girl angrily. "I hate a dare worse than
anything in the world, almost." For a moment her green-blue eyes were
pools of light flashing angrily at him.

Into the hand of Ronicky Doone, with that magic speed and grace for
which his fame was growing so great in the mountain desert, came the
long, glimmering body of the revolver, and, holding it at the hip, he
threatened her.

She shrank back at that, gasping. For there was an utter surety about
this man's handling of the weapon. The heavy gun balanced and steadied
in his slim fingers, as if it were no more than a feather's weight.

"I'm talking straight, lady," said Ronicky Doone. "Sit down--pronto!"

In the very act of obedience she straightened again. "It's bluff," she
said. "I'm going through that door!" Straight for the door she went,
and Ronicky Doone set his teeth.

"Go back!" he commanded. He glided to the door and blocked her way,
but the gun hung futile in his hand.

"It's easy to pull a gun, eh?" said the girl, with something of a
sneer. "But it takes nerve to use it. Let me through this door!"

"Not in a thousand years," said Ronicky.

She laid her hand on the door and drew it back--it struck his
shoulder--and Ronicky gave way with a groan and stood with his head
bowed. Inwardly he cursed himself. Doubtless she was used to men who
bullied her, as if she were another man of an inferior sort. Doubtless
she despised him for his weakness. But, though he gritted his teeth,
he could not make himself firm. Those old lessons which sink into a
man's soul in the West came back to him and held him. In the helpless
rage which possessed him he wanted battle above all things in the
world. If half a dozen men had poured through the doorway he would
have rejoiced. But this one girl was enough to make him helpless.

He looked up in amazement. She had not gone; in fact, she had closed
the door slowly and stood with her back against it, staring at him in
a speechless bewilderment.

"What sort of a man are you?" asked the girl at last.

"A fool," said Ronicky slowly. "Go out and round up your friends; I
can't stop you."

"No," said the girl thoughtfully, "but that was a poor bluff at
stopping me."

He nodded. And she hesitated still, watching his face closely.

"Listen to me," she said suddenly. "I have two minutes to talk to you,
and I'll give you those two minutes. You can use them in getting out
of the house--I'll show you a way--or you can use them to tell me ju