porch and called to his men:

"Shut off your wind, Jack! And you, too, Blaze! I didn't want you
fellows to come here. But as you would come, you've got to shut up. This
is my business."

Whereupon he turned to Stewart, who was sitting on the fence.

"Hello, Stewart!" he said.

It was a greeting; but there was that in the voice which alarmed
Madeline.

Stewart leisurely got up and leisurely advanced to the porch.

"Hello, Hammond!" he drawled.

"Drunk again last night?"

"Well, if you want to know, and if it's any of your mix, yes, I
was-pretty drunk," replied Stewart.

It was a kind of cool speech that showed the cowboy in control of
himself and master of the situation--not an easy speech to follow up
with undue inquisitiveness. There was a short silence.

"Damn it, Stewart," said the speaker, presently, "here's the situation:
It's all over town that you met my sister last night at the station
and--and insulted her. Jack's got it in for you, so have these other
boys. But it's my affair. Understand, I didn't fetch them here. They can
see you square yourself, or else--Gene, you've been on the wrong trail
for some time, drinking and all that. You're going to the bad. But Bill
thinks, and I think, you're still a man. We never knew you to lie. Now
what have you to say for yourself?"

"Nobody is insinuating that I am a liar?" drawled Stewart.

"No."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. You see, Al, I was pretty drunk last
night, but not drunk enough to forget the least thing I did. I told Pat
Hawe so this morning when he was curious. And that's polite for me to
be to Pat. Well, I found Miss Hammond waiting alone at the station. She
wore a veil, but I knew she was a lady, of course. I imagine, now that
I think of it, that Miss Hammond found my gallantry rather startling,
and--"

At this point Madeline, answering to unconsidered impulse, eluded
Florence and walked out upon the porch.

Sombreros flashed down and the lean horses jumped.

"Gentlemen," said Madeline, rather breathlessly; and it did not add
to her calmness to feel a hot flush in her cheeks, "I am very new to
Western ways, but I think you are laboring under a mistake, which, in
justice to Mr. Stewart, I want to correct. Indeed, he was rather--rather
abrupt and strange when he came up to me last night; but as I understand
him now, I can attribute that to his gallantry. He was somewhat wild
and sudden and--sentimental in his demand to protect me--and it