"I wouldn't do that, ma'am," he pleaded. "You don't need to be afraid
that I'll be too fresh."

"Oh, dear!" she exclaimed, with a pretense of delight. "It will be
very nice to know that I can talk to you without fear of your placing a
false construction on my words. But I am not afraid of you."

He stepped back from the rock, hitching at his cartridge belt. "I'm
goin' over to the Two Diamond now, ma'am," he said. "And since you've
said you ain't afraid of me, I'm askin' you if you won't go ridin' with
me tomorrow. There's a right pretty stretch of country about fifteen
miles up the crick that you'd be tickled over."

Should she tell him that she had explored all of the country within
thirty miles? The words trembled on her lips but remained unspoken.

"Why, I don't know," she objected. "Do you think it is quite safe?"

He smiled and stepped away from her, looking back over his shoulder.
"Thank you, ma'am," he said. "I'll ride over for you some time in the
mornin'." He continued down the hill, loose stones rattling ahead of
him. She looked after him, radiant.

"But I didn't say I would go," she called. And then, receiving no
answer to this, she waited until he had swung into the saddle and was
waving a farewell to her.

"Don't come before ten o'clock!" she advised.

She saw him smile and then she returned to her manuscript.

When the Sun-Gods kissed the crest of the hill and bathed her in the
rich rose colors that came straight down to the hill through the rift
in the mountains, she rose and gathered up her papers. She had not
written another line.

It was late in the afternoon when Leviatt rode up to the door of
Stafford's office and dismounted. He took plenty of time walking the
short distance that lay between him and the door, and growled a savage
reply to a loafing puncher, who asked him a question. Once in the
office he dropped glumly into a chair, his eyes glittering vengefully
as his gaze rested on Stafford, who sat at his desk, engaged in his
accounts. Through the open window Stafford had seen the range boss
coming and therefore when the latter had entered he had not looked up.

Presently he finished his work and drew back from the desk. Then he
took up a pipe, filled it with tobacco, lighted it, and puffed with
satisfaction.

"Nothin's happened?" he questioned, glancing at his range boss.

Leviatt's reply was short. "No. Dropped down to see how things was
runnin'."

"Thi