ay a kid acts. Half the bad men are only coltish cowpunchers gone
wrong through rotten whiskey and luck breaking bad for them."

"Is Soapy that kind?" she asked, but not because she did not know the
answer.

"He's the other kind, bad at the heart. But Curly was just a kid crazy
with the heat when he made that fool play of rustling horses."

A lad made his way to them with a note. Kate read it and turned to Dick.
Her eyes were shining happily.

"I've got news from Dad. It's all right. Soapy Stone has left town."

"Why?"

"A dozen of the big cattlemen signed a note and sent it to Stone. They
told him that if he touched Curly he would never leave town alive. He was
given word to get out of town at once."

Maloney slapped his hand joyously on his thigh. "Fine! Might a-known Luck
would find a way out. I tell you this thing has been worying me. Some of
us wanted to take it off Curly's hands, but he wouldn't have it. He's a
man from the ground up, Curly is. But your father found a way to butt in
all right. Soapy couldn't stand out against the big ranchmen when they got
together and meant business. He had to pull his freight."

"Let me tell him the good news, Dick," she said, eagerly.

"Sure. I'll send him right up."

Bronzed almost to a coffee brown, with the lean lithe grace of youth
garbed in the picturesque regalia of the _vaquero_, Flandrau was a taking
enough picture to hold the roving eye of any girl. A good many centered
upon him now, as he sauntered forward toward the Cullison box cool and
easy and debonair. More than one pulse quickened at sight of him, for his
gallantry, his peril and his boyishness combined to enwrap him in the
atmosphere of romance. Few of the observers knew what a wary vigilance lay
behind that careless manner.

Kate gathered her skirts to make room for him beside her.

"Have you heard? He has left town."

"Who?"

"Soapy Stone. The cattlemen served notice on him to go. So he left."

A wave of relief swept over the young man. "That's your father's fine
work."

"Isn't it good?" Her eyes were shining with gladness.

"I'm plumb satisfied," he admitted. "I'm not hankering to shoot out my
little difference with Soapy. He's too handy with a six-gun."

"I'm so happy I don't know what to do."

"I suppose now the hold-up will be put off. Did Sam and Blackwell go with
him?"

"No. He went alone."

"Have you seen Sam yet?"

"No, but I've seen Laura London. She's all the nice things