know what his scheme is, an' I don't want to know. We'd all be
fools to tackle it. If that plan suits you, go ahead--no arrest--I'll
just pay my fine an' go. An' if it don't suit you, you better go back to
Win. This is no place for you anyhow. Let 'em go ahead with their
killin', if they think they can get away with it."

For a moment the girl hesitated, then, picking up her candle from the
bar, she started slowly toward the door. "If I can only get word to Win
and Mr. Colston," she thought, "I can delay things until they get here."

"Well, what'd he say?" growled Hod Blake, stepping from among his
retainers.

The tone angered the girl and she glanced contemptuously into the eyes
that star