ung man of picturesque appearance. He was bowing to her with an
obvious intention of overdoing it. Voice and manner had the habit of the
South rather than of the West. A kind of indolent irony sat easily upon
the swarthy face crowned with a black sleek head of hair.

Her instinct told the girl who he was. She did not need to ask herself any
longer what Cass Fendrick looked like.

He was holding out to her the bloodstained kerchief that had been tied to
the lamb's leg.

"I didn't care to have it returned," she told him with cold civility.

"Now, if you'd only left a note to say so, it would have saved me a quite
considerable climb," he suggested.

In spite of herself a flicker of amusement lit her eyes. She had a sense
of humor, "I did not think of that, and since you have troubled to return
it to me, I can only say thank you."

She held out her hand for the kerchief, but he did not move. "I don't know
but what I'll keep it, after all, for a souvenir. Just to remind me that
Luck Cullison's daughter went out of her way to help one of Cass
Fendrick's sheep."

She ignored his sardonic mockery. "I don't let live creatures suffer when
I can help it. Are you going to give me my handkerchief?"

"Haven't made up my mind yet. Perhaps I'll have it washed and bring it
home to you."

She decided that he was trying to flirt with her, and turned the head of
her horse to start.

"Now your father has pulled his freight, I expect it will be safe to
call," he added.

The bridle rein tightened. "What nonsense are you saying about my
father?"

"No news, Miss Cullison; just what everybody is saying, that he has gone
to cover on account of the hold-up."

A chill fear drenched her heart. "Do you mean the hold-up of the Limited
at Tin Cup?"

"No, I don't." He looked at her sharply. "Mean to say you haven't heard of
the hold-up of the W.& S. Express Company at Saguache?"

"No. When was it?"

"Tuesday night. The man got away with twenty thousand dollars."

"And what has my father to do with that?" she demanded haughtily.

A satisfied spleen purred in his voice. "My dear young lady, that is what
everyone is asking."

"What do you mean? Say it." There was fear as well as anger in her voice.
Had her father somehow got into trouble trying to save Sam?

"Oh, I'm saying nothing. But what Sheriff Bolt means is that when he gets
his handcuffs on Luck Cullison, he'll have the man that can tell him where
that twenty thousand is."