here once. Dismounting at a little distance, the two made their way
down to it. "Score one for the rough rider," said her companion after he
had drunk. "And I thought I knew every drop of water in this country."

[Illustration: "And I thought I knew every drop of water in this
country."]

He produced the sandwiches and they sat down. Kate could judge the hour
of the day only from the sun and dared not mention "time." Her companion
asked as many questions as he could think of, and she managed her answers
with a minimum of information. And she asked herself one question that
did not occur to him: "Why was she not frightened to death?" It must
have been the duel she felt she was fighting with this man to keep him
away from her father that banished her fears. In the saddle, events
moved too rapidly to admit of extended misgivings, and she had purposely
assigned to him the slower horse.

It was only when they were taking the almost enforced moment of rest
together at the water hole--which might as well have been a thousand
miles from help as ten--that little chills did run up and down her back.
As for her companion, it was useless to try to read him from his face or
manner; if she were playing one game, he might well be playing another as
far as anything she could gather from his features was concerned. But
she had to confess there was never a look in his eyes--when she did look
into them--that frightened her.

And as she cautiously regarded him munching a sandwich and keeping his
own eyes rather away from than on her own, she asked herself whether she
had undertaken too much, and whether this sphinx-like face might hide
danger for her. She at least knew it was far from being possible to tell
by looking at the outside of a man's head what might be going on inside.
Only the plight of her father's affairs had seemed to justify her; even
this did not seem to now, but it was too late to wish herself out of it.
Besides--for most extraordinary notions will come into foolish girls'
minds--was she not in the company of a great Federal court; and shouldn't
she feel safe on that score?

He certainly ate slowly. His appetite was astonishing. He invited Kate
more than once to continue eating with him, but her first hasty sandwich
and her latent uneasiness had more than satisfied her.

"It must be very exciting, to be a deputy marshal," she remarked once,
when she could think of no other earthly thing to say, and was sti