man, but now his deep, dark eyes lit with
a glow that surprised her.

"Thank you. Thank you very much," he said in a low voice.

"I'm so tempery," she explained in apology, and added: "I suppose a nice
girl wouldn't have done it."

"A nice girl did do it," was all he could think to say.

"You needn't take the trouble to say that. I know I've just scrambled up
and am not ladylike and proper. Sometimes I don't care. I like to be able
to do things like boys. But I suppose it's dreadful."

"I don't think it is at all. None of your friends could think so. Not that
I include myself among them," he hastened to disclaim. "I can't be both
your friend and your enemy, can I?"

The trace of a sardonic smile was in his eyes. For the moment as she
looked at him she thought he might. But she answered:

"I don't quite see how."

"You hate me, I suppose," he blurted out bluntly.

"I suppose so." And more briskly she added, with dimples playing near the
corners of her mouth: "Of course I do."

"That's frank. It's worth something to have so decent an enemy. I don't
believe you would shoot me in the back."

"Some of the others would. You should be more careful," she cried before
she could stop herself.

He shrugged. "I take my fighting chance."

"It isn't much of a one. You'll be shot at from ambush some day."

"It wouldn't be a new experience. I went through it last week."

"Where?" she breathed.

"Down by Willow Wash."

"Who did it?"

He laughed, without amusement. "I didn't have my rifle with me, so I
didn't stay to inquire."

"It must have been some of those wild vaqueros."

"That was my guess."

"But you have other enemies, too."

"Miss Lee," he smiled.

"I mean others that are dangerous."

"Your father?" he asked.

"Father would never do that except in a fair fight. I wasn't thinking of
him."

"I don't know whom you mean, but a few extras don't make much difference
when one is so liberally supplied already," he said cynically.

"I shouldn't make light of them if I were you," she cautioned.

"Who do you mean?"

"I've said all I'm going to, and more than I ought," she told him
decisively. "Except this, that it's your own fault. You shouldn't be so
stiff. Why don't you compromise? With the cattlemen, for instance. They
have a good deal of right on their side. They _did_ have the range
first."

"You should tell that to your father, too."

"Dad runs sheep on the range to protect himself. He doesn