t of the covert.

The trail was narrow, and Billy could not swerve around the new rider.
So, sensing the danger of a collision he stiffened his legs, making a
sliding halt that carried him a dozen feet, leaving him upon his haunches
with Barbara frantically trying to keep to the saddle.

Then Billy's forehoofs came down; he grunted, heaved a tremendous sigh
and stood, his legs braced, awaiting orders.

No order came. For no words escaped Barbara's lips. She sat in the
saddle, her face ashen, terror clutching her.

For the horseman who had ridden out of the covert was Stroud, the Rancho
Seco straw-boss. He was grinning, and in his eyes was a gloating triumph
that she could not mistake.

"Lucky I took a notion to come in this mornin'," he said. "I just got
here. I seen you hittin' the breeze for fair while you was quite a piece
up the basin; an' I seen Deveny an' the boys a-fannin' it, too. An' I
says to myself: 'Stroud, here's Deveny racin' to see Miss Barbara, an'
her actin' like she don't want to see him. But I'll fix it so she does.'"

The girl touched Billy with the quirt, and the little animal lunged
forward, close to Stroud's horse. As the two beasts came close together
Barbara struck at Stroud with the quirt, hoping to disconcert him so that
she could send Billy past him.

Stroud ducked and shot a hand out, seized the quirt and wrenched it from
her hand. She screamed as the hairloop scraped the flesh of her wrist.
And then she heard a thundering clatter of hoofs and saw Deveny and his
men appear from beyond the covert and race toward her.

Deveny spoke no word. But as he rode toward her she saw the gleam in his
eyes, and she silently fought Stroud, who had grasped her and was pulling
her toward him.

It seemed to her that Deveny must have misunderstood Stroud's action, for
it was clear to her--even in the stress and confusion of the moment--that
Deveny thought Stroud had attacked her through motives that were strictly
personal.

Anyway, before Stroud could speak Deveny's pistol glittered. And
malignantly, his eyes blazing with a jealous, evil light, he shot
Stroud--twice.

He sat in the saddle, his lips twitching into a sneer as he watched the
straw-boss tumble from his horse and fall limply into the grass. Then
with a smile that was hideous with a triumphant passion, he spurred his
horse to Billy's side, pulled the girl from the saddle, and sent his
horse up the valley, motioning his men to follow.